The Amazon area has lots of interesting wildlife. I was especially thrilled to see the Amazon River Dolphin (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.
Pictures of birds in Columbia and other nature pages are separate:
Amazon rainforest. (958k) Flooded rainforest. During the rainy season large areas of the rainforest are flooded. The only transportation is by boat. (1382k) Sunset in the Amazon. (526k) Waterway to Lake Tarapoto with black water. (1090k) Blackwater from Lake Tarapoto flowing into the whitewater Amazon. (622k) Waterfall near San Agustín. (1177k) Tatacoa Desert. (785k) Tortoise fossil. (1439k)
Flora in Colombia
The white spots are a fungus. They were everywhere. (950k) Mushrooms. (1170k) Mushrooms. (1102k) Mushrooms. (1346k) Cup mushroom. (766k) Log with mushrooms. (1220k) Mushroom. (917k) Espeletia (Espeletia argentea). (1203k) Flower. (801k) Candelabra Bush (Senna alata, french: Dartrier). (1279k) Pagoda Flower (Clerodendrum paniculatum). (1098k) Hibiscus (Hibiscus sp., german: Hibiskus). (557k) African Lily (Agapanthus praecox, french: Agapanthe). (751k) Bamboo Orchid (Arundina graminifolia). (621k) Orchid. (695k) Spider Lily (Crinum asiaticum, french: Lys araignée). (1020k) Golden Shrimp Plant (Pachystachys lutea). (828k) Beehive Ginger (Zingiber spectabile). (1206k) Red Ginger (Alpinia purpurata, french: Gingembre d'ornement rouge). (642k) Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior, german: Fackel-Ingwer, french: Rose de porcelaine). (772k) Cacao Tree (Theobroma cacao, german: Kakaobaum, french: Cacaoyer). (1287k) Cacao Tree (Theobroma cacao, german: Kakaobaum, french: Cacaoyer) fruit. (910k) Heliconia (Heliconia sp., german: Helikonien:Genus). (989k) Heliconia (Heliconia sp., german: Helikonien:Genus). (952k) Heliconia (Heliconia sp., german: Helikonien:Genus). (692k) Heliconia (Heliconia sp., german: Helikonien:Genus). (1013k) Epiphyte. (1400k) Bromeliads (Bromeliaceae gen., german: Bromeliengewächse). (1134k) Small cacti in the Tatacoa Desert. (1348k) Small cactus. (1101k) Large cactus. (1014k) Naranjilla fruits (Solanum quitoense, german: Lulo, french: Narangille). (1227k) Large seeds on a liana. (1080k) Large tree fruits. (1010k) Giant Water Lilies (Victoria amazonica, german: Amazonas-Riesenseerose, french: Victoria d'Amazonie). (1436k) Giant Water Lily (Victoria amazonica, german: Amazonas-Riesenseerose, french: Victoria d'Amazonie) with flower. (901k) Flower of the Giant Water Lily (Victoria amazonica, german: Amazonas-Riesenseerose, french: Victoria d'Amazonie). (737k) Second day flower of the Giant Water Lily (Victoria amazonica, german: Amazonas-Riesenseerose, french: Victoria d'Amazonie), turning purple. (841k) Lianas everywhere. (1418k) A liana called Monkey Ladder Vine (Entada gigas, french: Cœur de la mer). (1103k) Large Tree Fern (Cyathea sp., german: Becherfarne). (1470k) Coca Tree (Erythroxylum novogranatense). (1215k) Red Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia sanguinea, french: Trompette des anges écarlate). (1062k) Naked Coral Tree (Erythrina coralloides). (1272k) Mango Tree (Mangifera indica, german: Mango, french: Manguier). (1101k) Calabash Tree (Crescentia cujete, german: Kalebassenbaum, french: Calebassier). (1142k) Fruits on the Calabash Tree (Crescentia cujete, german: Kalebassenbaum, french: Calebassier). (1123k) Amazon Tree Grape (Pourouma cecropiifolia, french: Raisin d'Amazonie). (1028k) Walking Palm (Socratea exorrhiza, german: Wanderpalme, french: Palmier marcheur). (1425k) Strangler Fig in the process of enveloping a tree. (1231k) 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. (1407k) Various flowering trees along the Amazon. (952k) Capinuri (Maquira coriacea). (1245k) African Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis, german: Ölpalme, french: Palmier à huile). (880k) Huicungo Palm (Astrocaryum huicungo). (1.5M) Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera, german: Kokospalme, french: Cocotier). (1056k) Açaí Palm (Euterpe oleracea, german: Kohlpalme, french: Açaï). (1157k) Red roots of the Açaí Palm (Euterpe oleracea, german: Kohlpalme, french: Açaï). (1197k) Maraja Palm (Bactris maraja). (1294k) Maraja Palm fruits (Bactris maraja). (958k) Moriche