Peru South America Animals
Spectacled bears are a relatively small bear species that get their name from the light colored rings around their eyes.
Peru south america animals. Dasypodidae long nosed armadillos subfamily. Sloths or tree sloths are medium sized tree dwelling mammals found in the rainforest or jungles of south america. Peru is located on the central western coast of south america facing the pacific ocean.
Guanaco animal is native to south america. The coatimundi or coati is related to the raccoon family and is mostly found in south and north america especially in mexico and peru. Jaguar is the largest feline and third big cat in the world after lions and tigers.
It lies wholly in the southern hemisphere its northernmost extreme reaching to 18 minutes of latitude or about 33 kilometres 21 mi south of the equator covers 1285216 km 2 496225 sq mi of western south. Seals dolphins giant tortoise massive iguanas and the hilariously named blue footed booby are just some of the friendly animals tourists will see in a region that is nothing short of a naturalists dream. The spectacled bear or andean bear is the only species of bear in south america.
Head there in january to see turtle hatching season considered to be the islands most incredible event. The armadillos are small mammals with a bony armored shell. They feed on rodents fish and reptiles.
From the pacific ocean to the andes mountains this south american country boasts a stunning variety of animals from big cats to tiny monkeys and from pink fish to gaily plumed birds. Later tapirs deer bears rabbits and many others arrived as did the camel family which gave rise to vicunas guanacos alpacas and llamas some 6000 years ago. All 21 extant species are found in south america where they originated.
Unfortunately their hide is highly prized by the aymara people who use it in the creation of amulets. Vicuna lama or vicugna vicugna. The andean cat leopardus jacobitus perhaps unsurprisingly inhabits the south american andes mountain range including areas in the peruvian territory.
Perus spectacled bears are most commonly found in high elevation forests and are becoming increasingly rare to see. Their much larger relatives the pampatheres and glyptodonts once lived in north and south america but became extinct following the appearance of humans. The color of their body is reddish or yellow brown and in some cases it is found to be black.
Smaller mammals such as monkeys and rodents were among the first to migrate to south america. The jaguar is also the. At some point 20000 to 40000 years ago dogs and wolves diverged.