Animals Found in Chile

Chile is a country found in South America. This country is composed of a wide range of plants and animals that are distributed in a wide range of altitudes and latitudes. The common animals that are found in this country include the Andean condor, humpback whales, elephant seals, penguins, guanaco, and more. Below is a brief description of some of these animals.

Andean condor

The Andean condor is classified under the New World Vulture family, of which there are seven species. The Andean condor is the largest known flying bird in the entire world. They have a wingspan of around 3.3 meters, which is more than the total wingspans of four water birds and seabirds combined. The diet of this bird is mostly comprised of carrions. Therefore, it is classified as a scavenger bird. Due to the dominance of this species in Chile, it has been made a national symbol of this country and other countries in South America such as Argentina, Bolivia, and Colombia.

Humpback whales

Chile has a rich selection of marine wildlife, which makes sense given the country's extensive coastline. Dolphins and whales are the most dominant species in this coastline. The size of the humpback whales slightly varies with the female species being a bit larger than the males.

Monito del Monte

The monito del Monte is a small marsupial animal that is native to the most extreme southwestern sections of South America. This bizarre but endearing species feasts on fruit and insects and prefers to live in the trees of the rainforest. They prefer to make their nests out of colihue leaves.

Pudú

A pudú is the world's smallest type of deer. These small creatures generally measured between 32 and 44 centimeters (13 to 17 inches). There are two different species of pudú, known as the northern pudú and the southern pudú. Both species prefer to make their homes in temperate rainforests.

Humboldt Squid

The Humboldt Squid is one of the largest squids in the world. Although the squid is known for its aggressive tendencies, it has been suggested that Humboldt Squid only prey on humans at feeding time. The squid is found in the waters outside of Chile, around 200 to 700 m (600 to 2,300 ft) below sea level.

Penguins

Penguins are a group of birds that live near water bodies. These species are mostly found in in the Southern Hemisphere with only the Galapagos Penguins found in the northern parts of the equator. The essential penguin colonies in Chile are located on the Island of Magdalena, Seno Otway and in Chile. The penguins are carnivorous feeding mostly on krill, fish, and squid.

Elephant seals

Elephant seals are oceanic earless seals that belong to the genus Mirounga. The elephant seals are known to spend most of their lives in water. However, they can be found on land sunbathing while sliding on rocks.The elephant seals are carnivorous that mostly feed on fish and squid. They are characterized by large volumes of blood; this factor makes them able to hold a large capacity of oxygen when they are diving into the waters

Guanaco

The Guanaco in Chile lives in the mountainous regions of this country. This species is native to South America, and it is commonly found in Bolivia, Peru and some parts of Paraguay. In Chile, this species is mostly found in the Patagonian regions and the national park of Chile known as Torres del ark. Despite being considered as wild animals, there have been attempts to domesticate this species. The guanaco species are herbivore in nature feeding mostly on plants.