Below you can find a complete list of French Guianese animals. We currently track 244 animals in French Guiana and are adding more every day!
With a coast on the North Atlantic Ocean and borders shared to the west with Suriname and to the south and east with Brazil, French Guiana enjoys a tropical rainforest climate that supports many unique species of wildlife. These include 177 kinds of mammals, 700 kinds of birds, and nearly 500 kinds of fish, some of which are only found in French Guiana. There are also 109 types of amphibians.
The Official National Animal of French Guiana
The national animal of French Guiana is the deer. It is most likely the brocket deer, a small deer that lives in the forests of French Guiana. It is rather unique for an animal because its genus name, Mazama doesn’t come from Latin or Greek, but from the Nahuatl word for “deer.” Brocket is an English word for a young male deer whose antlers haven’t yet branched out. Brocket deer are crucial for dispersing seeds around the Amazon river’s ecosystem. There are about 10 species of brocket deer, though this is controversial.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in French Guiana
One of the most famous places to find wildlife in French Guiana is the Amana Nature Reserve. This reserve is on the coast and is where leatherbacks and other marine turtles haul out to lay their eggs. Other national parks are Ile du Grand Connétable, La Trinité, Lucifer-Dékou-Dékou, which is an integral state biological reserve, Marais de Kaw-Roura and Nouragues.
The Most Dangerous Animals In French Guiana Today
- Jaguar. Though attacks on humans are rare, this beautiful but dangerous cat, the third largest behind the lion and the tiger, has been known to kill humans.
- Great white shark. This shark can grow to 20 feet long and weigh over a ton. If a person is going to suffer a serious or even fatal shark attack, the great white is most likely the culprit.
- Common lancehead. Also called, mistakenly, the fer-de-lance, this snake is highly venomous, irritable, and unpredictable. If it occupies the same territory as other poisonous snakes, it will be the one that causes most of the serious snakebites.
- Black caiman. Though most types of caiman are not that dangerous to humans, the black caiman is an exception. Males can grow longer than 13 feet and can be aggressive. There were 43 black caiman attacks on humans between 2008 and 2013, and a handful of them was fatal.
Endangered Animals In French Guiana
- West Indian manatee. These aquatic mammals found in French Guyana’s rivers, wetlands, and off its coasts are vulnerable to going extinct. The West Indian manatee is the largest of the manatees who are still extant.
- Giant armadillo. This animal of the genus Priodontes is also vulnerable.
- Sea turtles. Both the leatherback and the green sea turtle are endangered, and the Hawksbill sea turtle is critically in danger of going extinct in the near future. The Olive Ridley sea turtle and the loggerhead sea turtle are both vulnerable to going extinct.
- Blue whale. This marine mammal, the largest creature on earth at as much as 99 feet long, is endangered.
- Parrots. Several kinds of French Guianan parrots are in danger of going extinct. They are the yellow-crowned parrot, the blue and yellow macaw, the blue-headed parrot, the chestnut-fronted macaw, the red and green macaw, the red fan parrot, and the black-headed parrot. The scarlet macaw is vulnerable.
French Guianese Animals
The agouti is one of the only animals that can crack open Brazil nut pods!
These parrots can be trained to be "talking birds" that mimic human speech
They use their bright royal-looking crests during mating season
They are the heaviest snake in the world
Their name means snake bird
First evolved 100 million years ago!
Has the longest tongue of any animal in relation to its body size!
Can curl into a hard, protective ball!
They are so named because they "march" in armies of worms from one crop to another in search of food
There are over 1768 known species!
Found everywhere around the world!
Older offspring help care for new hatchlings.
Detects prey using echolocation!
There are 8 different species!
Bed bugs feed for 4-12 minutes.
Rock paintings of bees date back 15,000 years
There are more than 350,000 different species
Not all birds are able to fly!
The biscuit beetle form a symbiotic relationship with yeast
They have bright pink bills.
They typically prey on insects!
They are the only songbird in North America with an orange throat!
They travel and forage in pairs or groups
One of the most colorful members of the genus Acanthurus
“Mild-Mannered Minimonsters”
Can live its entire life indoors
Bush dogs have webbed toes to help them swim.
