The Amazon area has lots of interesting wildlife. I was especially thrilled to see the Amazon River Dolphin ssp. geoffrensis (Pink River Dolphin) and the Tucuxi (Grey River Dolphin), and, for the first time, sloths, both a two-toed sloth and a three-toed sloth.
The smaller rivers flowing into the Amazon have mostly "blackwater". The blackwater is dark due to tannin from decaying vegetation. The whitewater in the main Amazon is light brown in color due to sediments. When a blackwater river flows into the whitewater Amazon, you can clearly see the dividing line between the two types of water.
Even though the trip was mainly to Colombia, the visit to the Marashá Reserve was in Perú. I included the nature and bird observations from this reserve in my Perú pages.
Pictures of birds in Colombia and other nature pages are separate:
Waterway to Lake Tarapoto with black water. (1091k) Blackwater from Lake Tarapoto flowing into the whitewater Amazon. (622k) Waterfall near San Agustín. (1177k) Tatacoa Desert. (786k) Tortoise fossil. (1440k)
Flora in Colombia
Shelf Fungus (Hydnopolyporus sp.). (1170k) Mushrooms. (1346k) Cup Mushroom (Cookeina speciosa). (774k) Log with mushrooms. (1221k) Mushroom. (917k) Espeletia (Espeletia argentea). (1200k) Candelabra Bush (Senna alata, french: Dartrier). (1291k) Pagoda Flower (Clerodendrum paniculatum). (1091k) Hibiscus (Hibiscus sp., german: Hibiskus). (565k) African Lily (Agapanthus praecox, french: Agapanthe). (757k) Bamboo Orchid (Arundina graminifolia). (632k) Orchid. (695k) Spider Lily (Crinum asiaticum, french: Lys araignée). (1022k) Golden Shrimp Plant (Pachystachys lutea). (834k) Beehive Ginger (Zingiber spectabile). (1190k) Red Ginger (Alpinia purpurata, french: Gingembre d'ornement rouge). (648k) Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior, german: Fackel-Ingwer, french: Rose de porcelaine). (779k) Cacao Tree (Theobroma cacao, german: Kakaobaum, french: Cacaoyer). (1275k) Cacao Tree (Theobroma cacao, german: Kakaobaum, french: Cacaoyer) fruit. (915k) Heliconia (Heliconia sp., german: Helikonien:Genus). (989k) Heliconia (Heliconia sp., german: Helikonien:Genus). (953k) Heliconia (Heliconia sp., german: Helikonien:Genus). (696k) Heliconia (Heliconia sp., german: Helikonien:Genus). (1012k) Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae gen., german: Bromeliengewächse). (1125k) Small cacti in the Tatacoa Desert. (1348k) Small cactus. (1102k) Large cactus. (1014k) Naranjilla fruits (Solanum quitoense, german: Lulo, french: Narangille). (1222k) Giant Water Lilies (Victoria amazonica, german: Amazonas-Riesenseerose, french: Victoria d'Amazonie). (1424k) Lianas everywhere. (1418k) A liana called Monkey Ladder Vine (Entada gigas, french: Cœur de la mer). (1104k) Large Tree Fern (Cyathea sp., german: Becherfarne). (1459k) Coca Tree (Erythroxylum novogranatense). (1211k) Red Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia sanguinea, french: Trompette des anges écarlate). (1063k) Naked Coral Tree (Erythrina coralloides). (1270k) Mango Tree (Mangifera indica, german: Mango, french: Manguier). (1095k) Calabash Tree (Crescentia cujete, german: Kalebassenbaum, french: Calebassier). (1131k) Fruits on the Calabash Tree (Crescentia cujete, german: Kalebassenbaum, french: Calebassier). (1119k) Amazon Tree Grape (Pourouma cecropiifolia, french: Raisin d'Amazonie). (1026k) Walking Palm (Socratea exorrhiza, german: Wanderpalme, french: Palmier marcheur). (1418k) Huge Strangler Fig. (1.7M) Different kind of Strangler Fig. (1.6M) Capirona (Calycophyllum spruceanum, german: Mulateiro), brown, next to a Strangler Fig. The Capirona protects itself from Strangler Figs by shedding its bark every 3-6 months, which gets rid of anything that tries to grow on it. (1398k) Various flowering trees along the Amazon. (953k) African Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis, german: Ölpalme, french: Palmier à huile). (878k) Huicungo Palm (Astrocaryum huicungo). (1.5M) Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera, german: Kokospalme, french: Cocotier). (1046k) Açaí Palm (Euterpe oleracea, german: Kohlpalme, french: Açaï). (1147k) Red roots of the Açaí Palm (Euterpe oleracea, german: Kohlpalme, french: Açaï). (1195k) Moriche Palm (Mauritia flexuosa, german: Buriti-Palme, french: Palmier-bâche). (1027k) Bacaba Palm (Oenocarpus bacaba, french: Bacaba açu). (852k) Tree with camouflage-like bark. (866k) Red Mata Mata (Eschweilera juruensis). (1247k) Pink Cedar (Acrocarpus fraxinifolius). (1149k)
