A diverse ecosystem

There is much talk about the great biodiversity of Tambopata and its numbers, which continue to be very difficult to calculate. So while many are encouraged to give approximations, few know for sure the exact numbers of the wildlife that inhabits this part of the Amazon.

Let's start with the basics. What seem to be just trunks, branches and leaves, is actually a variety of habitats where completely different species can be found. There are 4 main types of forest in which an amazing number of 20,000 plant species, approximately, grows. There are dry forests with the tallest trees as the chestnut that can grow more than thirty meters high. During the rainy season it is easy to find flooded forests, which are filled with rainwater or by overflowing rivers and creeks. There are also bamboo forests near the banks of the rivers and palm swamps, mainly found near to oxbow lakes.

More than 1000 identified bird species (more than in the whole U.S.A.) make Tambopata a paradise for birdwatchers. Most prominent are the harpy eagle, the second largest in the world, the hoatzin, 8 macaw species, 17 parrot and parakeet species and the king vulture, just to name a few.

174 species of mammals have been counted. In the forest of Tambopata live 8 monkey species, including the howler monkey, considered the loudest land animal on the planet, whose calls are heard from miles away. Oxbow lakes are the best place to find the giant otter, a really threatened species of the Amazon. In the dry forest lives the tapir, the largest land mammal in Latin America and probably the only one not afraid of the jaguar; locally known as ‘otorongo’. This predator has the strongest bite of all the big cats in the world.

Due to the great difficulty of being found, either by size or camouflage mechanism, approximately 100 species of reptiles and amphibians have been identified so far, although it is known that there are many more. In Tambopata live three species of caiman: the white caiman, the most common one, the dwarf caiman, inhabitant of streams, and the black caiman, which can reach 6 meters long. The largest reptile living in these forests is the green anaconda, slow on land but very fast in the water, where it feels more comfortable. Some say that anacondas over 9 meters have been seen, which makes them the largest predator in the jungle.

If finding reptiles and amphibians is difficult, it is more complicated to determine the number of fish species in the dark and turbid waters of rivers and lakes. They say there are over 200 fish species in Tambopata.

All these figures are updated constantly, as more species are being discovered. Protecting the Amazon is a great responsibility that has to be more intensively promoted among its inhabitants and visitors. You really have to be there, in the middle of the jungle, to start thinking about the importance of its natural resources for all humanity and its own future as a species.

One of the ways in which you can support the sustainable use of Tambopata’s natural resources, is traveling responsibly and being selective at the moment of choosing your trip to the jungle. On www.tambopataecotours.com, for example, you can find local families with small tourism initiatives that support their private conservation areas. More expensive options are the numerous jungle lodges along the Tambopata River that offer excellent service and comfort amidst this natural paradise.