After attending the PRIMO 14 conference on the Santa Catarina Island near Florianópolis in Southern Brazil, I traveled with a friend to the Pantanal region. We flew from Florianópolis via São Paulo to Cuiabá. Cuiabá is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. It serves as the Geographical Centre of South America and forms the metropolitan area of the state, along with the neighboring town of Várzea Grande, with a joint population of about 1 million.
After being picked up at the airport, we traveled south from Cuiabá through Pocone and onto the Transpantaneira road to Pousada Piuval in the Pantanal, where we spent a few nights. Here we went for some hikes, did horseback riding, went on a piranha fishing trip and had a driving night safari along the Transpantaneira road. Thereafter we traveled to Pousada Canto do Arancuã (looks like it is closed now) for another few nights. At the second lodge we did horseback riding, went for a fishing trip in a nearby river, and a hike in one evening. After the Pantanal floodplains, we headed back to Cuiabá and north to Chapada dos Guimarães, a small town situated 62 km north of Cuiabá. Outside this town is the geographic center of South America. Here we stayed one night at Hotel Turismo. Chapada dos Guimarães municipality is home to the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, and we visited this park the final day.
The Pantanal region is world famous for it's rich wildlife, especially for the bird fauna. Pantanal is covering an area with a size of about half of France, with vast wetland and marsh habitats. Roughly 80% of the Pantanal floodplains are submerged under water in the wet season. The Pantanal ecosystem is home to some 463 bird species, 269 fish species, more than 236 mammalian species, 141 reptile and amphibian species, and over 9,000 subspecies of invertebrates. In addition, approximately 2,000 different plants have been identified in the Pantanal ecosystem. More information about Pantanal can be found at here. A trip to Pantanal is highly recommended.
Werner Piper, Germany, is thanked for help with naming the dragonfly species.
The Pantanal team
Cuiabá, the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso
Church in Pocone (Cidade de Poconé)
Transpantaneira road through the Pantanal
Pousada Piuval entrance road - Estr. Transpantaneira - Zona Rural, Poconé - State of Mato Grosso, Brazil
Pousada Piuval, Pantanal, Brazil
Pousada Piuval floodplain
Flooded Pantanal landscape
Stream near Pousada Piuval
Pousada Piuval
Pousada Piuval
Horseback riding at Pousada Piuval
Horseback riding at Pousada Piuval
Comparing teeth. With meat as bait, we caught plenty of piranha
Prianha fishing trip
There are three species of piranha in Pantanal. This is the Red-bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)
We were accompanied by four British medical students at both lodges
Striated Heron (Butorides striatus)
Jabiru Stork (Jabiru maguari)
The largest toucan species, the Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco albogularis)
Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacintinus)
Nest of the Crested Oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus)
Jabiru Stork nest
Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona)
Buff-necked Ibis (Theristicus caudatus)
Blue-crowned Motmot, now called Amazonian Motmot (Momotus momota)
Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani)
Chalk-browed Mockingbird (Mimus saturninus)
Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi)
Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima)
Southern Caracara (Caracara plancus)
Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis)
Snail Kite
Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)
Monk Parakeet
Peach-fronted Parakeet (Aratinga aurea)
Guira Cuckoo (Guira guira)
Campo Flicker (Colaptes campestris)
Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
Two cuckoos, the Guira Cuckoo and the Smooth-billed Ani
