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Animals of South America

South America has remarkable biodiversity, from the Amazon rainforest to the Andes. Its wildlife reflects this variety of environments.

Which animals live in South America?

Well-known examples include jaguars, sloths, anacondas, capybaras and toucans. Different species inhabit tropical forests, savannas and mountain regions.

A

alpaca

AlpacaVicugna pacos

anaconda

AnacondaEunectes

Male Andean condor with a bare head, fleshy comb, white feather ruff and black plumage

Andean condorVultur gryphus

anteater

AnteaterVermilingua

A green aphid with long antennae on a flower petal

AphidsAphidoidea

Blue-and-yellow macaw in flight with spread wings and a black bill

armadillo

ArmadilloCingulata

Black Asian tiger mosquito with white stripes on its legs and body biting human skin

Asian tiger mosquitoAedes albopictus

B

bat

bear

beaver

BeaverCastor fiber; Castor canadensis

black panther

Black pantherPanthera pardus or Panthera onca (melanistic individuals)

Glossy black widow spider with a red hourglass mark on its abdomen

Black widow spiderLatrodectus

boa

BoaBoa constrictor

Dark grey Ancistrus with pale spots resting on gravel at the bottom of an aquarium

Bristlenose plecoAncistrus

bumblebee

BumblebeeBombus

C

Grey-olive caiman resting on a riverbank

CaimanCaimaninae

Capuchin monkey with brown fur and a black cap holding food in its hands

Capuchin monkeyCebinae

Capybara with brown fur and a broad muzzle

CapybaraHydrochoerus hydrochaeris

caterpillar

CaterpillarLepidoptera (caterpillar larval stage)

A grey chinchilla with rounded ears, dark eyes and long whiskers

ChinchillaChinchilla spp.

Nasua nasua coati with its long snout near the ground and ringed tail raised

Brown common degu with rounded ears and a tufted tail standing on a branch

Common deguOctodon degus

Tiny yellowish-brown fruit fly with bright red eyes on the edge of a leaf

Common fruit flyDrosophila melanogaster

Common silverfish with an elongated body, antennae and three terminal filaments

Common silverfishLepisma saccharinum

Common starling perched on a mossy branch, showing a pointed yellow bill, pink feet and green-violet iridescent feathers

Common starlingSturnus vulgaris

cormorant

CormorantPhalacrocoracidae

Corydoras catfish with a dark white-spotted body and orange fins on the aquarium floor

Corydoras catfishCorydoras

cougar

CougarPuma concolor

coypu

CoypuMyocastor coypus

Field cricket viewed from above at an angle, showing long antennae, six legs, folded wings and paired rear cerci

CricketsGryllidae

crocodile

CrocodileCrocodylidae

culpeo

CulpeoLycalopex culpaeus

D

deer

Blue discus with a round body, red eye and fine fin markings

DiscusSymphysodon

dragonfly

DragonflyAnisoptera (within Odonata)

E

A brown eagle with golden nape feathers perched on a rock

EaglesSeveral genera in Accipitridae

Segmented adult earthworm representing Lumbricus terrestris, showing the head end, clitellum and tapering rear end on soil

EarthwormsCrassiclitellata

earwig

EarwigForficula auricularia

Male elephant seal with a large inflated nose raised on a beach near females and pups

Elephant sealMirounga

F

Unverified RO bird image; identity review pending

FalconFalco spp.

firefly

FireflyLampyridae

flamingo

FlamingoPhoenicopteridae

fly

FlyDiptera; Musca domestica is the house fly

Silver freshwater angelfish with orange patches and dark markings beside aquatic plants

Freshwater angelfishPterophyllum scalare

frog

G

Head of a grey-skinned giant Galápagos tortoise chewing green leaves

Galápagos tortoiseChelonoidis niger

grasshopper

GrasshopperCaelifera

A short-haired guinea pig with a rounded muzzle and small folded ears

Guinea pigCavia porcellus

gull

GullLaridae (gulls in several genera)

Male guppy with blue-green markings and a patterned yellow tail among aquatic plants

GuppyPoecilia reticulata

H

hawk

HawkAccipitridae; includes Accipiter and Astur

Magnified head louse among hairs, showing six legs with gripping claws

Head lousePediculus humanus capitis

Tabanus bromius horse fly with large iridescent eyes and transparent wings, viewed from the side

Horse flyTabanidae

Pale Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus dust mites seen through a microscope on dark fibres

House dust mitesDermatophagoides spp.

