Animals in Peru

Peru is a diverse place. As the third largest country in South America, it is home to part of the largest rainforest in the world, the second highest mountain range, and has the largest variety of plants and animals than almost anywhere else on Earth. Clearly divided into distinct regions - coastal desert, central highlands, and Amazon basin - it is not surprising Peru boasts a large and varied number of animal species; they have so many housing options. Also, although humans do infringe on animal habitat, much of the Peruvian population lives in the costal desert, which stretches 1,555 miles along the western boundary of Peru and makes up 10% of the country. This leaves a lot of relatively untouched land for the wildlife. One way to see the diversity Peru has to offer is by booking and customizing a Peru tour package.

People are the main populators in the desert coast, but they certainly aren't the only creatures stirring and stifling in the heat. An assortment of creepy crawlers like scorpions, lizards, and insects make their home here, though the lively bird population is probably better suited for most people's tastes. Peru has the second largest bird population in the world and is home to 20% of the world's avian species. Along the coast, if you keep your eye to the sky, you're likely to see pelicans, seagulls, terns, ducks, egrets, parrots, hummingbirds, and many more.

Peru's coast is home to another type of bird: the penguin. Specifically, the Humboldt penguin. This funny looking fellow is only found along the Peruvian and Chilean coast and, sadly, now the Endangered Species list as well. They stand between 2-2.5 feet tall and weigh about 10 pounds. Overfishing and climate change are contributors to their decline. The best place to see the Peruvian penguins is in the Paracas National Preserve, only marine reservation in Peru.

The highlands make up about 30% of Peru's territory and range from snowcapped mountain tops, lush valleys, and Altiplano plateaus. In these high altitudes where weather can be extreme, only the hardy can survive. This is the land of Peru's camelid family: the wild vicuñas and guanacos and the domesticated llamas and alpacas.

Vicuñas are the babies of the family, standing only 4 to 6 feet tall and weighing 85-130 pounds. Dwarfing its similar-looking cousin is the guanaco, one of the largest wild mammals in South America. It ranges from 4 to 6.5 feet tall and weighs between 175 and 265 pounds. Both animals are considered threatened species. It is likely that the alpaca originates from the domestication of vicuñas and the llama from the domestication of guanacos. Both animals are bred for their coats, though llamas are also used as beasts of burden.

Also in the highlands lives the most famous Andean bird, the magnificent condor. The Andean condor is one of the largest birds in the world. Because they have difficulty supporting their own body weight, they prefer to live in windy areas and places with strong air currents. Start your Peru travel adventure. now and journey to one of the world's deepest canyon, Colca Canyon in Peru's southern countryside, and admire this majestic animal tearing through the skies.

The most remarkable place to see unusual animals is in the Amazon rainforest, which accounts for 60% of Peru's territory. Growing across borders of several countries, the Amazon holds 85% of all species that live in South America, and 15% of species worldwide.

One of the most famous Amazon animals is the pink river dolphin, also called a boto. This is the largest type of river dolphin, weighing up to 400 pounds. The boto is a considered a threatened species due to human interference with its habitat.

Birds and monkeys are other common Peruvian jungle animals and can be seen on any Amazon tour. There are over 100 types of monkeys in the Amazon, and more than 30 live in Peru, including the capuchin monkey, spider monkey, and howler monkey. Other large mammals include the world's largest rodent (the capybara), the jaguar, and sloths.

Venture into the rivers and swamps to find anacondas, caiman, and piranhas. Anacondas are massive boas that can grow to be more than 17 feet long; caiman are the Amazon relatives of the crocodile and grow to be 6-14 feet long; and piranhas are carnivorous fish, that, despite their sharp teeth, do not live up to their deadly movie hype.