The tropical forest is home to more faunal species than any other forest. But don't expect many large species. Most animals are rather small, but many of them are quite colorful. In particular among the birds, one can find numerous very colorful species, like the cacophonous Macaws, the Cock of the Rock, Trogons, Quetzals and many hummingbirds. But other taxons also have very brightly colored species, Particularly the insects, amphibians and snakes.
While half of the species on earth are found in the rainforests of the Amazon and the Andes, the Ecuadorian jungles have the greatest variety of species of them all. As the on the equator have much less variation than elsewhere in the Amazon, wet conditions prevail during most of the year, while the dry seasons are short and not really all that dry. Droughts are the main limiting factor to species that need the 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 1,5 million acres. While Yasun is a bit larger and probably has a bit greater variety of species, Cuyabeno is the place to actually see animals. 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 Amazon Rainforest, the contrast between the light of the sky and the leaves of the canopy is so strong, that the they almost look black, which makes it very difficult to observe animals.
The number of birds in Cuyabeno is approaching 600 recorded species, while 10 species of monkeys call Cuyabeno home. Most fauna in the humid tropical forest are rather small and many of them spend most of their lives in the canopies of the forest. At 25 - 35 m high, it is quite difficult to distinguish them. Along narrow rivers, however, the forest tends to be lower and trees have lower branches and many birds like to perch along the river shores. The light can easily penetrate from the opening in the sky created by the river onto the branches and leaves rather than passing through them as is the case in the closed forest. Therefore the fauna is much more visible from the water. Among the Andes-Amazon countries, only the lake areas of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve have such ideal conditions. 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 additional species diversity.
Moreover, many aquatic mammals would not occur as much in terrestrial protected areas. Cuyabeno Wildlife reserve is known for its cayman, huge anacondas, both species of Amazon dolphins, capibaras, manatees, Giant Otters, among other things. And then of course there are a great number of water birds, as well as famous fish species, like piranhas, huge catfish, electric eels and countless little colorful "aquarium" fishes. A true El Dorado for people who love to observe wildlife.
The beautiful lakes and slow-flowing connecting streams, the outstanding conditions to see fauna, the great accessibility, and the affordable prices all contribute to the fact that many consider Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve the greatest national park of the Amazon region. Ecuador is the best country to go, both for researchers and tourists who like to study or simply get to know the tropical forest.
While half of the species on earth are found in the rainforests of the Amazon and the Andes, the Ecuadorian jungles have the greatest variety of species of them all. As the on the equator have much less variation than elsewhere in the Amazon, wet conditions prevail during most of the year, while the dry seasons are short and not really all that dry. Droughts are the main limiting factor to species that need the 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 1,5 million acres. While Yasun is a bit larger and probably has a bit greater variety of species, Cuyabeno is the place to actually see animals. 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 Amazon Rainforest, the contrast between the light of the sky and the leaves of the canopy is so strong, that the they almost look black, which makes it very difficult to observe animals.
The number of birds in Cuyabeno is approaching 600 recorded species, while 10 species of monkeys call Cuyabeno home. Most fauna in the humid tropical forest are rather small and many of them spend most of their lives in the canopies of the forest. At 25 - 35 m high, it is quite difficult to distinguish them. Along narrow rivers, however, the forest tends to be lower and trees have lower branches and many birds like to perch along the river shores. The light can easily penetrate from the opening in the sky created by the river onto the branches and leaves rather than passing through them as is the case in the closed forest. Therefore the fauna is much more visible from the water. Among the Andes-Amazon countries, only the lake areas of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve have such ideal conditions. 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 additional species diversity.
Moreover, many aquatic mammals would not occur as much in terrestrial protected areas. Cuyabeno Wildlife reserve is known for its cayman, huge anacondas, both species of Amazon dolphins, capibaras, manatees, Giant Otters, among other things. And then of course there are a great number of water birds, as well as famous fish species, like piranhas, huge catfish, electric eels and countless little colorful "aquarium" fishes. A true El Dorado for people who love to observe wildlife.
The beautiful lakes and slow-flowing connecting streams, the outstanding conditions to see fauna, the great accessibility, and the affordable prices all contribute to the fact that many consider Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve the greatest national park of the Amazon region. Ecuador is the best country to go, both for researchers and tourists who like to study or simply get to know the tropical forest.
About the Author:
Wesley Vanderhill is a conservation biologist who have been helping to protect fauna through great ecotours and building jungle lodges as well as other great programs to enjoy nature.
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