Biodiversity of Colombia facts for kids

Colombia is one of seventeen megadiverse countries in the world.

The country hosts two biodiversity hotspots:
1 - Tropical Andes
5 - Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena

Jaguar in Jaime Duque Zoo, Tocancipá

The biodiversity of Colombia is the variety of indigenous organisms in the country with the second-highest biodiversity in the world. As of 2021, around 63,000 species are registered in Colombia, of which 14% are endemic. The country occupies worldwide the first position in number of orchids, birds and butterflies, second position in plants, amphibians and fresh water fish, third place in species of palm trees and reptiles and globally holds the sixth position in biodiversity of mammals.

The country hosts 59 nationally designated protected areas. At the establishment of the most recent addition, Bahía Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said "Biodiversity is to Colombia, what oil is for the Arabs".

In 2020, according to the Colombian Biodiversity Information System, 63,303 species were registered in the country, of which more than 8,800 are considered endemic species. The country occupies the first position in the world in number of orchid and bird species, second in plants, amphibians, butterflies and freshwater fish, third in palm and reptile species, and fourth in mammalian biodiversity.

According to a report by the WWF, half of Colombia's ecosystems are in a critical state of deterioration or in a state of danger. The organization said that environmental degradation is due to oil extraction, mineral and metal extraction and deforestation. Deteriorating ecosystems are threatening the existence of more than a third of Colombia's plants and 50 percent of its animals.

Since 1998, the Humboldt Institute for Biological Resources has been collecting biodiversity samples. As of 2014, 16,469 samples, representing around 2,530 species of 1,289 genera, and 323 families from Colombian biodiversity have been stored in its archives.

Description

Colombia is one of seventeen megadiverse countries in the world. The country in northwestern South America contains 311 types of coastal and continental ecosystems. As of the beginning of 2021, a total of between 63,000 and 71,000 species are registered in the country, with 8803 endemic species, representing near the 14% of the total registered species. Colombia is the country with the most páramos in the world; more than 60% of the Andean ecosystem is found within Colombian territories. Boyacá is the department where 18.3% of the national total area is located. Since December 20, 2014, Colombia hosts 59 protected areas. The biodiversity is highest in the Andean natural region, followed by the Amazon natural region. Since 1998, the Humboldt Institute for Biological Resources in the country has been collecting samples of biodiversity. As of 2014, 16,469 samples, representing around 2530 species from 1289 genera, and 323 families of the Colombian biodiversity have been stored in their archives.

The biodiversity of Colombia is at risk, mainly because of habitat loss, urbanisation, deforestation and overfishing. According to a study of 2001, 260,000 hectares (640,000 acres) of forested area is lost every year. Around 1300 species are critically endangered, and 509 species are introduced in Colombia, 22 of which are classified as invasive species in Colombia. Various plans to address the environmental issues are proposed. The National System of Protected Areas (SINAP) is the administrator of protected areas.

Biodiversity in numbers

To commemorate the biodiversity of Colombia, the coins of the Colombian peso introduced in 2012 feature a species each.

Natural regions

Colombia is divided into six natural regions.

Caribbean natural region

	Surface area	132,288 km2 (51,077 sq mi)
	Departments	Antioquia  Atlántico  Bolívar  Cesar  Córdoba  La Guajira  Magdalena  Sucre
	National parks	Bahía Portete Ciénaga Grande Los Colorados Corales de Profundidad Corales del Rosario El Corchal Los Flamencos Macuira Paramillo Playona Acandí Salamanca Island S.N. de Santa Marta Tayrona
	Biodiversity	aquatic birds	165
		amphibians	39
		reptiles	129
		plants	3151
		fish	109
	References

Andean natural region

	Surface area	282,540 km2 (109,090 sq mi)
	Departments	Antioquia  Boyacá  Caldas  Cauca  Cesar  Chocó  Cundinamarca  Huila  Nariño  Norte de Santander  Quindío  Risaralda  Santander  Tolima  Valle del Cauca
	National parks	Catatumbo Barí Chingaza El Cocuy Corota Cueva de los Guácharos Doña Juana-Cascabel Los Estoraques Galeras Guanentá Las Hermosas Iguaque Nevado del Huila Los Nevados Las Orquídeas Otún Quimbaya Pisba Puracé Selva de Florencia Sumapaz Tamá Tatamá Yariguíes
	Biodiversity	aquatic birds	14
		amphibians	485
		reptiles	220
		plants	11,500
		fish	197
	References

Orinoquía natural region

	Surface area	285,437 km2 (110,208 sq mi)
	Departments	Arauca  Casanare  Meta  Vichada
	National parks	La Macarena Los Picachos Tinigua El Tuparro
	Biodiversity	aquatic birds	92
		amphibians	57
		reptiles	119
		plants	2692
		fish	619
	References

Amazon natural region

	Surface area	483,911 km2 (186,839 sq mi)
	Departments	Amazonas  Caquetá  Guainía  Guaviare  Putumayo  Vaupés  Vichada
	National parks	Alto Fragua Indi-Wasi Amacayacu Cahuinarí Chiribiquete Nukak La Paya Puinawai Río Puré Churumbelos Tinigua
	Biodiversity	aquatic birds	74
		amphibians	158
		reptiles	195
		plants	5300
		fish	675
	References

