Amazon is an incredibly unique place. It is the world’s largest rain forest and river system, and the most biologically diverse repositories of plant and animal life on Earth. It contains billions of species, most of them still undescribed.
The Amazon rainforest covers approximately 60% of Peru, which is the largest extension in any country after Brazil. Peru has the largest number of birds and the third-largest number of mammals in the world. More than 8,000 species of insects alone have been collected and classified. About 2,500 fish species have been found within the Amazon system, but many more remain unidentified.
What animals live in the Amazon?
Amazon is one of Earth’s last refuges for jaguars, harpy eagles, and pink river dolphins, and it is home to sloths, black spider monkeys, and poison dart frogs. It contains one in 10 known species on Earth, 40,000 plant species, 3,000 freshwater fish species, and more than 370 types of reptiles. Over 2,000 new species of plants and vertebrates, including a monkey that purrs like a cat, have been described since 1999.
AMAZON MAMMALS
The Amazon River Dolphin looks remarkably different from its more familiar, ocean-faring cousin. Its body is pale pink, with an elongated neck that can be moved left and right, a long snout reminiscent of a beak, a rounded head, and a smaller dorsal fin. It feeds on small fish, crabs, and turtles. Like many other aquatic animals in the Amazon, the Dolphin is threatened by pollution and various development projects which restrict the river’s natural flow. The River Dolphins have traditionally been spared from tribal hunting because they were believed to be magical creatures. But these days Dolphins are often struck by fishermen’s boats or get tangled in their nets.
The Capybara is the largest rodent in the world, measuring up to 4 feet in length and weighing up to 140 pounds, with females slightly larger than males. Their name derives from Tupi, a language from the people who inhabited Coastal Brazil, and means “grass-eater.” This is because fully grown Capybara can eat up to 8 pounds of grass per day.
Otters are common worldwide, but the Giant River Otter is endemic to the Amazon basin. Its body can reach up to around 5 feet in length (plus a 3-foot tail), and it has webbed hands and feet that are perfect for swimming and hunting in the Amazon River’s tributaries. It is often seen feasting of fish and other small prey in oxbow lakes, which are created by slow-flowing rivers changing course, and in other slow-flowing rivers and swamps. Hunting, water pollution and habitat loss are the main causes of their decreasing population numbers.
The Giant Armadillo is only found in the Amazon, where it can reach up to 5 feet long and weigh up to 120 pounds. The Armadillo’s casing can be used for offence as well as defence, and they also possess long front claws and between 80 and 100 teeth more than any other mammal. Sadly, hunting and the black market trade are endangering the Giant Armadillo’s survival.
Common throughout Central and South America, King Vultures are arguably among the most beautiful birds of the Amazon Rainforest. They measure between 26 and 32 inches, with a 4-7 foot wingspan. After the Condor, they’re the largest of all the New World vultures. It’s believed that the “King” in their name derived from an old Mayan legend that saw King Vultures as messengers between the living and the gods. Their body is mainly white, with long black feathers on their wings and tails. They have no feathers on their head and neck, but their skin is vividly coloured in red and purple shades on the head, orange on the neck, and yellow on the throat. Like all vultures, they’re scavengers helping to keep the ecosystem clean of carrion.
The Hyacinth Macaw is the largest parrot in the world by length, measuring 3.3 feet from the tip of its tail to the top of its head. Hyacinth refers to the colour of its feathers, which are blue on the entire body with some yellow colouring around its head and feathers. Along with the Scarlet and Blue-throated Macaw, Hyacinth Macaws can often be seen soaring in the skies of the Amazon Rainforest. Their diets mainly consist of fruit and nuts from native Amazonian palms, which they break with their hooked beaks (which are strong enough to break coconuts!). They use their tongue to reach into the shell of nuts, and their talons to hang onto trees. Sadly, Hyacinth Macaws are endangered: Their main threat is the illegal pet trade.
Poison Dart Frogs
These strikingly colourful frogs are commonly found in the rainforests of Central and South America. Their vivid yellow and blue markings are nature’s way of warning other species that these tiny amphibians– which measure just 1-2 inches long– are very, very poisonous! Their name is taken from the fact that native South American people used to capture these frogs in order to dip their arrows and spears in their toxic secretions. They’re now under increasing threat, mostly due to poaching for the illegal pet trade.
This is the big cat par excellence of South America, and the Amazon rainforest is one of the Jaguar’s last remaining strongholds. Jaguar numbers are decreasing fast because of illegal hunting and loss of habitat. It’s estimated that only around 6000 individuals survive in the Peruvian Amazon. These big cats are excellent at climbing, swimming, and hunting in the trees. As a result, you may hear them in the jungle, but it’s very difficult to see them through the dense canopy.
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