Genovesa Island is in the Northern hemisphere and very isolated from the rest of the archipelago. This isolation has led to very interesting conditions, such as the absence of terrestrial reptiles, which were never able to colonize this Island. The prickly pear cactus has lost the sharpness of its spines. The top predator is the short-eared owl, which has adapted to hunting during the daily hours. The only marine reptile are the marine iguanas which, by the way, are the smallest of their kind in Galapagos.