No species qualify as strictly endemic to Uruguay
Understand that the strict criterion — species found only inside Uruguay’s political borders — returns no entries. No plant, animal, or other species is currently recognized as occurring solely within Uruguay and nowhere else.
Define “endemic” as species restricted to a single place. Apply the definition to Uruguay and expect few matches. Uruguay is small, flat, and shares the Pampas and river basins with Argentina and Brazil. Habitats and species cross borders easily. Use the strict country-only rule and records from global sources show ranges that extend into neighboring provinces. This makes true country endemics rare or absent.
Check technical and historical reasons next. Species once thought unique to Uruguay were later found across the border or were reclassified. Taxonomy, limited sampling, and changing ranges all affect lists. Look for near matches instead: species mostly found in the Uruguayan Pampa, freshwater fishes limited to a single river basin that crosses borders, or endemic subspecies and varieties known from only a few departments. When building a list, include scientific name, taxon, precise range, IUCN status, citation, and a photo. Use IUCN Red List, GBIF, and national museum records as primary sources.
Explore related and useful categories now. Compile species of conservation concern in Uruguay, plants and animals endemic to the Pampa ecoregion, regional endemics of the Rio de la Plata basin, and locally restricted subspecies or invertebrates. Check national red lists and museum collections for near-endemics. For this page, focus on those regional and conservation lists rather than strict country-only endemics.