There are thought to be up 17,500 species!
Some species' babies use their hooked or scraper-like teeth to peel off and eat their mother's skin
Can grow to up 6 meters long!
Caiman lizards are among the largest lizards.
The camel crickets that are found in the USA are light brown in color. They also have dark streaks all over their body.
Excellent at both diving and swimming
Carpenter ants can lift up to seven times their own weight with their teeth!
May have been domesticated up to 10,000 years ago.
The larvae of a moth or butterfly!
There are nearly 3,000 different species!
There are about 3,000 documented species!
First domesticated more than 10,000 years ago!
There are more than 2 000 known species!
Found in dense forests and wet jungles!
Dated to be around 300 million years old!
Pupae are able to undergo diapause to survive poor fruit yield years and winter.
Form bands of up to 12 individuals!
The common furniture beetle feeds exclusively on wood
House spiders have the ability to eat most insects in a home.
There are over 80 species of coral snake worldwide.
They can fly 35 mph and dive 150 feet below water.
There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!
There are 93 different crab groups
The crab-eating fox is extremely adaptable, living in all sorts of habitats and eating almost any available food.
Crab Spiders can mimic ants or bird droppings
Male crickets can produce sounds by rubbing their wings together
Have changed little in 200 million years!
Crocodylomorphs include extinct ancient species as well as 26 living species today.
A group of these birds is called a Murder.
One of the only schooling Cichlids!
First domesticated in South-East Asia!
Dog ticks feed on dogs and other mammals
First domesticated 5,000 years ago!
It's larvae are carnivorous!
The most popular species of feeder roach
Rows of tiny plates line their teeth!
The dung beetle can push objects many times its own weight
The Dusky Shark sometimes eats trash discarded by humans.
Some species can change color from dark to light, and back again.
Has exceptional eyesight!
They are hermaphrodites, which means they have male and female organs
There are nearly 2,000 different species!
They can live up to 9 years.
Eels can be a mere few inches long to 13 feet!
Despite its powerful shock, electric eels have terrible vision.
Their teeth are as long as a fully-grown reticulated python
The fastest creatures on the planet!
False spiders actually prey on black widow spiders and other hazardous spiders
The Most Dangerous Snake in the Americas
The firefly produces some of the most efficient light in the world
Adult fleas can jump up to 7 inches in the air
There are more than 240,000 different species!
Can glide up to 90 meters!
There are around 7,000 different species!
Fruit flies are among the most common research animals in the world
There are thought to be over 2,000 species!
The most common type of urban roach
Armadillos have a smell that’s described as strong, sweet and acrid.
Found inhabiting dense woodland and caves!
Males form large mating swarms at dusk
There are 11,000 known species!
At night, they make a terrifying low call that sounds like a distressed moan or growl.
Females are often five times longer than males.
Natively found in the Andes Mountain range!
Also known as the Millionfish!
One of the most invasive species in the world
Able to run as quickly backwards as forwards!
Can reach speeds of over 50 mph!
Talon's the size of a grizzly bear's claws!
Their vision is eight times better than a human's
Many hawk moth caterpillars eat toxins from plants, but don’t sequester them the way milkweed butterflies do. Most toxins are excreted.
Parents and their young sing sweetly to each other
This dynastine scarab beetle makes a weird huffing sound when it’s disturbed.
Inhabits wetlands around the world!
There are only 8 recognized species!
Natively found in South America!
Has evolved over 50 million years!
Horseflies have been seen performing Immelmann turns, much like fighter jets.
The wren’s epithet, aedon, comes from a Greek queen who accidentally killed her only son. She was actually aiming for her nephew, and Zeus took pity on her and turned her into a nightingale.
Spends 80% of it's time resting!
Thought to have orignated 200,000 years ago!
Beat their wings up to 80 times per second!
Some huntsman spiders have an interesting way of moving around. Some cartwheel while others do handsprings or backflips.
Found in swamps, marshes and wetlands!
Uses visual signals to communicate!
The first IMG boa was born in a litter of anerythristic boas.
There are an estimated 30 million species!
The jacana has the ability to swim underwater
One of the biggest species in the Caranx genus
The largest feline on the American continent!
