KnowKi

Key Places for biodiversity

Learn the wildlife of the Guiana Shield

Guyana · Suriname · French Guiana

The Guiana Shield is one of E.O. Wilson's Key Places, irreplaceable for life on Earth. 13,032 species have research-grade observations there on iNaturalist, and KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

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. Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus792
  2. Silver-beaked Tanager Ramphocelus carbo618
  3. Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus563
  4. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus548
  5. Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum470
  6. Pale-breasted Thrush Turdus leucomelas468
  7. Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus465
  8. Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber451
  9. Ruddy Ground Dove Columbina talpacoti449
  10. Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani448

Plants

  1. Parrot's Beak Heliconia psittacorum454
  2. Sipanea pratensis354
  3. Moriche palm Mauritia flexuosa348
  4. Açaí Palm Euterpe oleracea340
  5. Sensitive Plant Mimosa pudica329
  6. Yautia madera Montrichardia arborescens317
  7. Heliconia acuminata297
  8. Miconia ciliata294
  9. Big-leaved Acacia Acacia mangium291
  10. Sandpaper tree Curatella americana284

Mammals

  1. Common Squirrel Monkey Saimiri sciureus485
  2. Pale-throated Three-toed Sloth Bradypus tridactylus462
  3. Red-rumped Agouti Dasyprocta leporina390
  4. Guianan Red Howler Monkey Alouatta macconnelli353
  5. Brown Capuchin Sapajus apella338
  6. Golden-handed Tamarin Saguinus midas282
  7. Proboscis Bat Rhynchonycteris naso274
  8. Guiana Spider Monkey Ateles paniscus191
  9. Southern Opossum Didelphis marsupialis164
  10. Gray Four-eyed Opossum Philander opossum148

Insects

  1. Eacles approximans925
  2. Adeloneivaia pallida834
  3. Syssphinx molina737
  4. Adeloneivaia boisduvalii584
  5. Rhescyntis hippodamia568
  6. White Peacock Anartia jatrophae510
  7. Red Postman Heliconius erato417
  8. Hylesia nanus417
  9. Leafy Sphinx Xylophanes chiron398
  10. Ptiloscola photophila395

Spiders and kin

  1. Pinktoe Tarantula Avicularia avicularia1,159
  2. Brazilian Wandering Spider Phoneutria fera675
  3. Goliath Birdeater Theraphosa blondi384
  4. Nephila cornuta372
  5. Tropical Orb Weaver Eriophora fuliginea361
  6. Guyana Black Devil Scorpion Tityus obscurus358
  7. Amazon Thorn Spider Micrathena schreibersi279
  8. Silver Garden Orbweaver Argiope argentata276
  9. Heterophrynus longicornis210
  10. Red Skeleton Tarantula Ephebopus rufescens173

Reptiles

  1. Common Lancehead Bothrops atrox855
  2. Giant Ameiva Ameiva ameiva808
  3. Green Iguana Iguana iguana672
  4. Garden Tree Boa Corallus hortulana624
  5. Striped Forest Whiptail Kentropyx calcarata549
  6. Bridled Forest Gecko Gonatodes humeralis456
  7. Goldenscale Anole Anolis chrysolepis412
  8. Amazon Coastal House Snake Thamnodynastes pallidus377
  9. Gold Tegu Tupinambis teguixin348
  10. Spectacled Caiman Caiman crocodilus344

Amphibians

  1. Cane Toad Rhinella marina1,193
  2. South American Common Toad Rhinella margaritifera744
  3. Red Snouted Tree Frog Scinax ruber585
  4. Giant Broad-headed Treefrog Osteocephalus taurinus395
  5. Cayenne Stubfoot Toad Atelopus flavescens393
  6. Polka-dot Tree Frog Boana punctata364
  7. Dyeing Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates tinctorius356
  8. Rusty Tree Frog Boana boans337
  9. Variable Poison Frog Ranitomeya variabilis335
  10. Sipaliwini Robber Frog Pristimantis zeuctotylus332

Mollusks

  1. Yellow-shelled semi-slug Parmarion martensi207
  2. Giant Blonde Snail Lissachatina immaculata142
  3. Solaropsis undata136

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.