Brazil

Brazil has more unique species of amphibians and freshwater fish than any other country in the world and is one of the main contenders (along with Australia and Indonesia) for most species of endemic life. Brazil has several distinctive regions rich in animals and plants found nowhere else including the Caatinga ecoregion (EoE), the Atlantic Forest (Biodiversity Hotspots) and Cerrado (Biodiversity Hotspots) biodiversity hotspots, the Abrolhos Coral Reefs (SIGEP), and, most famously, the Amazon (WWF).

Primates found exclusively in Brazil include the Golden Lion Tamarin (Smithsonian National Zoo), the Muriqui (Programa Muriqui), the White-whiskered Spider Monkey (ARKive), Coimbra Filho's Titi (CPB), the Black-bearded Saki (ARKive), the Pied Tamarin (Durrell), the Yellow-breasted Capuchin (ARKive), and Ayres Black Uakari (ARKive). Other mammals unique to Brazil include the Maned Sloth (EDGE), the Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (ARKive), the Hoary Fox (canids.org), the Thin-spined Porcupine (flickr), the Rock Cavy (Wikipedia), the Painted Tree Rat (ARKive), Karimi's Fat-tailed Mouse Opossum (ARKive), and Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig (EDGE), the mammal with the smallest natural range.

Brazil's endemic parrots include the critically endangered Spix’s Macaw (ARKive), the Golden Conure (WPT), Lear's Macaw (ARKive), and the Blue-bellied Parrot (BirdLife Int'l). Other birds found only in Brazil include the Hooded Visorbearer (Arthur Grosset's Birds), the Frilled Coquette (Arthur Grosset's Birds), the Alagoas Curassow (BirdLife Int'l), the White-necked Hawk (CEO), the Crescent-chested Puffbird (IBC), the Banded Cotinga (IBC), the Pin-tailed Manakin (Neotropical Birds), the White-browed Antpitta (IBC), the Ferruginous Antbird (Neotropical Birds), the White-naped Jay (IBC), the Gray-hooded Attila (Neotropical Birds), the Black-legged Dacnis (Mangoverde), and the Seven-colored Tanager (ARKive).

Among endemic reptile genera are a gecko Briba (ADW), a gymnophthalmid lizard Psilophthalmus (Check List), a worm lizard Bronia (ADW), and several colubrid snakes: Tropidodryas (Biodiversidade RS), Gomesophis (Check List), and Sordellina (CalPhotos). Other reptiles unique to Brazil include the Cerrado Dwarf Lancehead Bothrops itapetiningae (Repteis Squamata do Cerrado), the Brazilian Coral Snake Micrurus decoratus (flickr), Cropan's Tree Boa Corallus cropanii (Serpentes Brasileiras), the Yellow Tegu Tupinambis duseni (Repteis Squamata do Cerrado), and the Brazilian Snake-necked Turtle Hydromedusa maximiliani (ARKive).

Brazil's exceptional amphibian fauna includes the Pumpkin Toadlet Brachycephalus epphipium (AmphibiaWeb), the Splash-backed Poison Frog Dendrobates galactonotus (DendroBase), the Fruit-eating Frog Xenohyla truncata (POYi), Cycloramphus duseni (CalPhotos), the Itatiaia Highland Frog Holoaden bradei (ARKive), Paratelmatobius poecilogaster (AmphibiaWeb), Scythrophrys sawayae (AmphibiaWeb), Frostius erythrophthalmus (globo.com), a salamander Bolitoglossa paraensisa (CalPhotos), a lungless caecilian Atretochoana eiselti (NHM-London), and a number of recently described species (amphibia.ufba.br).

Brazil's unrivaled richness in endemic freshwater fish species includes the Black Arowana (FishBase), the Brazilian Blind Characid Stygichthys typhlops (BBC), the Green Piranha (piranha-info.com), the Santa Catarina Sabrefin (ARKive), the Royal Tetra (FishBase), the Gold Tetra Rachoviscus crassiceps (FishBase), the Slender Pike Cichlid (FishBase), Isbrueckerichthys duseni (The Loricariidae), an eyeless banjo catfish Micromyzon akamai (PlanetCatfish), Maratecoara lacortei (Killifische), and the White-blotched River Stingray (eol). Among marine fish found only off Brazil are the Oblique Butterflyfish (ARKive), the Striped Parrotfish Scarus zelindae (Osmar Luiz Júnior), the Brazilian Basslet (eol), the Noronha Wrasse (FishBase), the Rocas Gregory (FishBase), the Brazilian Large-eyed Stingray (FishBase), the Brazilian Snapper (Wildlife Extra), and a grunt Haemulon squamipinna (FishBase).

Invertebrates found solely in Brazil include Hahnel's Amazonian Swallowtail Parides hahneli (Parides Genus), Morpho anaxibia (ButterflyCorner.net), Morpho athena (flickr), Heliconius nattereri (Lepidoptera Brasilienses), an endemic genus of bee Protomeliturga (SciELO Brazil), the primitive ant Martialis heureka (Myrmecos Blog), the strepsipteran family Bahiaxenidae (Wikipedia), and one of the world's largest spiders, the Brazilian Salmon Pink Tarantula (ARKive). Endemic marine invertebrates include the corals Mussismilia hispida (ARKive) and Favia leptophylla (FAPERJ) and the molluscs Conus abrolhosensis (Conquiliologistas do Brasil) and Voluta ebraea (Conquiliologistas do Brasil).

According to the Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil over 18000 species of vascular plants are endemic to Brazil (lists of endemic genera and endemic species can be generated at Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil). Plants exclusive to Brazil include the national tree Pau Brasil (Global Trees Campaign), the Brazilian Rosewood (ARKive), the roundworm digesting Philcoxia minensis (Mongabay), and the Empress of Brazil Worsleya procera (Pacific Bulb Society). Duckeodendron cestroides (NYBG) is sometimes considered the sole species in an endemic family, Duckeodendraceae (DELTA). Among over 1600 orchid species unique to Brazil are Chytroglossa marileoniae (CPO), Grobya amherstiae (CPO), and Pseudolaelia vellozicola (CPO). A spectacular endemic bromeliad flora includes Quesnelia arvensis (CPO), Orthophytum eddie-estevesii (Paradise), and Nidularium rutilans (FCBS). Cacti genera found only in Brazil include Hatiora (Paradise), Cipocereus (ARKive), Stephanocereus (Paradise), and Espostoopsis (Paradise).