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50 AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS

 

50 Greatest Animals of the Amazon River Basin

  1. Manatee

  2. Amazon Tapirs

  3. Jaguar

  4. Puma

  5. Amazon Dolphins

  6. Black Caiman

  7. White Tailed Deer

  8. Peccary

  9. Paiche

  10. Amazon catfish

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS, the world's most diverse rainforest: Learn why, Where's the best, its animals, its climate. how to get there. In fact, few places on earth have such a variety of animals as the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, and the richest area of all is the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. The diversity of Amazon rainforest animals in Ecuador is the result of several factors:

  1. Located in the upper Amazon watershed, Cuyabeno is still located in the foothills of the Andes, which results of the presence of species from both the Amazon and the lower Andes;

  2. The relatively slow-flowing rivers and the lakes allow for black-water conditions which favor additional fish species and other aquatic life-forms in addition to the more common "coffee and milk" waters which are more common in the Amazon.

  3. Cuyabeno combines both well-drained hills with "tierra firma" conditions and wetland swamp conditions each with their own species;

  4. Cuyabeno is located right on the Equator, with relatively little seasonal variety to the extend that rain even fall during the "dry season".

Dear visitor, our website gives you info about the Cuyabeno Park, our Cofan Lodge, our Cuyabeno Loop and our Cuyabeno-Zabalo tours. Our lodge is located in the famous Cofan Zábalo village in the most beautiful Amazon park in all of South America.  Here you can find our prices. Our website has hundreds of high-resolution pictures of Cuyabeno and Ecuador, with thumbnails that open by clicking on them. If you love our pictures or find our info useful you can help others finding our pages too you can share them from the mobile menu bar with a Facebook Like

 

AMAZON RAINFOREST ANIMALS

 

MAMMALS

Animal Life of the Amazon River Basin of Ecuador includes 165 species of mammals, most of which occur in Cuyabeno. The most abundant group are the Bats, that you can see everywhere, followed by the rodents.

 

Monkeys

The Cuyabeno Reserve supports a primate community of as many as ten species: The world's smallest true monkey, Pygmy marmoset, Cebuella pygmaea, The Black Mantle Tamarin, Saguinus nigricollis, the Spix's Night Monkey, Aotus vociferans, the Coppery Titi Monkey, Callicebus cupreus, Yellow-handed Titi Monkey, Callicebus lucifer, the Collared Titi Monkey, Callicebus torquatus, the Monk Saki, Pithecia monachus, the Common Squirrel Monkey, Saimiri sciureus, the White-fronted Capuchin Monkey, Cebus albifrons, the Red Howler Monkey, Alouatta seniculus and the Brown Woolly Monkey, Lagothrix lagotricha, many of which can be seen regularly.

 

Generalized birth peaks for all primate species occur in the dry season, from December through February. Among some of the groups, the callitrichids have a second birth peak  in the middle of the rainy season from June through August.

 

Above: Yellow-handed Titi Monkey, Callicebus lucifer, Below: Brown Woolly Monkey, Lagothrix lagotricha.

 

A group of Black-mantled Tamarins, Saguinus nigricollis, had taken residence at the Cuyabeno Lodge, visiting almost every day, until they were chased away by a group of spider monkeys.

 

Herbivors

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Tapirs, Tapirus terrestris, are Amazon Jungle amimals50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Capybaras, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, as Amazon jungle animals

Tapirs, Tapirus terrestris, are terrestrial Amazon rainforest animals but they also are very happy in the water. Loved for their meat, they may still occasionally be hunted by the Indians in the Reserve. One rarely sees one in Cuyabeno, but they are there.

 

Capybaras, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, are the largest rodents on earth. They live along the banks of rivers and can be frequently seen in Cuyabeno. Of course there are many other species of rodents, and often one can see porcupines.

 

50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: White Colared Peccaris in the Amazon Jungle

From the other hoofed Amazon rainforest animals, the peccaries are the most common. Both species, the Collared Peccary, Tayassu tajacu, and the White-lipped Peccary, T. pecari occur.

 

Other hoofed anymals are the omnipresent White Tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus, and the Brocket Deer, Manzama americana.