Maybe an Amazon Lava Lizard (Tropidurus torquatus)
Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola)
Plumbeous Ibis (Theristicus acudatus)
Poor image of a Pale-crested Woodpecker (Celeus lugubris)
Common Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
Yucare Caiman (Caiman yucare)
Yucare Caiman youngster
Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus)
Rufescent Tiger-heron (Tigrisoma lineatum)
Night-safari - Poor photo of a Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus)
Azara's Agouti (Dasyprocta azarae)
Night-safari - Southern Tamandua, also called Collared Anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla)
Night-safari - Southern Tamandua
Black-striped Capuchin (Sapajus libidinosus)
Pantanal is home to three species of capuchin monkeys. I think this is the Black-striped Capuchin
Black-striped Capuchin monkey
Termite "highways" on a tree)
Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)
Night-safari - Capybara
Nandu or Greater Rhea (Rhea americana)
Great Kiskadee (Philohydor lictor)
Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana)
Purplish Jay (Cyanocorax cyanomelas)
Savannah Hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis)
Fly-fishing, Pousada Canto do Arancuã
Pousada Canto do Arancuã
Maybe Amazon Freshwater Crab (Dilocarcinus pagei)
Fishing expedition, at Pousada Canto do Arancuã
Pousada Canto do Arancuã
Flyfishing in a river near Pousada Canto do Arancuã
Rowing boat trip
Catch of the day, an Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus)
Pantanal river
Termit team out bush-walking
Maybe Inga edulis, known as ice cream-bean
Transpantaneira waterhole, with beer and coconut
Transpantaneira roadside restaurant
Oversized bug, a Giant Water Bug (Lethocerus maximus), one of the world's largest insects, Pantanal
Orthemis discolor, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park
Erythrodiplax male dragonfly, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park
Erythrodiplax female, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park
Tableland landscape, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park
Véu da Noiva waterfall in Chapada dos Guimarães National Park
Chapada dos Guimarães National Park
Chapada dos Guimarães National Park
A Argante Giant Sulphur (Phoebis argante) butterfly, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park
Cachoeira Dos Namorados, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park
Maybe a Cururu Toad (Rhinella diptycha) in Pantanal
South American Coati (Nasua nasua), Campeche Island (Ilha do Campeche)
Common name |
Scientific name |
|
| Fisher Bat | Noctilionidae leporinus | |
| Bat species | ||
| Black Howler Monkey | Allouatta caraya | |
| Black-capped Capuchin Monkey | Cebus apella | |
| Marmoset Monkey | Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea | |
| Collared Anteater | Tamandua tetradactyla | |
| South American Coati | Nasua nasua | |
| Squirrels | ||
| Pampas Deer | Ozotocerus bezoarticus | |
| Red-brocket Deer | Mazama americana | |
| Capybara | Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris | |
| Brazilian Rabbit | Sylvilagus brasiliensis |
Common name |
Scientific name |
|
| Caiman | Cayman crocodilus yacare | |
| Collared Lizard | Tropidurus torquatus | |
| Iguana | ||
| Toads | ||
| Treefrogs | ||
| Snake unidentified |
Preliminary bird list - Santa Catarina Island (SCI) and Pantanal (P)
Common name |
Scientific name |
| Greater Rhea | Rhea americana |
| Neotropic Cormorant (P) | Phalacrocorax olivaceus |
| American Anhinga (P) | Anhinga anhinga |
| Cocoi Heron (P) | Ardea cocoi |
| Great Egret (P) | Ardea alba |
| Snowy Egret (P) | Egretta thula |
| Capped Heron (P) | Pilherodius pileatus |
| Cattle Egret (P) | Bubulcus ibis |
| Rufescent Tiger-heron (P) | Tigrisoma lineatum |
| Fasciated Tiger-heron (P) | Tigrisoma fasciatum |
| Whistling Heron (P) | Syrigma sibilatrix |
| Striated Heron (P) | Butorides striatus |