German cockroach (Blattella germanica) viewed from above

Household cockroachesBlattodea (specii sinantrope)

Male marmalade hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus, photographed by Sandy Rae

HoverfliesSyrphidae

Black-furred howler monkey walking along a branch among leaves

Howler monkeyAlouatta

hummingbird

HummingbirdTrochilidae

I

iguana

IguanaIguanidae; Iguana for green and Lesser Antillean iguanas

J

jaguar

JaguarPanthera onca

K

Green Tettigonia viridissima katydid with long wings and slender legs on vegetation

KatydidTettigoniidae

L

lizard

LizardSquamata (lizards)

llama

LlamaLama glama

M

manatee

ManateeTrichechus spp.

Common marmoset with a dark face and white ear tufts

MarmosetCallithrix

Long, segmented black millipede with many pairs of legs on dry leaves

MillipedeDiplopoda

molluscs

MolluscsMollusca

Grey, finely spotted mollies swimming among green aquatic plants

MollyPoecilia sphenops

Monarch butterfly with orange wings, black veins and white dots on a purple and white flower

Monarch butterflyDanaus plexippus

monkey

Monkeys and apesSimiiformes (monkeys and apes)

mosquito

MosquitoCulicidae

moth

MothLepidoptera (moths from several families)

mouse

MouseMus spp.; Mus musculus is the house mouse

N

Neon tetra with a bright blue stripe and red lower rear half

Neon tetraParacheirodon innesi

O

Ocelot with elongated black-bordered spots and rounded ears

OcelotLeopardus pardalis

opossum

OpossumDidelphimorphia; Didelphis virginiana is one species

Large dark Oscar fish with orange patches and a red eye on a black background

Oscar fishAstronotus ocellatus

otter

OtterLutrinae; Lutra lutra is the Eurasian otter, Lontra canadensis the North American river otter

owl

OwlStrigiformes

P

parrot

ParrotPsittaciformes

peacock

PeacockPavo spp.; Afropavo congensis is the Congo peafowl

pelican

PelicanPelecanus spp.

pheasant

PheasantPhasianus colchicus

piranha

PiranhaSerrasalmidae: piranhas, including Pygocentrus and Serrasalmus

Blue poison dart frog with black spots on the ground

Poison dart frogDendrobatidae

Q

quetzal

QuetzalPharomachrus spp.; Pharomachrus mocinno is the resplendent quetzal

R

rabbit

RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus

A brown rat, Rattus norvegicus, with whiskers and a scaly tail curved on the ground

rattlesnake

RattlesnakeCrotalus and Sistrurus spp.

S

salamander

SalamanderCaudata (also called Urodela)

Scolopendra cingulata with a yellow-brown segmented body, yellow legs and reddish antennae

Scolopendra centipedeScolopendra

scorpion

ScorpionScorpiones

sea lion

Sea lionOtariidae (sea lions; family also includes fur seals)

skunk

SkunkMephitidae

sloth

Spotted Limax maximus with extended tentacles on moss

SlugGastropoda — terrestrial slugs

Fossil Smilodon skull with two very long, curved upper canines

Smilodon (saber-toothed cat)Smilodon

snail

SnailGastropoda

snake

sparrow

SparrowPasser domesticus (house sparrow); other sparrow species are also discussed

European garden spider, Araneus diadematus, viewed from above on its web, showing white abdominal spots and eight walking legs

squirrel

SquirrelSciuridae (squirrels)

Long, thin brown stick insect with twig-like legs among fern leaves

Stick insectPhasmatodea

swan

SwanCygnus spp.

T

tarantula

TarantulaTheraphosidae

termite

TermiteIsoptera (Blattodea)

AI illustration of a toco toucan with an orange bill and white throat

ToucanRamphastidae

true bug

True bugHeteroptera (within Hemiptera); includes Cimex and stink bugs

turtle

TurtleTestudines

V

A pale-necked brown vulture perched on a rock

VulturesSeveral species: Accipitridae and Cathartidae

W

Yellow-and-black wasp on a twig

WaspHymenoptera: several wasp families, including Vespidae

wild boar

Wild boarSus scrofa

woodpecker

WoodpeckerPicidae