Like fishing and bird watching, the observation of land animals (especially mammals and reptiles, but also amphibians, molluscs and insects) is a great spectacle in the Pantanal – a spectacle that takes place every day, guaranteed by the extraordinary richness and diversity of the Pantanal fauna.

Most ranches and agencies offer programmes such as night spotting (using torches to reflect the light from the animals’ eyes) and photographic safaris, but any tour offers many surprises for those with keen eyes and ears – as well as binoculars and a good torch.

Below is a list of some of the many species found on the plains.

Most common mammals and reptiles of the Pantanal

1. Tapir, Tapirus terrestris or tapir
2. Otter, Pteronura brasiliensis or Brazilian otter
3. Howler monkey, Alouatta caraya or Bugio
4. Capybara, Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris or Capybara
5. Marsh deer, Blastocerus dichotomus or Marsh deer
6. Agouti, Dasyprocta azarae or Azara’s agouti
7. Alligator, Caiman crocodilus yacare or Alligator caiman
8. Black monkey, Cebus apella or Capuchin monkey
9. Jaguar, Panthera onca or Jaguar
10. White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecarí)
11. Sinimbu, Iguana or Iguana
12. Yellow anaconda, Eunectes murinus or Yellow anaconda
13. Giant anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla or Giant anteater
14. Peacock armadillo, Euphactus sexcintus or Armadillo
15. Fallow deer, Ozotoceros bezoarticus or Pampas deer

1. Tapir

(Tapirus terrestris)

English name: Tapir

Also known as the tapir, this is Brazil’s largest land mammal: it can grow to two metres long and weigh up to 200 kilos. Preferably nocturnal, it has a thick, tough skin and a short, agile trunk.

An excellent swimmer, it lives in forests near rivers. It feeds on fruits, leaves and roots.

2. American otter

(Pteronura brasiliensis)

English name: Brazilian giant water otter

The illegal fur trade has led to the Pantanal giant otter being listed as an endangered species.

The aquatic mammal, which measures around 1.40 metres and weighs 30 kilos, has dark skin with a yellowish tinge on its chest and neck, a broad, flat tail and membranes between its toes to help it move through the water.

It lives in schools and feeds on birds, eggs, small reptiles and especially fish, which it usually eats on land.

3. Howler Monkey

(Alouatta caraya)

Name in English: Bugio

Approximately 1.20 metres long, the howler monkey lives in groups of up to 20 individuals in the highest branches of trees in forests and savannahs.

They are known for their unmistakable calls – at the beginning and end of the day, when they feel threatened or when they sense changes in the weather. They feed on fruit and leaves.

4. Capybara

(Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris)

English name: Capybara

The largest of the rodents, it lives in large groups on the banks of rivers, lakes and swamps; it feeds on water plants, grasses, roots and thorns and is an excellent swimmer.

It measures about one metre in length and can weigh up to 100 kilos. It has a large head, short hair and paws with interdigital membranes to help it swim.

5. Marsh deer

(Blastocerus dichotomus)

English name: Marsh deer

The largest deer in South America, it can grow up to 1.50 metres tall and weigh 150 kilos, with antlers up to 60 centimetres long.

It has a reddish coat with black legs and muzzle. Its paws are adapted for locomotion in swamps and flooded areas, where it moves with great agility. It feeds on herbs, stems and grasses.

6. Agouti

(Dasyprocta azarae)

English name: Azara’s agouti

The agouti is a small rodent, about 50 centimetres long, that lives in wooded areas, in burrows dug into the roots of trees. It is nocturnal and runs at high speed when it feels threatened.

It feeds on vegetables, fruit, roots and seeds, which it eats while sitting on its hind legs.

7. Crocodile

(Caiman crocodilus yacare)

English name: Caiman Alligator

The most common species of caiman in the Pantanal, it has dark spots on its jaws and can grow up to 2.50 metres long.

It can be seen in large numbers in rivers and bays and feeds on fish, crustaceans and small mammals.

For years it was the target of predators for its leather and was even listed as an endangered species. Thanks to conservation projects and controlled breeding, it is no longer threatened with extinction.

8. Capuchin monkey

(Cebus apella)

English name: Capuchin monkey

Small, agile, diurnal and sociable (if unpredictable), the Capuchin is about 50 cm tall and weighs about 3 kilos. It lives in groups, high up in the trees, but often comes down to the ground.

