Piranha, Cayman, and Lizards of the Amazon Jungle

World Wide Travel Home - Antarctica, Alaska, Australia, China, Galapagos, Peru, Maui, Greece, Israel, USA
World Travel Guide Home - Antarctica, Alaska, Australia, China, Galapagos, Peru, Maui, Greece, Israel, USA
Peruvian Amazon photos - tropical birds, Amazon rainforest
Peruvian Amazon photos - tropical birds, Amazon rainforest
Cusco, Peru - Sacsayhuaman, Pikillaqta, Tipon, Pisaq, Tambomachay, Pukapukara, Q'enqo
Cusco, Peru - Sacsayhuaman, Pikillaqta, Tipon, Pisaq, Tambomachay, Pukapukara, Q'enqo
Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Machu Picchu Incan ruins Peru
Map of Peru button
Map of Peru button
Peru Travel FAQ
Peru Travel FAQ
Peru Travel Preparation
Peru Travel Preparation
Sacred Valley, Peru - Ollantaytambo, Moray, Pisac
Sacred Valley, Peru - Ollantaytambo, Moray, Pisac
Peru Panorama Photos
Peru Panorama Photos
Downtown Cusco
Downtown Cusco
Plants and Scenery in the Amazon River Basin
Plants and Scenery in the Amazon River Basin
Accommodations in the Amazon River Basin
Accommodations in the Amazon River Basin
Fish, lizards, and other miscellaneous animals of the Amazon River Basin
Fish, lizards, and other miscellaneous animals of the Amazon River Basin
Parrots, Macaws, and other birds of the Amazon River Basin
Parrots, Macaws, and other birds of the Amazon River Basin
Butterflies and other Bugs of the Amazon River Basin
Butterflies and other Bugs of the Amazon River Basin
Getting around in the Amazon River Basin
Getting Around in the Amazon River Basin
Mammals of the Amazon River Basin
Mammals of the Amazon River Basin
Quenqo Incan ruins outside of Cusco, Peru
Sacsaywaman / Sacsayhuaman Incan ruins atop Cusco, Peru
Sacsaywaman / Sacsayhuaman Incan ruins atop Cusco, Peru
Tambomachay Incan ruins outside Cusco, Peru
Tambomachay Incan ruins outside Cusco, Peru
Tipon Incan fountain ruins outside Cusco, Peru
Tipon Incan fountain ruins outside Cusco, Peru
Pikillaqta Incan ruins outside Cusco, Peru
Pikillaqta Incan ruins outside Cusco, Peru
Puca Pucara Incan ruins outside Cusco, Peru
Puca Pucara Incan ruins outside Cusco, Peru
Quenqo Incan ruins outside of Cusco, Peru
Moray Incan agricultural experimental grounds, Sacred Valley Peru
Ollantaytambo Royal Incan ruins along Urubamba River, Peru
Ollantaytambo Royal Incan ruins along Urubamba River, Peru
Pisac Incan ruins in the Sacred Vallley Outside Cusco along Urubamba River, Peru
Pisac Incan ruins in the Sacred Vallley Outside Cusco along Urubamba River, Peru
Road out of Cusco and into the Sacred Valley
Road out of Cusco and into the Sacred Valley
Moray Incan agricultural experimental grounds, Sacred Valley Peru
Scenic views from Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Scenic views from Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Watchman's Hut at Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Watchman's Hut at Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Wayna Picchu hike overlooking Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Wayna Picchu hike overlooking Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Common District housing in Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Common District housing in Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Machu Picchu spring-fed fountains, Peru
Machu Picchu spring-fed fountains, Peru
Main lawn at Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Main lawn at Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Royal sector of Machu PIcchu Incan ruins, Peru
Royal sector of Machu PIcchu Incan ruins, Peru
Train to Machu Picchu Incan Ruins, Peru
Train to Machu Picchu Incan Ruins, Peru
Brief History of the Inca Empire
Brief History of the Inca Empire
Besides the bugs, butterflies, birds, and mammals, there are plenty of other animals to see and hear in the Amazon Rainforest. Here are a just a few.
Temples of Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru
Temples of Machu Picchu Incan ruins, Peru

We found this toad on our night hike.

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Caimans patrol the Tambopata River. They are smaller relatives of the crocodile. This one visited the main claylick obervation area every morning at the same time we did. There was nothing preventing him from walking up onto the beach and finding his way up to where we were standing - nothing except that all his food was in the water and we weren't interesting at all. This caiman is actually gliding through the water in search of fish, but the lack of ripples in the water makes it look like he's completely still.

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One of our guides dangled a baited hook off the end of our Oxbow Lake raft and caught a yellow piranha. Here he shows us the teeth. There are 4 different species of piranha in Oxbow Lake - yellow, red, black, and white - and they are all vegetarians. In fact, there are more vegetarian piranha species in the world than carnivores. Even though this one is a plant-eater, there is never any rush to stick your finger in its mouth or go swimming in the lake.

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A different yellow piranha than the one caught at Oxbow Lake. They aren't very big, and they have relatively small mouths. The ferocity of the carnivorous piranha comes from their ability to completely swarm their prey so that hundreds of little mouths are simultaneously and constantly taking bites.

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These lizards were numerous on the lawn of the Tambopata Research Center, in some places perhaps as many as one per square yard. When they stopped moving they were hard to see.

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