Animals and plants in Bolivia
The biodiversity is great in Bolivia. Different plants and animals live on the different altitudes of the Andes, which have adapted to their respective surroundings. In the tropical rainforest, on the other hand, animals and plants have to be able to live well with heat and moisture. In the south, however, it is quite dry.
Many endemic species live especially in the Yungas, the valleys northeast of La Paz. These are species that are only found here and nowhere else in the world.
Animals: Who lives there in Bolivia?
There are 2900 animal species in Bolivia. The 422 species of mammals also include many predators. Jaguar, jaguarundi, ocelot, puma, coati, tiger cat, crab raccoon and long-tailed cat feel at home in the trees of the forests. The Andean Jackal already has its habitat in its name. The spectacled bear also feels at home there.
The mountain cat is one of the rarest types of cat and only occurs in a small area in Bolivia. The tayra belongs to the martens. The life of the Makibear has not yet been well researched. The squirrel monkey also likes it in the forest. In the very south, where it is very dry, lives the Chaco peccary, a type of umbilical pig. Other inhabitants of Bolivia are capybaras, which are also called capybaras. They are rodents, just like the viscachas.
New World Camels
And which animal would you consider typical of Bolivia? Exactly, the lama! Llamas are kept as pets. They are used as pack animals, but their wool is also processed or slaughtered. Guanaco and vicuna, the two untamed species of New World camels, were threatened with extinction because they were so much hunted. In the meantime, however, their stocks have recovered.
Who flies through Bolivia
1400 species of birds have been sighted in Bolivia. To get more information on Bolivia and South America, check prozipcodes. One of the largest among them is the Andean condor. Andean goose, Andean woodpecker and Andean tern also live in the high mountains of the Andes. The Andean flamingo likes the waters of the muddy salt lakes such as Lake Poopó.
In the forests of the lowlands, however, the great harpy is at home. It is one of the largest birds of prey in the world. The Titicaca diver lives on Lake Titicaca and other lakes in the highlands. By the way, he can’t fly! The hornhokko, which only occurs in Bolivia, is striking with its horn. The parrots are particularly colorful.
More animals
There are also 378 species of amphibians, 344 of reptiles, and 642 of fish. These all live in rivers or lakes, since Bolivia has no access to the sea. There is also the home of the Bolivian dolphin, which is endemic here. The titicaca giant frog is endemic to Lake Titicaca. It will be more than eight inches!
There are also 3,000 species of butterflies! Among them is the large blue Morpho menelaus. It measures 15 centimeters with outstretched wings.
Plants: What is growing there in Bolivia?
So far, 17,000 plant species have been counted in Bolivia. This includes 1200 ferns, 1500 mosses and 800 mushrooms. 3000 plants are used as medicinal plants. Bolivia has designated two flowers as its national flowers: Kantuta and the heliconia rostrata.
What grows in the Andes depends primarily on the altitude. The puya plants are typical for altitudes above 1500 meters. From their rosettes a high inflorescence grows in the middle – after many years. In Bolivia, for example, you can find Puya raimondii or Puya claudiae.
The biodiversity is particularly great in the rainforest. Trees such as the red cinchona tree, cedars, mahogany trees and cat’s claws grow here. Orchids are common. Passion flowers are beautiful flowers. Bromeliads, tree ferns and orchids are also typical vegetation of the Yungas, the northeastern Andean mountains. Chusquea, several types of bamboo, also grow here.
Cacti, such as the endemic Echinopsis boyuibensis, also grow in the arid south. The foil silk tree, which creates a thick reservoir of water, is also adapted to drought. Its trunk has pointed spines. Like the trumpet tree Handroanthus impetiginosus, it produces pretty flowers.
