Into the Wild! 10 Amazing Animals found in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest
Animals are the best entertainment you will find in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. There are so many species that time will go by so quickly and you will not have enough of them!
Why the Amazon is so amazing? There are many reasons. The first one is that it is the biggest air producer in the whole planet; it has one of the world’s most numerous flora species, and, of course, it has been considered one of the most endangered places on Earth.
All of these reasons show you why tourism in the Amazon is so necessary, but one of the most important reasons is the fauna, which is so special and assorted.
How many species of animals are there in the Ecuadorian Amazon?
There are, in only one hectare, at least 2,000 species of animals or more, divided into:
- 427 species of mammals,
- 1300 species of birds,
- 800 species of fish,
- 387 species of reptiles, and
- More than 400 species of amphibians.
Find here 10 animals that will make you get into the wild!
1. Eagles
The owners of the sky, eagles are all around Central and South America, too.
- Harpy eagles are endangered by the human beings and their desire for expanding their territories. The whole Amazon basin has been endangered by these actions.
2. Jaguars
These are no common cats, but the most powerful felines in the whole continent and the world’s third ones, only behind lions and tigers. However, their jaws have the strongest bite of all the species, and can pierce hard things such as a skull!
- They are the real kings of the jungle in America.
3. Bats
More than 100 species of these mammals can be found here, turning them into the largest group of animals in the whole Ecuadorian Amazon!
- There are many differences between them: some drink other mammals’ blood, some others eat fruit, another group eats insects…
4. Macaws
These are the largest parrots ever, and they are native from South America.
- Macaws are social parrots; they usually visit clay licks and rest near a river shore, in tall trees. They can even imitate human sounds and words!
5. Piranhas
Piranhas have been one of the most feared species and have been the main characters of many movies due to their abilities to end with their preys in seconds.
- Fishing piranhas is possible here, but we recommend you not to try it: they are really dangerous fish and could bite you so hard that they could take a big bite from people who try to catch them.
6. Sloths
These are the cutest animals ever; you may have seen a sloth on the Internet memes. Sloths are really slow due to their metabolism: it takes them a month to digest food!
- They sleep at least 10 hours daily.
7. Capybaras
Their most common and closer relatives are rock cavies and guinea pigs. They are native to South America, they have been also seen in the US because maybe they escaped from their owners!
- Even though they are not endangered, they are specially hunted for their meat, grease (for pharmaceutical purposes) and hide.
8. Anacondas
Being the most powerful snakes ever, anacondas are also the largest and heaviest of their species. They are also famous for their ability to eat hundreds of pounds in food!
- They grow until the very last day, and their babies can be each 2 feet.
9. Dolphins
Dolphins are known for being really intelligent and enchanting animals. They are endangered due to hunters, so they are rarely seen.
- Here you can find the pink Amazon River dolphins, which have a large territory and swim through muddy waters. Dolphins are not sociable at all: they can be seen out of the waters for 30 seconds or less!
10. Black Caiman
These are the largest alligators and can be found in the whole Amazon basin.
- They have been threatened by logging, hunting, and vegetation burning.
As you may see, some of these animals are unique and you will only find them in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. Pick your trip, discover the Amazon with Galapagos Center Expedition!