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Peru's Alto Mayo -

The verdant Alto Mayo region in northwest Peru is set in the foothills of the Peruvian Amazon, otherwise known as Peruvian Amazonia.

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The Peruvian Amazonia -

The Peruvian Amazonia covers 60% of the country. In fact, Peru has the second-largest portion of the Amazon rainforest after the Brazilian Amazon.

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Thriving ecosystems -

Alto Mayo is a protected area in which several ecosystems thrive. The region also embraces Indigenous territories and villages.

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Human-influenced landscape -

Besides native populations, Alto Mayo supports 280,000 people in cities, towns, and communities. Indeed, it's a very human-influenced landscape.

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Rapid Assessment expedition -

The fact that so many new species of mammals and vertebrates were discovered in a region known for such a high concentration of human activity surprised the scientists who took part in the Conservation International Rapid Assessment expedition.

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Blob-headed fish -

Among the species recorded as previously unknown to science was an unusual "blob-headed fish." Similar in looks to a related catfish species, this creature has a bizarre speckled bulbous extension on the end of its head

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Spiny mouse -

Other extraordinary new finds included a species of spiny mouse (pictured), so named for its bristle-like fur, and an amphibious mouse with partially webbed feet belonging to a group of semi-aquatic rodents that are among the rarest in the world.

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Loreto white-lipped frog -

A number of frogs were observed during the expedition, species like the Loreto white-lipped frog (pictured) and a previously undocumented species of narrow-mouthed frog.

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Short-tailed fruit bat -

Of the near 160 bat species found in Peru, no less than 45 were recorded in Alto Mayo during the duration of the expedition. A short-tailed fruit bat proved an especially rewarding sighting.

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Arboreal opossum -

Up in the canopy, scientists spotted arboreal opossums, marsupials particularly suited to life in trees, plus the fast-moving dwarf squirrel, so small it can fit into the palm of your hand.

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Amazon tree boa -

The impressive Amazon tree boa, a nocturnal tree-dweller, also delighted scientists by making a slow and measured appearance.

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Rufous-crested coquette -

Birdlife is abundant in Alto Mayo. Spotting a rufous-crested coquette, a hummingbird species, was a rare event due to its small size and population.

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Clearwing butterfly -

Of the 218 species of butterflies observed during the expedition, 10 of them were new. Included on the list was the clearwing butterfly. This species is unique in that it feeds on flowers packed with poisonous pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

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Bristlenose catfish -

Besides the weird blob-head, a bristlenose catfish was also discovered and briefly spent time out the water in order to be photographed before being placed back into its watery habitat.

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Teeming with wildlife -

In all, Conservation International researchers catalogued a total 2,046 plant and animal species, of which 34 appear to live only in the Alto Mayo landscape or the San Martín region it falls in.

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New to science -

The team confirmed 27 species were new to science and that 49 are threatened with extinction. Notably, four of the new discoveries were mammal species.

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A team of experts -

The survey was in fact conducted in June and July 2022, the findings only recently published. The team was made up of 13 scientists plus local technicians and members of Indigenous groups.

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Local knowledge -

Interestingly, while some species have never been described by science, a number were already known to Indigenous communities, admitted Conservation International.

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Working with the Awajún -

Working closely with the Awajún people, the scientists drew on their traditional knowledge about the forests, animals, and plants they'd grown up with. Many of the species documented by the survey were known under other names by the Awajún, who'd developed their own system of classification.

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Alto Mayo Protection Forest -

The discoveries made by Conservation International reinforced the need to further protect the area. The Alto Mayo Protection Forest has been safeguarded by law since 1963. The preserve of the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey, the forest protects part of the Peruvian Yungas ecoregion.

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Threats to the environment -

Main threats to the Alto Mayo Protection Forest area include illegal farming settlements, logging, the clearing of land for agriculture, unsustainable fishing practices, wildlife trafficking, and the extraction of orchids.

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Iquitos -

The surprise expressed by scientists as to the wealth of wildlife thriving in such highly populated pockets of land is not without foundation. Iquitos is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, numbering 500,000 residents.

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Pucallpa -

Pucallpa, capital of the province of Ucayali, has a population of around 380,000.

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Yurimaguas -

Yurimaguas, in Peru's northernmost Loreto region, currently numbers 140,000 inhabitants.

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Tarapoto -

Tarapoto, in the San Martín region where the survey was conducted, has a population of 181,000.

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Puerto Maldonado -

Meanwhile, Puerto Maldonado in southeastern Peru is the location of the Puente Intercontinental, the bridge that carries the Interoceanic Highway linking the river ports of Brazil with the Pacific coast ports of Peru.

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Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve -

In northeastern Peru, the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve in Loreto is an Amazon jungle biodiversity hotspot. Mammal species found in the reserve include the common woolly monkey, red brocket, and South American tapir.

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Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve -

Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve was established in 2004 to protect the diverse forest types in the area, especially the rainforests on white sandy soil overlooking watercourses. These rivers provide drinking water to the nearby city of Iquitos.

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Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Regional Conservation Area -

South-east of Iquitos is the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Regional Conservation Area. Also celebrated for its high levels of biodiversity, among the wildlife calling this pristine reserve home is the playful Amazon river dolphin, also known as the pink dolphin. It's classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as are many other species endemic to the region.

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Further aims -

The aim of the expedition in 2022 was to set in motion a strategy to connect remaining patches of high biodiversity within the Alto Mayo and create a protected conservation corridor, seen as essential for the long-term survival of the region's wildlife.

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Hope for the future -

Three years later, researchers hope the results of the survey will bolster conservation efforts now and into the future.

Sources: (Conservation International) (Reuters) (The Guardian) (Rainforest Expeditions) (IUCN) 

See also: Why have wildlife populations declined by 73%?

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