(Pantera Onca)

The jaguar is the predator par excellence in our Amazon rainforest, is at the highest point of the food chain because they have no natural predators, their worst enemy is man and the destruction of their habitat, it is difficult to make an inventory of how many jaguars exist in the vast jungle, but in my personal experience I am witnessed of a large population in the areas of Manu National Park and Madre de Dios, where it is not difficult to find them resting on tree trunks exposed to the sun, or on the shore of rivers, including on many occasions were found crossing rivers, the best month for the sighting of this powerful feline is the month of May, on one occasion we came to find three jaguars in a tour of eight days.

Their favorite preys are mammals like sachavaca or tapir (Tapirus terrestris), peccaries (tayassu pecari, tayassu tajacu), Capibaras (hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), deer and other mammals, but also small rodents, fish, alligators, sometimes invertebrates, but also eat grass for purge. They have diurnal and nocturnal habits, having a vast hunting territory and sometimes share with other felines, could be dangerous to humans but that is not usual. Males are larger than females, despite of it they rich an average of 150 to 160 kilograms. Indigenous tribes have much respect for this magnificent predator, and do not hunt them unless becomes a danger to their people.

There are many legends that speak of this animal which suppose to have special powers, such as communication with the “mother Jungle”, and to be seer, noting the entry of human beings to their territories. Another reason why not hunt this animal is that according to the natives; powerful shamans or healers can be entered with his spirit in the body of a jaguar to move through the jungle. His body is not specialized for speed, but rather for power, have more powerful jaws among felines, yellow with black spots, the ventral part also white with yellow spots, drawing its invisible in the middle of the forest, and moves quietly, almost imperceptibly until get close to its prays before jumping on their neck with a single jump. There chromatic variations such as albinism and the dreaded black or dark brown jaguar, which also has spots on his body but are almost imperceptible, but this is also very rare and difficult to spot among the dense vegetation of the jungle for its dark color

(Tapirus Terrestris)

The Tapir is the largest mammal of the Amazon Rainforest, members of this order are horses and rhinoceros, are large herbivores, come despite a 250 kilograms mast, they have primarily nocturnal habits, feed on tender buds, grass leaves and fruits. During the day rests between bushes and by night walk searching for food, running long distances in all kinds of terrain but mostly prefer the proximity of water with herbaceous vegetation. Have the upper lip longer (proboscis) that serves to distinguish at night different chemical compositions of the trees on which it feeds. Complete its diet systematically visiting places called collpas (clay licks) or salts mod where special minerals found there serve to offset the tannins or toxic substances contained in some plants as a matter of defense. They have a single breeding until it reaches maturity is in the care of the parents, once adult usually solitary joining other only in mating times. It is a very shy animal and it is not very common to find them, also for its nocturnal habits. But once they get used to human beings as a pet are excellent companion for games to children in the native communities. It is pretty appreciated by its meat. There is one genus, with 4 species of tapir around the world, in Asia one and three in the New World

(Pteronura Brasiliensis)

The giant river otters or See lions (Pteronura brasiliensis) are widely considered as one of the most spectacular animals of the Amazon rainforest. Belonging to the family of weasels (Mustelidae), together with Weasels and Grisons or Huron are the largest of the thirteen species of otters that exist in the world. They have evolved in harmony with the environment becoming the most complete aquatic predators of the Amazon, surpassing alligators and anacondas. Nature has fully equipped their functions into the aquatic environment as rivers and oxbow lakes. Their hydrodynamic body is elongated, compact and cylindrical frame.

They have a powerful tail, broad at the base and flattened at the end, allowing them to move gracefully and with an astonishing speed in the water. His head has rounded extremely developed muscles in the neck and jaw, which makes it capable of devouring big fish in seconds without leaving any residues. It is truly incredible the dexterity of these animals moving in the water with their thirty kilos weight and two meters long. They are great defenders of their territory and their offspring; live in family groups up to twelve individuals of which the dominant are the partner and their offspring. The name of lions comes from the habit of attacking their prey in groups that are mostly fish, but not despise switch their diet with alligators, snakes and also can enforce their territory even attacking large black caiman until 7 meters long and 300 kilograms in weight. They are diurnal animals who spend most of their time fishing, eating each one daily up to 4-5 kilos of fish.

