The humid tropical forest of the Amazon is home to more animal species than any other forest. But don't expect many large animal species. Most animals are relatively small, but many of them are quite colorful. In particular among the birds, one can find numerous very colorful species, like the noisy Macaws, the Cock of the Rock, Trogons, Quetzals and quite a few hummingbirds. But other animal groups also have very colorful species, Particularly the insects, amphibians and snakes.
Supposedly half of the species on the planet are found in the Amazon Rainforest and the Andes mountain chain. Apparently, Ecuador is home to the largest density of species in its jungle. This is because on the very equator the weather is the most stable with rainy conditions occurring throughout the year, while prolonged droughts are absent. Dry spells are quite deadly to species that depend on the permanently rain drenched conditions of the humid tropical forest.
Ecuador has 2 major Amazon Rainforest parks, Yasun National Park and Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, each much larger than 5000 sq km. While Yasun is a bit larger and probably has a bit higher species diversity, Cuyabeno is the place to actually see fauna. This is because, Cuyabeno has more than a dozen of lakes, interconnected by narrow rivers. The reason why this is significant is because of the following: When one walks in the rainforest, the contrast between the light of the sky and the leaves of the tree crowns is so strong, that the they almost look black, which makes it very difficult to observe mammals.
Monkeys (10 species in Cuyabeno) and birds (approaching 600 recorded species) and many other animals, spend most of their lives in the tree crowns. High up there (25 - 35 m), they are very difficult to distinguish. From the water, however, many trees along the creeks tend to be lower and many branches hang much lower than in the forest away from the water. The light can falls from the opening in the sky onto the branches and leaves rather than through them as is the case in the closed forest. Therefore the animals are much more visible from the water. Such conditions only prevail in the lake areas of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and nowhere else in the Andes countries. Closeness to the Andes gives an additional benefit as they are also still home to quite a few Andes species, thus giving Amazon parks close to the Andes mountains additional biological diversity.
It goes without saying, that aquatic animals are much less common in more terrestrial Amazon parks. Cuyabeno is home to cayman, enormous anacondas, 2 Amazon dolphin species, capibaras, manatees, Giant Otters, etc., while aquatic bird species abound, as well as some famous and infamous fishes, like piranhas, bagres, electric eels and some of the most colorful fishes.
For its extraordinary lakes and slow-flowing streams and its related bird and mammal visibility, Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve is considered the best Amazon park in the world. So for researchers and people who like to explore the jungle, Ecuador is the country to go.
Supposedly half of the species on the planet are found in the Amazon Rainforest and the Andes mountain chain. Apparently, Ecuador is home to the largest density of species in its jungle. This is because on the very equator the weather is the most stable with rainy conditions occurring throughout the year, while prolonged droughts are absent. Dry spells are quite deadly to species that depend on the permanently rain drenched conditions of the humid tropical forest.
Ecuador has 2 major Amazon Rainforest parks, Yasun National Park and Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, each much larger than 5000 sq km. While Yasun is a bit larger and probably has a bit higher species diversity, Cuyabeno is the place to actually see fauna. This is because, Cuyabeno has more than a dozen of lakes, interconnected by narrow rivers. The reason why this is significant is because of the following: When one walks in the rainforest, the contrast between the light of the sky and the leaves of the tree crowns is so strong, that the they almost look black, which makes it very difficult to observe mammals.
Monkeys (10 species in Cuyabeno) and birds (approaching 600 recorded species) and many other animals, spend most of their lives in the tree crowns. High up there (25 - 35 m), they are very difficult to distinguish. From the water, however, many trees along the creeks tend to be lower and many branches hang much lower than in the forest away from the water. The light can falls from the opening in the sky onto the branches and leaves rather than through them as is the case in the closed forest. Therefore the animals are much more visible from the water. Such conditions only prevail in the lake areas of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and nowhere else in the Andes countries. Closeness to the Andes gives an additional benefit as they are also still home to quite a few Andes species, thus giving Amazon parks close to the Andes mountains additional biological diversity.
It goes without saying, that aquatic animals are much less common in more terrestrial Amazon parks. Cuyabeno is home to cayman, enormous anacondas, 2 Amazon dolphin species, capibaras, manatees, Giant Otters, etc., while aquatic bird species abound, as well as some famous and infamous fishes, like piranhas, bagres, electric eels and some of the most colorful fishes.
For its extraordinary lakes and slow-flowing streams and its related bird and mammal visibility, Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve is considered the best Amazon park in the world. So for researchers and people who like to explore the jungle, Ecuador is the country to go.
About the Author:
Wesley Vanderhill is a conservation conservationist who have been helping to protect plants and animals through great ecotours and building Rainforest lodges as well as other great programs to enjoy nature.