Palm (Mauritia flexuosa, german: Buriti-Palme, french: Palmier-bâche). (1038k) Bacaba Palm (Oenocarpus bacaba, french: Bacaba açu). (855k) Urucuri Palm (Attalea phalerata). (1028k) Tree with camouflage-like bark. (865k) Red Mata Mata (Eschweilera juruensis). (1249k) Pink Cedar (Acrocarpus fraxinifolius). (1155k) Young Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra, german: Kapokbaum, french: Arbre à kapok) with characteristic conical spines. (845k) Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra, german: Kapokbaum, french: Arbre à kapok), the largest tree in the forest. (1054k) Base of the Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra, german: Kapokbaum, french: Arbre à kapok). (1146k)
Fauna in Colombia
This small tower is a beetle nest. (1037k) Ants nest. (1149k) Ants nest. (1184k) Termite nest. (1246k) Bee nest in a tree. (1062k) Entrance to the bee nest. (950k) Bee. (740k) Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata, german: 24-Stunden-Ameise). (1152k) Spider. (751k) Spider. (765k) Beetle. (1128k) Stick insect. (722k) Stick insect. (639k) Cicada (Cicadidae gen., german: Singzikaden, french: Cigale). (627k) Millipede. (1035k) Tailless Whip Scorpion (Amblypygi fam., german: Geißelspinnen, french: Amblypyges). (1171k) Millipedes on a tree. (983k) Millipedes on a tree. (849k) Millipedes on a tree. (869k) Colorful grasshopper on a Giant Water Lily flower. (697k) Dragonfly (Order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera). (1334k) Dragonfly (Order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera). (782k) Butterfly. (865k) Butterfly. (765k) Butterfly. (951k) Crethon Daggerwing butterfly (Marpesia crethon). (992k) Butterflies, Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron), left and Orange Daggerwing (Marpesia berania), right. (1115k) Butterflies. The center one is a Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron). (995k) Queen Flasher butterfly (Panacea regina). (958k) Cricket with long antennae. (696k) White cricket with long antennae. (673k) Cricket with long antennae. (833k) Grasshopper. (490k) Frog. (761k) Frog. (886k) Big toad. (1061k) 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. (788k) Red-tailed Squirrel (Notosciurus granatensis, german: Rotschwanzhörnchen, french: Écureuil à queue rouge). (1293k) Humboldt's Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri cassiquiarensis, german: Humboldt-Totenkopfaffe). (503k) Humboldt's Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri cassiquiarensis, german: Humboldt-Totenkopfaffe). (753k) Humboldt's Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri cassiquiarensis, german: Humboldt-Totenkopfaffe). (811k) Colombian White-faced Capuchins (Cebus capucinus, german: Weißschulter-Kapuzineraffe, french: Sapajou capucin). (817k) Humboldt's White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons, german: Weißstirn-Kapuzineraffe, french: Capucin à front blanc). (1.6M) Humboldt's White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons, german: Weißstirn-Kapuzineraffe, french: Capucin à front blanc) on my back. (1010k) Common Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix lagothricha, german: Brauner Wollaffe, french: Lagotriche commun). (861k) Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus, german: Braunkehl-Faultier, french: Paresseux à gorge brune). (626k) Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus, german: Braunkehl-Faultier, french: Paresseux à gorge brune). (679k) Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus, german: Eigentliches Zweifingerfaultier, french: Paresseux à deux doigts). (1131k) Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus, german: Eigentliches Zweifingerfaultier, french: Paresseux à deux doigts). (897k) Linnaeus's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus, german: Eigentliches Zweifingerfaultier, french: Paresseux à deux doigts). (972k) Tucuxi or Grey River Dolphin, (Sotalia fluviatilis, german: Amazonas-Sotalia, french: Tucuxi). (428k) Tucuxis or Grey River Dolphins, (Sotalia fluviatilis, german: Amazonas-Sotalia, french: Tucuxi). (436k) Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis, german: Amazonasdelfin, french: Boto). (521k)