Furthermore, an old proverb states that if you have not drawn something, you have not seen it; indeed, drawing a thing forces the draftsman to pay minute attention to its details. We could not possibly achieve this effect by "drawing" the Galápagos biota. By setting ourselves the task of developing a life list, however, we approximated what that would have been like because our attention to details of the minute variations between species and our motivation to search for them were aroused by the task. Indeed, it was the observation this variation from island to island within the Archipelago that led Charles Darwin to his discovery of evolution by Natural Selection.

We would have, doubtless, seen a great diversity of creatures in any event. The development of the life list, however, enhanced our awareness and appreciation of what we saw in a way that would not have been possible had our attention been less focused.

Our comprehensive list follows. Where possible, we attempted to photograph our sightings. You can link to them from the list. Enjoy.

Contents:

Chondrichthians (sharks and rays)

Actinopterygians (bony fish)

Mammals

Turtles

Squamates

Birds

Invertebrates

Plants

Chondrichthians (sharks and rays):
White-tipped reef shark Golden cow-ray Spotted eagle ray Manta ray Black-tipped reef shark Diamond stingray Scalloped hammerhead shark	Triaenodon obesus Rhinoptera steindachneri Aetobatus narinari Manta hamiltoni Carcharhinus limbatus Dasyatis brevis Sphyrna lewini

Actinopterygians (bony fish):

Acanthuridae (surgeonfish): Yellow-tailed surgeonfish Apogonidae (cardinalfish): Pink cardinalfish Aulostomidae (trumpetfish): Reef cornetfish Trumpetfish Balistidae (triggerfish): Finescale triggerfish Yellow-bellied triggerfish Blennidae (blennies): Large-banded blenny Bothidae (Lefteye flounder): Leopard flounder Chaetodontidae (butterflyfish): Three-banded butterflyfish Hemirhampoidae (halfbeaks): Halfbeak Kyphosidae (chubs): Striped chub Dusky chub Labridae (wrasses): Cortez rainbow wrasse Rainbow wrasse Spinster wrasse Streamer hogfish Labrisomidae (blennies): Belted blenny Chameleon clinid Lutjanidae (snappers): Blue-striped snapper Monacanthidae (filefish): Scrawled filefish Mugilidae (mullets): Yellow mullet Ogcocephalidae (batfish): Red-lipped batfish Pomacantidae (angelfish): King angelfish Pomacentridae (damselfish): Brown chromis Bumphead damselfish Giant damselfish Panamic Sergeant Major White-tail damselfish Yellow-tailed damselfish Pomadasyidae (grunts): Black-striped salema Galápagos grunt Scarridae (parrotfish): Bicolor parrotfish Blue-chinned parrotfish Bumphead parrotfish Scorpaenidae (scorpoinfish): Stone scorpionfish Serranidae (sea bass): Barred serrano Creol fish Flag Cabrilla Sparidae (porgies): Blackspot porgy Sphyraenidae (barracudas): Barracuda Tetraodontidae (smooth puffers): Bullseye puffer Guineafowl puffer Zanclidae (moorish idols): Moorish idol

Prionurus laticlavius Apogon pacifici Fistularia commersonii Aulostomus chinensis Balistes polylepis Sufflamen verres Ophioblennius steindachneri Bothus leopardinus Chaetodon humeralis Hyporhamphus unifasciatus Kyphosus analogous Girella freminvillei Thalassoma lucasanum Halichoeres nocholsi Bodianus diplotaenia Malacoctenus zonogaster Malacoctensu tetranemus Blue-striped snapper Alutera scripta Mugil rammelsbergi Ogcocephalus darwini Holacanthus passer Chromis atrilobata Microspathodon bairdii Microspathodon dorsalis Abudefduf troschelii Stegastes leucorus beebei Stegastes arcifrons Xenocys jessiae Orthopristis forbesi Scarus rubroviolaceus Scarus ghoban Scarus perrico Scorpaena plumeri mystes Serranus fasciatus Paranthias colonus Epinephelus labrifrons Archosargus pourtalesii Sphyraena idiastes Sphoeroides annulatus Arothron meleagris Zanclus cornutus

