The Amazon is home to more species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet -- perhaps 30 percent of the world's species are found there.
- More than 430 species of mammal are found in the Amazon, the majority of which are bats and rodents.
- The Amazon is home to the world's largest rodent, the capybara which can weigh 200 pounds (91 kg).
- Two species of freshwater dolphin live in the Amazon river.
- Edentates -- including sloths, anteaters, and armadillos -- are common residents of the Amazon rainforest and only exist in the New World.
- In 2013, scientists announced the discovery of a previously undescribed species of tapir.
List of selected mammals from the greater Amazon region
Note: this list is not comprehensive. Some species may live outside the Amazon rainforest biome.| Common name | Latin name | Family | IUCN status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black-headed night monkey | Aotus nigriceps | Aotidae | LC |
| Spix's night monkey | Aotus vociferans | Aotidae | LC |
| Mantled howler | Alouatta palliata | Atelidae | LC |
| Venezuelan red howler | Alouatta seniculus | Atelidae | LC |
| White-fronted spider monkey | Ateles belzebuth | Atelidae | VU |
| Brown woolly monkey | Lagothrix lagothricha | Atelidae | LR/lc |
| Pale-throated three-toed sloth | Bradypus tridactylus | Bradypodidae (three-toed sloths) | LC |
| Brown-throated three-toed sloth | Bradypus variegatus | Bradypodidae (three-toed sloths) | LC |
| Short-eared dog | Atelocynus microtis | Canidae (dogs, foxes) | DD |
| Crab-eating fox | Cerdocyon thous | Canidae (dogs, foxes) | LC |
| Culpeo | Lycalopex culpaeus | Canidae (dogs, foxes) | LC |
| Bush dog | Speothos venaticus | Canidae (dogs, foxes) | VU |
| Brazilian guinea pig | Cavia aperea | Caviidae (guinea pigs) | LR/lc |
| Guinea pig | Cavia porcellus | Caviidae (guinea pigs) | LR/lc |
| Capybara | Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris | Caviidae (guinea pigs) | LR/lc |
| Goeldi's marmoset | Callimico goeldii | Cebidae | NT |
| Pygmy marmoset | Cebuella pygmaea | Cebidae | LC |
| White-fronted capuchin | Cebus albifrons | Cebidae | LC |
| Large-headed capuchin | Cebus macrocephalus | Cebidae | LC |
| Brown-mantled tamarin | Saguinus fuscicollis | Cebidae | LC |
| Common squirrel monkey | Saimiri sciureus | Cebidae | LC |
| Taruca | Hippocamelus antisensis | Cervidae (deer) | DD |
| Red brocket | Mazama americana | Cervidae (deer) | DD |
| Gray brocket | Mazama gouazoupira | Cervidae (deer) | DD |
| White-tailed deer | Odocoileus virginianus | Cervidae (deer) | LR/lc |
| Pudú|Northern pudú | Pudu mephistophiles | Cervidae (deer) | LR/nt |
| Amazonian marsh rat | Holochilus sciureus | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Highland small rice rat | Microryzomys altissimus | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Forest small rice rat | Microryzomys minutus | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Common neacomys | Neacomys spinosus | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Narrow-footed bristly mouse | Neacomys tenuipes | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Bicolored arboreal rice rat | Oecomys bicolor | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Robert's arboreal rice rat | Oecomys roberti | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Trinidad arboreal rice rat | Oecomys trinitatis | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Destructive pygmy rice rat | Oligoryzomys destructor | Cricetidae | DD |
| Fulvous pygmy rice rat | Oligoryzomys fulvescens | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Azara's broad-headed rice rat | Oryzomys megacephalus | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Yungas rice rat | Oryzomys yunganus | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Coues's climbing mouse | Rhipidomys couesi | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| White-footed climbing mouse | Rhipidomys leucodactylus | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Atlantic Forest climbing mouse | Rhipidomys mastacalis | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Alston's cotton rat | Sigmodon alstoni | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Golden oldfield mouse | Thomasomys aureus | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Short-tailed cane rat | Zygodontomys brevicauda | Cricetidae | LR/lc |
| Lowland paca | Cuniculus paca | Cuniculidae (paca) | LC |
| Mountain paca | Cuniculus taczanowskii | Cuniculidae (paca) | LR/nt |
| Silky anteater | Cyclopes didactylus | Cyclopedidae | LC |
| Southern naked-tailed armadillo | Cabassous unicinctus | Dasypodidae (armadillos) | LC |
| Greater long-nosed armadillo | Dasypus kappleri | Dasypodidae (armadillos) | LC |
| Nine-banded armadillo | Dasypus novemcinctus | Dasypodidae (armadillos) | LC |
| Giant armadillo | Priodontes maximus | Dasypodidae (armadillos) | VU |
| Black agouti | Dasyprocta fuliginosa | Dasyproctidae (agoutis and pacas) | LR/lc |
| Central American agouti | Dasyprocta punctata | Dasyproctidae (agoutis and pacas) | LR/lc |
| Red acouchi | Myoprocta acouchy | Dasyproctidae (agoutis and pacas) | LR/lc |
| Tucuxi | Sotalia fluviatilis | Delphinidae (marine dolphins) | DD |
| Brown-eared woolly opossum | Caluromys lanatus | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/nt |
| Water opossum | Chironectes minimus | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/nt |
| White-eared opossum | Didelphis albiventris | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Common opossum | Didelphis marsupialis | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Bushy-tailed opossum | Glironia venusta | Didelphidae (American opossums) | VU |
| Lutrine opossum | Lutreolina crassicaudata | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Woolly mouse opossum | Marmosa demerarae | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Rufous mouse opossum | Marmosa lepida | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/nt |
