Frogs Of Peru
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Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
has some of the greatest
biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
in the world. It belongs to the select group of mega diverse countries because of the presence of the
Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
,
Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...
, and the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. It has the fourth-most tropical forests of any country and the ninth-most forest area. The country is ranked among the five countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world according to various studies.


Natural protected areas

The 1993
Constitution of Peru The Political Constitution of the Republic of Peru (; Southern Quechua: ''Perú Suyu Hatun Kamay Pirwa 1993'') is the supreme law of Peru. The current constitution, enacted on 31 December 1993, is Peru's fifth in the 20th century and replaced t ...
recognized the
natural resources Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...
and
ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...
s of Peru as part of its heritage. In 1999, the National System of Natural Areas Protected by the State () was established by the Peruvian government. SINANPE consists of natural areas under national administration, managed and overseen by the National Service of Natural Protected Areas by the State (SERNANP). They also created a map of protection and preservation of historical–cultural heritage and nature. Peru has 76 natural protected areas (more of 15% of the country surface area) that are preserved by the national government: 15 national parks, 9 national sanctuaries, 4 historical sanctuaries, 17 national reserves, 3 wildlife refuges, 2 landscape reserves, 10 communal reserves, 6 protected forests, 2 hunting enclosed lands and 8 reserved zones. A map was also created containing the natural protected areas.


National parks

National parks are areas designated for the protection and preservation of wildlife and scenic beauty. In these areas, the exploitation of natural resources and human settlements are prohibited. The oldest national park in
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
is Cutervo, created in 1961 in the department of
Cajamarca Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Per ...
, known for its numerous caves such as San Andrés, home to the
oilbird The oilbird (''Steatornis caripensis''), locally known as the , is a bird species found in the northern areas of South America including the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is the only living species in the genus ''Steatornis'', the family Stea ...
, a nocturnal bird in danger of extinction. Other notable national parks include: *
Tingo María Tingo María is the capital of Leoncio Prado Province in the Huánuco Region in central Peru. It has a population of 46,191 inhabitants ( 2017 census). Tingo María was considered unreachable until 1936, when the Montaña Road reached the sett ...
(
Huánuco Huánuco (; ) is a city in central Peru. It had a population of 196,627 as of 2017 and in 2015 it had a population of 175,068. It is the capital of the Huánuco Region and the Huánuco District. It is the seat of the diocese of Huánuco. The met ...
), famous for the Cave of the Owls, also inhabited by
oilbird The oilbird (''Steatornis caripensis''), locally known as the , is a bird species found in the northern areas of South America including the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is the only living species in the genus ''Steatornis'', the family Stea ...
s. * Manu ( Madre de Dios and
Cusco Cusco or Cuzco (; or , ) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range and the Huatanay river. It is the capital of the eponymous Cusco Province, province and Cusco Region, department. The city was the cap ...
), one of the most representative areas of Amazonian biodiversity, recognized as the Manu
Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
and a Natural World Heritage Site by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
. *
Huascarán Huascarán (), ( Quechua: Waskaran), Nevado Huascarán or Mataraju is a mountain located in Yungay Province, Department of Ancash, Peru. It is situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the western Andes. The southern summit of Huascarán (Huasc ...
(
Áncash Ancash (; ) is a regions of Peru, department and Regional Government of Áncash, region in western Peru. It is bordered by the departments of Department of La Libertad, La Libertad on the north, Department of Huánuco, Huánuco and Department of ...
), dominated by Mount Huascarán, the highest mountain in Peru, and home to the largest species of bromeliad, ''
Puya raimondii ''Puya raimondii'', also known as the Queen of the Andes ( English), titanka and ilakuash ( Quechua) or puya de Raimondi ( Spanish), is the largest species of bromeliad, its inflorescences reaching up to in height. It is native to the high Ande ...
'', and various animal species. * Cerros de Amotape (
Piura Piura is a city in northwestern Peru, located north of the Sechura Desert along the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017 and it is the 7th most populous city in Peru. ...
and Tumbes), characterized by its dry forests and endangered species such as the Tumbes crocodile. * Río Abiseo ( San Martín), included in the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
Natural and Cultural World Heritage. * Yanachaga-Chemillén ( Pasco), which preserves tropical forests and has important archaeological sites. * Bahuaja-Sonene ( Madre de Dios and
Puno Puno ( Aymara and ) is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839 (2015 estimate). The city was established in ...
), which includes tropical forests and the Heath pampas.


