Peru has some of the greatestbiodiversity in the world. It belongs to the select group ofmega diverse countries because of the presence of theAndes,Amazon rainforest, and thePacific Ocean.[1] It has the fourth-most tropical forests of any country and the ninth-most forest area. The country is ranked among the five countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world according to various studies.[2][3]
The 1993Constitution of Peru recognized thenatural resources andecosystems of Peru as part of its heritage. In 1999, the National System of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Sistema Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado, SINANPE) was established by the Peruvian government.[4] SINANPE consists of natural areas under national administration, managed and overseen by theNational Service of Natural Protected Areas by the State (SERNANP).[5] They also created a map of protection and preservation of historical–cultural heritage and nature.
Peru has 76 natural protected areas (more of 15% of the country surface area) that are preserved by the national government: 15 national parks, 9 national sanctuaries, 4 historical sanctuaries, 17 national reserves, 3 wildlife refuges, 2 landscape reserves, 10 communal reserves, 6 protected forests, 2 hunting enclosed lands and 8 reserved zones. A map was also created containing the natural protected areas.[6]
National parks are areas designated for the protection and preservation of wildlife and scenic beauty. In these areas, the exploitation of natural resources and human settlements are prohibited. The oldest national park inPeru isCutervo, created in 1961 in the department ofCajamarca, known for its numerous caves such asSan Andrés, home to theoilbird, a nocturnal bird in danger of extinction.
Other notable national parks include:
National reserves are areas designated for the protection and propagation of wildlife. Some of the most important include:
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In addition to national parks and reserves,Peru has various protection units, including:
These various units of protection, conservation, and research reflect Peru's extraordinary biological richness and cultural heritage, making the country one of the world's privileged natural regions.
Peru has over 1,800species of birds (120 endemic to Peru), and 500 species ofmammals and over 300 species ofreptiles.[7] Peru has hundreds of mammals including some rare species like thepuma,jaguar andspectacled bear, that live in the canopy so jungle lodges usually construct towers to observe life above. The Pacific holds a bounty ofsea bass,flounder,anchovies,tuna,crustacean (crab orlobster),shellfish andseals. ThePacific also has a lot ofsharks,sperm whales, andwhales. Thebirds ofPeru have an economic importance, because of the concentrations of guano deposits that are exported to different countries.Alpaca is also a native of Peru which is now domesticated for itsfiber.
As of March 2009 scientists have discovered two new species of beetles,Eriopis canrash andCycloneda andresii.[8]
Peru has over 500 species of mammals, of which about 70 are endemic and about 109 are threatened orendangered. These include spectacular species like thejaguar andspectacled bear and rare endemic species like theyellow-tailed woolly monkey.
In January 2007, scientists discovered a new species of cloud-forest rodent of thespiny rat family (Isothrix barbarabrownae) inManu.[9]
In March 2009, scientists discovered a new species of mouse (Akodon sp.nov)[8]
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Peru's national bird is theAndean cock-of-the-rock.
Peru has over 1,800 species ofbirds, the second-highest number of any country in the world. New species of birds are still being discovered and cataloged by scientists. 42 species from Peru have been officially added to science in the last 30 years. In January 2010, scientists found a new population of fivelong-whiskered owlets which are very rare in the wild.[10]
On February 22, 1990, Grace P. Servat found a new distinctive species of the tyrant flycatcher called therufous twistwing. Which remained undescribed and unidentified until re-discovered by Daniel F. Lane in November 2002. Then on September 15, 2003, Frank P. Lambert obtained the first-natural history of the bird.[11]
TheManu Biosphere Reserve is believed to have the highest concentration of bird species in the world, with 1,000—one out of every nine on theEarth.[12]
Peru has around 300 species of reptiles of which around 100 are endemic. Peru's reptile fauna includes spectacular species like giantanacondas andcaimans, as well as many othersnakes,lizards andturtles.
There are about 380 species of frogs in Peru (based on this search at theAmphibian Species of the World website). It is easy to see a few species on night hikes in the lowland rain forest areas in Tambopata, Manu or Iquitos. Ten new frog species have been discovered over the past two years in thecloud forests of the Peruvian Andes.
Some species of frog found in Peru are:
In March 2009, scientists discovered a pygmy frog.[13] The pygmy frog is unlike many other species of frog because its eggs don't become tadpoles like those of most frogs. Also, they only lay two eggs.
Peru also has an equally diverse amount of plants. The coast of Peru is usually barren apart from some cacti that grow there. Hilly areas known aslomas such asLachay, include many endemic species.[14] The river valleys also contain unique plant life. The Highlands above the tree-line is known as puna, where bushes,cactus and drought-resistant plants, such as ichugrass extend up to the zone of snow-capped mountains. The most spectacular plant in Peru is the gigantic Puya raimondii seen near Huaraz. On the lower slopes of the Andes are steep-sided cloud-forests with among it can sustainmoss,orchids, andbromeliads. The very wetAmazon rainforest contains useful lumber, and resins plus strange canopy plants andpalm trees.[1]
As of March 2009 scientists have discovered a new kind of plant Senecio sanmarcosensis which is part of the high-Andean wetlands vegetation. It is only found at 14,764 feet (4,500 m) above sea level.[8]
Peru has some good locations to watch all of this wildlife:
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