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Chile Ecology : Fauna
 In a global context, Chile, presents a fauna which, althought it does not have a high numberical diversity, does have a high degree of endemism. In comparison with fellow South American countries it could even said to be species poor, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality - from the world's smallest deer, the pudu to one of its smallest cats, the guigna, and the huillin or river otter (Lontra provocax) which been identified by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as the most endangered carnivore in the Southern Hemisphere. There is also a richness of endemic species, especially among reptiles and amphiabians. Chile has 783 species of vertebrates (44 fish, 53 amphibians, 96 reptiles, 479 birds and 141 mammals). In the first Red book of Chile's vertebrates, put together by the National Forest Corporation (CONAF - Corporacion Nacional Forestal) and published in 1993, summaries the state of species conservation. 245 species are listed as presenting conservation concern (44 fish, 31 amphibians, 45 reptiles, 73 birds and 52 mammals). Mammals As regards the fauna, the most outstanding species are carnivores such as felids - the puma - cougar or mountain lion (Puma concolor), the Andean Mountain cat or gato Andino (Leopardus jacobita), Geoffroy?s cat (Oncifelis geoffroyi) and the colocolo or pampas cat (Oncifelis colocolo); and the kodkod or güiña cat (Oncifelis guigna). Canids include the zorro culpeo or Andean fox (Pseudalopex culpaeus) and zorro chilla (Pseudalopex griseus). The citically endangered huillín or river otter (Lontra provocax) is of particular conservation concern. A native skunk called chingue (Conepatus chinga) and a badger-like species, the quique (Galictis cuja) are also of note. Also of particular note are camelids of the Llama family (the guanaco, vicuña (Vicugna vicugna), llama and alpaca. Members of the deer family are represented by the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus), which is indigenous to the country, and is the national animal, and pudú - the world's smallest deer species). Rodents are represented by the vizcacha, introduced coipo and all but extinct national populations of the chinchilla. And Chile even has a few marsupial species, including the monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides). The puma - cougar or mountain lion (Puma concolor), once found throughout most of Chile's regions, is listed as near-threatened according to the IUCN's Red List. The huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus), is listed as endangered according to the IUCN's Red List. Today it is found only in a few sections of the Andes Mountain Range in the regions of Biobio, los Lagos, Aysen and Magallanes. Birds In Chile 479 species of bird (324 non-passerines and 155 passerines), have been recorded, representing 22 orders and 61 families. Of this total, 325 breed regularly in the country, 70 are considered seasonal migrants, of summer or winter, and 60 are vagrants and have been observed only accidentally or occasionally in Chile. 12 are endemic (with 8 species belonging to the suborder Tyranni), 6 have been introduced by humans, and 88 are rare or accidental. 33 species are globally threatened. Endemic species (only found in Chile) include Juan Fernandez tit-tyrant, Crag chilia, Slender-billed parakeet, Seaside cinclodes, Dusky tapaculo, Chilean tinamou, Juan Fernandez Firecrown, Masafuera rayadito, White-throated tapaculo, Chilean mockingbird and Moustached turca. Near endemic species (with majority of population in Chile but with records in adjacent countries): Dusky-tailed canastero, Chucao tapaculo, Ochre-flanked tapaculo, Des Murs's wiretail, Chestnut-throated huet-huet, Chilean woodstar. Cisne coscoroba, Coscoroba swan (Coscoroba coscoroba), listed as endangered according to Chile's Red Book of Vertebrates. Flamenco chileno, Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), listed as near-threatened according to the IUCN's Red List. Loro tricahue, Burrowing Parakeet (Cyanoliseus patagonus), listed as endangered according to the IUCN's Red List. Reptiles As also with the amphibians, reptiles in Chile display a high percentage of endemicism and present serious concerns for conservation. Many of the edemic species are found in populations that have only been identified in single small localities, often outside the protected areas system. This happens for example with species like: Liolaemus velosoi (III region), Liolaemus vallecurensis (IV region), Liolaemus valdesianus and Pristidactylus volcanensis (Regon Metropolitana) among others. There are other species that although their populations so are not restricted, they are still not repsrented in any of the protected areas. For example: Microlophus quadrivittatus, Liolaemus zapallarensis zapallarensis, liolaemus zapallarensis ater, Liolaemus silvai or Liolaemus gravenhorsti. Herpetofauna in Chile is represented by two orders, the Chelonia with 2 families; Dermochelydae (1 species) and Chelonidae (5 species), and the Squamata with two Suborders; Serpentes (snakes) with one family, Colubridae (6 species) and Sauria (lizards and geckos) with 5 families - Gekkonidae (6 species), Polychridae (7 species), Tropiduridae (82 species, including 66 species of the genera Liolaemus), Teiidae (1 species) and Scincidae (1 species). Altogether they total 109 reptiles of conservation concern (these figures include distinct sub-species), of which 62 species are endemic to Chile (representing 56.9%) and 38 of which belong to the genera Liolaemus). Liolaemus gravenhorsti is the only species listed as endangered by Chile's Red Book of Vertebrates, however 13 species are listed as vulnerable, including Callopistes palluma, one of Chile's largest lizards, found between the regions of Atacama and el Maule in the bush zone, and 18 are listed as rare. There are no venomous snakes in Chile, and only two species are widely known, culebra de cola larga (Philodryas chamissonis) and culebra de cola corta (Tachymenis chilensis). Both are listed as vulnerable. Amphibians The Chilean amphibians are all members of the Anura order of frog and toads, and are notable from a biological persepctive as they have been shown to be closely related to fossil anurans found in Patagonia - indicating that this region was perhaps a key point of evolutionary dispersal for this group. They are grouped in 4 families; the Bufonidae with 6 species, Leptodactylidae with 44 species, Rhinodermatidae with 2 species and Pipidae with 1 species and which is introduced. The four families represent a total of 53 recognised species, compirising 1.12% of the global total (of approximately 4,738 anuran species). Endemic species in Chile represent 58.5% of the national total. Generally the fauna of vertebrates in Chile are affected by serious problems of conservation, and within these the amphibians are of high concern due to the high degree of endemicism. At a global level amphibians species have recently undergone huge declines in their populations. Multiple factors have been implied in this decline, from the destruction of the habitat, environmental pollution, effects of introduced species, infectious agents and climatic change. Most alarming for conservation management is that many of these declines have happened in protected wilderness areas - outside of direct human impacts such as habitat destruction and local pollution effects. For this reason wide ranging factors such as air pollution and emergent infectious diseases have been identified as of key concern. The infectious diseases that can be affecting the amphibians include virus, bacteria and fungi. In Chile at least two cases show relation with this world-wide tendency. Rana de Darwin, or Darwin's frog (Rhinoderma darwini), has shown a dramatic decline in numbers, the causes of which are still unconfirmed. Rana de Darwin inhabits the central valleys and the coastal mountain range between San Fernando and the province of Arauco and is categorised as critically endangered according to the IUCN's Red List. The decline of Rhinoderma rufum, a species very similar to Darwin's frog, is still more dramatic.
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