Fauna of the Andes

The fauna of the Andes, a mountain range in South America, is large and diverse. As well as a huge variety of flora, the Andes contain many different animal species.

With almost 1,000 species, of which roughly 2/3 are endemic to the region, the Andes are the most important region in the world for amphibians. The diversity of animals in the Andes is high, with almost 600 species of mammals (13% endemic), more than 1,700 species of birds (about 1/3 endemic), more than 600 species of reptiles (about 45% endemic), and almost 400 species of fish (about 1/3 endemic).

The vicuña and guanaco can be found living in the Altiplano, while the closely related domesticated llama and alpaca are widely kept by locals as pack animals and for their meat and wool. Cougars are also found in the region and play an important role in many Andean cultures together with the llama. The nocturnal chinchillas, two threatened members of the rodent order, inhabits the Andes' alpine regions, but are well-known in captivity. Another domestic that originates from the Andean region is the guinea pig. Other wild mammals found in the relatively open habitats of the high Andes include the huemul deer and foxes in the genus Pseudalopex.

Although very rich in flora and fauna, few large mammals are found in the Andean cloud forests, including the Yungas and parts of the Chocó, exceptions being the threatened mountain tapir, spectacled bear and yellow-tailed woolly monkey.

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