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The Eastern Sierra is abundant with orchids, bromeliads, and the famous Cantua, (Cantua Buxifolia) Peru´s national plant. The area also harbours hummingbirds, tapirs, Andean bears and cock-of-the-rocks.
The dense rainforest and the Amazonian jungle are home to vast wealth of tropical plants, where parrots, macaws and toucans like to play hide and seek. A list of over 3000 species has been registered: butterflies, jaguars, ocelots, chachalacas, as well as giant otters, piranhas, Caymans, debonair dolphins, anacondas, iguanas, capybaras, peccaries, turtles and the Paiche. With its 3 feet in length, it is the largest freshwater fish in the world: the Paiche.
Peru’s dry, sandy desert coast is covered in shrubs and grassland. A large population of sea birds: pelicans, cormorants and gannets live off the riches of the sea. Penguins, seals and sea lions are very fond of the sardines the coast line offers. The highlands (Sierra) are covered with eucalyptus trees, originally imported from Australia. The area provides an excellent soil for cacti, bromeliads and mesquite. The area around Huaraz is particularly famous for its Puya Raimondi. This giant bromeliad can grow up to ten meter, the flower stalk can grow up to 6 metres. In the altiplano around lake Titicaca bushes of hard Ichu-grass are most common. Four types of cameloids graze on them: the llama, the alpaca and its wild relatives, the guanaco and the vicuña. You may also spot a viscacha or Andean fox, or a taruka, an Andean deer. Wild pumas can only be found in very remote areas. Flamingos thrive well in the salt lakes of the altiplano. In Peru, they come in a variety of colors: The Chilean Flamingo (grey-footed), James flamingo (red-footed) and the Andes Flamingo (yellow footed). Mighty eagles fly above the rocky slopes of the Colca Canyon. |