| Black-crowned Night-heron (P) | Nycticorax nicticorax |
| Little Blue Heron (P) | Egretta caerulea |
| Limkin (P) | Aramus guarauna |
| Jabiru Stork (P) | Jabiru mycvteria |
| American Wood Stork (P) | Mycteria americana |
| Plumbeous Ibis (P) | Theristicus acudatus |
| Buff-necked Ibis (P) | Theristicus caerulescens |
| Bare-faced Ibis (P) | Phimosus infuscatus |
| Green Ibis (P) | Mesembrinibis cayennensis |
| Roseate Spoonbill (P) | Platalea ajaja |
| Southern Screamer (P) | Chauna torquata |
| Black-bellied Whistling Duck (P) | Dendrocygna autumnalis |
| Brazilian Duck (P) | Amazonetta brasiliensis |
| Black Vulture (SCI, P) | Coragypus atratus |
| Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (P) | Cathartes burrovianus |
| Turkey Vulture (SCI, P) | Cathartes aura |
| Snail Kite (P) | Rosthramus sociabilis |
| Black-collared Hawk (P) | Busarellus nigricollis |
| Savannah Hawk (P) | Heterospizias meridionalis |
| Black Hawk-Eagle (P) | Spizaetus tyrannus |
| Southern Caracara (P) | Polyborus plancus |
| Yellow-headed Caracara (P) | Milvago chimachima |
| Roadside Hawk (P) | Buteo magnirostris |
| Bat Falcon (P) | Falco rufigularis |
| Spix 's Guan (P) | Penelope superficiliaris |
| Blue-throated Piping Guan ( (P) | Pipile cumanensis |
| Chaco Chachalaca (P) | Ortalis canicollis |
| Rusty-margined Guan (P) | Penelope superciliaris |
| Bare-faced Curassow (P) | Crax fasciolata |
| Grey-necked Wood Rail (P) | Aramides cajaneus |
| White-backed Stilt (P) | Himantopus melanurus |
| Red-legged Seriema (P) | Cariama cristata |
| Wattled Jacana (P) | Jacana jacana |
| Southern Lapwing (P) | Vanellus chilensis |
| Pied Lapwing (P) | Hoploxypterus cayanus |
| White-tipped Dove (P) | Leptotila verreauxi |
| Scaled Dove (P) | Columbina squammata |
| Ruddy Ground Dove ( (P) | Columbina talpacoti |
| Picazuro Pigeon (P) | Patagioenas picazuro |
| Blue and Yellow Macaw (P) | Ara ararauna |
| Red and Green Macaw (P) | Ara chloropterus |
| Hyacinth Macaw (P) | Anodorhynchus hyacintinus |
| Peach-fronted Parakeet | Aratinga aurea |
| Turquoise-fronted Parrot (P) | Amazona aestiva |
| Monk Parakeet (P) | Myiopsitta monachus |
| Smooth-billed Ani (P) | Crotophaga ani |
| Guira Cockoo (P) | Guira guira |
| Squirrel Cuckoo (P) | Piaya cayana |
| Burrowing Owl (P) | Speotyto cubicularia |
| Nacunda Nighthawk (P) | Chordeiles nacunda |
| Common Potoo (P) | Nyctibius griseus |
| Ringed Kingfisher (P) | Ceryle torquata |
| Amazon Kingfisher (P) | Chloroceryle amazonia |
| Green Kingfisher (P) | Chloroceryle americana |
| Black-fronted Nunbird (P) | Monasa nigrifrons |
| Toco Toucan (P) | Ramphastos toco |
| Amazonian Motmot (P) | Momotus momota |
| Rufous-capped Motmot (P) | Baryphthengus ruficapillus |
| Chestnut-eared Aracari (P) | Pteroglossus castanotis |
| Campo Flicker (P) | Colaptes camestris |
| Pale-crested Woodpecker (P) | Celeus lugubris |
| White Woodpecker (P) | Melanerpes candidus |
| Narrow-billed Woodcreaper (P) | Lepidocolaptes angustirostris |
| Rufous Cacholote (P) | Pseudoseisura cristata |
| Mato Grosso Antbird (P) | Cercomacra melanaria |
| Great Kiskadee (SCI,P) | Pitangus sulphuratus |
| Lesser Kiskadee (P) | Pitangus lictor |
| Purplish Jay (P) | Cyanocorax cyanomelas |
| Scarlet-headed Blackbird (P) | Amblyramphus holosericeus |
| Crested Oropendola (P) | Psarocolius decumanus |
| Red-crested Cardinal (P) | Paroaria coronata |
| Yellow-billed Cardinal (P) | Paroaria capitata |
| Saffron Finch (P) | Sicalis flaveola |
| Wren species? (P) | |
| Brown Booby (SCI) | Sula leucogaster |
| Chalk-browed Mockingbird (P) | Mimus saturninus |
| White-winged Swallow (P) | Tachycineta albiventer |
| Magnificent Frigatebird (SCI) | Fregata magnificens |
| Kelp Gull (SCI) | Larus dominicanus |
| Giant Cowbird (P) | Molothrus oryzivorus |
| South American Tern (SCI) | Sterna hirundinacea |
| American Oystercatcher (SCI) | Haematopus palliatus |
Pantanal region near Cuiabá