National reserves

National reserves are areas designated for the protection and propagation of wildlife. Some of the most important include: * Pampa Galeras-Bárbara D’Achille (
Ayacucho Ayacucho (, , derived from the words ''aya'' ("death" or "soul") and ''k'uchu'' ("corner") in honour of the battle of Ayacucho), founded in 1540 as San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga and known simply as Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga) until 1825, i ...
), dedicated to the
vicuña The vicuña (''Lama vicugna'') or vicuna (both , very rarely spelled ''vicugna'', Vicugna, its former genus name) is one of the two wild South American camelids, which live in the high alpine tundra, alpine areas of the Andes; the other cameli ...
. * Junín ( Junín), which protects the ecosystem and biodiversity of Lake Junín. * Paracas ( Ica), focused on the conservation of marine ecosystems and cultural heritage. * Lachay (
Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
), intended for the restoration and protection of the Lachay hill ecosystem. * Pacaya-Samiria ( Loreto), which conserves lowland forest ecosystems and promotes native populations. * Salinas y Aguada Blanca (
Arequipa Arequipa (; Aymara language, Aymara and ), also known by its nicknames of ''Ciudad Blanca'' (Spanish for "White City") and ''León del Sur'' (Spanish for "South's Lion"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous Arequipa (province), ...
and
Moquegua Moquegua (, founded by the Spanish colonists as Villa de Santa Catalina de Guadalcázar del Valle de Moquegua) is a city in southern Peru, located in the Department of Moquegua, of which it is the capital. It is also capital of Mariscal Nieto Prov ...
), for the conservation of flora, fauna, and landscape formations. * Calipuy ( La Libertad), focused on the protection of
guanacos The guanaco ( ; ''Lama guanicoe'') is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids; the other species is the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations. Etymology The gua ...
. * Titicaca (
Puno Puno ( Aymara and ) is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839 (2015 estimate). The city was established in ...
), dedicated to the conservation of the ecosystems and landscapes of
Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca (; ; ) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. Titicaca is the largest lake in South America, both in terms of the volume of ...
.


Other conservation units

In addition to national parks and reserves,
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
has various protection units, including: * National sanctuaries such as Huayllay, Calipuy, Lagunas de Mejía, Ampay, Manglares de Tumbes, and Tabaconas Namballe. * Historical sanctuaries such as Chacramarca, Pampas de Ayacucho, and
Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at . Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of the Inca Empire. It is located in the ...
. * National forests such as Biabo Cordillera Azul, Mariscal Cáceres, Pastaza-Morona-Marañón, and
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...
. * Protection forests such as Aledaño Bocatoma del Canal Nuevo Imperial, Puquío Santa Rosa, Pui-Pui, San Matías-San Carlos, Alto Mayo, and Pagaibamba. * Communal reserves such as Yanesha. * Hunting reserves such as Sunchubamba and El Angolo. * Reserved zones such as Manu, Laquipampa, Apurímac, Pantanos de Villa, Tambopata-Candamo, Batán Grande, Algarrobal El Moro, Tumbes, Güeppi, Chancaybaños, and Aymaru Lupaca. These various units of protection, conservation, and research reflect Peru's extraordinary biological richness and cultural heritage, making the country one of the world's privileged natural regions.


Animals

Peru has over 1,800
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of birds (120 endemic to Peru), and 500 species of
mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...
s and over 300 species of
reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...
s. Peru has hundreds of mammals including some rare species like the puma,
jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...
and
spectacled bear The spectacled bear (''Tremarctos ornatus''), also known as the South American bear, Andean bear, Andean short-faced bear or mountain bear and locally as jukumari ( Aymara and Quechua), ukumari ( Quechua) or ukuku, is a species of bear native to ...
, that live in the canopy so jungle lodges usually construct towers to observe life above. The Pacific holds a bounty of
sea bass Sea bass is a common name for a variety of species of marine fish. Many fish species of various families have been called sea bass. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the fish sold and consumed as sea bass is exclusively the European bass, ''Dic ...
,
flounder Flounders are a group of flatfish species. They are demersal fish, found at the bottom of oceans around the world; some species will also enter estuary, estuaries. Taxonomy The name "flounder" is used for several only distantly related speci ...
,
anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...
,
tuna A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...
,
crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...
(
crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...
or
lobster Lobsters are Malacostraca, malacostracans Decapoda, decapod crustaceans of the family (biology), family Nephropidae or its Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on th ...
),
shellfish Shellfish, in colloquial and fisheries usage, are exoskeleton-bearing Aquatic animal, aquatic invertebrates used as Human food, food, including various species of Mollusca, molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish ...
and
seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...
. The
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
also has a lot of
shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...
s,
sperm whale The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the Genus (biology), genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the s ...
s, and
whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully Aquatic animal, aquatic placental mammal, placental marine mammals. As an informal and Colloquialism, colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea ...
s. The
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s of
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
have an economic importance, because of the concentrations of guano deposits that are exported to different countries.
Alpaca The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. Traditionally, alpacas were kept in herds that grazed on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile. More recentl ...
is also a native of Peru which is now domesticated for its
fiber Fiber (spelled fibre in British English; from ) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often inco ...
.


