Peru has an enormous variety of wildlife. The coastal waters and offshore islands support gulls, terns, albatrosses, petrels, skuas, and pelicans. Sea lions and many kinds of birds, including Humboldt penguins, can be seen on the Ballestas Islands off the southern coast.

Peruvian ocean waters abound in anchovy, pilchard, haddock, sole, mackerel, smelt, flounder, lobster, shrimp, and other marine species. The fish are preyed upon by millions of birds. The ecological balance of life offshore is periodically upset when warm equatorial water displaces the cooler waters of the Peru Current. When this phenomenon, known as El Niño, occurs, the fish migrate and many birds perish.

At the same time, tremendous clouds build up over the ocean and bring torrential rains to the coastal desert.

The coastal plain has little wildlife except for lizards, insects, tarantulas, scorpions, and visiting seabirds. In the sierra are found the llama, alpaca, vicuña, chinchilla, and guanaco. In addition to being a beast of burden, the llama furnishes wool for clothing and blankets. The alpaca and vicuña also provide wool. Birds of the sierra region include the giant condor, phoebe, flycatcher, finch, partridge, duck, and goose.

Animals of Peru. travelphoto.net

Lake Titicaca and other sierran bodies of water teem with fish. Animals of the tropical montaña include the jaguar, cougar (see puma), armadillo, peccary, tapir, anteater, several dozen species of monkey, caiman, turtle, and a variety of snakes and insects; among the birds are the parrot, the flamingo, and other tropical species. Encarta