We wanted to introduce you to a small selection of the jungle inhabitatants that we had the pleasure (or, occasionally the horror) of ‘meeting’ during our five day stay at Nicky Lodge, in the Cuyabeno Reserve, Ecuador. The best way to do this is through pictures, so we’ve set up this gallery of photos and hope that you enjoy!
If you are planning your own trip to this wonderful part of the world, please remember the wildlife is not there for your entertainment. It might be that you don’t get to see all of the following animals, but you might be gifted to see something else! Read our guide, Protecting the Amazon rainforest – Tourism & beyond, before your visit to make the most out of your stay!
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- Three toed sloths are mammals that spend most of their lives in trees. Sloths sleep a LOT – upto 15 hours a day. This is because their diet of leaves provides little energy. They are well adapted to tree life, and have strong claws to cling to branches!
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- Successful nightime caiman hunting! Caimans have reflective eyes, so our guide was able to use his torch to search for their eyes along the river bank. Black caimans grow to be the biggest predators in the forest. They usually feed on fish, but can give other, larger animals a run for their money!
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- Stinky birds/turkeys get their name because… they smell! The leaves that they eat mix with the bacteria in their stomach to produce a terrible odour, which means they don’t seem quite as tasty to potential predators! They feed down by the river in the trees, and make a strange rasping noise when they feel threatened.
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- This is a female Saki monkey. The males look very different as they have pale faces. They are quite fluffy, and so look larger than they really are. They are sometimes referred to as milk drinkers, because of the white fur around their mouth!
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- This Capuchin monkey wasn’t very happy at how close our boat came to the river bank and his family. They are very aggressive over their territory!
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- Unlike their cousins that we recognise from the sea, river dolphins don’t like to interact with humans. The boats don’t bother them but they don’t come close- hence the vague photo! Also, their dorsel fins are much smaller and less distinct. If they are very active and travel a lot, their skin turns more pink.
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- This spider was found on a night walk, not too far away from our lodge (argh!). It’s often referred to as the Banana Spider, because it has been found in banana crates all over the world. It is mildly venmoous, but not overly dangerous to humans.
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- Our pal, the resting anaconda, taking refuge in a hollowed out tree
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- Warrior or Soldier wasps got their name because of the warning sounds they make to possible threats. They beat their wings together in unison and it sounds like marching feet!
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- There are several species of toucan in Cuyabeno. We saw a few varieties briefly and heard several more. They are called the lazy birds by the locals. When they are calling, it is said they are bringing the the rain. They like to drink from bromeliads, large plants that grow on the trees, and act as cups. The locals say they are lazy for drinking from these instead of venturing down to the riverbank!
1 Comment
Mary {The World Is A Book} · January 3, 2018 at 5:02 am
What a great collection! These animals are so interesting and some I’ve never heard of before. What a great opportunity to be able to see these in the wild. We’ve only visited the Galapagos and haven’t really thought of Ecuador’s other areas for wildlife.