Animals of the Atlantic Forest: birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 23 January 2021
Update Date: 27 September 2024
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Originally, the Atlantic Forest is a biome formed by native forests of different types and associated ecosystems that have already occupied 17 Brazilian states. Unfortunately, today, according to data from the Ministry of the Environment, only 29% of its original coverage remains. [1] In a nutshell, the Atlantic Forest combines mountains, plains, valleys and plateaus with tall trees on the country's Atlantic continental coast and high diversity in its fauna and flora[2]that make this biome unique and a priority in the conservation of biodiversity worldwide.

In this article by PeritoAnimal we list the animals of the Atlantic Forest: birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians with photos and some of its most outstanding features!


Atlantic Forest Fauna

The flora of the Atlantic Forest draws attention for its richness that surpasses North America (17 thousand plant species) and Europe (12,500 plant species): there are about 20 thousand plant species, among which we can mention endemic and endangered. As for animals from the Atlantic Forest, the numbers until the conclusion of this article are:

Atlantic Forest Animals

  • 850 species of birds
  • 370 species of amphibians
  • 200 species of reptiles
  • 270 species of mammals
  • 350 species of fish

Below we know some of them.

Atlantic Forest Birds

Of the 850 species of birds that inhabit the Atlantic Forest, 351 are considered endemic, that is, they only exist there. Some of them are:


Yellow Woodpecker (Celeus flavus subflavus)

The yellow woodpecker exists only in Brazil and inhabits the highest parts of dense forests. Due to the deforestation of its habitat, the species is at risk of extinction.

Jacutinga (jacutinga aburria)

This is one of the Atlantic Forest animals that only exist there, but it is increasingly difficult to be found due to its risk of extinction. The jacutinga draws attention for its black plumage, white down on the sides and a beak with a combination of different colors.

Other Atlantic Forest birds

If you look up at the Atlantic Forest, with a lot of luck, you might come across some of them:


  • Araçari-banana (Pteroglossus bailloni)
  • Arapacu-hummingbird (Campylorhamphus trochilirostris trochilirostris)
  • Inhambuguaçu (Crypturellus obsoleteus)
  • Macuco (tinamus solitarius)
  • Hunting grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
  • Tangara (Chiroxiphia caudata)
  • Treasure (Magnificent Fregata)
  • Red topknot (Lophornis magnificus)
  • Brown thrush (Cichlopsis leucogenys)
  • Dark Oxtail (Tigrisoma fasciatum)

Atlantic Forest Amphibians

The diversity of the flora of the Atlantic Forest and its colorful color palette imparts to its amphibious inhabitants:

Golden drop frog (Brachycephalus ephippium)

Looking at the photo, it's not hard to guess the name of this species of frog that looks like a gleaming drop of gold on the floor of the Atlantic Forest. It is small in size and measures 2 centimeters, walks through leaves and does not jump.

Cururu frog (icteric rhinella)

Unlike the previous species, this frog is one of the Atlantic Forest animals that is often remembered for its noticeable size, which explains its nickname. 'Oxtoad'. Males can reach 16.6 centimeters and females 19 centimeters.

Reptiles of the Atlantic Forest

Some of the Brazilian animals most feared by humans are reptiles from the Atlantic Forest:

Yellow-throated Alligator (caiman latirostris)

This species inherited from the dinosaurs is distributed throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest in its rivers, swamps and aquatic environments. They feed on invertebrates and small mammals and can reach up to 3 meters in length.

Jararaca (Bothrops jararaca)

This highly venomous snake measures about 1.20 m and camouflages itself very well in its natural habitat: the forest floor. It feeds on amphibians or small rodents.

Other reptiles from the Atlantic Forest

In addition to those mentioned, there are many other species of reptiles from the Atlantic Forest that need to be remembered:

  • Yellow Tortoise (Acanthochelys radiolate)
  • Snake-necked Tortoise (Hydromedusa tectifera)
  • True coral snake (Micrurus corallinus)
  • False Coral (Apostolepis Assimils)
  • Boa constrictor (good constrictor)

Atlantic Forest Mammals

Some of the most emblematic species of the Atlantic Forest fauna are these mammals:

Golden Lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)

The golden lion tamarin is an endemic species of this biome and one of the most iconic representations of the Atlantic Forest fauna. Regrettably, it's in endangered.

Northern Muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)

The largest primate that inhabits the American continent is one of the animals that live in the Atlantic Forest, despite its current critical conservation status due to the deforestation of its habitat.

Margay (Leopardus wiedii)

This is one of the animals of the Atlantic Forest that can be confused with the ocelot, if it weren't for the reduced size of the margay cat.

Bush dog (Cerdocyon thous)

This mammal of the family of canids can appear in any Brazilian biome, but their nocturnal habits do not allow them to be easily seen. They can be alone or in groups of up to 5 individuals.

Other Atlantic Forest mammals

Other species of mammals that live in the Atlantic Forest and deserve to be highlighted are:

  • Howler monkey (Alouatta)
  • Sloth (Folivora)
  • Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)
  • Caxinguelê (Sciurus aestuans)
  • Wild cat (tigrinus leopardus)
  • Irara (barbarian thrashing)
  • Jaguaritic (Leopardus sparrow)
  • Otter (Lutrinae)
  • Capuchin Monkey (Sapaju)
  • Black-faced Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus caissara)
  • Jaguar (panthera onca)
  • Black urchin (Chaetomys subspinous)
  • coati (nasua nasua)
  • wild rat (wilfredomys oenax)
  • Caterpillar (Tangara desmaresti)
  • Sagui da Serra (callithrix flaviceps)
  • Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
  • Giant Armadillo (Maximus Priodonts)
  • Furry Armadillo (Euphractus villosus)
  • Pampas Deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus)

If you want to read more articles similar to Animals of the Atlantic Forest: birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, we recommend that you enter our Endangered Animals section.