Fauna of the Andes & Amazon

The Amazon jungle is one of the world's great reservoirs of biodiversity

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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 indigenous mythology. Parts of the Colca canyon near Arequipa are among the best places to view condors on the wing, as 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 -- 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 thefour species of the camelid family native to the Andes. The others are the wind guanaco and the domestic alpaca and llama. But it's the elusive vicuña that most captures the imagination. Generally found 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.

 

 

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 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.

 

 

Flora of the Andes and Amazon

 

 

the andean observer -- News, perspectives and narratives from peru and beyond.