Insects

As of March 2009 scientists have discovered two new species of beetles, ''Eriopis canrash'' and ''Cycloneda andresii''.


Mammals

Peru has over 500 species of mammals, of which about 70 are endemic and about 109 are threatened or
endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
. These include spectacular species like the
jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...
and
spectacled bear The spectacled bear (''Tremarctos ornatus''), also known as the South American bear, Andean bear, Andean short-faced bear or mountain bear and locally as jukumari ( Aymara and Quechua), ukumari ( Quechua) or ukuku, is a species of bear native to ...
and rare endemic species like the
yellow-tailed woolly monkey The yellow-tailed woolly monkey (''Lagothrix flavicauda'') is a species of New World monkey endemic to Peru. This rare primate is found only in the Peruvian Andes, primarily within the departments of Amazonas and San Martín, as well as in adj ...
. In January 2007, scientists discovered a new species of cloud-forest rodent of the spiny rat family ('' Isothrix barbarabrownae'') in Manu. In March 2009, scientists discovered a new species of mouse (''Akodon'' sp.nov)


Birds

Peru's national bird is the
Andean cock-of-the-rock The Andean cock-of-the-rock (''Rupicola peruvianus''), also known as ''tunki'' (Quechua), is a large passerine bird of the cotinga family native to Andean cloud forests in South America. It is the List of national birds, national bird of Peru. I ...
. Peru has over 1,800 species of
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s, the second-highest number of any country in the world. New species of birds are still being discovered and cataloged by scientists. 42 species from Peru have been officially added to science in the last 30 years. In January 2010, scientists found a new population of five
long-whiskered owlet The long-whiskered owlet (''Xenoglaux loweryi'') is a vulnerable species of owl in subfamily Surniinae of the "typical owls", family Strigidae. It is endemic to a small area in Amazonas and San Martín departments of northern Peru.Schulenberg, ...
s which are very rare in the wild. On February 22, 1990, Grace P. Servat found a new distinctive species of the tyrant flycatcher called the rufous twistwing. Which remained undescribed and unidentified until re-discovered by Daniel F. Lane in November 2002. Then on September 15, 2003, Frank P. Lambert obtained the first-natural history of the bird. The ''Manu Biosphere Reserve'' is believed to have the highest concentration of bird species in the world, with 1,000—one out of every nine on the
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
.


Reptiles

Peru has around 300 species of reptiles of which around 100 are endemic. Peru's reptile fauna includes spectacular species like giant
anaconda Anacondas or water boas are a group of large boas of the genus ''Eunectes''. They are a semiaquatic group of snakes found in tropical South America. Three to five extant and one extinct species are currently recognized, including one of the l ...
s and
caiman A caiman ( (also spelled cayman) from Taíno language, Taíno ''kaiman'') is an alligatorid belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within the Alligatoridae family (biology), family, the other being alligators. ...
s, as well as many other
snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...
s,
lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...
s and
turtle Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
s.


Amphibians

There are about 380 species of frogs in Peru (based on this search at the
Amphibian Species of the World ''Amphibian Species of the World 6.2: An Online Reference'' (ASW) is a herpetology database. It lists the names of frogs, salamanders and other amphibians, which scientists first described each species and what year, and the animal's known range ...
website). It is easy to see a few species on night hikes in the lowland rain forest areas in Tambopata, Manu or Iquitos. Ten new frog species have been discovered over the past two years in the
cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, Montane forest, montane, Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist forest characteri ...
s of the Peruvian Andes.


Frogs

Some species of frog found in Peru are: * Monkey frog - ''
Phyllomedusa bicolor ''Phyllomedusa bicolor'', the giant leaf frog, bicolor tree-frog, giant monkey frog, or waxy-monkey treefrog, is a species of leaf frog. It can be found in the Amazon basin of Brazil, Colombia ( Amazonas), Bolivia, and Peru, and can also be fou ...
'' * Tree frog - '' Dendropsophus rhodopeplus'' * Three-striped poison dart frog - '' Epipedobates trivittatus''


Salamanders

* Nauta mushroomtongue salamander - '' Bolitoglossa altamazonica'' * Rio Santa Rosa salamander - '' Bolitoglossa digitigrada'' * Peru mushroomtongue salamander - '' Bolitoglossa peruviana'' In March 2009, scientists discovered a pygmy frog. The pygmy frog is unlike many other species of frog because its eggs don't become tadpoles like those of most frogs. Also, they only lay two eggs.


