The Amazon Rainforest

The massive rainforest that occupies over five million square kilometers of South America is not only the largest of its kind on the planet, but also the oldest, and most biodiverse. In the area of the Amazon which sits on the Peruvian side of the boarder alone, scientists have noted 2,500 species of butterflies, 806 species of birds, and around 8000 species of plants. It's astounding to see firsthand. On any given walk through the rainforest you'll see an astonishing variety of plants, insects, and if you're lucky, some of the bigger and more exotic wildlife. And all of these species have had millions of years to differentiate and evolve - this is the oldest land ecosystem on earth, after all. You'll likely hear more than you see, and you certainly won't find animals posing for the camera, but hit the link for what I was able to capture in the wild jungle of South America.
1And2more tonemapped peru 618 peru 458 peru 445 peru 411  Tree frog peru 565
peru 542  Capuchin monkey. Our guide called him a "cappuccino monkey". peru 557  The red howler monkey. An entire family of them travelled overhead of us. He was the only one who posed. peru 560 peru 556 peru 418 IMG 5827  A group of Scarlet Macaws in the canopy.
IMG 5835  Blue and yellow macaws. IMG 5859 IMG 5782 IMG 5760  Capped Heron IMG 5864 peru 406
peru 459 peru 413  Owl Butterfly peru 414 IMG 5892  Amazon kingfisher peru 434 peru 460
peru 473 peru 477  The upper Tambopata River peru 488  dwarf caimon. IMG 5883 IMG 5889 peru 442
peru 449 peru 504 peru 506 peru 520  bats! peru 522 peru 525
peru 539 peru 532 peru 535 peru 569 peru 586 13
peru 512  I need a macro lens! Tree cutter ants. peru 454 peru 415 peru 408 peru 452 peru 580
peru 582 peru 609  On our last night we had a sloth eating in a tree a few feet from our balcony! peru 602 peru 591  Puerto Maldonado - The city in the middle of the jungle. peru 597  The Interoceanic Highway crossed the Madre De Dios river. peru 617
IMG 5727