Mexico

Mammals unique to Mexico include the Vaquita (ARKive), the Yucatan Brown Brocket (venadoyucateco.com), the Pygmy Raccoon (ARKive), the Pygmy Spotted Skunk (Mammalian Species pdf file), Nelson’s Small-eared Shrew (EDGE), the Mexican Agouti (Viva Natura), the Mexican Prairie Dog (ARKive), the Chiapan Climbing Rat (EDGE), the Tehuantepec Jackrabbit (ARKive), and, as a breeding species, the Guadalupe Fur Seal (ARKive). Mammals representing endemic genera include the Volcano Rabbit (EDGE), the Gray Mouse Opossum (flickr), Buller’s Pocket Gopher (Mammalian Species pdf file), Thomas' Giant Deer Mouse (ARKive), the Magdalena Rat (Mammalian Species pdf file), and the Banana Bat (ARKive).

Birds found nowhere else include the Blue-capped Hummingbird (Xenospiza), the Short-crested Coquette (BirdLife Int'l), the Citreoline Trogon (Mangoverde), the Bearded Wood-partridge (IBC), the Thick-billed Parrot (ARKive), the Socorro Dove (BBC), the Tufted Jay (Mangoverde), the Crimson-collared Grosbeak (John Boyd), Nava's Wren (IBC) , and several possibly extinct species: the Imperial Woodpecker (Wikipedia), the Cozumel Thrasher (Robert Curry), and the Guadalupe Storm-petrel (BirdLife Int'l).

Mexico has an exceptional endemic reptile fauna (second only to Australia) including an endemic family, the Bipedidae, that includes the Baja California Worm Lizard (Mexico Herpetology). Other reptiles restricted to Mexico include the Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake (SDNHM), Dunn’s Hog-nosed Viper (Mexico Herpetology), the Mexican Horned Pitviper (ARKive), the Giant Hook-nosed Snake (Mexico Herpetology), the Ridge-headed Snake (Mexico Herpetology), the Oaxacan Spiny-tailed Iguana (ARKive), the Puebla Knob-scaled Lizard (Mexico Herpetology), the Mexican Blind Lizard (Mexico Herpetology), the Northern Imbricate Alligator Lizard (Mexico Herpetology), the San Esteban Island Chuckwalla (ARKive), the Coahuilan Box Turtle (DFC), and the Bolson Tortoise (nytts.org).

Amphibians found nowhere else include the West Mexico Leaf Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Shovel-headed Treefrog (Mexico Herpetology), the Dwarf Mexican Treefrog (Mexico Herpetology), Schultze's Mountain Stream Frog (Mexico Herpetology), the Axolotl (EDGE), the Bigfoot Splayfoot Salamander (EDGE), the Cerro Baul Dwarf Bromeliad Salamander (AmphibiaWeb), Townsend’s Dwarf Salamander (EDGE), the Golden Thorius (EDGE), and the Oaxacan Caecilian (Mexico Herpetology).

The Chiapas Catfish (ScienceDaily) is the sole member of the endemic family Lacantuniidae. Other endemic freshwater fish include the Mexican Blindcat (ARKive), the Mexican Blind Brotula (ARKive), the Blind Swamp Eel (CaveBiology.com), the Sarabia Cichlid (FishBase), the Cuatro Ciénegas Cichlid (Cichlid Room Companion), the Twoline Pupfish (DFC), the Tequila Splitfin (ARKive), the Golden Skiffia (ARKive), the Montezuma Swordtail (FishBase), and the Mexican Golden Trout (Mexican Trout). Endemic marine fish include the Gulf Flashlightfish (STRI), the Coral Toadfish (eol), the Plume Tube Blenny (STRI), the Blue-spotted Jawfish (STRI), the Clarion Damselfish (STRI), the Leopard Grouper (ARKive), the Totoaba (FishBase), the Gecko Goby (STRI), and the Lucas Barracuda (STRI).

Insects known only from Mexico include a swallowtail Baronia brevicornis (Mariposas Mexicanas), the Social White Eucheira socialis (Social Caterpillars), Minerva's Owl Butterfly (Mariposas Mexicanas), a moon moth Actias truncatipennis (silkmoths.bizland.com), a damselfly Paraphlebia zoe (ARKive), a jewel scarab Chrysina macropus (New World Scarab Beetles), an elephant beetle Megasoma nogueirai (New World Scarab Beetles), and an endemic grasshopper family, the Xyronotidae (OSF). A rich cave fauna includes a shrimp Creaseria morleyi (CaveBiology.com), an endemic scorpion family, the Typhlochactidae (AMNH pdf file), and an endemic millipede family, the Typhlobolellidae (BHL). Endemic marine molluscs include the Black Murex (Eddie Hardy), a chiton Lepidozona clathrata (NMR), and a cone shell Conus kerstitchi (Conus Biodiversity). Other endemic invertebrates include the Mexican Rustleg Tarantula (ARKive), a crayfish Cambarellus montezumae (Crayfishworld), and a freshwater snail Mexipyrgus carranzae (DFC).

Among over 10,000 vascular plant species unique to Mexico is an endemic family, the Setchellanthaceae (IREKANI). Another endemic family, the Pterostemonaceae (Kew), is also sometimes recognized. Other endemic plants include the Boojum Tree (Ocean Oasis), Hinton's Oak (Global Tree Campaign), Polianthes (Pacific Bulb Soc.), the Elephant Tree (Ocean Oasis), the Old Man Cactus (USBG), the Chende (Desert Tropicals), the Artichoke Cactus (ARKive), Iostephane (IREKANI), Pachyphytum (Globetrotters), Eucodonia (gesneriads.ca), Ainea (IREKANI), and several orchids: Mexipedium (SlipperOrchids.info), Alamania (IOPSE), Hintonella (flickr), and Artorima (IOPSE).

Mexico includes part of the Western Caribbean coral reef hotspot (Reef Guardian pdf file) and portions of three biodiversity hotspots: the Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands (Biodiversity Hotspots), the Mesoamerica (Biodiversity Hotspots), and the California Floristic Region (Biodiversity Hotspots). Important regions of Mexico for endemic species include the Gulf of California (Wild World), the Mexican Highland Lakes (WWF), the Sierra Madre del Sur Pine-oak Forests ;(EoE), the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt Pine-oak Forests (EoE), the Islas Revillagigedo Dry Forests(EoE), and the Cuatro Ciénegas (WWF Mexico).