Fauna in Colombia
This small tower is a beetle nest. (1038k) Termite nest. (1247k) Bee nest in a tree. (1062k) Entrance to the bee nest. (951k) Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata, german: 24-Stunden-Ameise). (1151k) Tailless Whip Scorpion (Amblypygi fam., german: Geißelspinnen). (773k) Golofa Beetle (Golofa sp.). (1125k) Stick Insect (Pseudophasma bispinosum, french: Pseudophasmatidae). (731k) Stick Insect (Verophasmatodea fam.). (648k) Cicada (Cicadidae gen., german: Singzikaden, french: Cigale). (633k) Millipede (Rhinocricidae gen.). (1036k) Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala). (791k) Banana Stem Borer (Telchin licus). (870k) Butterfly (Lepidoptera fam., german: Schmetterlinge, french: Papillons). (769k) Butterfly (Lepidoptera fam., german: Schmetterlinge, french: Papillons). (957k) Crethon Daggerwing butterfly (Marpesia crethon). (997k) Butterflies, Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron), left and Orange Daggerwing (Marpesia berania), right. (1118k) Butterflies. The center one is a Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron). (998k) Queen Flasher butterfly (Panacea regina). (962k) True Katydids with long antennae (Pseudophyllinae gen.). (705k) White Cricket with long antennae (Grylloidea fam., french: Gryllidea). (679k) True Katydid with long antennae (Leptotettigini gen.). (837k) Grasshopper. (491k) Beaked Toad (Rhinella sp.). (767k) Common Big-headed Frog (Oreobates quixensis). (892k) Cane Toad (Rhinella marina, german: Aga-Kröte, french: Crapaud buffle). (1058k) Giant Ameiva (Ameiva ameiva, german: Grüne Ameive, french: Ameive commun). (1.6M) Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus, german: Hausmeerschweinchen, french: Cochon d'Inde). Locals keep them in the kitchen to keep the floor clean of scraps. They may also serve as food for the family. (793k) Red-tailed Squirrel (Sciurus granatensis, german: Rotschwanzhörnchen, french: Écureuil à queue rouge). (1303k) Humboldt's Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri cassiquiarensis, german: Humboldt-Totenkopfaffe). (819k) Humboldt's White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons, german: Weißstirn-Kapuzineraffe, french: Capucin à front blanc). (1.5M) Humboldt's White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons, german: Weißstirn-Kapuzineraffe, french: Capucin à front blanc) on my back. (1016k) Common Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix lagothricha, german: Brauner Wollaffe, french: Lagotriche commun). (866k) Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus, german: Braunkehl-Faultier, french: Paresseux à gorge brune). (637k) Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus, german: Braunkehl-Faultier, french: Paresseux à gorge brune). (689k) Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus, german: Eigentliches Zweifingerfaultier, french: Paresseux à deux doigts). (1130k) Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus, german: Eigentliches Zweifingerfaultier, french: Paresseux à deux doigts). (901k) Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus, german: Eigentliches Zweifingerfaultier, french: Paresseux à deux doigts). (974k) Tucuxi or Grey River Dolphin, (Sotalia fluviatilis, german: Amazonas-Sotalia, french: Tucuxi). (435k) Tucuxis or Grey River Dolphins, (Sotalia fluviatilis, german: Amazonas-Sotalia, french: Tucuxi). (449k) Amazon River Dolphin ssp. geoffrensis (Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis, german: Amazonasdelfin, french: Boto). (540k)
Dr. Günther Eichhorn Travel Website
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