Into the Wild: 10 Unique Animals of South America

The dramatic landscapes of Central and South America are home to some of the world’s most fascinating and extreme creatures. Touring through the rainforests, canyons and coastal regions may bring you within selfie range of some of these unforgettable animals:

Capybaras are the largest living rodent in the world, and they can reach an adult weight of 150 pounds. These gentle vegetarians resemble giant guinea pigs, except they are semi-aquatic and have webbed feet. Their Latin name, Hydrochoerus, means “water pig,” and they enjoy eating and even resting in quiet bodies of fresh water. They are a peaceful herd animal, with a naturally slow, rabbit-like hop, but when alarmed, they are able to move rapidly across land or through water. Capybaras are native to most of the tropical and temperate parts of South America east of the Andes and can most easily be spotted around twilight.

Tree frogs account for one-third of all frogs in Costa Rica, and the Mexican Tree Frog is one of the most abundant varieties. It is particularly unique for the sound it makes: a steady, loud series of honks. This three-inch frog is found from Texas south to Costa Rica, in lowlands and foothills where freshwater has accumulated. It most often breeds in small temporary pools but can be found in many moist, forested areas.

The opportunity to see these animals is one of the highlights of an Ecuador + Galápagos Bike Tour. The Galápagos Islands are named after the magnificent tortoises that have been native to there for the past 2-3 million years. Galápagos tortoises, which can reach weights of 550 pounds, were hunted almost to the point of extinction before they began being protected in 1959. Their lifespan of up to 150 years sets them among the world’s longest living vertebrates.

High in the treetops in the Peruvian Amazon, sloths can be found feeding on tough cecropia leaves and sunning themselves on branches, which they cling to with three-inch claws. These arboreal animals spend 15 to 18 hours asleep each day and move at a lethargic pace. Their matted coats host communities of parasitic moths, mites, and green algae that help them remain camouflaged from predators such as jaguars and eagles. There are two families of sloth: the three-toed sloth and the two-toed sloth. Both are threatened by deforestation—but conservation-first travel companies like Natural Habitat Adventures are working to ensure their rainforest home remains protected.

This set of birds, related more closely to tanagers than to true finches, played an important role in the development of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. As Darwin explored the Galápagos, he noted 13 different species of these birds and became fascinated by the evolution of their beak shapes. Today scientists still continue some of the important studies that Darwin initiated, learning about the genetic foundations of evolution.

If you catch sight of this monkey amid its troop of companions in the rainforests, the sight of its white face will be familiar. Due to its high intelligence and nearly 50-year lifespan, white headed capuchin monkeys were captured for decades and sold as exotic pets. Bred in captivity, these monkeys are now used as service animals, but seeing them in their wild environment of northwestern Ecuador, Colombia and southern Central America is an entirely different experience.

The majestic jaguar weighs up to 200 pounds, making it the largest cat in Central and South America. Jaguars have the most powerful jaws of all big cats, with a bite force of 1,500 pounds per square inch—enough to bite through a crocodile’s skull! Our friends at Natural Habitat Adventures visit Porto Jofre in Brazil’s Pantanal, one of the best places in the world to see these secretive cats in the wild. Travelers may spot the flash of a golden coat dotted with rosettes through the trees or encounter a jaguar lounging by a riverbank, awaiting the tasty morsel of a passing turtle or fish.

One of the most eye-catching birds with its vivid headdress of feathers, the Amazon Royal Flycatcher is found widely throughout Central America and the Amazon. These birds, which exist in four species, populate humid forests and thrill birdwatchers, many of whom have them on their bucket lists.

These charming birds are easily recognized by their sky-blue feet, which they lift up and down in a one-of-a-kind mating dance. About half of the world’s population breeds in the Galapagos Islands, but you can find Blue-Footed Boobies along the Pacific coast from the Gulf of California all the way to Peru.

One of the largest butterflies in the world, the Blue Morpho has a wingspan of up to eight inches. When its wings are open, it shows a vibrantly iridescent blue color; when the wings fold up, the butterfly is camouflaged with a dull brown color and many spots that look like eyes. This butterfly can be seen in the tropical rainforests of Latin America, especially in Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia. Its vivid blue color is from microscopic patterns of holes that reflect blue light to our eyes.