animals of peru
THE 12 MOST INCREDIBLE ANIMALS OF PERU
In this list you will see that we include the adorable, wild, unique and incredible animals of Peru including the ones you will be able to see on your trip to Peru in 2024:
1. JAGUAR
For all feline lovers, the Jaguar is one of the majestic animals of Peru that inhabits the Peruvian jungles, its name means Beast in Tupi-Guarani language. It is considered the largest feline in America, its entire body is covered with rosarás with small internal points which gives the impression that they are eyes, by nature this is one of the animals of Peru that is carnivorous and has in its diet other species such as peccaries and small mammals, Although it is quite shy for the camera and almost always keeps its presence hidden from visitors, so the sightings of this feline are quite rare but on the occasions that occurs is something unique, those who have managed to see it in its natural habitat say that this is one of their favorite animals of Peru.
jaguar
2. CÓNDOR ANDINO
Of all the animals of Peru, the Andean Condor is without a doubt a symbol of the Peruvian Andes. This is an incredible and majestic bird as it has incredibly long wings that allow it to fly over the Andes even against the strong winds, the male Condor has a white crest on the other hand the female Connor does not have it. The average lifespan of these birds is about 50 years in their natural habitat and up to 80 years in captivity. There are places where it is very common to be able to appreciate it either at the top of a mountain or during a visit to the Colca Canyon.
The Andean Condor is a bird that was associated to the Andean belief as a spiritual guide, besides all the animals of Peru, this is the only one to have the ability to communicate with the world of the gods and stars, for this reason it was represented a temple to worship it in the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.
condor
3. LLAMA Y ALPACA
The Andean camelids are part of the favorite animals of Peru for many travelers, although they are easily confused, both the llama and the alpaca are closely connected with the Peruvian Andes, to the point that when a traveler wants a photo of the incredible landscapes of the mountains or archaeological centers, it will not be complete until one of these camelids is the main model. In order to differentiate between them, you must take into account the following:
- Llama: Between both adorable animals of Peru, the llama is bigger in size besides having a longer face, its coat is more common and coarse.
llama
- Alpaca: It is smaller than the llama besides having a rounder face, the wool you can extract from the alpaca is much finer.
alpaca
In both cases, these are animals of Peru that have been domesticated and can live in the high plateau of the altiplano or even in the Andes, they are easily spotted in archaeological centers as a visual attraction because they do not represent a danger to visitors, but be careful, if you get too close they could spit on you, although some travelers say it is like a lucky symbol.
4. VICUÑA
It is one of the most valued animals of Peru, to the point that its silhouette is located within the coat of arms of the country’s flag. The Vicuña is similar to the llama or alpaca but thinner, it is undoubtedly an icon of the plains and Andes of the country, according to the Andean Cosmogony this is one of the animals of Peru that has a direct connection with the gods for this reason they were worshiped. Its fur is highly valued for clothing, this caused hunters to search for it indiscriminately but at the same time the government declared it as a protected species.
It can live about 25 years and is considered one of the most adorable and cuddly animals of Peru. They regularly move in herds and their largest population is found in the Pampa Galeras reserve (Ayacucho).
vicuña
5. COCK OF THE ROCK
The Cock of the Rock is considered one of the most important animals of Peru, it is even the national bird. It is one of the most difficult birds to see in the wild but when you do it is completely unforgettable. The male bird is more colorful, it has in its plumage strong colors like orange and bright red that matches perfectly with its lower part of gray and black, this is mainly to attract the females of its species and thus to be able to mate.
