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Colombia has one of the highest and some say the highest number of species of plants and animals per unit area of any country in the world. It is also assumed that there are many undiscovered species in areas that are not easily accessible or safe.
Colombia also has one of the largest amount of endemisms (species that are not found naturally anywhere else) worldwide. About 10% of the species in the world live in Colombia.
Mammals in Colombia include white-lipped and collared peccaries; Brazilian tapirs; white-tailed deer, brockets and other deer; anteaters; three-toed and two-toed sloths; nine-banded, naked-tailed, giant and other armadillos; shrews; squirrels; pocket gophers and pocket mice; many mice and rats; tree porcupines; pacas and agoutis; capybaras; spiny rats; opossums (including woolly, black-shouldered and various short-tailed and mouse opossums); shrew opossums; many species of bats (including sac-winged, fishing, moustached, leaf-nosed, vampire, funnel-eared, smoky, disc-winged, free-tailed and brown bats); coatis; numerous species of monkey (including red howler, night, squirrel, capuchin, woolly and spider monkeys and various marmosets and tamarins); cats (including jaguars, ocelots and pumas); weasels (including grisonstayras, skunks and otters); various dogs (including the bush dog, and crab-eating fox), olingos; coatis; raccoons; kinkajous and the rare spectacled bear.
Reptiles include tortoises; bushmasters, boa constrictors, anacondas and other snakes, as well as iguanas and other lizards.
Aquatic and amphibious animals include piranhas, electric eels, pink dolphins, giant and southern river otters, Amazon manatees, black and spectacled caimans, alligator, yellow-spotted river turtles and catfish.
There are more species of birds in Colombia than the whole of Europe and North America combined.
Original versions of our photos can be purchased & web versions can be shared subject to conditions.