Manú National Park ( es, Parque Nacional del Manú) is a
national park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...
and
biosphere reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
located in the regions of
Madre de Dios and
Cusco
Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru ...
in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
.
It protects a diverse number of ecosystems including lowland rainforests,
cloud forests
A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level clo ...
and Andean
grasslands.
History
Manú National Park was established by decree on 29 May 1973; during the dictatorship of General
Juan Velasco.
In 1977,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
recognised it as a
Biosphere Reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
and in 1987, as a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
.
In 2002, the Peruvian government increased the extension of the park to its current area.
Geography
Manu National Park covers an area of which comprises mountainous areas (traversed by creeks and valleys) with elevations close to 4000 m above sea level and a portion of the Amazon Basin plains.
The national park is divided in the following areas: the restricted use zone (with pristine forests and native communities, access is granted to researchers only); the reserved zone (for recreation and research); the recuperation zone (for the recovery of disturbed areas) and the cultural zone (for human settlement and most activities including nature tourism ).
Climate
Climate in the park is highly variable, rainy and depends on the elevation.
The southern section (mountainous) has an annual precipitation between 1500–2000 mm; while in the middle section it is between 3000–3500 mm and in the northwestern section the annual precipitation reaches 8000 mm or more.
The less rainy season is from May to September, accompanied by lower temperatures.
In the park, the mean annual temperature in the lowland rainforest is 25.6 °C, while in the Andean zone it is 8 °C.
Ecology
Plants
Vegetation types inside the park include
puna grassland
The puna grassland ecoregion, of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome, is found in the central Andes Mountains of South America. It is considered one of the eight Natural Regions in Peru,Pulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las ...
(in areas over 4000 m), high Andean forests,
cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud ...
s and lowland
Amazon rainforest.
This variety of vegetation types is represented in 162 families, 1191 genera and 4385 identified species of plants, with as much as 250 tree species in one hectare.
A study found a total of 1108 species of trees inside the park, from several plots between the mountain tree line and the lowland forest.
Plant species found in the lowland rainforest zone of the park include: ''
Bertholletia excelsa,
Nectandra'' spp''.,
Cedrelinga cateniformis'', ''
Socratea exorrhiza'', ''
Eugenia
''Eugenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven, distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The bulk of the approximately 1,100 species occur in the New World tropics, ...
'' spp.'','' ''
Cedrela odorata'', ''
Brosimum lactescens'', ''
Iriartea deltoidea'', ''
Protium'' spp.'',
Poulsenia armata,
Cecropia
''Cecropia'' is a Neotropical genus consisting of 61 recognized species with a highly distinctive lineage of dioecious trees.
The genus consists of pioneer trees in the more or less humid parts of the Neotropics, with the majority of the speci ...
'' spp., ''
Inga
''Inga'' is a genus of small tropical, tough-leaved, nitrogen-fixing treesElkan, Daniel. "Slash-and-burn farming has become a major threat to the world's rainforest" ''The Guardian'' 21 April 2004 and shrubs, subfamily Mimosoideae. ''Inga''s ...
'' spp., ''
Margaritaria nobilis'', ''
Ceiba
''Ceiba'' is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical areas of the Americas (from Mexico and the Caribbean to N Argentina) and tropical West Africa. Some species can grow to tall or more, with a straight, ...
samauma'', ''
Solanum grandiflorum'', ''
Annona
''Annona'' (from Taíno ''annon'') is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/ sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after '' Guatteria'', containing approximately 166 excellens'', ''
Calophyllum brasiliense'', ''
Simarouba amara
''Simarouba amara'' is a species of tree in the family Simaroubaceae, found in the rainforests and savannahs of South and Central America and the Caribbean. It was first described by Aubl. in French Guiana in 1775 and is one of six species of ...
'', ''
Maxillaria
''Maxillaria'', abbreviated as Max in the horticultural trade, is a large genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae). This is a diverse genus, with very different morphological forms. Their characteristics can vary widely.
They are commonly called s ...
'' spp., ''
Virola calophylla
''Virola calophylla'' is a species of tree in the family Myristicaceae. It is native to Central America and South America, namely Panama,
Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia ( Department of Amazonas, Department of Vaupés), Ecuador ( ...
'', ''
Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending int ...
