THEY ARE THE WEIRDEST ANIMALS but they are Amazing

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5 Weirdest Animals in the Amazon Rainforest

A rainforest is a tough place for animals to survive — after all, it’s home to giant predators, venomous insects and frogs, dangerous waters, and poisonous plants. In order to live in such a place, animals have evolved in all kinds of strange ways. Here, we’ll explore the five weirdest animals in the Amazon rainforest, and look at why their unique adaptions work perfectly for them! All five, of course, live in the rainforests around our Tambopata lodges in Peru.

1. Candiru Fish

The frightening legend of the Candiru fish has traveled far and wide, appearing in tabloids and newspapers from time to time all over the world. Rumors had swirled around for years about the small Amazon fish attacking local people’s genitalia, drawn by the smell of urine.

Candiru Fish Peruvian Amazon

Then in the only documented modern case in 1997, a Brazilian man and a local doctor claimed that a Candiru fish had jumped out of the water and swum up his urethra! Later, researchers largely disproved these claims, noting that Candirus are unable to jump out of water or swim up to such a small opening, along with many other inconsistencies. So is there any truth to these wild stories? The Candiru isn’t actually drawn to urine, so Amazon, ahem, urinators don’t need to be worried. Scientists are still getting to the bottom of this strange jungle fish.

Learn more about the Candiru Fish on our animal page here!

2. Potoo Bird

On moonlight nights, you may hear the cry of “po-TOO, po-TOO” coming from deep in the jungle. These haunting sounds (listen to them here) come, of course, from the Potoo bird. There are several species of Potoo birds in the Amazon Rainforest. If you go looking for one, however, they’re incredibly hard to find without an experienced guide — their feathers match tree bark almost perfectly!

potoo bird in the Amazon

 

The birds are nocturnal, waking at dusk to hunt moths and other insects. They have huge eyes — perfect for spotting flying bugs — and giant, gaping mouths to catch them. This, along with their weird calls, makes the Potoo bird a truly otherworldly, strange bird.

Learn more about the potoo bird on our animal page!

3. Tarantula

You knew this one was coming, didn’t you? But while Tarantulas look undoubtedly creepy due to their huge size and furry legs, their appearance isn’t the weirdest thing about them! In fact, I include the family of large spiders here for their odd behavior.

Tarantula by Paul Bertner

The Peruvian Chicken Spider, a type of Tarantula, is a common sighting in the Tambopata jungle. Photo by Jeff Cremer.

Tarantulas have decidedly interesting habits, especially when it comes to mating. Male Tarantulas spin a flat silk web on the ground, then rub against it to release semen. Then, he absorbs the liquid into his pedipalps, short leg-like limbs, to store it. Later, he finds a receptive female and inserts it into an opening into her abdomen. As soon as he’s done, the Tarantula flees so that the aggressive female doesn’t attack or try to eat him! Quite a spider romance.

Learn more about the Tarantula on our animal page here!

4. Hoatzin

If you catch a glimpse of a Hoatzin perched near an oxbow lake in the Amazon, you might wonder what you just saw. Was that a wild turkey? A dinosaur? A Precolumbian god? What the heck was that, and why did it smell that way? The stinky, beautiful Hoatzin is without a doubt one of the rainforest’s most interesting creatures.

Hoatzin by Jeff Cremer

A Hoatzin near the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake, just upriver from the Posada Amazonas lodge.

The colorful Hoatzin eats leaves, which make it smell a bit like an Iowa farm — like lovely hay, or stinky manure, depending on your nose. They’re awkward, ungainly birds, clomping around lakeside trees — from their movement to their diet, they don’t have much in common with other bird species. In fact, the Hoatzin does look a bit like a dinosaur, and many scientists see it as clear proof of the evolutionary connection between reptiles and birds.

Learn more about the Hoatzin on our animal page here!

5. Piranha

Even folks with little knowledge of Amazon wildlife know (or think they know) all about the Piranha — the villain of the rainforest, right? But the scientists who study the fish work hard to separate fact from fiction. The reality of the fish is even more fascinating than its Hollywood “bad boy” image.

 

Piranha tambopata tours amazon jungle lodge

During our Oxbow Lake Visit, guests get the chance to fish for Piranhas. Piranha photo by Merin McDivitt.

Piranhas are pretty small, but their infamous teeth are indeed impressive. They actually resemble the tooth enamel of sharks’ teeth, and the largest types can bite with 72 pounds of force! As for their diet, the toothy fish mainly chomp down on other fish, seeds and bugs, and sometimes other Piranhas. Occasionally, they might nibble on a mammal, but this usually happens when the larger creature is already dead or dying.

