Canary Islands Keystones

Instructions

Off mainland Africa, the Canary Islands reside with a limited diversity of birds, mammals, and reptiles. In absence of competition, llzards + rats underwent gigantism, songbirds evolved flightlessness, and species stopped migrating, becoming endemic. However, a combination of human impact upon arrival and invasive species resulted in many of these species' extinctions. The long-legged bunting was one of the only flightless songbirds to ever exist. It evolved longer legs, more robust beaks, and smaller wings for foraging insects + seeds on the ecosystems' forest floor. Tenerife giant rats were descendants of mainland, African grass rats that disproportionately grew for a diet of plant matter. Although, they evolved into ground-dwelling, semi-arboreal megafauna, some of their senses did not equally shift for this lifestyle. The Goliath Tenerife Lizard was the largest of the Canary Islands' native lizards. It was a massive herbivore that consumed fruits and dispersed their seeds. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Common Quail: It is believed that Canary Island quail descend from a population of common, migratory quail that became endemic and more terrestrial. Some populations demonstrate a lack of migration, especially after the extinction of non-migratory quail. Providing prime conditions and habitat could speed up functionally-evolved, endemic quail. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Restoration: The Canary Islands' habitats are heavily altered and infested with invasive species. However, creating safe havens through fenced sanctuaries and islets could provide some refuges for threatened wildlife. Rewilding fauna + flora can ensure that the environemnt maintains its presence. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ○ Bird: • Long-Legged Bunting ○ Mammal: • Tenerife Giant Rat ○ Reptile: • Goliath Tenerife Lizard