Some can jump 50 times the length of their bodies
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!
The kinkajou is a nimble forest-dwelling mammal of Central and South America.
There are more than 5,000 species worldwide!
Lipstick albino boas are a designer morph that you'll only find from breeders.
There are around 5,000 different species!
Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day.
Only females have the ‘lone star’ marking
The largest species of parrot in the world!
Will only live in wet areas
Margays are one of the world’s most highly adapted cat species for climbing trees!
Produces a toxin used in arrow darts!
There are 2,500 known species worldwide!
They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.
Some species have a poisonous bite!
Mockingbirds are incredible mimics that can learn hundreds of songs!
Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!
Adult Mole crickets may fly as far as 5 miles during mating season and are active most of the year.
Known for their calm and peaceful nature!
During migration, Monarch Butterflies may travel 250 or more miles each day.
Has characteristics of two or more breeds!
There are around 260 known species!
Feeds on aquatic insects and water-spiders!
Collectors prize them for their bright wings
Only the female mosquito actually sucks blood
There are 250,000 different species!
Has no real natural predators!
Found on every continent on Earth!
The offspring of a horse and donkey parents!
Unlike most duck species, the Muscovy is silent and only makes noise when excited or threatened.
Nematodes range in size from 1/10 of an inch to 28 feet long
There are more than 5,000 species.
Also known as the Painted Leopard!
Females are about four times the size of males
The Oscar fish has teeth in its throat!
There are 13 different species worldwide
The owl can rotate its head some 270 degrees
Prefers to hunt at night than during the day!
Can live for up to 100 years!
Parrotlets aren't the world's tiniest parrot — that would be the pygmy parrot of Australasia.
Peacock bass is known for their aggressive behavior and predatory instincts, making them a challenging target for sport fishermen.
Females lay between 8 and 12 eggs per clutch!
They can find their way back to their nests from up to 1300 miles away.
Pit vipers's fangs fold up into their mouths when they don't need them.
The male broods the eggs and baby fish in his mouth.
Inhabits the jungles of Central and South America!
There are 30 different species worldwide!
The mantis can turn its head 180 degrees.
Has longer back legs than front legs!
Inhabits woodland and forest areas worldwide!
The tail feathers of the male can be 1m long!
Known to wash their food before eating it!
The rainbow boa is named for its iridescent skin that refracts light and creates a rainbow-colored effect.
Omnivores that eat anything!
Rat snakes are constrictors from the Colubridae family of snakes.
Rattlesnakes may have evolved their rattle to warn bison away from them.
Male and female Red-Footed Tortoises move their heads to communicate.
Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!
The capybara, the world’s largest rodent, likes to be in and around bodies of water. Because of this, the Catholic Church in South America decided that it was a fish, and people were allowed to eat it during Lent and First Fridays.
Will mate with the entire flock!
The only Spoonbill in the western hemisphere!
Canines up to 7 inches long!
Ferrets were used during the Revolutionary War to keep down the rat population.
There are more than 700 different species!
The sand crab burrows beneath the sand with its tail
Like many parrots, the scarlet macaw is capable of vocal mimicry.
There are around 2,000 known species!
Males give birth to up to 1,000 offspring!
Around 35 million in the English countryside!
The spinal column of the shrew Scutisorex somereni is so strong and reinforced that it can support the weight of an adult human.
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!
Closely related to the Piranha
Some skinks lay eggs in some habitats while giving birth to skinklets in other habitats.
Also known as the Polecat!
It's body temperature is between 30 - 34 degrees!
They glide around on one foot, which is aided by the slime they produce
Has up to 45 eggs per egg case
There are nearly 1,000 different species!
There are around 4,000 known species worldwide
There are 140 different species!
Belongs to the only family of primates in the world with full prehensile tails!
They prey on spiders to feed their larvae or they parasitize other spider wasps.
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 3,000 different species!
They can’t sing like other birds.
They remove bee stingers by rubbing them against a tree
Populations have been affected by pollution!
Most closely related to horses and rhinos!
Tarantula hawks are excellent pollinators, especially for milkweed.
Their mounds can be up to 9 meters tall!
Native to the freshwater streams of South America!