This beautiful specimen can be appreciated during visits to the Manu Reserve. In order to appreciate these animals of Peru you must take into account that your clothing should not be of strong or showy color because you could scare them away, opt for more concealed colors.
cock of the rock
6. COLIBRI
Hummingbirds are very small birds of about 10 cm and in all of Peru there are about 120 species, which is a third of all known species. Their presence is in all the territory from the northern valleys to the mountainous forests that are around the citadel of Machu Picchu. It is known that its presence in this territory dates back thousands of years because in the Nazca lines where there are representations of animals such as the monkey or the spider also presents a geoglyph of a Colibri. There is a belief that these animals of Peru are small messengers, of course this is part of the spirituality that is in the Andean belief.
colibri
| “One life. One world. Explore it.” |
7. GIANT RIVER OTTER
The Giant River Otter is one of the most adorable animals of Peru because of its attitude and it is also very playful. It was given the name because its size is really impressive, with a length of 1.7 meters long is one of the animals of Peru that lives in the Amazon River, its fur is brown and has white marks on the throat, they are part of the family of weasels and badgers, currently this is a species that is being threatened by hunters so it is one of the animals of Peru that is protected in the Tambopata Reserve.
giant river otter
8. PINK RIVER DOLPHIN
The pink river dolphin is part of animals of Peru found in the Pacaya Samiria Reserve which is one of the largest protected natural sites in the country. The pink river dolphin is also known as Bufeo and among the varieties of river dolphins this is the largest in the world, it can reach about 3 meters in length. The male of this species has a much stronger pink hue to attract the attention of females. Their diet is based on crabs, turtles and fish.
pink river dolphin
9. GIANT ARMADILLO
This is one of the animals of Peru that is part of the mammal family and has the main characteristic of being armored because its shell is quite hard, also highlights its digging skills thanks to its long claws that can measure up to 20 cm in length thanks to this they can easily break termite colonies and at the same time look for insects in the subsoil, but not only to look for food but also to look for a place to rest. Their diet is basically termites but they can also consume fruits that fall from trees, ants or invertebrates.
giant armadillo
WILDLIFE IN PERU
“The alpaca is one of the most important animals of Peru, it was declared as “Genetic Resource of Peru” by the “Law of promotion and genetic improvement and conservation of breeds of domestic South American camelids”, a well deserved recognition.”
10. PERUVIAN DOG
During your visit of 2024 you will encounter many types of species and animals of Peru, including this particular dog that has the main characteristic of not having hair on the whole body (except for a few tufts on the head), it is believed that this breed of dog has healing properties in the skin besides being a loyal companion for the Andean priests where he also participates in their ceremonies. Although its origin is uncertain, it is known that they have been in the country for thousands of years, this is proven in the tomb of the Lord of Sepan where remains of this animal were found. Although at first glance it looks sick, believe us that they feel very comfortable without fur.
peruvian dog
11. HUMBOLDT PENGUIN
In short, if you think of something adorable, seeing a group of penguins is on the list of things you can imagine. Of course, to appreciate them you don’t have to go to Antarctica, very close to the Peruvian coasts are the Ballestas Islands, where it is possible to appreciate this peculiar species of penguin in colonies, it is thanks to the Humboldt current that brings cold water with plenty of nutrients from Antarctica that penguins have been able to develop in this ecosystem.
humboldt pinguin
12. OSO DE ANTEOJOS (SPECTACLED BEAR)
The spectacled bear is one of the animals of Peru, which thanks to its conservation has become an icon of biodiversity protection and therefore is highly appreciated. It can reach up to 2 meters high and weigh around 130 kg. Its particular name comes from the markings around its eyes, which give the appearance that it has glasses. Unlike its brothers like the polar or brown, the spectacled bear does not hibernate for long periods, its habitat in forests allows it to have access to food frequently and its main sighting is in the citadel of Machu Picchu as well as in the surrounding area. Although their diet is basically vegetable, they can also consume insects and eggs.
spectacled bear
These are just some of the animals of Peru that you can see during your visit in 2024, of course to see them, everything would depends of the weather conditions and time of the year that you travel to Perú. Auri Peru can organize a complete visit for you to enjoy every moment, contact us now and start your Peruvian adventure!.
“Find a beautiful place and get lost.”
