Paraguay: Enigmatic Wildlife Tour (EWT)

​The semiarid lowland dry forests of  the Chaco Forest are home to the highest mammal diversity in Paraguay. The Chaco’s name is derived from the Quechua word chaqu, which translates to “hunting land”. While we will be doing a much different type of “hunting”, the name is a testament to the incredible diversity and density of mammals. The dry and thorny vegetated forests here help reveal enigmatic species. Throughout the tour we will use several mammal watching techniques which can vary from night drives and walks, hiking local trails, or waiting at mineral deposits and waterholes in hides. An estimated 150 mammal species live here with some of the highlights being Azara’s Night Monkey, Geoffroy’s Cat, Giant Anteater, Lowland Tapir, Black-and-Gold Howler Monkey, Plains Viscacha, Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunk and Pampas Fox. The bird diversity is also attractive with over 450 species recorded. While our main focus will be mammals, we will also be able to spend some time birding and targeting some local species. Highlights may include Black-legged Seriema, Greater Rhea, Chaco Owl, Chaco Puffbird, Many-colored Chaco Finch, Southern Screamer and Chaco Chachalaca. For admirers of other types of wildlife there are over 3,000 species of plants, over 200 species of reptiles and amphibians, and countless insects and other invertebrates.