YASUNÍ BIODIVERSITY IN PICTURES

Yasuní National Park (Ecuador) is among the most biodiverse places on Earth. Thanks to La Selva Lodge, in a single day I could see and photograph over 30 different species of birds, 7 mammals, 5 reptiles and several amphibians. Here I show you the result.

1/13. A squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) advances with its herd by jumping trees and eating fruits in its path. They never go alone, and it is not uncommon to see a group of capuchin monkeys at their side.

2/13. Camouflage is everything in the jungle. Here we found a juvenile potoo (Nyctibius griseus), a bird similar to an owl but a relative of the nightjars.

3/13. Ecuador's largest primate: silver woolly monkey (Lagothrix poeppigii). Because of its aggressiveness, it is necessary to walk slowly and quietly.

4/13. At La Selva Lodge you can see a great amount of wildlife due to the Garzacocha Lake, where you can find all kinds of aquatic animals.

5/13. Here any living thing fights for survival. A parasitic fungus slowly takes over a grasshopper.

6/13. A juvenile agami heron (Agami agami) creeps forward to try to catch something in Lake Garzacocha.

7/13. Every day between 7 and 8 a.m., up to 5 different species of parrots gather in a mineral lickshed on the banks of the Napo River.

8/13. A nose-bat (Rhynchonycteris naso) rests on a trunk away from possible predators.

9/13. I captured this hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) from my window while a heavy storm was passing by. This prehistoric tropical bird is unique and only found in the Amazon.

10/13. After the storm the sky cleared up, revealing the Milky Way and thousands of constellations.

11/13. From the watchtower, about 100 meters above the ground, you can observe many birds, such as a group of many-banded aracari (Pteroglossus pluricinctus).

12/13. At night, from the paddle canoe, it is easier to see spectacled caimans (Caiman crocodilus) pointing their flashlights over their bright eyes.

13/13. Places like La Selva Lodge have all the facilities to watch as much wildlife as possible in the shortest time.