Mammals:
Galápagos sea lion Fur sea lion Donkey (domestic) Dog (domestic) Sheep (domestic) Goat (domestic) Cattle (domestic)	Zalophus californianus wollenbakei Arctocephalus galapagoensis Equus asinus Canis familiaris Ovis aries Capra hircus Bos taurus

Turtles:
Green sea turtle Galápagos tortoise	Chelonia mydas agassizi Geochelone elephantopus

Squamates:
Lava lizards: Española form Santa Cruz, Floreana, Bartholomé, Santiago form Marine iguana Land Iguana	Tropidurus delanonis Tropidurus albamarlensis Amblyrhynchus cristatus Conolophus subcristatus

Birds:

Anseriformes: White-cheeked pintail Ardeidae: Yellow-crowned night heron Lava heron Striated heron Great blue heron Cattle egret Charadriiformes: Swallow-tailed gull Lava gull American oystercatcher Noddy tern Black-necked stilt Columbiformes: Galápagos dove Rock dove (aka "pigeon" feral) Cuculiformes: Smooth-billed ani Falconiformes: Galápagos hawk Galliformes: Chicken (domestic) Gruiformes: Common gallinule (aka moorhen) Passeriformes: Yellow warbler Hood mockingbird Galápagos mockingbird Galápagos flycatcher Common cactus finch Large cactus finch Warbler finch Medium ground finch Large ground finch Pelicaniformes: Brown pelican Blue-footed booby Masked booby Red-footed booby Great frigatebird Magnificent frigatebird Red-billed tropicbird Phoenicopteriformes: Greater flamingo Procellariiformes: Waved albatross Audubon's shearwater Madeiran storm petrel Wedge-rumped storm petrel Sphenisciformes: Galápagos penguin Strigiformes: Galápagos owl

Anas bahamensis galapagensis Nyctanassa violacea pauper Butorides sundevali Butorides striatus Ardea herodias Bubulcus ibis Larus furcatus Larus fuliginosus Haematopus palliatus galapagensis Anous stolidus galapengis Himantopus mexicanus Zenaida galapagoensis Columba livia Crotophaga ani Buteo galapagoensis Gallus gallus Gallinula chloropus Dendroica petechia aureolla Nesomimus macdonaldi Nesomimus parvulus Myiarchus magnirostris Geospiza scandens Geospiza conirostris Certhida olivacea Geospiza fortis Geospiza magnirostris Pelecanus occidentalis urinator Sula nebouxii excisa Sula dactylatra granti Sula sula Fregata minor ridgwayi Fregata magnificens magnificens Phaethon aethereus Phoenicopterus ruber Diomeda irrorata Puffinus iherminieri subalaris Oceanodroma castro Oceanodroma tethys tethys Spheniscus mendiculus Asio flammeus galapagoensis

Invertebrates:

Annelids: Fireworm Arthropods: Sally lightfoot crab Semi-terrestrial hermit crab Orange-tipped hermit crab Giant hermit crab Ghost crab Princely fiddler crab Acorn barnacle Painted locust Spider Galápagos wasp Introduced wasp Carpenter bee Galápagos silver fritillary Dragonfly indet. Bryozoans: (?) Bryozoan (?) indet. Cnidarians: Orange cup coral Echinoderms: Pyramid sea star Panamic cushion sea star Chocolate chip sea star Green sea urchin Pencil sea urchin Crowned sea urchin Keyhole sand dollar Giant sea cucumber Mollusks: Octopus indet. Gastropod indet.

Choeia viridis Grapsus grapsus Coenobita compressus Calcinus explorator ?? Ocypode sp. ?? Megabalanus galapaganus Schistocera melanocera Argiope argentata Polistes versicolor Xylocopa darwini Agraulis vanillae galapagensis Tubastrea coccinea Pharia pyramidata Pentaceraster cummingi Nidorella armata Lytechinus semituberculatus Eucidaris thouarsii Centrostephanus coronatus Clypeaster europacificus Isostichopus fuscus