It makes characteristic whistles. Eats fruit, leaves, seeds, eggs and small animals.

9. Jaguar

(Panthera onca)

English name: Jaguar

The jaguar is a shy animal with nocturnal habits and is not often seen. It is the largest cat in the Americas, standing around 1.80 metres and weighing up to 120 kilos.

A solitary, nomadic hunter, the jaguar may attack cattle on farms; slaughtered by farmers, it is listed as an endangered animal and is now the subject of wildlife conservation programmes. It lives in woods and forests, preferably near rivers – it is an excellent swimmer. It feeds mainly on caimans, capybaras, deer, monkeys and other mammals.

The black jaguar is a variety of the same species (up close you can see darker black spots on its coat).

The puma (Felis concolor), or mountain lion in English, has a uniform brown coat and is slightly smaller than the jaguar.

10. Queixada

(Tayassu pecarí)

English name: White-lipped peccary

The queixada, or white-lipped peccary, is known for its aggressiveness – it makes loud noises and bares its teeth when irritated – and lives in large groups led by an older male. They can grow to 1.30 metres and weigh up to 40 kilos.

Its coat is long and dense and its snout is white. It feeds on roots, vegetables and small animals.

The queixada should not be confused with the cateto or peccary (Tayassu tajacuy), a smaller species that can be recognised by the white collar around its neck.

11. Sinimbu

(Iguana iguana)

English name: Iguana

This species of green iguana lives in trees and on land, preferably near water; it is an expert swimmer. It is one of the largest lizards in the Americas, reaching up to 1.70 metres in length. It feeds on insects, plants and larvae.

12. Yellow anaconda

(Eunectes notaeus)

English name: Yellow anaconda

The Yellow Anaconda is the largest snake in the Pantanal, growing up to 5 metres long. It moves slowly on land but is fast in water, inhabiting the banks of rivers and lagoons.

It’s not poisonous: it wraps itself around its prey and kills it by suffocating it, after which it can take weeks to digest it.

Legend has it that the yellow anaconda can kill calves or people, but in reality it eats small animals such as rodents, lizards, birds and fish.

13. Giant anteater

(Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

English name: Giant anteater

The giant anteater is a typical animal of the Cerrado and open grasslands. It can reach 2 metres in length and weigh up to 30 kilos.

It has long fur, especially on its tail, and strong, long nails on its front paws, which allow it to open termite mounds and nests of small insects that stick to its sticky tongue.

Another species found in the Pantanal is the lesser anteater (Tamanduá tetradactyla). The lesser anteater is 1.40 metres long, has a prehensile tail and lives in trees.

14. Pebble armadillo

(Euphactus sexcintus)

Common name: Armadillo

Also known as the hairy armadillo, the armadillo has a very hard, hairy shell, long, strong claws for digging into the ground and a long tail.

It is diurnal and feeds on roots, tubers and carrion.

There are also other species of armadillo in the Pantanal: the extremely rare giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) – the largest in the world at around 85 centimetres – and the small, agile nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novem cinctus).

15. Fallow deer

(Ozotoceros bezoarticus)

English name: Pampas Deer

The pampas deer lives in the savannah and open fields. Its coat is reddish on the back and white on the underside of the neck and belly. It is a good swimmer. Males have short antlers, no more than 30 centimetres long.

They feed on herbs, leaves and aquatic plants.

Another species found in the Pantanal plains is the red brocket deer (Mazama americana), which measures about 70 centimetres and weighs 20 kilos; it lives in closed forests and aquatic areas.

Both species are threatened with extinction.

See the following publications about the Pantanal

1. Observing mammals and reptiles in the Pantanal
2. Fishing in the Pantanal – Best places, lures, methods and seasons
3. Most common fish species in the Pantanal
4. Birdwatching in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso
5. Most common bird species in the Mato Grosso Pantanal
6. Flora of the Mato Grosso Pantanal
7. Fauna of the Mato Grosso Pantanal
8. Pantanal of Mato Grosso – Geography, climate, soil and rivers
9. History of the Mato Grosso Pantanal – Discovery and economic development
10. Southern Pantanal Region
11. Northern Pantanal Region
12. Why go to the Pantanal in Mato Grosso State?
    

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