Wildlife at the Lalo Loor Reserve

Birds

There is excellent birding along the entrance road, the self-guided nature trail, and along the stream, with a chance of seeing several rare species including the Red-Masked Parakeet, Pale-browed Tinamou, and the Little Woodstar hummingbird. The endangered Gray-backed Hawk can often be seen circling overhead. Other species of note that are commonly observed in the reserve include Guayaquil Woodpecker, Pacific Royal-Flycatcher, and the Rufous-headed Chachalaca.

Mammals

The Lalo Loor Dry Forest Reserve provides a refuge for populations of many mammals characteristic of the region. Troops of Mantled Howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) are commonly encountered, as they feast on the reserve’s many fig trees. The occidental variety of Ecuadorian White-fronted Capuchin monkeys (Cebus albifrons aequatorialis) are present in the forest, where they actively leap through the canopy in search of fruits and insects. Peccary, jaguarundi, tamandua (anteater) and ocelot have been seen within the reserve.

Amphibians

Although the reserve is dominated by dry, deciduous forest, it harbors an astonishing variety of amphibians. This diversity is due in part to our proximity to the wet and hyper-diverse Chocó forests of Ecuador’s northwest, and in part to the year-round stream that flows through the heart of the reserve. The humid forest habitat clustered around the El Tillo stream-bed is home to many frogs and toads, most common among them being the little Colostethus machalilla. Even when the long dry season has reduced the stream to a trickle, one can still find frogs along its banks; when the rains return in January these frogs anxiously begin seeking mates, calling furiously both night and day.

Reptiles

Dry forests, with their many rainless months, are much more easily tolerated by reptiles, whose hard-shelled eggs and dry skin confers an advantage over their amphibian cousins. The Lalo Loor Reserve is rich in lizards, including several geckos, and has a diverse snake community. One should be cautious approaching any snake: poisonous snakes are found in the reserve, primarily the Fer-de-Lance (Bothrops atrox); however, these snakes generally are passive and lethargic, and do not pose a risk to visitors if left alone.