The Dean Jacobs photo zoo
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Getting some firsthand experience with the wild life of South America. I made a group of new friends in this squirrel monkey community in Columbia.
A relative of the llama, vicunas are a protected animal in the wilds of Peru. The Inca valued vicunas for their wool and it was against the law for anyone but royalty to wear vicuna garments.
This ant was taking a break from its busy work in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. The Amazon is the most species rich area on the planet. One in 10 known species in the world lives in the Amazon rainforest. This constitutes the largest collection of living plants and animal species in the world. Most are tiny and very well adapted to the moist environment that make up the large tropical rainforest.
The Amazonian manatee is a species of manatee that lives in the freshwater habitats of the Amazon basin. They have thick, wrinkled skin and are almost hairless, except for some "whiskers" around their mouths. This baby manatee is at INPA or the Amazon Research Institute in Manaus, Brazil, after its mother was killed by hunters.
The Hoatzin is a unique bird of South America. When the Hoatzin is young and before it can fly, it has claws on its thumb and first finger that it uses to climb tree limbs. This group of Hoatzin in the Amazon rain forest of Ecuador had no problem with our boat passing near.
A hummingbird in Mindo, Ecuador, turns its head to look at what made a noise behind it. The cloud forest of Ecuador is one of the best places to view hummingbirds in the world. Ecuador has the largest number of hummingbirds of any one country with 163 different species.
One of 17 species of macaws, the scarlet macaw is one of the most beautiful members of the parrot family. Found in the Amazon rainforest, these colorful birds can live up to 50 years. This macaw was a resident of an animal rescue center near Iquitos, Peru.
The Bald Uakaris are a special looking monkey in South America., with a red face and stubby tail. Bald Uakaris are not prolific breeders. They give birth to one infant every two years. A small group of wild Bald Uakaris are habituated near Iquitos, Peru. It is the best place to see this endangered monkey. The color of their face also is a sign of good health. Sick animals develop pale faces.
Two pink river dolphins greet me at the Rio Negro River in Brazil. Of the five freshwater species of dolphins in the world, the pink Amazon River dolpin Ñ or "botos," as they are known in Brazil Ñ are considered the most intelligent.
A whip snake in Peru tries to determine if I am friend or foe in the Amazon rainforest near Iquitos, Peru.
A tarantula clings to the side of a tree in the Amazon rainforest of Peru. Tarantulas have crawled the face of the earth since the time of the dinosaurs.
The squirrel monkey is a small species of New World Monkey that is natively found in the forests and tropical jungles of Central and South America. This troop was happy to receive any visitor who came with bananas.
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One of the great pleasures of exploring the world is the wonderful opportunity to see wild a…
