Malpelo Island, Colombia Photograph by Carl Roessler   South America: Island off the coast of Colombia in the Pacific Ocean Deserts and Xeric Shrublands   50 square miles (100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Washington DC Relatively Stable/Intact

· Isolated Isle
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Isolated Isle

Scuba divers flock to the waters off Malpelo Island to see the large schools of hammerhead sharks that congregate there. But the island itself doesn't get nearly as much attention. The island is isolated, with few plants and animals. However, it boasts large seabird populations and a number of interesting lizards.

Special Features

Bleak and forbidding, craggy Malpelo Island rises out of the Pacific Ocean, 200 miles (321 km) off the Pacific coast of Colombia. Malpelo is a solitary, volcanic island where rocky cliffs reach up to 1,235 feet (1,129 m) in height. Algae, mosses, and lichens cover the rugged cliffs. The animals that are found here show ties to the Indo-Pacific region. Marine species, including corals, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish, were brought to Malpelo by the Equatorial Countercurrent from the western-central Pacific. The centipedes and daddy longlegs that scurry across Malpelo’s rocky surfaces are most closely related to Southeast Asian species.

	Rich in nitrogen and phosphates, guano is commercially harvested for fertilizer in other parts of the world.

Wild Side

Among the many interesting animals you can find on Malpelo are lizards called Malpelo anoles, which swarm the island in search of food and water. Unlike the anoles found on the mainland, these small lizards are not territorial or aggressive. Large, endemic land crabs crawl over the rocky terrain, while small barn swallows flit overhead. Large numbers of seabirds, such as masked boobies, and shorebirds, including spotted sandpipers, congregate on Malpelo’s rocky shores to form nesting colonies. These seabirds deposit the large piles of guano (dung) that dot the landscape, providing an energy source for the entire ecosystem. The large resident anguid lizard’s reproductive activity coincides with bird breeding--perfect timing for finding lots of dead hatchlings, as well as insects attracted to the carrion, to eat.

Cause for Concern

Introduced animals such as rats could greatly alter the unique and fragile ecosystem found here. Diving tourism is increasing in the region and could lead to development pressures on the island.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.