The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia, separate from the Andes range that runs through the north of the country. Reaching an elevation of 5,700 m (18,700 ft) just 42 km (26 mi) from the Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada is the highest coastal range in the tropics, and one of the highest coastal ranges in the world, being 250 metres (820 ft) shorter than the Saint Elias Mountains in Canada. The Sierra Nevada encompasses about 17,000 km2 (6,600 sq mi) and serves as the source of 36 rivers. The range is in the Departments of Magdalena, Cesar and La Guajira.
The Colombian rice rat, also known as the white-footed Handley's mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae occurring only in Colombia. It was previously included in Oryzomys, but closely resembles the dusky montane rat, and accordingly both species were placed in the new genus Handleyomys in 2002.
The Rio Carauta stubfoot toad is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Colombia; this anuran is found only within the Northwestern Andean montane forests. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. The species is threatened by habitat loss.
Atelopus coynei, the Rio Faisanes stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Atelopus galactogaster, the Antado stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Colombia within the northwestern Andean montane forests. The species' natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Atelopus glyphus, the Pirri harlequin frog or Pirri Range stubfoot toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae found in Colombia and Panama within the Northwestern Andean montane forests. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers.
Caecilia corpulenta is a species of caecilian in the family Caeciliidae. It is endemic to Colombia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, swamps, plantations, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forest.
Caecilia degenerata, the Garagoa caecilian, is a species of caecilian in the family Caeciliidae. It is endemic to Colombia and known from the Cordillera Oriental in Boyacá, Santander, and Cundinamarca Departments. Its natural habitats are montane forests. This subterranean species is apparently common in parts of its range. Deforestation might be a threat to it.
Caecilia guntheri is a species of caecilian in the family Caeciliidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Caecilia pachynema is a species of amphibian in the family Caeciliidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Caecilia thompsoni, commonly called Thompson's caecilian, is a species of caecilian in the family Caeciliidae. It is endemic to Colombia. It is the largest of the worm-like caecilians and reaches a length of 1.5 m (5 ft) and can weigh up to about 1 kg (2.2 lb). Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, plantations, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forest.
Gastrotheca gracilis, commonly known as the La Banderita marsupial frog, is a species of frog in the family Hemiphractidae. It is found in northwestern Argentina and possibly Bolivia.
The yellow-striped brushfinch is a species of bird in the family Passerellidae.
The plate-billed mountain toucan is a species of bird in the family Ramphastidae. It is native to the west slope of Ecuador and extreme southern Colombia, where it lives in the high-altitude humid mountain forests of the Andes.
The black-billed mountain toucan is a species of bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Pristimantis is a very large genus of frogs distributed in the southern Caribbean islands and in Central and South America from Honduras to northern Argentina and southern Brazil. With 596 described species, the genus had more species than any other genus of vertebrate animals. Many of these species genus are endemic to the Northwestern Andean montane forests ecoregion in north-western South America.
The Southern Andean Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Yungas of southwestern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina.
The Northwestern Andean montane forests (NT0145) is an ecoregion on the Andes mountains in the west of Colombia and Ecuador. Both flora and fauna are highly diverse due to effect of ice ages when the warmer climate zones were separated and the cooler ones combined, and interglacial periods when the reverse occurred. Because the environment is hospitable to humans, the habitat has been drastically modified by farming and grazing since the Pre-Columbian era.
The Eastern Cordillera Real montane forests (NT0121) is an ecoregion in the eastern range of the Andes of southern Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru. The ecoregion covers the eastern slopes of the Andes, and includes montane forest that rises from the Amazonian rain forest, with cloud forest and elfin forest at higher elevations. It is rich in species, including many endemics. It is threatened by logging and conversion for pasturage and subsistence agriculture.
Holcosus septemlineatus, also known commonly as the seven-lined ameiva or the lagartija terrestre de cola azul (Spanish), is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is native to northwestern South America.