Plants

Peru also has an equally diverse amount of plants. The coast of Peru is usually barren apart from some cacti that grow there. Hilly areas known as
lomas ''Lomas'' (Spanish for "hills"), also called fog oases and mist oases, are areas of fog-watered vegetation in the coastal desert of Peru and northern Chile. About 100 lomas near the Pacific Ocean are identified between 5°S and 30°S latitude, a ...
such as Lachay, include many endemic species. The river valleys also contain unique plant life. The Highlands above the tree-line is known as puna, where bushes,
cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...
and drought-resistant plants, such as ichu
grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...
extend up to the zone of snow-capped mountains. The most spectacular plant in Peru is the gigantic Puya raimondii seen near Huaraz. On the lower slopes of the Andes are steep-sided cloud-forests with among it can sustain
moss Mosses are small, non-vascular plant, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic phylum, division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Wilhelm Philippe Schimper, Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryo ...
,
orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...
s, and
bromeliad The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a Family (biology), family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the Tropics, tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and on ...
s. The very wet
Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...
contains useful lumber, and resins plus strange canopy plants and
palm tree The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially c ...
s. As of March 2009 scientists have discovered a new kind of plant Senecio sanmarcosensis which is part of the high-Andean wetlands vegetation. It is only found at above sea level.


Locations

Peru has some good locations to watch all of this wildlife: *
Bahuaja-Sonene National Park Bahuaja-Sonene National Park () is a protected area located in the regions of Puno and Madre de Dios, in Peru. Geography The park comprises river terraces, hills and mountains, with elevations ranging from 500 to 2450 m. The main rivers in the a ...
* Ballestas Islands (Islas Ballestas) *
Colca Canyon The Colca Canyon is a canyon of the Colca River in southern Peru, located about northwest of Arequipa. With a depth of about 1000 – 2000 m (3300 – 6600 ft) (whereas bottom is at cca 2000 m and edges are at 3000 – 4000 metres above t ...
*
Huascarán National Park Huascarán National Park () is a Peruvian national park that comprises most of the mountain range known as Cordillera Blanca (the world's highest tropical mountain range) which is part of the central Andes, in the region of Ancash. The park cov ...
- This park is located in the central part of Peru. It includes El Huascaran - the highest peak in Peru. Special species include the
spectacled bear The spectacled bear (''Tremarctos ornatus''), also known as the South American bear, Andean bear, Andean short-faced bear or mountain bear and locally as jukumari ( Aymara and Quechua), ukumari ( Quechua) or ukuku, is a species of bear native to ...
and the
vicuña The vicuña (''Lama vicugna'') or vicuna (both , very rarely spelled ''vicugna'', Vicugna, its former genus name) is one of the two wild South American camelids, which live in the high alpine tundra, alpine areas of the Andes; the other cameli ...
. *
Iquitos Iquitos (; ) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province, Peru, Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the List of cities in Peru, ninth-most populous city in Peru ...
*
Manu National Park Manu National Park () is a national park and biosphere reserve located in the regions of Madre de Dios and Cusco in Peru. It protects a diverse number of ecosystems including lowland rainforests, cloud forests and Andean grasslands. History M ...
- Manu is located on the eastern slopes of the Andes and stretches to the lowland rain forest on the Brazilian border. *
Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve Pacaya–Samiria National Reserve, is a protected area located in the region of Loreto, Peru and spans an area of . It protects an area of low hills and seasonally flooded forest in the Amazon rainforest. Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve and ...
- It is located in the headwaters of the Amazon River in northeastern Peru, on an alluvial plain between the Marañon and Ucayali river systems. It is accessible via the Amazon River through the city of Iquitos in the department of Loreto, or through the city of Tarapoto via Yurimaguas. This is one of the best places for wildlife spotting, which is a
Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **
List of Peruvian monkey species


References


External links


Peru Wildlife

List of mammals of Peru


Inhabiting the Iquitos Region, Loreto, Peru by William W. Lamar, 1998. It includes 165 species of frogs, 4 salamanders, and 17 caecilians. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wildlife Of Peru
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
Natural history of Peru