Peru

Peru is extremely rich in birds found nowhere else including the Scarlet-banded Barbet (Bird Bytes), the White-winged Guan (ARKive), the Sira Curassow (HMNS), the Golden-backed Mountain-tanager (ARKive), the Junin Grebe (ARKive), the Yellow-browed Toucanet (InfoNatura), the Junin Rail (BirdLife Int'l), the Yellow-faced Parrotlet (IBC), the Selva Cacique (BirdLife Int'l), and the Peruvian Plantcutter (IBC). Endemic genera include the Long-whiskered Owlet (National Geographic), the Marvellous Spatuletail (Creagrus), the Grey-bellied Comet (ARKive), the Bearded Mountaineer (Ton, Ben & Rob Nagtegaal), the Tumbes Tyrant (Surfbirds), the White-cheeked Cotinga (ARKive), the Buff-bridled Inca Finch (flickr), the Striated Earthcreeper (flickr), the Rufous-breasted Warbling Finch (Neotropical Birds), the Pardusco (IBC), and the Cinereous Finch (IBC).

Mammals unique to Peru include the Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (EDGE), the Andean Night Monkey (ARKive), the Rio Mayo Titi (ARKive), Anderson’s Mouse Opossum (EDGE), the Hairy Long-nosed Armadillo (National Geographic), the Ashaninka Arboreal Chinchilla Rat (BBC), the Eastern Puna Mouse (ARKive), a recently described brush-tailed tree rat Isothrix barbarabrownae (Mongabay), a mouse Rhagomys longilingua (p. 4 of Field Museum pdf file), and the Blunt-eared Bat Tomopeas ravus (BHL).

Reptiles found only in Peru include the Desert Lancehead (CalPhotos), the Inca Forest Pitviper Bothriopsis chloromelas (flickr), Dunn's Tree Snake (CalPhotos), a false coral snake Oxyrhopus marcapatae (p. 15 of Field Museum 7 MB pdf file), the Capistrata Centipede Snake (CalPhotos), the Perico Worm Lizard (CalPhotos), the Cajamarca Gecko (CalPhotos), the Andes Leaf-toed Gecko (CalPhotos), a giant gecko Phyllopezus maranjonensis (Reptile Database), Macropholidus ataktolepis (CalPhotos), Holmberg's Desert Tegu (BHL), the Spiny Whorltail Iguana (flickr), a lava lizard Microlophus theresiae (Alessandro Catenazzi), and an endemic lizard genus Ctenoblepharys (Alessandro Catenazzi).

Amphibians exclusive to Peru include the Peru Stubfoot Toad (ARKive), the Inca Toad (AmphibiaWeb), Trueb's Cochran Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Pleasing Poison Frog (ARKive), the Emerald Poison Frog (ARKive), the Red-headed Poison Frog (DendroBase), Henle's Slender-legged Treefrog (AmphiaWeb), a treefrog Hyla antoniiochoai (Peru Wildlife) , the Abra Acanacu Marsupial Frog (CalPhotos), the Noble Pygmy Frog Noblella pygmaea (Guardian), and the Huahachuco Water Frog Telmatobius brevipes (p. 9 of Mongabay pdf file). Endemic amphibian genera include the Sky-blue Poison Frog (frognet), the Marañón Poison Frog (ARKive), Lynchius (ARKive), Bryophryne (Wildlife Extra), the Andes Smooth Frog (ARKive), and Melanophryne (p. 6 of puce.edu.ec pdf file).

Freshwater fish known solely from Peru include the Sanchez Piranha (OPEFE), the Peruvian Longfin (SAA), a killifish Rivulus iridescens (FishBase), a knifefish Gymnotus ucamara (FLMNH), a pencilfish Pyrrhulina eleanorae (FishBase), a dwarf cichlid Apistogramma atahualpa (Cichlid Room Companion), the Twosaddle Corydoras (PlanetCatfish), and the Jello Band Catfish (PlanetCatfish). Endemic genera include the characins Othonocheirodus (FishBase) and Trochilocharax (Practical Fishkeeping), a cichlid Tahuantinsuyoa (Naturhistorhiska riksmuseet), the Apricot Tetra Dectobrycon (Aqualog pdf file), and several catfishes: Pterosturisoma (PlanetCatfish), Aposturisoma (PlanetCatfish), and Hypodoras (PlanetCatfish).

Butterflies exclusive to Peru include a swallowtail Battus streckerianus (Jeffrey S. Pippen), Nabakov’s Lycid (Learn About Butterflies), a hairstreak Strymon jacqueline (UNMSM pdf file), the Zebra-like Ringlet (NHM-London), Eldoradina (Butterflies of America), and the Peruvian Puna Skipper (Learn About Butterflies). Other endemic insects include a silk moth Copaxa bella (Kirby Wolfe), a damselfly Protoneura klugi (IUCN pdf file), a stick insect Peruphasma schultei (flickr), a stag beetle Incadorcus zugeri (New World Scarab Beetles), a rhinoceros beetle Megaceras briansaltini (species.asu.edu), and a bee Alocandrena porteri (Discover Life). Endemic spiders include a wandering spider Caloctenus oxapampa (p. 10 of SciELO Peru pdf file) and several tarantulas: Avicularia aurantiaca (Ondrej Rehak), Thrixopelma cyaneolum (giantspiders.com), and Lasiodorides polycuspulatus (Arachnoboards).  Endemic land snails include Bostryx reentsi (Bram's Snail Site), Drymaeus cecileae (Wikipedia), and Scutalus mariopenai (Wikipedia).

Among over 5000 vascular plant species restricted to Peru (UNMSM) are Fuchsia tincta (Field Museum), Puya angusta (ABIS), Heliconia penduloides (Field Museum), Centropogon vernicosus (ABIS), Chamaedorea fragrans (PACSOA), Exodeconus prostratus (ABIS), and several orchids: Cattleya mooreana (IOPSE), Phragmipedium kovatchii (IOPSE), and Masdevallia scitula (IOPSE). Endemic genera include Trichlora (Kew), Rauhia (Pacific Bulb Soc.), Filarum (Int'l Aroid Soc.), Arnaldoa (ABIS), Laccopetalum (ABIS), Xylopodia (NYBG), Weberbauerella (Botanicus), Presliophytum (NYBG), and several cacti: Matucana (CactiGuide.com), Oroya (CactiGuide.com), and Calymmanthium (es.wikipedia).

Peru includes portions of the Amazon (WWF) and two biodiversity hotspots: the Tropical Andes (Biodiversity Hotspots) and the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena (Biodiversity Hotspots). Important terrestrial ecoregions include the Peruvian Yungas (EoE), the Sechura Desert (EoE), the Central Andean Puna ;(EoE), the Cordillera Central Páramo (EoE), and the Tumbes-Piura dry forests (EoE). Important freshwater ecoregions for endemic species include the Western Amazon Piedmont (FEOW), the Amazonas Lowlands (FEOW), the Mamore-Madre de Dios Piedmont (FEOW), and Lake Titicaca (Internet Archive).