'' spp., ''
Trema micrantha
''Trema micrantha'', the Jamaican nettletree or capulin, is a plant species native to warmer parts of the Western Hemisphere. It has been reported from Mexico, Central America, tropical South America, the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola ...
'', ''
Hevea brasiliensis
''Hevea brasiliensis'', the Pará rubber tree, ''sharinga'' tree, seringueira, or most commonly, rubber tree or rubber plant, is a flowering plant belonging to the spurge family Euphorbiaceae originally native to the Amazon basin, but is now pa ...
'',
''Piper'' spp., ''
Mauritia flexuosa
''Mauritia flexuosa'', known as the moriche palm, ''ité'' palm, ''ita'', ''buriti'', ''muriti'', ''miriti'' (Brazil), ''canangucho'' (Colombia), ''acho'' (Ecuador), or ''aguaje'' (Peru), is a palm tree. It grows in and near swamps and other wet ...
'', ''
Clusia
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
'' spp., ''
Euterpe precatoria
''Euterpe precatoria'' is a tall, slender-stemmed, pinnate-leaved palm native to Central and South America and Trinidad and Tobago. ''E. precatoria'' is used commercially to produce fruits, although ''Euterpe oleracea'' is more commonly culti ...
'', ''
Jacaranda copaia'', etc. Plant species found in the mountain zones in the park include: ''
Podocarpus oleifolius
''Podocarpus oleifolius'' is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
''Podocarpus oleifolius'' contains one subsp ...
'', ''
Prunus integrifolia'', ''Cyrtochilum aureum,'' ''
Escallonia myrtilloides
''Escallonia myrtilloides'' is an evergreen shrub or tree in the Escalloniaceae family, native to open montane wet forests and paramos from Costa Rica to Bolivia. It occurs at elevations between .
Description
Trees or shrubs from high, with ir ...
'', ''
Hesperomeles ferruginea'', ''
Otoglossum scansor'', ''
Baccharis salicifolia'', ''
Cinchona pubescens
''Cinchona pubescens'', also known as red cinchona and quina (Kina) ( ''Cascarilla, cinchona''; ''quina-do-amazonas, quineira''), is native to Central and South America. It is known as a medicinal plant for its bark's high quinine content- and h ...
,
Oreopanax'' spp., ''
Polylepis pauta'', ''
Alnus acuminata
''Alnus acuminata'' is a species of deciduous tree in the Betulaceae family. It is found in montane forests from central Mexico to Argentina.Zuloaga, F. O., O. N. Morrone, M. J. Belgrano, C. Marticorena & E. Marchesi. (eds.) 2008. Catálogo de la ...
'', ''
Retrophyllum rospigliosii,
Vallea stipularis,'' etc.
In 2021, the so-called “Manu Mystery Plant,” a small tree, with tiny white flowers and ribbed, bright orange fruit, was determined to be a distinct genus, which was named Aenigmanu (the enigma of Manu). The plant, first collected in 1973 by
Field Museum
The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educational ...
ecologist
Robin Foster, had puzzled experts for decades. DNA analysis revealed it to be related to the
Picramniaceae; but unlike this family, the Aenigmanu has
stipules
In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...
on its stems where the leaves emerge.
Fauna

About 160 species of mammals have been reported in the park.
Mammals found in the lowland rainforest zone of the park include: the
jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the thi ...
, the
tayra
The tayra (''Eira barbara'') is an omnivorous animal from the weasel family, native to the Americas. It is the only species in the genus ''Eira''.
Tayras are also known as the ''tolomuco'' or ''perico ligero'' in Central America, ''motete'' ...
, the
giant armadillo
The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the glyptodonts, were much larger). It liv ...
, the
puma (also present in mountainous areas), the
ocelot
The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southw ...
, the
collared peccary
The collared peccary (''Dicotyles tajacu'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Tayassuidae found in North, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the genus ''Dicotyles''. They are commonly referred to a ...
, the
giant otter
The giant otter or giant river otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to . Atypical of musteli ...
, the
Peruvian spider monkey
The Peruvian spider monkey (''Ateles chamek''), also known as the black-faced black spider monkey, is a species of spider monkey that lives in Peru, as well as in Brazil and in Bolivia. At long, they are relatively large among species of monkey, ...
