Fauna of the Andes & Amazon
Peru's steep and rapid geographical changes from the coast to the sierra to the jungle create many unique climatic and biological niches in which thrive an enormous variety of birds, mammals, fish and reptiles. In the wilderness areas of the Andes and Amazon, it is still possible to see many of these creatures in their natural habitat.
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This was one docile, contented anaconda at the Serpentario animal refuge , which is set on stilts above the river about twenty minutes from the Iquitos port of Nanay. Lazy and full with food, it had no objection to being picked up and draped around visitors necks.
Also among the animals living in semi-liberty at the Serpentario were these colourful papagayos, or large jungle parrots. They were happy to be photographed perched on the arms of tourists.
The magnificent Andean condor is the world's largest flying bird, and is revered within Andean indigenous mythology. Parts of the Colca canyon near Arequipa are among the best places to view condors on the wing, as they fly from their nests in the canyon walls and rise on the morning thermals in search of food. The condor in this photo is a female --they are golden-brown and notably smaller than males, which are black with white markings on the tail and wings.
The wild vicuña is one of the four species of the camelid family native to the Andes. The others are the wild guanaco and the domestic alpaca and llama. But it's the elusive vicuña that most captures the imagination. Generally found in habitats above 3,500 metres, its fine fleece was prized by Incan royalty and is today worth more by weight than silver on the international market.
While the vicuña is more glamorous, it's the alpaca, along with the sturdy llama, that have had the most influence on human habitation in the Andes. The alpaca's coat provides a fine, warm, robust fleece, while it and the llama are a source of meat, work, wool, and companionship for people living in the harsh and uncultivable lands of the high Andes.
The puma has the widest habitat range of all large cats. Most commonly pictured roaming in the North American Rockies, it is found from the Arctic north to the steppes of Patagonia -- and also in the Amazon. This puma at the Serpentario near Iquitos was a large, beautiful female with a smooth, shining coat. Unfortunately, she wasn't housed in suitable conditions, being confined to a cage of only a few square metres.
Step a few paces away from the clearing and into the jungle after sundown, and almost every second tree is occupied by tarantulas like this one. Spiders the size of plates, with a preferred diet of small birds, might seem like the stuff of nightmares. But amidst the persitent onslaught of mosquitos, almost every other jungle animal going about its own business seems relatively benign.
It may look like an oversized goldfish, but the piranha's fearsome reputation is deserved. The teeth of this specimen took the bark off a twig that was inserted in its mouth, and its jaws can apparently remove a finger with a single bite. Piranhas only become agressive when there's blood in the water, and several people were swimming happily in the river not far from where I caught this one.
Best known as an unlikely symbol chosen by Guiness for a marketing campaign, the toucan's bold colours and large bill make it instantly recognisable. This was a tame bird that lived at a small jungle sanctuary owned by an adventure tour company. It was mildly loopy and prone to falling asleep on the ground; at night time the local staff had to pick it up and put it in a tree.
Flora of the Andes and Amazon
As with animals, so with plants. From irrigated desert valley to canyon riverbed, windswept altiplano, cloud forest and flooded jungle, Peru and the other Andean countries are home to an oustanding variety of vegetation. Many native plants also have a variety of medicinal, industrial or culinary uses.
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The eastern slopes of the Andes descending towards the Amazon lowlands are home to a great array of orchids, with a particularly rich collection in the Cuzco region near Machu Picchu. This orchid is on the trail between Wiñay Huayna and Machu Picchu, at an altitude of around 2,500 metres above sea level.
The yareta is a strange moss-like plant that grows on rocks above about 3,500 metres of altitude in the Andes. It is equally at home in any soil type, including the acidic conditions where it is seen here, at around 4,500 metres on the volcano El Misti near Arequipa. The yareta grows at one milimetre per year, and plants may be up to 3,000 years old.
The Victoria Regis is a giant water lily found in the shallows of jungle rivers. Its broad, plate-like form and single white flower give it a striking appearance. A warning for those who, drifting past in a canoe, give in to the temptation to stroke the plant. Although the surface is velvety-smooth, the underside is lined with nasty spikes.
Arrayed behind me in this photo are 30 or so of the species of cactus found in the Arequipa region. Apparently, hallucinoegnic varieties are found in parts of the region as well as further south in the Atacama. However, there are other uses of some of the regional species. The tuna cactus has edible, juicily sweet bulbs. It also hosts little parasites called cochinillas, which produce a red dye valuable for cosmetics and food colouring.
Could this be the most influential plant in the history of the Amazon, South America? Loreto native Juan shows how the sap flows out of the rubber tree when nicked with a machete, then quickly turns into a gum. The brief rubber boom of the 19th century saw a dash for resource wealth as mad as any gold rush, before fizzling out with the advent of Indonesian plantations and the development of synthetic rubber.