 

Predators

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: rarely seen Amazon Jungle Animal is the Jaguar50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: The Ocelot is a common Amazon cat50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Animals of the Amazon RainforestAMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Giant Otter at the Amazon Rainforest

 

Most predators in Cuyabeno actually like water or at least tolerate it. Some of the predators include:

Both the Jaguar, Panthera onca, and the Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, like water rich forests; Jaguars are known to actually like swimming. These, and several other species of cats are present in Cuyabeno. Particularly at night, you can see them sneaking across low hanging branches, when you go looking for crocodiles. With a bit of luck, all of a sudden the eyes of a big cat are caught in your flashlight. Both Jaguars and Pumas, Panthera concolor, - which also live in the reserve - avoid people and are rarely seen, even by the indigenous people.

 

The South American coati, or ring-tailed coati, Nasua nasua, is a common predator in the Amazon region. Both the Giant Otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, and the Neotropical Otter, Lutra longicaudis, have been observed in the park. No members of the dog family are known to live in Cuyabeno.

 

Aquatic mammals

In such a water-rich area, one finds animals that are extremely adapted to the watery environment:

50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Pink Dolphin at the Amazon River in Cuyabeno50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Amazon Dolphin in the Cuyabeno Lake

 

Dolphins

The Pink Amazon Dolphin, Inia geoffrensis, can be recognized by its hump-shaped dorsal fin and the more pronounced hump on its head and longer snout. Particularly the males may be pink, but often at Cuyabeno they are rather gray. The Pink Amazon Dolphin can turn its head 90 degrees each way. Dolphins can be seen almost daily at the Cuyabeno Great Lake, darting around the canoe and sometimes swimming with the swimmers.

 

The Gray Amazon Dolphin or Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis, can be recognized by its shark-like triangular dorsal fin. Its belly is lighter and varies from light grey to pinkish. It has a closely related relative in the coastal waters of South America, but that species does not swim as deeply into the Amazon region as the Tucuxi. More so than the Pink Amazon Dolphin, Tucuxis tend to jump out of the water.

 

Manatees

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Amazon manitees are often seen in the Cuyabeno Lake

The Amazonian Manatee, Trichechus inunguis, is a species of manatee that lives in the freshwaters rivers and lakes of the Amazon basin and supposedly never leaves for the sea. It is found in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Venezuela. It is closely related to the West Indian Manatee, that also ventures up the Amazon River, but never as deeply inland as the Amazonian Manatee. They are regular visitors of Cuyabeno. Their meat is highly appreciated by the Siona Indians, but we hope that we have convinced them to no longer hunt them, as they have great tourism value.

 

Bats

With so many insects to feast on, it is obvious that there are lots of bats in the Cuyabeno Nature Reserve:

50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Bats are very common animals of the Amazon jungle50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Amazon jungle batAMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Hairy bat in the jungle50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Bats may have ugly faces in the Amazon Jungle

50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Flying bat at nigh in the Amazon jungleAMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: If I don't see you, you don't see me50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Bats often fly during the Day in the Amazon Jungle50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Crawling with one finger through the Amazon jungle

There are numerous species of bats in the rainforest. Of course, at night you can see them fly in great numbers in the sky. But in daytime too, you can see quite a few of them. Some species hang from low braches above the water, and when you pass by them, they may flya off their resting places and you get to see them from quite nearby. These pictures have been taken by biologists during a bat field study.

 

BIRDS

Birds are the jewels of the Ecuador Amazon rainforest animals, At present, more than 540 species of birds have been registered for Cuyabeno, but there are many more species that have not yet been officially registered. Both the Cofan Indian guides and the guides of the Cuyabeno Lodge, are renowned for their knowledge about birds as well as other Amazon Rainforest Animals and Amazon Rain forest Plants.

 

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Blue and Yellow Macaw in Cuyabeno Park50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Mealy Parrot, Amazona farinosa. in the Amazon50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Scarlet Macaw, Ara macao, in the Amazon Jungle50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Chestnut-fronted Parrot.

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Amazon Darter50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Blue and Yellow Macaw50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS:  Muscovy Duck, female.50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Common Potoo at Cuyabeno

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: hoatzin about to take off. 50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Hoatzin chicks on nets.50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Hoatzin, Opisthocomus hoazin, with branch for nest.AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Hoatzin in Macrolobium tree.

