Endemic species
Although the Canary Islands fauna is less rich than in comparable continental areas of North Africa or Mediterranean Europe, this insularity has favored the appearance of endemic species (109 species of vertebrates, 90 of which are indigenous). The most numerous vertebrates are obviously the birds which do not know the oceanic borders. There are 75 breeding species, 62 of which are indigenous. Among the endemic species, the Bolle's pigeon and the laurel pigeon, which can be found in the Garajonay National Park in La Gomera, are considered relics of the Tertiary era, just like the flora that surrounds them. But also the blue finch and the island traquet. Not to mention the famous canary, endemic to the Macaronesia region, with yellow plumage less bright than its domestic variety, but with the same song. Inland, one of the most remarkable and common birds is the kestrel, which can be easily recognized by its red plumage, as well as another bird of prey quite common in all the islands, the common buzzard or hoopoe, easily identifiable thanks to its orange plumage and black and white stripes on its tail.
On the trail of the lizards
On the coasts, you can observe shearwaters and petrels that settle on the cliffs after spending the winter on the high seas and especially the grey and white plumage of the grey shearwater that looks like a miniature albatross. Finally, the arid climate of Fuerteventura causes the presence of species of sub-desert birds with yellow-beige plumage, some spotted with black, imitating the color of the soil and sand. Another richness of the island in terms of fauna, its numerous endemic species of lizards. The most beautiful, the rare giant lizard, lives in El Hierro and can reach a meter in length. But we will see much more easily its cousin, the Canary lizard in Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma or the lizard of Gran Canaria, which can also reach the size of 80 cm. We will also observe the Canary Island gecko, always called by its name guanche perenquén, inhabiting all the islands except Fuerteventura and Lanzarote where another gecko lives. Another effect of insularity is that mammals are in the minority in the Canary Islands and the native species have disappeared in front of the dominant species introduced by man. You will see goats, especially in Fuerteventura, but also sheep, hares, rabbits, hedgehogs or gerbils. Imported in the 15th century, the dromedary was widely used for agricultural work and the construction of cultivable terraces, but today it is mainly used for tourism. The marine fauna also includes more than a thousand invertebrates, of which only 18 are endemic. Of the twenty or so cetaceans listed, only a few are observed regularly, the white-sided dolphin, the common dolphin and the blowing dolphin. Like the small whales, easily recognizable by the big hump on their foreheads and their long dorsal fin, they can be seen during sea excursions from the south of Tenerife and La Gomera.
To the happiness of the botanist
With almost 2,000 species of plants, 514 of which are endemic, the Canary Islands are of great interest to the botanist. This biodiversity is so rare and precious that the Teide National Park in Tenerife and the Garajonay National Park in La Gomera have been classified as UNESCO Natural Heritage sites, and other areas of the archipelago have been classified as Biosphere Reserves: the Caldera de Taburiente in La Palma, El Hierro, the Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote, as well as parts of Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. This flora varies with altitude and the effect of the trade winds. That is why in the low areas and on the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, strong sunshine and low rainfall have favored the omnipresence of succulents, first among which is the candelabra spurge, an endemic plant that looks like a cactus. We will also find agaves with flowers that can reach several meters in height and prickly pear trees that have been used to extract the cochineal. As for the non-native cacti imported from Mexico, they populate all the islands, but especially Lanzarote. As for the trees, the most emblematic is of course the dragon tree, recognizable by its massive and smooth trunk from which a quantity of branches crowned with pointed leaves emerge and which exceeds 20 meters in height. Of an exceptional longevity, more than 600 years for the most known one of Icod de los Vinos, it was very exploited for the multiple properties of its resin becoming red in contact with the air (dye, medicine, antioxidant) and was even used by the Guanches to make ointments for their mummies.
Monteverde and Red Taginate
At high altitudes (600 to 1,500 m) there is an extraordinary subtropical forest, the monteverde, which resembles the Mediterranean forest of the Tertiary era, with its giant laurels, many of which are native, and its tree heathers that can grow up to 20 m high. Considerably restricted by agricultural activities, it remains important in La Gomera and on the slopes of Anaga and Teno, in Tenerife. This archipelago will also be the privileged place of the pine forests of which notably the three-needle Canary pine, very resistant to fire and which was used for the construction of the superb sculpted balconies that you will meet throughout your trip. At very high altitudes, such as Teide, there are no trees left and the most important plant is the red Taginaste, which is represented on many postcards. It can reach several meters in height and is characteristic of the ridges of La Palma and the Cañadas of Teide. The latter also allow us to discover the rarest plants of the high mountains: the broom, with white or pink flowers, the daisy and especially, rare among all, the violet. At low altitude, the only tree is the Canary palm, a date palm with a thicker trunk and more foliage than the African date palm, but with less appreciated fruits. In the edible plants section, chestnut, dwarf banana, tropical fruits (papaya, mango) and vine complete the panorama.