The American robin is called the robin because its red breast reminded European settlers of the robin back in the old country.
They inject hosts with a chemical that stops them from feeling the pain of the bite
The adult tiger beetle is one of the fastest land insects in the world
Can live until they are more than 150 years old!
There are more than 40 different species!
Found in warmer jungles and forests!
They are tame and easy to approach
Some species of aquatic turtles can get up to 70 percent of their oxygen through their butt.
Migrates up and down the mountains!
They make jerky movements as they walk through the grass, searching for food.
Have a heat sensor on the end of their nose!
A slender body and elongated snout give the vine snake a regal look.
Vinegaroons can spray 19 times before the glands are depleted
There are 30 different species worldwide!
There are around 75,000 recognised species!
They are typically noisy birds but take on a soft tone with their young.
Many whiptail species reproduce asexually.
There are two different types of white ferrets!
Although deer are herbivores, they will sometimes eat mice and birds when they can catch them.
Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.
Temperature determines the sex of turtle eggs
This animal can roll up into a ball
There are 200 different species!
Yellow, black and white striped fins!
French Guianese Animals List
Animals in French Guiana FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What animals do they hunt in French Guiana?
Animals that are hunted in French Guiana include the tapir, the agouti, peccaries, and brocket deer. People also hunt trumpet birds, the Penelope guan and doves. Crocodilians are hunted, as are iguanas. Primates that people hunt include spider monkeys, howler monkeys, tufted capuchins and tamarins.
What animals live in French Guiana?
Though French Guiana is a small country it is abundant in wildlife. Mammals include squirrels, monkeys, many species of bats, the capybara, unique for being the largest rodent in the world at about 4 feet long, 2 feet high at the shoulders and a weight between 77 to 146 pounds. Other mammals are opossums, porcupines, ocelots and a weasel-like animal called the tayra.
Marine mammals include dolphins, whales and manatees. The country has the river otter and the giant otter, anteaters, mice and rats, including the Trinidad Arboreal rice rat, agoutis and acouchis and a cottontail rabbit called the tapeti. Wild cats are the oncilla, the margay and the jaguarundi. There are also pumas, foxes and raccoons.
Birds found in French Guyana include parrots, many of whom have feathers in brilliant, primary colors and many of whom are threatened with extinction. Waterfowl such as egrets, ibises, anhinga, herons, and turnstones are to be found, as are songbirds such as the tropical kingbird, tanagers, ground doves, and the great kiskadee. Birds of prey include the roadside hawk, the black vulture, the black hawk-eagle, the harpy eagle, and the peregrine falcon, known for its great speed. Birds known for their unique and startling coloration besides the parrots include hummingbirds, the cock-of-the-rock, the toucan, tanagers, the blue dacnis, the purple honeycreeper, the Guiana toucanet, the spangled cotinga, the Amazonian motmot, the comb duck and the scarlet ibis.
Reptiles besides the caiman, sea turtles and lancehead include iguanas, anoles, the anaconda, geckos, vine snakes, thread snakes, and boa constrictors. Other reptiles include the Brazilian giant tortoise, skinks, worm lizards, and racerunners. The Amazonia mata mata, a huge and ugly turtle, also lives in the rivers, streams, and swamps of French Guiana. Amphibians include poison dart frogs, tree frogs and the cane toad. Glass frogs, whose underparts are transparent, also live in French Guiana. Other amphibians are caecilians, which look like snakes but are not.
Insects of French Guiana include grasshoppers and many types of butterflies and moths, including the gorgeous red peacock butterfly and Menelaus morpho butterfly. The country is also home to the bullet ant, whose bite is so painful it feels like being shot, hence its name. There’s also a tiny bug that looks made out of golden glitter called Agroiconota judaica. Spiders include the pinktoe tarantula, the Goliath birdeater, the pantropical huntsman spider and the Brazilian wandering spider.
Fish include types of catfish, Atlantic sturgeon, chiclids, foureyes, anchovies, the black ghost, the fat snook, the fat sleeper, tetras, mojaras, eartheaters, knifefish, the electric eel, tarpons and swamp guppies.
What is the national animal of French Guiana?
The deer is the national animal of French Guiana.