Wild Islands

For many animals, an island can be a great place to live. Water all around keeps big predators away. But islands have their own dangers. Food and water are limited. A storm or volcano can easily wipe out a whole population, or change the land in big ways. If a predator (like cats or rats) does arrive, there’s no escape. These challenges can cause island animals to evolve quite differently from their mainland ancestors. So islands around the world are home to rare species found nowhere else.

A Rock of My Own

The Galápagos are a group of small volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, 600 miles (966 km) west of Ecuador. When these islands first erupted from the sea, they were empty of life. Over time, plant seeds