Land fauna
Land animals of South America
South America's Amazon, Andes, and grasslands are exceptionally rich, home to jaguars, sloths, toucans, hummingbirds, and a remarkable variety of amphibians.
71 featured animals · representative selection, not a complete range map
Major habitats
Representative mammals
Rivers, lakes and wetlands (e.g. the Amazon and Pantanal) in parts of South America.
FreshwaterWetlandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Ranges from parts of the southern United States through Central and South America.
ForestWetlandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
A domesticated Andean camelid, descended from the wild guanaco; not a wild species.
MountainGrasslandVerified rangeDomestic / livestockSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Grasslands and savannas (e.g. the Cerrado) in parts of central South America.
GrasslandSavannaVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The Amazon and Orinoco river systems in parts of South America.
FreshwaterWetlandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tropical forests of Central and South America.
ForestVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Andean cloud forests, paramo and other habitats along parts of the Andes in South America.
ForestMountainGrasslandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
High Andean grasslands (puna) in parts of South America; a famous conservation recovery.
MountainGrasslandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tropical forests of parts of Central and South America.
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The Americas; the nine-banded armadillo ranges into the southern United States.
GrasslandForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Bats occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestUrban-adaptedCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Wetlands, grasslands and riverbanks across much of South America; the largest rodent.
WetlandGrasslandFreshwaterBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Forests and woodlands across parts of Central and South America.
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Deer occur natively across many continents.
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Grasslands, savannas, wetlands and forests in parts of Central and South America.
GrasslandSavannaWetlandForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Andes, Patagonian steppe and shrublands in parts of South America.
MountainGrasslandDesertBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Forests of parts of Central and South America; among the loudest land animals.
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tropical forest canopy in parts of Central and South America.
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Forests and scrub across parts of Central and South America.
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Otter species occur on most continents.
FreshwaterWetlandCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Forests, grasslands and drylands across parts of Central and South America.
ForestGrasslandDesertBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Old World and New World porcupines occur across several continents.
ForestGrasslandDesertBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Seals occur on coasts and in cold seas worldwide, including around Antarctica.
CoastalPolarBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tropical forests of parts of Central and South America.
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tapir species occur in Central and South America and in South-east Asia.
ForestWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Representative birds
Riverside and swamp forests of the Amazon and Orinoco basins in parts of South America.
WetlandForestVerified rangeSource: Britannica, Animal Diversity Web, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Found only in the Americas.
ForestMountainVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Southern Hemisphere; several species are associated with Antarctic coasts and the Southern Ocean.
CoastalPolarIslandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tropical forests of Central and South America.
ForestVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, National Audubon Society, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The Andes and adjacent coasts in parts of South America.
MountainCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The peregrine falcon is among the most widely distributed birds.
GrasslandMountainUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Flamingo species occur in Africa, the Americas, and parts of Eurasia.
WetlandCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, National Audubon Society, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Lowland tropical rainforest in parts of Central and South America.
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Hawks are widespread; the red-tailed hawk ranges across North America.
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Lowland forests and savannas in parts of Central and South America.
ForestSavannaBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Forests and woodlands of parts of Central and South America; status varies by species.
ForestWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Owls occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestGrasslandUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Animal Diversity Web
Pelicans occur on coasts and inland waters across continents.
CoastalWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The rock dove is found worldwide, especially around cities.
Urban-adaptedCoastalBroad / widespreadIntroduced in placesSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Open grasslands, pampas and scrub in parts of South America; status varies by species.
GrasslandSavannaBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Coastal wetlands, mudflats and mangroves in parts of northern South America (and the Caribbean).
WetlandCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The house sparrow has spread across much of the world alongside people.
Urban-adaptedGrasslandBroad / widespreadIntroduced in placesSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Old World and New World vultures occur across several continents.
SavannaMountainBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Woodpeckers occur on most continents (absent from Australia and Antarctica).
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Representative reptiles & amphibians
The green anaconda lives in tropical South America.
WetlandFreshwaterVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Wetlands of Central and South America.
WetlandFreshwaterVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Endemic to the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador); a species complex with status varying by island.
IslandGrasslandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Endemic to the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador); the only sea-foraging lizard.
CoastalIslandVerified rangeSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Forests and drier habitats across parts of Central and South America.
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Frogs occur on every continent except Antarctica.
WetlandFreshwaterForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Geckos are a large, widespread group across warm regions of the world.
ForestDesertUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Humid forests near streams in parts of Central and South America (family Centrolenidae).
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: AmphibiaWeb, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Green iguanas range across Central and South America.
ForestCoastalBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Tropical forests of parts of Central and South America (family Dendrobatidae).
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: AmphibiaWeb, Animal Diversity Web, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Snakes occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestGrasslandDesertWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
True toads are widespread across continents.
GrasslandForestUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Encyclopaedia Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Freshwater and terrestrial turtles occur widely across continents.
FreshwaterWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Featured freshwater fish
A representative selection of fish recorded for South America, grouped by where they live rather than as a single scientific class. Coverage is representative, not complete; each card links to a profile with source-backed range notes.
The Amazon basin and nearby river systems in parts of South America.
FreshwaterWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Slow fresh waters of the Amazon and Orinoco basins in parts of South America.
FreshwaterWetlandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Rivers and lakes of parts of South America (several species).
FreshwaterBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Notable invertebrates
Parts of northern South America (and nearby); one of the largest centipedes.
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Ants occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestGrasslandUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadBees occur on every continent except Antarctica.
GrasslandForestUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Rainforests of parts of Central and South America; a group of Morpho species.
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Butterflies occur on every continent except Antarctica.
GrasslandForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Dragonflies are found near fresh water across every continent except Antarctica.
WetlandFreshwaterBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Rainforest of parts of northern South America; the largest spider by body mass.
ForestBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Lady beetles are widespread across the world's land continents.
GrasslandUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Forests and open habitats of parts of Central and South America (genera Atta and Acromyrmex).
ForestGrasslandBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Britannica, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Mantises occur in warmer regions across many continents.
GrasslandForestBroad / widespreadSpiders occur on every continent except Antarctica.
ForestGrasslandUrban-adaptedBroad / widespreadSource: Animal Diversity Web, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source & range methodology
- Distribution notes are cautious educational summaries drawn from the authoritative source linked on each animal — not complete range maps.
- A confidence label is shown on every record; introduced and domestic contexts are flagged, and we avoid unsupported “native to” claims.
- Captive or zoo presence is never treated as wild range, and continent membership is not a political claim about borders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this every animal in South America?
Are these animals all native to South America?
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