They live in large burrows in the banks of oxbow lakes and rivers, marking their position with the mixture of their own excrement with the ground in the entrance of the burrow; this takes a strong smell of fish that smells from several meters of distance. Unfortunately this animal is in great danger of extinction due to indiscriminate hunting in the last decade for his invaluable skin; in the Manu National Park and in the Sandoval Lake we still have the chance to observe these animals in their environment.

(Ateles Paniscus)

The black spider monkey is Natural from South America. Its distribution includes to the north Guyana and Brazil and to the east the Amazon and Negro rivers.

Inhabits in the rainforest:Live in groups of 30 to 60 individuals. These groups are separated into subgroups during the day, about three individuals each group while they are searching for livelihood. Each group uses a field around 225 to 250 hectares. Around 10% to 15% of these action areas are common areas that are sharing with other neighbors groups.

It is diurnal and arboreal. It feeds on fruits, but also supplements its diet with leaves, flowers, bark trees and invertebrates.

The length in the head and body measured from 37 to 62 cm. The tail reaches from 63 to 93 cm. The weight is between 5.5 and 11.0 kg. The tail is prehensile and used to hold itself with the same dexterity that with the other four limbs.

The Black Spider Monkey is also called Coatá, Koata, Black Atelo, Maquisapa. In Spanish it is known by Mono Araña. In Portuguese is called macaque-aranha-preto. Interesting info: The hands have only four fingers. As in the other ateles, the thumb has been reduced or has completely disappeared. The arms and legs are long, used to climb and fastened to the branches easily. The tail is prehensile and employed as an additional limb. The inside of the tail, from the middle to the top, has no hair; the skin has the same texture to the palms of the hands.

(Bradypodidae / Bradypus Variegatus)

So slowly that seems to be immobile while moving. To move a limb it takes ... half a minute!, walk through one meter takes it up to four minutes. It's pretty shortsighted. Its hearing is poor as well and their smell serves only to distinguish plants that fed it. Has clumsy movements, is the perfect example of slowness but has the ability to rotate his head ... almost 360 degrees! Defecate only when it rains and pass its life embraced to the trees, chewing leaves and shoots, nothing else than leaves and shoots. It is the "Sloth," a unique animal of our forests in South America, a living demonstration of slowness that sometimes, it helps to survive

Description:
Generally brown coffee color, present grooves and green notches on its body due to algal growth. Their hair is thick everywhere except on the face. These animals have two types of hair, some long and thick other finest and shorts that are not easy to distinguish until have been removed the first ones, long greenish grey hair are used for green algae to live, that is the reason for their greenish hairs, this allows also to confuse their predators. Round and small head, not visible ears, rounded eyes crossed by a line of black hair as a mask. Short tail and arms, has three claws as in their legs. Males have an orange patch between his shoulder blades. The sloth is 41 to 74 centimeters high, a small, flattened and round head; big eyes, flat nose and lacks of ears.

Their limbs are long and well-developed; their fingers are joined and end up in long curved claws. The former members are longer, more developed and more mobile than the posteriors, especially in the three toed sloth. It has about 18 teeth and its body temperature varies considerably according to the environment, so they are physiologically restricted to equatorial habitat. The two toed sloth is the mammal with the temperature more variable in a range of 24 ° C to 33 ° C. This mammal can live ten to twenty years, in which only breeds once. The species of the three toed sloth live longer than the one of two.

They are arboreal mammals, closely related to armadillos and the anteaters.

Behavior:
Diurnal and nocturnal, solitary and arboreal. Female sloth stays always in groups, while males are lonely. Sloth usually spends most of the time over the canopy avoiding so predators and where can easily get food and water. Its slow movement makes it difficult to spot in the forest. It is highly resistant to attacks and wounds and supports the rigors of hunger and thirst. Despite normally their movements are slow, sloth can swim (it is a great swimmer, it has been seen crossing rivers elegantly) and defend themselves with rapid beating of his long arms. Its very strong claws can cause severe injuries.

The sloth spends most of its time on the trees, descending only when needs water, or to move from one tree to another. This animal spends almost all his life with the head down.

Geographic Range:
It is found in Central and South America from Honduras and Venezuela to the Middle North Argentina in a maximum range of 1,100 meters In Colombia was found throughout the region with the exception of the central valleys. Generally three toed sloths (Barypus variegatus) are in places near sea level and the two toed sloth (Choleopus hoffmani) can be found in highest and colder places.