Pacific/Chocó natural region

	Surface area	83,170 km2 (32,110 sq mi)
	Departments	Cauca  Chocó  Nariño  Valle del Cauca
	National parks	Los Katíos Sanquianga Uramba Bahía Málaga Utría
	Biodiversity	aquatic birds	142
		amphibians	154
		reptiles	177
		plants	4525
		fish	164
	References

Insular natural region

	Surface area	300 km2 (120 sq mi)
	Departments	Bolívar  Cauca  San Andrés y Providencia  Valle del Cauca
	National parks	Corales del Rosario Malpelo Old Providence Gorgona
	Biodiversity	Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo
		fish	170
		corals	52
		sponges	25
		molluscs & crustaceans	100s
		Gorgona Island
		fish	Pseudobatos prahli
			Trichomycterus gorgona
		Malpelo Island
		fish	Acanthemblemaria stephensi
			Halichoeres malpelo
		Old Providence Lagoon
		birds	74
	References

Biodiversity hotspots

Biodiversity hotspots of Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena (left) and Tropical Andes (right)

Colombia hosts two biodiversity hotspots; the Tropical Andes and Tumbes–Chocó–Magdalena. The country is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves with five biosphere reserves:

Name	Since	First review	Second review	Image	Notes
Cinturón Andino	1979	2001	2011
El Tuparro	1979	2001	2011
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta	1979	2001	2011
Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta	2000	2011
Seaflower	2000	2011

Species

The Amazon river dolphin inhabits the southeastern Amazon region of Colombia.

Selected fauna

Name	Species	Image
Caquetá titi	Callicebus caquetensis
cotton-top tamarin	Saguinus oedipus
mountain tapir	Tapirus pinchaque
ornate titi	Callicebus ornatus
spectacled bear	Tremarctos ornatus
white-footed tamarin	Saguinus leucopus
	Santamartamys
American flamingo	Phoenicopterus ruber
Andean condor	Vultur gryphus
blue-billed curassow	Crax alberti
Colombian chachalaca	Ortalis columbiana
Crested caracara	Caracara plancus
great egret	Ardea alba
green-bearded helmetcrest	Oxypogon guerinii
indigo-capped hummingbird	Amazilia cyanifrons
little blue heron	Egretta caerulea
multicoloured tanager	Chlorochrysa nitidissima
snowy egret	Egretta thula
white-tailed starfrontlet	Coeligena phalerata
blue anole	Anolis gorgonae
Magdalena River turtle	Podocnemis lewyana
rainbow whiptail	Cnemidophorus lemniscatus
spectacled caiman	Caiman crocodilus
	Norops mariarum
Andean poison frog	Andinobates opisthomelas
Boettger's Colombian treefrog	Dendropsophus columbianus
golden poison frog	Phyllobates terribilis
Guajira stubfoot toad	Atelopus carrikeri
harlequin poison frog	Oophaga histrionica
Lehmann's poison frog	Oophaga lehmanni
	Pristimantis tayrona
green discus	Symphysodon tarzoo
redhump eartheater	Geophagus steindachneri
spotted moray	Gymnothorax moringa
Malpelo barnacle blenny	Acanthemblemaria stephensi
Malpelo wrasse	Halichoeres malpelo
	Centrochir crocodili
	Hoplosternum magdalenae
	Labrisomus dendriticus
	Sturisoma aureum
Clysonymus longwing	Heliconius clysonymus
Dirce beauty	Colobura dirce
brown peacock	Anartia amathea
eleone white	Leptophobia eleone
short-lined kite swallowtail	Protographium agesilaus
	Rhetus arcius
	Mastigoproctus colombianus
	Psammodesmus bryophorus
giant ramshorn snail	Marisa cornuarietis
Portuguese man o' war	Physalia physalis
sea slug

Selected endemic flora

Name	Species	Image
	Cattleya trianae national flower
wax palm	Ceroxylon quindiuense national tree
lulo	Solanum quitoense national fruit
borojó	Alibertia patinoi
	Ancipitia anthrax
	Comparettia macroplectron
	Dracula bella
	Dracula diabola
	Dracula lotax
	Erythroxylum novogranatense
frailejón	Espeletia killipii
	Heliconia bourgaeana
	Hypericum myricariifolium
	Ipomoea pes-caprae
	Lepanthes ophelma
	Lupinus alopecuroides
	Masdevallia mejiana
	Miconia salicifolia
	Monnina salicifolia
	Odontoglossum crispum
	Opuntia wentiana
	Paphinia rugosa
	Paphinia seegeri
	Passiflora loefgrenii
	Pentacalia vernicosa
	Phragmipedium schlimii
color-changing Restrepia	Restrepia chameleon
copper-coloured Restrepia	Restrepia cuprea
	Restrepia nittiorhyncha
	Restrepia pandurata
	Senecio formosoides
	Stanhopea platyceras
	Stanhopea pozoi
	Stanhopea shuttleworthii
	Stanhopea stevensonii

Selected endemic fungi

Name	Species	Image
	Cookeina tricholoma
	Favolus brasiliensis
	Oudemansiella platensis

Panoramas

Cocora valley, Quindío

Ocetá Páramo, Boyacá

See also

In Spanish: Biodiversidad de Colombia para niños

• Biodiversity of the Eastern Hills, Bogotá
• Conservation biology
• Biodiversity of Thomas van der Hammen Natural Reserve
• Biodiversity of Cape Town, New Caledonia, New Zealand
• Biodiversity of Borneo, environmental issues in Colombia
• Environmental personhood