, the
Mexican free-tailed bat
The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida brasiliensis'') is a medium-sized bat native to the Americas, so named because its tail can be almost half its total length and is not attached to its uropatagium. It has be ...
, the
jaguarundi
The jaguarundi (''Herpailurus yagouaroundi'') is a wild cat native to the Americas. Its range extends from central Argentina in the south to northern Mexico, through Central and South America east of the Andes. The jaguarundi is a medium-siz ...
, the
capybara
The capybaraAlso called capivara (in Brazil), capiguara (in Bolivia), chigüire, chigüiro, or fercho (in Colombia and Venezuela), carpincho (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and ronsoco (in Peru). or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydro ...
, the
tufted capuchin
The tufted capuchin (''Sapajus apella''), also known as brown capuchin, black-capped capuchin, or pin monkey is a New World primate from South America and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita. As traditionally defined, it is one of ...
, the
white-lipped peccary
The white-lipped peccary (''Tayassu pecari'') is a species of peccary found in Central and South America and the only member of the genus ''Tayassu''. Multiple subspecies have been identified. White-lipped peccaries are similar in appearance ...
, the
greater bulldog bat
The greater bulldog bat or fisherman bat (''Noctilio leporinus'') is a species of fishing bat native to Latin America (Spanish: ''murciélago pescador''; Portuguese: ''morcego-pescador''). The bat uses echolocation to detect water ripples made ...
, the
Southern Amazon red squirrel, the
marsh deer
The marsh deer (''Blastocerus dichotomus'') is the largest deer species from South America reaching a length of and a shoulder height of . It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. Formerly found in much of tropical ...
, the
water opossum
The water opossum (''Chironectes minimus''), also locally known as the yapok (), is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae.* It is the only living member of its genus, ''Chironectes''. This semiaquatic creature is found in and near freshwater ...
, the
red brocket
The red brocket (''Mazama americana'') is a species of brocket deer from forests in South America, ranging from northern Argentina to Colombia and the Guianas. It also occurs on the Caribbean island of Trinidad (it also occurred on the island ...
, the
brown-throated sloth
The brown-throated sloth (''Bradypus variegatus'') is a species of three-toed sloth found in the Neotropical realm of Central and South America.
It is the most common of the four species of three-toed sloth, and is found in the forests of Sout ...
, the
black-capped squirrel monkey
The black-capped squirrel monkey (''Saimiri boliviensis'') is a species of New-World monkey native to the upper Amazon basin in Bolivia, western Brazil and eastern Peru. They weigh between 365 and 1135 grams and measure, from the head to the b ...
, the
South American tapir
The South American tapir (''Tapirus terrestris''), also commonly called the Brazilian tapir (from the Tupi ''tapi'ira''), the Amazonian tapir, the maned tapir, the lowland tapir, the ''anta'' ( Portuguese), and ''la sachavaca'' (literally "bushc ...
, the
southern tamandua
The southern tamandua (''Tamandua tetradactyla''), also called the collared anteater or lesser anteater, is a species of anteater from South America and the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. It is a solitary animal found in many habitats, fro ...
, the
moustached tamarin, the
pacarana, etc.
[Patterson, B. D., Stotz, D. F., & Solari, S. (2006). ''Mammals and Birds of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru.'' ''Fieldiana: Zoology, new series'', ''110'': 1-49]
online PDF
Mammals reported from mountain zones in the park include: the
white-tailed deer
The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...
, the
Andean fox
The culpeo (''Lycalopex culpaeus''), also known as culpeo zorro, Andean zorro, Andean fox, Paramo wolf, Andean wolf,Comparative ecology of two South American foxes, 'Dusicvon ariseus' and 'culpaeus' by Warren E. Johnson. Doctoral dissertation. Io ...
, the
mountain paca, the
long-tailed weasel
The long-tailed weasel (''Neogale frenata''), also known as the bridled weasel, masked ermine, or big stoat, is a species of mustelid distributed from southern Canada throughout all the United States and Mexico, southward through all of Central A ...
, the
montane guinea pig, the
spectacled bear, etc.
More than 1000 bird species have been estimated to exist in the park.