Learn more about the Piranha on our animal page here!

So there you have it, and hopefully, you know a bit more about the jungle’s weirdest creatures.

By Merin McDivitt

  • What our guest say

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This trip was the highlight of our travels through peru. The lodge was absolutely 5 stars for everything. The room, food, people. We had a private guide, Allen, who grew up locally and really had deep knowledge of the land, the history, and the variety of plant and animal species in the jungle. His knowledge and passion were invaluable to our experience. There are a variety of tour companies and lodges you can book to visit the Amazon, however, I would only recommend Rainforest Expeditions as they are truly connected to the community and offer high quality first class amazon experience! Read all

We had a truly wonderful stay with Rainforest Expeditions. Everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming, and our guide was fantastic — very knowledgeable and passionate about the rainforest. We saw many animals, even from the boat, which made the experience unforgettable. Read all

I just spent 3 days here with my family. The research center surpassed all our expectations. I want to give a special shout out to Carlos who took such good care of us. He went above and beyond to make sure we werr comfortable. And he was always smiling. He made us feel so welcome. We had Erik as our guide who is so knowledgeable and experienced. We learned so much, saw so much wildlife. It really was a dream vacation. Thank you!! Read all

Chose this place to stay at the Amazon, as I heard it benefits the local indigenous community. Life changing experience. Oscar was an excellent guide! We saw so many wildlife! No 4th wall made it such an immersive jungle experience. Since they are eco friendly, there is no AC. It can get pretty hot depending on the season. So better to follow their guidance for clothing choices Read all

If you want to experience the Amazon in all its glory This is the place to come to Staff and guides were excellent Food was just incredible The forest walks were really interesting and informative Read all

If you are a birder, ask for Juan Carlos Yatto. He recognizes an astounding number of bird calls and can duplicate many of them. This place is magical, all I could have imagined. All the staff and scientists are incredible. The experience of a lifetime. Read all

This was the most amazing experience Very well organised The ground staff were so well organised The guides were excellent ( I’m looking at you Carlos!) Food was tasty and very varied Amazed that the chefs managed to get such variety in the middle of the Amazon Do not hesitate Book immediately you will not be disappointed. Highly recommended Read all

I can not say enough good things about my time at the Tambopata Research Center. Between the guides, the boat drivers, the chefs, the staff, the bartenders, the researchers, etc. Everyone was absolutely wonderful! If you are interested in viewing wildlife in the Amazon, this is the place for you! A special thank you to the maître d' Carlos who was so incredibly kind and hospitable and our guide Dino who was like a real life Indiana Jones. I can't wait to come back! Read all

An unforgettable, fully immersive jungle experience. Amazing how Tambopata Lodge delivers luxury touches in such a remote and rugged location. The food is fantastic, the staff incredible, and the wildlife sightings non-stop. The personalised itinerary and one-on-one guiding made the trip truly special—huge thanks to our guide Johan for sharing his passion and knowledge. The Macaw Project is inspiring, and it’s clear the lodge fully supports this important conservation work. Manager Brian was always kind, helpful. Well-done all involved. Read all

The most important fact we are grateful for is the true sense of understanding of the ecology of the Amazon the staff at Rainforest Expeditions (RFE) have shown us. RFE stands out for its stand against the pure, profit-motive initiatives many other tour operators do. We are very grateful to have had Carlos as our guide. Carlos is deeply dedicated, and is able to explain the nuances of the flora and fauna. The world today needs to act as one against the impact of climate change. RFE is one, bright shining light in this regard. Read all

We had a fabulous trip! The people were amazing, kind and very professional. The food was exceptionally good! The facilities are beautiful and well kept. We just loved our second time with Rainforest Expeditions and can't wait to go again!! Read all

Fantastic to be deep in the forest surrounded by incredible wildlife with our amazing guide Juan Carlos Yatto, who really knew his stuff! Also his photography skills meant that we could share our experience even better through his telescope using our phone cameras! We learned so much!! He went to extra lengths to find butterflies and moths for us along with so many different birds and monkeys. This was a travel highlight for us as experienced wildlife travellers. We loved our spacious room with no windows and open to more wildlife visitors but after 5 nights the bed could have been a little more comfortable. Luckily we had a second bed to use. Otherwise it was fantastic with hot water showers and fresh drinking water all the time. We were amazed at the variety of food on offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner and couldn’t believe they could have such a wonderful food offering in such a remote location. Even the wine and cocktails were great. I highly recommend spending the extra money and time getting to this location. We stayed at another lodge later which was closer to Puerto Maldonado and there was far less wildlife. Read all

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