Peru
Patrick on the Tapiche River
I’ve visited Peru twice. In 2014 I spent a week with my son Patrick at Chaparri Lodge, in Lambayeque, and Tapiche Reserve in Loreto. See my 2014 report.
I returned in 2019 to help Fiona Reid guide a tour to Owlet Lodge in San Martin, and Los Amigos Research Station in Madre de Dios. See my 2019 report.
Lambayeque District
Chaparri entrance
Chappari Lodge
Sechuran Fox, Lycalopex sechurae
Chappari Lodge is famous for its Sechuran Foxes which are easy to see. Over two nights here in 2014 we also saw habituated Collared Peccaries, White-tailed Deer, Guayaquil Squirrels, and a Peruvian Cotton Rat
Peruvian Cotton Rat, Sigmodon peruanus
Loreto District
Tapiche Reserve
We spent four nights at Tapiche Reserve in 2014. Peruvian Red Bald-headed Uakaris were my main target and we saw them several times. We also saw Botos, Tucuxis, Capybara, Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys,Brown (Large-headed) Capuchins, Juruá Red Howlers, Saddleback Tamarins, Woolly Monkeys, Marañó White-fronted Capuchin, Southern Amazon Red Squirrels, Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth, Coatis, Bi-coloured Rice Rat, Andersen’s Fruit-eating Batand an Amazonian Manatee.
Peruvian Red Bald-headed Uakari Cacajao ucayalii
Madre de Dios District
Emperor Tamarin, Saguinus imperator. Los Amigos Research Station.
K’erenda Lodge
We spent a night in 2019 at this great little lodge in Puerto Maldonado. In the garden we saw Bicoloured Porcupines, Common Opossum, Azara’s Night Monkeys, Central American Agouti, Northern Amazon Red Squirrel, plus roosting White-throated Round-eared Bats, Lesser Spear-nosed Bats and Buffy Broad-nosed Bats.
Los Amigos Research Station
Amazon Red-sided Opossum, Monodelphis glirina
During five nights in 2019 we recorded 46 species. Using small mammal traps we caught Amazon Red-sided Opossum, Elegant Rice Rat, Western Amazon Hylaeamys, Yungas Rice Rat, Destructive Pygmy Rice Rat, Bicolored Arboreal Rice Rat, Foothill Arboreal Rice Rat and saw a Common Spiny Tree Rat.
Black-headed Night Monkey, Aotus nigriceps
In mist nets we caught White-throated Round-eared Bat (also seen roosting); Lesser and Greater Spear-nosed Bats (also seen roosting); Common Long-tongued Bat; Silky, Ben Keith’s and Seba’s Short-tailed Bats; Little Yellow-shouldered Bat; Buffy Broad-nosed Bats (also seen roosting); Great, Dark and Flat-faced Fruit-eating Bats; and a Riparian Myotis. We also saw roosting Proboscis Bats; Greater and Lesser White-lined Bats and a Northern Little Yellow-eared Bat.
Toppin’s Titi, Callicebus toppini
We also saw Southern Opossum, Forest Rabbit (Tapiti), Northern Amazon Red Squirrel, Amazon Dwarf Squirrel, Bicolor-spined Porcupine, Giant Otter, Amazon Weasel (which I missed … urffff) , Amazon Brown Brocket, Brazilian Tapir and a South American Coati.
Peruvian Spider Monkey, Ateles chamek. Photo by Ignacio Yufera.
But primates are arguably Los Amigos biggest draw and we saw 10 of the 11 species there: Weddell’s Saddle-backed Tamarin, Emperor Tamarin, Bolivian Squirrel Monkey, Humboldt’s White-fronted Capuchin, Large-headed Capuchin, Black-headed Night Monkey, Toppin’s Titi, Gray’s Bald-faced (Ryland’s) Saki, Peruvian Spider Monkey and Bolivian Red Howler Monkey. We missed the Goeldi’s Monkeys which are seen very occasionally on the reserve.
Weddell’s Saddleback Tamarin, Leontocebus weddelli
San Martin District
Owlet Lodge
2019-11-yellow-tailed-woolly-monkey-Oreonax-flavicauda
Three wet nights here in 2019 produced Bolivian Squirrel, Black Agouti, Mountain Paca, Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey and Andean (Peruvian) Night Monkey. We caught three rodents: Tomes’ Rice Rat, Strong-tailed Oldfield Mouse and Highland Grass Mouse. We saw a Montane Myotis and caught another two bats: Handley’s Tailless Bat and Hairy Yellow-shouldered Bat.
Pumarini Lodge
Rio Mayo Titi, Callicebus oenanthe
One night in 2019 produced Nancy Ma’s Night Monkeys and several Brown-throated Three-toed Sloths. The next morning we saw the critically endangered Rio Mayo (San Martin) Titi Monkeys nearby.
Brown-throated Three-Toed Sloth, Bradypus variegatus
Community Reports
Junin Lake Colocolos: Chris D’s report of a seemingly reliable site for Northern Colocolo. They found cats on 2 of their 3 nights.
Iquitos, 2023: Micah Reigner (Field Guides), 3 weeks & 21 species including Bishop’s Slender Opossum, Brown Four-eyed Opossum and Western Pygmy Marmoset.
Peru, 2022 and 23: Rob Jansen & Romy Jansen-Houtzager, 4 months & 57 species including Emperor Tamarin, Ryland’s Bald-faced Saki, Greater Long-nosed Armadillo, Taruca and Andean Sadlle-back Tamarin.
Iquitos, 2022: János Oláh, 10 days & 37 species including Thomas’s Silky Anteater, Eastern Pygmy Marmoset, Brown Four-eyed Opossum, Yellow-crowned Brush-tailed Rat and Yellow-handed Titi Monkey.
