There are 11 known species of agouti found in Central and South America; and only in Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. Agoutis live in tropical rainforests, savannas, scrublands, grasslands, and evergreen lowland forests.
The tayra is a member of the weasel family. There are 9 known subspecies of tayra that range from Central and South America to Trinidad. Tayras live in woodlands and dense tropical rainforests. The locals use tayra for the control of pests, primarily because they eat rodents. The
The weasel-like jaguarundi has a long slender body, a small flattened head with short rounded ears, and short legs. They are closely related to the puma and are sometimes called
The giant river otter is endemic to South America and more specifically the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata River systems. These otters like slow-moving rivers, swamps, lakes, and
The Andean spectacled bear is the only species of bear found in South America. It can be seen in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Spectacled bears inhabit high altitude cloud forests but they can also be found in various other habitats like grassland
If you think you’ve seen these before… you have. They’re the most populated mammal in South America, the guanaco. These critters are the parent species of the domesticated llama. They inhabit the mountainous regions of Patagonia, in Argentina and Chile. The males
The kinkajou lives in tropical rainforests from the southern parts of Mexico down into Brazil. Its small feet have fingers that are a slightly webbed and come equipped with sharp claws
The pudu deer consist of 2 known species of South American deer and are the world’s smallest deer. The name comes from Mapudungun, the language of the indigenous Mapuche people of
One of the more bizarre mammals, and there are a few, is the anteater. They can range in size from a squirrel, to up to 7′ long! There are 4 species of anteater: the giant anteater,
The coatis, aka coatimundis, are relatives of the raccoon that live from Arizona and areas of southern New Mexico in the U.S., through Mexico (except the Baja peninsula and central Sierra Madres) and into