Birds reported for the lowland rainforest in the park include: the
great tinamou,
Spix's guan, the
rufescent tiger-heron
The rufescent tiger heron (''Tigrisoma lineatum'') is a species of heron in the family Ardeidae. It is found in wetlands from Central America through much of South America.
Taxonomy
The rufescent tiger heron was described by the French polyma ...
, the
blue-and-yellow macaw
The blue-and-yellow macaw (''Ara ararauna''), also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large South American parrot with mostly blue top parts and light orange underparts, with gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the la ...
, the
silvery grebe
The silvery grebe (''Podiceps occipitalis'') is a species of grebe in the family Podicipedidae. It is found in the western and southern part of South America at altitudes of up to . Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes but it also feeds in sa ...
, the
harpy eagle
The harpy eagle (''Harpia harpyja'') is a neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea harpy eagle or Papuan harpy eagle. It is th ...
, the
long-billed starthroat
The long-billed starthroat (''Heliomaster longirostris'') is a species of hummingbird in the "mountain gems", tribe Lampornithini in subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Mexico, Central America, Trinidad, and all but the four southernmost count ...
, the
snowy egret
The snowy egret (''Egretta thula'') is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, , which is a diminutive of , 'heron'. The species name ''thula'' is the Araucano term for the black-necked swan, ap ...
, the
king vulture
The king vulture (''Sarcoramphus papa'') is a large bird found in Central and South America. It is a member of the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Me ...
, the
scarlet macaw
The scarlet macaw (''Ara macao'') is a large red, yellow, and blue Central and South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. It is native to humid evergreen forests of the Neotropics. Its range extends from ...
, the
roseate spoonbill
The roseate spoonbill (''Platalea ajaja'') is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America.
Taxonomy
The roseate spoonbill is sometimes placed in its o ...
, the
blue-crowned trogon
The blue-crowned trogon (''Trogon curucui'') is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. As with all trogons, this species is sexual ...
, the
turquoise tanager
The turquoise tanager (''Tangara mexicana'') is a medium-sized passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is a resident bird from Trinidad, much of Brazil (despite its scientific name, it is not found in Mexico), Colombia and Venezuela ...
, the
Amazonian pygmy owl
The Amazonian pygmy owl (''Glaucidium hardyi''), also known as Hardy’s pygmy owl, is an owl found in northern South America and the Amazon Basin. A member of the Strigidae family, it is a true owl.
Taxonomy
The Amazonian pygmy owl is a me ...
, the
blue-headed parrot, etc.
Birds present in the mountain zones in the park include: the
Andean tinamou
The Andean tinamou (''Nothoprocta pentlandii'') is a tinamou, found commonly in high-altitude shrubland, in the Andes of South America.Clements, J. (2007)
Taxonomy
All tinamou are from the family Tinamidae, and in the larger scheme are also rati ...
, the
great horned owl
The great horned owl (''Bubo virginianus''), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air"), or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extr ...
, the
torrent duck
The torrent duck (''Merganetta armata'') is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is the only member of the genus ''Merganetta''. It is placed in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae after the " perching duck" assemblage to which ...
, the
yellow-billed pintail
The yellow-billed pintail (''Anas georgica'') is a South American dabbling duck of the genus ''Anas'' with three described subspecies.
Taxonomy
The yellow-billed pintail was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich ...
, the
amethyst-throated sunangel, the
Andean guan, the
puna ibis, the
golden-collared tanager, the
Andean condor
The Andean condor (''Vultur gryphus'') is a giant South American Cathartid vulture and is the only member of the genus ''Vultur''. Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, the Andean condor is the larg ...
, the
collared inca, the
solitary eagle
The solitary eagle or montane solitary eagle (''Buteogallus solitarius'') is a large Neotropical eagle. It is also known as the black solitary eagle.
Range and habitat
The solitary eagle is native to Mexico and Central and South America. It i ...
, the
Andean cock-of-the-rock
The Andean cock-of-the-rock (''Rupicola peruvianus''), also known as ''tunki'' ( Quechua), is a large passerine bird of the cotinga family native to Andean cloud forests in South America. It is widely regarded as the national bird of Peru. It ...
, the
mountain caracara
The mountain caracara (''Phalcoboenus megalopterus''), (Spanish: corequenque) is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found in puna and páramo in the Andes, ranging from northern Ecuador, through Peru and Bolivia, to northe ...