Peru and Brazil, 2022: Justin Brown, 4 weeks & many species with 25 different primates alone including Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey, Red-backed Bearded Saki, Martin’s Ochraceous Bare-Face Tamarin and Schneider’s Marmoset.
Matses National Reserve, 2021: Original Nature, 19 days & 25 mammal species seen or tracked including Bald Uakari, Monk Saki and Jaguar.
Peruvian Amazon, 2021: Greg Easton, 1 week and 20 species including Red Uakari,Woolly Monkey, Pygmy Marmoset, Red Agouchy, Yellow-crowned Brush-tailed Rat and White-faced Tree Rat.
San Martin and Madre De Dios, 2019: Jon Hall and Fiona Reid, 10 days & 63 species including Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey, Rio Mayo Titi Monkey, Emperor Tamarin, Amazon Red-sided Short-tailed Opossum and an Amazon Weasel.
Chile and Peru, 2019: Dominique Brugiere, 3 days in Peru and no cats, plus 10 days in northern Chile featuring Andean Mountain Cat, Mollna’s Hog-nosed Skunk and South American Fur Seals over the border in Peru.
Chile, Bolivia and Peru, 2019: Lennart Verheuvel, 3 months & 15 species in Chile including Kodkod, Darwin’s Fox and Lesser Grison; 20 species in Bolivia including Giant Anteater and Bolivian Grey Titi; and 18 species in Peru including Giant Otter.
Peru, 2018: Pieter de Groot Boersma’s video montage of a trip with species including Amazon Bamboo Rat, Bolivian Big-eared Mouse and Marine Otter.
Tapiche, 2018: Margeaux Maerz, 5 days & 18+ species including Red Uakari, Pygmy Marmoset, Equatorial Saki and Yellow-crowned Brush-tailed Rat. Great photos too.
Manu, 2018: Matt Andrews, 10 days & 23 species including Emperor Tamarins, Giant Long-nosed Armadillo and Peruvian Spider Monkey.
Andean Mountain Cat, 2017: Alain Guillemont’s account of 2 sightings in 2 days in Peru.
Pampas Cat, Salkantay Lodge, 2018: Dave Robichaud’s account of a Pampas Cat near Soraypampa.
Manu Lowlands, 2016: Benjamin Schweinhart, 2 weeks & 23 species including Emperor Tamarin, Monk Saki and Jaguar. A very comprehensive report (here is a short summary).
Tapiche, 2015: Benjamin Schweinhart, 1 week, and a short report including Red Uakari and Yellow-crowned Brush-tailed Rat.
Manu & Chaparri, 2015: Royle Safaris, 16 days & 30 species including Black-headed Night Monkey, Peruvian Spider Monkey and Northern Ghost Bat.
Peru, 2015: Cheryl Antonucci, 2 weeks & 35 species including Spectral Bat, Moustached Tamarin, Brown-top Saki, Silvery Woolly Monkey and Yellow-crowned Brush-tailed Rat.
Peru, 2015: Sjef Ollers, 3 weeks & and over 30 species, with highlights including Emperor Tamarin, Grey Bald-faced Saki, Peruvian Spider Monkey and Olingo.
Tapiche and Chaparri, 2014: Jon Hall, 1 week & 21 species including Peruvian Red Uakari, Sechuran Fox and Amazonian Manatee.
Peru, 2012: Cheryl Antonucci, 2 weeks & species including Sechuran Fox and Northern (?) Mountain Viscacha.
Brazil, Paraguay and Peru, 2012: Romain Bocquier, mega-trip of 7 weeks & 43 species incuding Sechuran Fox & Taruca (Peru), Jaguar & Tayra (Brazil) and Jaguarundi & Geoffroy’s Cat (Paraguay).
Bolivia, Chile, Peru & Ecuador, 2011: Matthew and Maureen Hart, 2 months & 32 species including Southern River Otter, Northern Viscacha and Anderson’s Four-eyed Opposum.
Peru, 2010: Torbjörn and Carmen Lundqvist, 1 month & 25+ mammals including Monk Saki, Red Uakari and Spectacled Bears.
Peru, 2007: Tomer Ben-Yehuda, 1 week & 17 mammals including Pygmy Marmosets and an Emperor Tamarin.
Tambopata, 2001 & 07: Thierry Laxanaire, photos and info on two trips and lots of photos (in French).
Northern Peru, 2006-07: Stefan Lithner, 1 month & 13 mammals.
Peru, June – Nov 2005 : some comprehensive notes on mammal watching from Rich Lindie who spent 4 months working as a naturalist in the Wasai Tambopata Lodge. He saw a Bush Dog amongst many other good things.
Peru, 2000: Richard Webb, 2 weeks & 19 mammals.
South America, 1996 (Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador). Steve Anyon-Smith, 6 weeks & a few mammals.
Also See
Streaked Dwarf Porcupine (Coendou ichillus) near Iquitos, July 2023
Rodent from Chaparri ID, December 2021
Mammals of Peru (a video of highlights of a 5 week trip in 2018), April, 2019
Andean Rodent ID September, 2018
RFI Emperor Tamarins & Goeld’s Monkey September, 2017
RFI Pacarana and Shrew-Opossums (Bolivia, Colombia, Peru) October, 2015
Arboreal Chinchilla Rat rediscovered September, 2013
Reliable site for Red-faced Uakari, Peru October, 2013
New Protected Area in Peruvian Cloud Forest – home to Andean Cats March, 2012
Resources
López-Baucells, Adrià et al. A Field Guide to Bats of the Amazon, 2018. Pelagic Publishing. This 170 page paperback is a remarkably easy to use illustrated guide to identifying all 160 species in the Amazon.
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