10 strange creatures from Latin America

The world is fully of wondrous creatures, like the jaguar which roams the jungles of Latin America. However, some evolved to be a little weird looking. One must always remember a quote from Darwin when thinking of these animals.

“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man”
– Charles Darwin

Rosy-lipped batfish

The rosy-lipped batfish and red-lipped batfish which hail from Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands. As you will notice, their most prominent feature if their bright human-like lips. These poor swimmers have specially adapted fins which they use to walk along the ocean bed.

Frogfish

The odd looking frogfish uses its camouflage to both protect themselves from predators and lure in prey. The frogfish moves very slowly before striking at their prey in as little as 6 milliseconds. They can be found in the waters around Cocos Island, Costa Rica.

Amazon horned frog

Also known as the Surinam horned frog, this large amphibian inhabits the rainforests and mangroves of the Amazon Basin and grow up to 20cms long. They are most active at night and use their long tongue to catch prey.

Hoatzin

These pheasant-sized birds, which live in a huge area of the Amazon, may not look that strange, but it doesn’t get its nickname stinkbird for nothing. Its smell comes from the fermentation of food in the bird’s digestive system.

Axolotl

Also known as the Mexican salamander, this little amphibian originated in the lakes that underlie Mexico City. Interestingly, axolotls don’t undergo metamorphosis and spend their entire life living under the water using gills to breath.

White-faced saki monkey

These strange looking new world monkeys inhabit the jungles of French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil. They live in the lower canopy and feed from insects and fruit. The white-faced saki monkey mates for life and strengthens their bond by grooming.

Panda ant

These little creatures get their name from their distinct markings which resemble a panda. Found along the coastline of Chile, they are relatively rare and were only first discovered in the 30s. Though they are called ants, they are in fact a type of wingless wasp.

Venezuelan poodle moth

Only discovered in 2009 by Dr. Arthur Anker in Gran Sabana in Venezuela, not much is known about this cute little moth.

Blue parrotfish

The strangely beautiful and magical blue parrotfish can be found in the warm Caribbean waters along the coast of Colombia and Central America. Like other parrotfish, they develop beaks which they use to scrap the algae from rocks.

Pink fairy armadillos

These pygmy armadillos are tiny compared to other species of the same family, measuring up at only 10cms. They are slow movers, other than burrowing which they can do super-fast, particularly when threatened.

Would you like to see the strange wildlife of Latin America? Give us a call on +44 (0) 207 407 1478 to speak with one of our wildlife specialists or send us a message here.

RELATED: Our picks for the 2018 hotspots in Latin America

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