| Linnaeus's mouse opossum | Marmosa murina | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Bare-tailed woolly mouse opossum | Marmosa regina | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Robinson's mouse opossum | Marmosa robinsoni | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Tschudi's slender opossum | Marmosops impavidus | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/nt |
| White-bellied slender opossum | Marmosops noctivagus | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Delicate slender opossum | Marmosops parvidens | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/nt |
| Brown four-eyed opossum | Metachirus nudicaudatus | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Sepia short-tailed opossum | Monodelphis adusta | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Anderson's four-eyed opossum | Philander andersoni | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Gray four-eyed opossum | Philander opossum | Didelphidae (American opossums) | LR/lc |
| Pacarana | Dinomys branickii | Dinomyidae (pacarana) | EN |
| Amazon bamboo rat | Dactylomys dactylinus | Echimyidae | LR/lc |
| Ferreira's spiny tree rat | Mesomys hispidus | Echimyidae | LR/lc |
| Short-tailed spiny rat | Proechimys brevicauda | Echimyidae | LR/lc |
| Cuvier's spiny rat | Proechimys cuvieri | Echimyidae | LR/lc |
| Napo spiny rat | Proechimys quadruplicatus | Echimyidae | LR/lc |
| Simon's spiny rat | Proechimys simonsi | Echimyidae | LR/lc |
| Bicolor-spined porcupine | Coendou bicolor | Erethizontidae (New World porcupines) | LR/lc |
| Colocolo | Leopardus colocolo | Felidae (cats) | NT |
| Ocelot | Leopardus pardalis | Felidae (cats) | LC |
| Oncilla | Leopardus tigrinus | Felidae (cats) | NT |
| Margay | Leopardus wiedii | Felidae (cats) | LC |
| Jaguar | Panthera onca | Felidae (cats) | NT |
| Cougar | Puma concolor | Felidae (cats) | NT |
| Jaguarundi | Puma yagouaroundi | Felidae (cats) | LC |
| Amazon river dolphin, Boto | Inia geoffrensis | Iniidae | VU |
| Linnaeus's two-toed sloth | Choloepus didactylus | Megalonychidae (two-toed sloths) | LC |
| Hoffmann's two-toed sloth | Choloepus hoffmanni | Megalonychidae (two-toed sloths) | LC |
| Striped hog-nosed skunk | Conepatus semistriatus | Mephitidae | LR/lc |
| Tayra | Eira barbara | Mustelidae (mustelids) | LR/lc |
| Greater grison | Galictis vittata | Mustelidae (mustelids) | LR/lc |
| Neotropical river otter | Lontra longicaudis | Mustelidae (mustelids) | DD |
| Amazon weasel | Mustela africana | Mustelidae (mustelids) | DD |
| Long-tailed weasel | Mustela frenata | Mustelidae (mustelids) | LR/lc |
| Giant otter | Pteronura brasiliensis | Mustelidae (mustelids) | EN |
| Giant anteater | Myrmecophaga tridactyla | Myrmecophagidae (American anteaters) | NT |
| Northern tamandua | Tamandua mexicana | Myrmecophagidae (American anteaters) | LC |
| Southern tamandua | Tamandua tetradactyla | Myrmecophagidae (American anteaters) | LC |
| Tailed tailless bat | Anoura caudifer | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Handley's tailless bat | Anoura cultrata | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Geoffroy's tailless bat | Anoura geoffroyi | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Andersen's fruit-eating bat | Artibeus anderseni | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Silver fruit-eating bat | Artibeus glaucus | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Jamaican fruit bat | Artibeus jamaicensis | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Great fruit-eating bat | Artibeus lituratus | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Dark fruit-eating bat | Artibeus obscurus | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Pygmy fruit-eating bat | Artibeus phaeotis | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Chestnut short-tailed bat | Carollia castanea | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Seba's short-tailed bat | Carollia perspicillata | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Salvin's big-eyed bat | Chiroderma salvini | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Little big-eyed bat | Chiroderma trinitatum | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Hairy big-eyed bat | Chiroderma villosum | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Godman's long-tailed bat | Choeroniscus godmani | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Minor long-nosed long-tongued bat | Choeroniscus minor | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Common vampire bat | Desmodus rotundus | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| White-winged vampire bat | Diaemus youngi | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Hairy-legged vampire bat | Diphylla ecaudata | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Velvety fruit-eating bat | Enchisthenes hartii | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Commissaris's long-tongued bat | Glossophaga commissarisi | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Miller's long-tongued bat | Glossophaga longirostris | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Pallas's long-tongued bat | Glossophaga soricina | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Davies's big-eared bat | Glyphonycteris daviesi | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Tricolored big-eared bat | Glyphonycteris sylvestris | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Yellow-throated big-eared bat | Lampronycteris brachyotis | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Dark long-tongued bat | Lichonycteris obscura | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Chestnut long-tongued bat | Lionycteris spurrelli | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Handley's nectar bat | Lonchophylla handleyi | Phyllostomidae | VU |
| Orange nectar bat | Lonchophylla robusta | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Thomas's nectar bat | Lonchophylla thomasi | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Tomes's sword-nosed bat | Lonchorhina aurita | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Pygmy round-eared bat | Lophostoma brasiliense | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Carriker's round-eared bat | Lophostoma carrikeri | Phyllostomidae | VU |