 

REPTILES

Many reptiles also like a to snatch up insects, although some of them also like other AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS for dinner, such as amphibians, birds and even peccaries and deer, as is the case of anacondas and Black Caiman:

 

50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Anacondas are infamous Amazon Jungle animalsAMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Nocturnal lizard in the jungle.50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: A snake swallowing a toad in the Amazon Rainforest

 

AMPHIBIANS

Other groups of the animal kingdom also love taking it out on insects: the Amphibians:

50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Mating tree frogs in the Amazon JungleAMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Animals are watching you in the Amazon Jungle50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: brown frog in the rainforest.50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Frog waiting to snap up a fat insect

Frogs and toads are extremely common in the Amazon Rainforest. In fact, most of the nightly concerts are sung by amphibians! Unless you know how and where to look for them, you rarely see them though. Some of those noisy critters are no more than one or two centimeters and they have perfect hiding colors. As soon as they notice you, they keep quiet, but the moment you are gone, they resume their song.

 

FISHES

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Piranha fishing when visiting the Amazon in Ecuador.AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Amazon Piranha mouth with teath caught when visiting the Amazon in Ecuador.

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: giant catfish.AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Paiche.

While fishing is no longer allowed in the park, other than by the Indians for personal consumption, there are a great number of fishes, including the infamous pirañas, as well as the gigantic Paiches and Amazon Catfish.

 

ARTHOPODS

Of course the rainforest is home to a fabulous variety of the most wonderful insects, big and small: colorful moths and butterflies, odd shaped beetles, dragonflies, grasshoppers, etc. For insects, every night is different. Some nights our lights attract great numbers of very different insects, while other nights insects abound, but most of them only belonging to only a few species. 

 

Insects

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Leaf-cutting-ants in Cuyabeno.50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: large beetle in the jungle.50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Dragonfly in the rainforest.AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Grasshoppers in the rainforest.

 

Of butterflies are well-represented. Many diurnal butterflies like to gather at specific places, supposedly to nourish themselves with minerals.

50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Butterflies gather at the banks of the Cuyabeno River50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Blue Morph in Cuyabeno.50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Butterfly licking salt from boy's scalp.AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Butterfly on flower.

 

Their caterpillars appear in amazing shapes and colors and are always a thankful subject for photographers.

50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Caterpillar in the Rainforest50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Very hairy caterpillarAMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Striped Caterpillar50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Strange Caterpillar

 

During our nightly excursions, we go looking for nocturnal insects on the ground. Cuyabeno has some really strange looking critters that you only can see at night with flashlights.

50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Moth with tranparent wings in the JungleAMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Moths come at night to the Cuyabeno Lodge50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Yellow moth in the Jungle50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Hummingbird Moth at the tropical Jungle

 

Some evenings, insects come in great variety, while other evenings, only a few different species fly about. Particularly the moths that come after the lights of the lodge, are of great beauty and if you are lucky, you may see a few of these species of the "hummingbirds" of the insect world show off their incredibly rapid wing beats.

 

Spiders and other Arthropods

And then of course there are spiders, in many sizes and colors:

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: Spiders in many shapes in the jungle50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: A jungle tarantula spider50 GREATEST AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS: Insect caught in spider web.AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS
: a large jumping spider.

Amazon fresh water crab.Amazon whip spider Amblypygi are clawed spiders without scorpion tail or poison

At a distance of 3000 km from the sea, there are fresh water crabs in the Amazon. Are they there from ancient days when the Amazon was under the Atlantic Ocean, or did they adapt to fresh water and migrated upstream?

Whip spiders are closest related to the spiders, but are still quite different. They have no silk glands and are different from scorpions by lacking a poisonous tail. They are totally harmless to people.

 

 

Cofan Lodge: Our RestaurantAmazon Jungle tour at Cuyabeno, Ecuador

The traditional restaurant of the Cofan Lodge serves both international as well as a few traditional dishes.

On excursion watching wildlife and birds from the water

 

For detailed information on climate and weather conditions read: climate in the Amazon of Ecuador.  Click here to find out how you can watch these fantastic Amazon Rainforest animals Ecuador, yourself.

 

AMAZON RIVER BASIN ANIMALS

COFAN LODGE AND PARKS & TRIBES Joined office:

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