GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES IN THE GALAPAGOS PENGUIN SPHENISCUS MENDICULUS AND THE FLIGHTLESS CORMORANT PHALACROCORAX HARRISI IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

摘要

The Galapagos Penguin Spheniscus mendiculus and the Flightless Cormorant Phalacrocorax harrisi are endemic to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador (Harris 1973). Both species have particular characteristics that make them unique. The former is the most northerly of penguin species (Boersma et al. 2013); the latter is the only extant flightless cormorant and has a sequential polyandrous mating system (Valle 1994). The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed them as endangered and vulnerable, respectively, due to their limited geographical distribution and small fluctuating populations (IUCN 2012). More than 90% of Galapagos Penguins and the entire population of Flightless Cormorants occur on Isabela and Fernandina islands (Boersma 1976, Snow 1965, Harris 1973, Valle 1994). The remaining penguins are found on Floreana, Bartolome and Santiago islands (Harris 1973, Boersma 1976, Castro & Phillips 1996, Bingham 2001, Wiedenfeld & Jimenez-Uzcategui 2008). According to the latest survey, the populations of these species are estimated to be 1 870 Galapagos Penguins and 2080 Flightless Cormorants (Jimenez-Uzcategui 2013).