| White-throated round-eared bat | Lophostoma silvicolum | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Long-legged bat | Macrophyllum macrophyllum | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| MacConnell's bat | Mesophylla macconnelli | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Hairy big-eared bat | Micronycteris hirsuta | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Little big-eared bat | Micronycteris megalotis | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| White-bellied big-eared bat | Micronycteris minuta | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Striped hairy-nosed bat | Mimon crenulatum | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Pale-faced bat | Phylloderma stenops | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Pale spear-nosed bat | Phyllostomus discolor | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Lesser spear-nosed bat | Phyllostomus elongatus | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Greater spear-nosed bat | Phyllostomus hastatus | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Short-headed broad-nosed bat | Platyrrhinus brachycephalus | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Thomas's broad-nosed bat | Platyrrhinus dorsalis | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Heller's broad-nosed bat | Platyrrhinus helleri | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Buffy broad-nosed bat | Platyrrhinus infuscus | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| White-lined broad-nosed bat | Platyrrhinus lineatus | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Greater broad-nosed bat | Platyrrhinus vittatus | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Fischer's little fruit bat | Rhinophylla fischerae | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Dwarf little fruit bat | Rhinophylla pumilio | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Visored bat | Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Aratathomas's yellow-shouldered bat | Sturnira aratathomasi | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Bidentate yellow-shouldered bat | Sturnira bidens | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Bogota yellow-shouldered bat | Sturnira bogotensis | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Hairy yellow-shouldered bat | Sturnira erythromos | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Little yellow-shouldered bat | Sturnira lilium | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Highland yellow-shouldered bat | Sturnira ludovici | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Louis's yellow-shouldered bat | Sturnira luisi | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Greater yellow-shouldered bat | Sturnira magna | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Tilda's yellow-shouldered bat | Sturnira tildae | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Stripe-headed round-eared bat | Tonatia saurophila | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Fringe-lipped bat | Trachops cirrhosus | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Niceforo's big-eared bat | Trinycteris nicefori | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Tent-making bat | Uroderma bilobatum | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Brown tent-making bat | Uroderma magnirostrum | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Bidentate yellow-eared bat | Vampyressa bidens | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Brock's yellow-eared bat | Vampyressa brocki | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| Southern little yellow-eared bat | Vampyressa pusilla | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Great stripe-faced bat | Vampyrodes caraccioli | Phyllostomidae | LR/lc |
| Spectral bat | Vampyrum spectrum | Phyllostomidae | LR/nt |
| White-tailed titi | Callicebus discolor | Pitheciidae | LC |
| Lucifer titi | Callicebus lucifer | Pitheciidae | LC |
| Monk saki | Pithecia monachus | Pitheciidae | LC |
| Eastern lowland olingo | Bassaricyon alleni | Procyonidae (raccoons) | LR/lc |
| South American coati | Nasua nasua | Procyonidae (raccoons) | LR/lc |
| Kinkajou | Potos flavus | Procyonidae (raccoons) | LR/lc |
| Crab-eating raccoon | Procyon cancrivorus | Procyonidae (raccoons) | LR/lc |
| Amazon dwarf squirrel | Microsciurus flaviventer | Sciuridae (squirrels) | LR/lc |
| Northern Amazon red squirrel | Sciurus igniventris | Sciuridae (squirrels) | LR/lc |
| Southern Amazon red squirrel | Sciurus spadiceus | Sciuridae (squirrels) | LR/lc |
| Thomas' small-eared shrew | Cryptotis thomasi | Soricidae (shrews) | LR/lc |
| Spectacled bear | Tremarctos ornatus | Ursidae (bears) | VU |
| Little black serotine | Eptesicus andinus | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Brazilian brown bat | Eptesicus brasiliensis | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Argentine brown bat | Eptesicus furinalis | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Big brown bat | Eptesicus fuscus | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Small big-eared brown bat | Histiotus montanus | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Desert red bat | Lasiurus blossevillii | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Hoary bat | Lasiurus cinereus | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Southern yellow bat | Lasiurus ega | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Silver-tipped myotis | Myotis albescens | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Hairy-legged myotis | Myotis keaysi | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Black myotis | Myotis nigricans | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Montane myotis | Myotis oxyotus | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Riparian myotis | Myotis riparius | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
| Velvety myotis | Myotis simus | Vespertilionidae | LR/lc |
Amazon rainforest section contents:
