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Key Places for biodiversity

Learn the wildlife of the Amazon River Basin

Brazil · Peru · Colombia

The Amazon River Basin is one of E.O. Wilson's Key Places, irreplaceable for life on Earth. 9,524 species have research-grade observations there on iNaturalist, and KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos.

Amazonas state of each country

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Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. White-throated Toucan Ramphastos tucanus853
  2. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus499
  3. Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus443
  4. Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus439
  5. Yellow-headed Caracara Daptrius chimachima431
  6. Rufous Nightjar Antrostomus rufus404
  7. Large-billed Tern Phaetusa simplex375
  8. Screaming Piha Lipaugus vociferans354
  9. Great Egret Ardea alba335
  10. Yellow-rumped Cacique Cacicus cela331

Plants

  1. Amazon Giant Waterlily Victoria amazonica386
  2. Moriche palm Mauritia flexuosa204
  3. Sore-mouth bush Palicourea tomentosa141
  4. Cuban Buttercup Turnera subulata128
  5. Common water hyacinth Pontederia crassipes121
  6. Lipsticktree Bixa orellana106
  7. Walking palm Socratea exorrhiza104
  8. Water Lettuce Pistia stratiotes89
  9. Heliconia acuminata84
  10. Amazon açaí Euterpe precatoria78

Mammals

  1. Amazon River Dolphin Inia geoffrensis396
  2. Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth Bradypus variegatus335
  3. Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis236
  4. Golden-faced Saki Pithecia chrysocephala231
  5. Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkey Saimiri macrodon189
  6. Pale-throated Three-toed Sloth Bradypus tridactylus177
  7. Brazilian Bare-faced Tamarin Saguinus bicolor165
  8. Brown Capuchin Sapajus apella144
  9. Spix's white-fronted capuchin Cebus unicolor139
  10. Golden-backed Squirrel Monkey Saimiri ustus131

Insects

  1. White Peacock Anartia jatrophae311
  2. White Witch Thysania agrippina187
  3. Red Peacock Anartia amathea178
  4. Abracris flavolineata177
  5. Violet-winged Grasshopper Tropidacris collaris162
  6. Suriname Grasshopper Tetrataenia surinama151
  7. Ectatomma brunneum145
  8. Tetrio Sphinx Pseudosphinx tetrio141
  9. Stagmatoptera binotata130
  10. Common Giant Turtle Ant Cephalotes atratus127

Spiders and kin

  1. Silver Garden Orbweaver Argiope argentata245
  2. Golden Silk Spider Trichonephila clavipes155
  3. Phoneutria reidyi132
  4. Pantropical Jumping Spider Plexippus paykulli127
  5. Brazilian Wandering Spider Phoneutria fera117
  6. Yellow-banded Pinktoe Tarantula Avicularia juruensis117
  7. Pantropical Huntsman Spider Heteropoda venatoria116
  8. Grizzled Pinktoe Tarantula Avicularia variegata113
  9. Gray Wall Jumping Spider Menemerus bivittatus101
  10. Phoneutria boliviensis94

Reptiles

  1. Green Iguana Iguana iguana541
  2. Spectacled Caiman Caiman crocodilus508
  3. Giant Ameiva Ameiva ameiva417
  4. Bridled Forest Gecko Gonatodes humeralis378
  5. Common Lancehead Bothrops atrox285
  6. Brown-eared Anole Anolis fuscoauratus228
  7. Black Caiman Melanosuchus niger202
  8. Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia196
  9. Garden Tree Boa Corallus hortulana177
  10. Boa Constrictor Boa constrictor152

Amphibians

  1. Cane Toad Rhinella marina590
  2. Three-striped Poison Frog Ameerega trivittata359
  3. Giant Broad-headed Treefrog Osteocephalus taurinus159
  4. Smoky Jungle Frog Leptodactylus pentadactylus144
  5. Basin Tree Frog Boana lanciformis134
  6. Snouted Toad Rhinella proboscidea121
  7. Waxy Monkey Treefrog Phyllomedusa bicolor102
  8. Barred Monkey Frog Callimedusa tomopterna102
  9. Red Snouted Tree Frog Scinax ruber91
  10. Greater Hatchet-faced Tree Frog Sphaenorhynchus lacteus88

Fish

  1. Redbelly Piranha Pygocentrus nattereri70
  2. Silver Arowana Osteoglossum bicirrhosum46
  3. Giant arapaima Arapaima gigas38

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. KnowKi is not affiliated with the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.