Korean Peninsula
The
following account covers only species that are known to occur in both North Korea and South Korea. For additional
Korean Peninsula endemics that are restricted to a single nation see
the individual country accounts.
Mammals unique to the peninsula include Kobayashi’s Serotine (IUCN Red List)
and the Korean Red-backed Vole (Ecotopia).
Endemic
amphibians include the Gold-spotted Pond Frog Rana chosenica (yangpakor),
the Korean Brown Frog Rana
coreana (AmphibiaWeb),
and the Suwon Treefrog Hyla suweonensis (yangpakor).
Freshwater fish restricted to the Korean Peninsula include the Kumgang
Fat Minnow Rhynchocypris
kumgangensis (Daemin Kim),
the Dark Sleeper Odontobutis
interrupta (FishBase),
the Korean Aucha Perch Coreoperca
herzi (FishBase),
the Korean Rose Bitterling Rhodeus
uyekii (NFRDI),
the Korean Striped Bitterling Acheilognathus
yamatsutae (NFRDI),
the
Splendid Shiner Coreoleuciscus
splendidus (FishBase),
a
gudgeon Gobiobotia
macrocephala (FishBase), the Northern Loach Cobitis pacifica (NARIS), and the Korean
Torrent Catfish Liobagrus
andersoni (FishBase).
Insects known only from the Korean Peninsula include a dragonfly Asiagomphus coreanus
(NARIS),
a ground beetle Damaster
constricticollis (NARIS),
and a grasshopper Arcyptera
coreana (Orthopteroids
of Korea).
Vascular plants found nowhere else include Iris koreana (SIGNA),
the Korean Stewartia Stewartia
koreana (NC
State Univ.), and the Korean Necklace-pod Echinosophora koreensis (daegu.go.kr). Endemic plant genera include the White
Forsythia Abeliophyllum
distichum (UBC
Botanical Garden) and Hanabusaya
asiatica (KBIS).
Information on endemic Korean animals and plants can be found at (Wild
Fauna and Flora of Korea) . Booklets on specific groups
include those for vertebrates (Wild
Fauna and Flora of Korea pdf file), insects (Wild
Fauna and Flora of Korea pdf file), spiders (p. 14 of Wild
Fauna and Flora of Korea pdf file), and various invertebrates
(Wild
Fauna and Flora of Korea pdf file).