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 The fauna of the Canary Islands is related to that of the west Palaeartic region and, more specifically, of the Mediterranean and North African sub-region.
The fauna in La Palma, and in the Canaries in general, is poor, however, a high percentage is native to the archipelago. Both of these facts are due to the animal population being confined in an island, i.e. the population has remained genetically isolated. Thus ancient forms have been preserved and new local species have evolved; this phenomenon frequently occurs when an animal population is isolated.
Some of the native fauna of La Palma and the Canary Islands belong to genera and subgenera which are unique to the bio-geographical region of Macaronesia. The "blue tit" (Parus caeruleus), the islands' lizards, and many of the invertebrates belong to these genera.
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