, the
mitred parakeet, the
sapphire-vented puffleg, the
giant hummingbird
The giant hummingbird (''Patagona gigas'') is the only member of the genus ''Patagona'' and the largest member of the hummingbird family, weighing and having a wingspan of approximately and length of . This is approximately the same length as ...
, etc.
The 155 amphibian species found in the park include: ''
Atelopus erythropus,
Bolitoglossa altamazonica,
Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata
''Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata'', also known as the dotted humming frog, is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland ...
,
Dendropsophus acreanus
''Dendropsophus acreanus'' (common name: Acre treefrog) is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is found in western Brazil (in Acre and Amazonas states), northeastern Bolivia, and southeastern Peru
, image_flag = Flag ...
,
Dendropsophus koechlini,
Dendropsophus rhodopeplus,
Hyalinobatrachium bergeri
''Hyalinobatrachium bergeri'' is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is found on the Amazonian slopes of Andes between the Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia, and Cusco Region, Peru, at elevations of above sea level
Height above ...
,
Leptodactylus didymus,
Oreobates cruralis,
Oscaecilia bassleri,
Pipa pipa,
Pristimantis buccinator,
Pristimantis cosnipatae,
Pristimantis danae,
Pristimantis olivaceus,
Rhinella veraguensis,
Telmatobius timens,'' etc.

There are 132 species of reptiles in the park including: the
spectacled caiman, the
black caiman
The black caiman (''Melanosuchus niger'') is a species of large crocodilian and is the largest species of the family Alligatoridae. It is a carnivorous reptile that lives along slow-moving rivers, lakes, seasonally flooded savannas of the Amaz ...
, the
northern caiman lizard
The northern caiman lizard (''Dracaena guianensis'') is a species of lizard found in northern South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small ...
, the
mata mata
Matamata () is a town in Waikato, New Zealand. It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata-Piako District, which takes ...
, the
boa
Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...
, the
shushupe, the
green anaconda
The green anaconda (''Eunectes murinus''), also known as the giant Emerald anaconda, common anaconda, common water boa or sucuri, is a boa species found in South America. It is the heaviest and one of the longest known extant snake species. Li ...
, the
tree boa, the
yellow-spotted river turtle
The yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (''Podocnemis unifilis''), also known commonly as the yellow-headed sideneck turtle and the yellow-spotted river turtle, and locally as the taricaya, is one of the largest South American river turtles. It ...
, the
lancehead
''Bothrops'' is a genus of highly venomous pit vipers endemic to Central and South America.McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1''. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp ...
, the
aquatic coral snake
The aquatic coral snake (''Micrurus surinamensis'') is a semiaquatic species of coral snake in the family Elapidae found in northern South America.
Common names
Known as Cobra coral, Coral de agua, Coral acuatica venezolana (For ''Micrurus nat ...
, etc.
In addition, 210 species of fish, 300 species of ants, 650 species of beetles, 136 species of dragonflies and more than 1300 species of butterflies have been reported in the park so far.
Anthropology
Among the
native peoples living inside the park are:
Yora,
Mashco-Piro,
Matsiguenka,
Harakmbut and
Yine; plus other human groups living in voluntary isolation.
Events
There are five areas open to tourists where local biodiversity can be watched along paths, swamps,
oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are cal ...
s and river shores.
In the lower basin of Manu river there are also: 5 camping sites, 4
viewing point
A scenic viewpoint – also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, lookout, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc. – is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often w ...
s (one of them an 18 m tower), 3 lodges and a
canopy walkway
Canopy walkways - also called canopy walks, treetop walks or treetop walkways - provide pedestrian access to a forest canopy. Early walkways consisted of bridges between trees in the canopy of a forest; mostly linked up with platforms inside o ...
.
Scientific research is also done at the park, with many research centers in or around the area.
See also
*
Petroglyphs of Pusharo
Bibliography
External links
Official UNESCO website entryThe Living Edens: ManuCocha Cashu Biological StationFrogs of Acjanaco, Manu National Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manu National Park
Geography of Madre de Dios Region
Biosphere reserves of Peru
National parks of Peru
World Heritage Sites in Peru
Protected areas established in 1973
Geography of Cusco Region
Tourist attractions in Madre de Dios Region
Tourist attractions in Cusco Region