This is the brown capuchin monkey, also commonly known as the tufted capuchin. It used to be believed to be one of the most widespread monkeys in the Neotropics but has since been divided into several different species, including the black-striped, black and golden-bellied capuchins. The brown/tufted lives only in the Amazon basin and surrounding areas. I photographed this one in the Bolivian Amazon at a great national park called Madidi. I was in a canoe on one of the park’s lakes when a few of these guys appeared above the shoreline. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/100th of a second.

This is the Azara’s night monkey, enjoying a mango, photographed one night in the Pampas region of Bolivia. After a few bites, he took his meal and disappeared into the forest. Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units.

I find capybaras to be underrated. Perhaps it’s because they’re so common in the places that they occur. Or maybe it’s because they are rodents. The world’s largest, in fact. And they seem to like mud. This guy was playing in the muddy waters of the Yacuma River in the Pampas region of Bolivia. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm (200mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/500th of a second.

I was able to photograph this spectacled caiman from a bridge over a tributary of the Yucama River in the Pampas region of Bolivia.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/1250th of a second

This little guy is called a Linnaeus’s mouse opossum. I think. Definitely a mouse opossum, but there are several different species. I took the photograph in the Pampas region of Bolivia. Like all opossums, this species is strictly nocturnal, getting its rest during the day in either a tree hole, an old bird’s nest or simply under a bunch of twigs on a tree branch.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-800 flash units

This is a male red howler monkey that I met years ago in the Bolivian Amazon. I was in a canoe on Lake Chalalan in Madidi National Park when I watched a troop of red howlers, as well as a troop of squirrel monkeys settling in for the night. This big guy seemed particularly pleased with the spot he found in the V (or is it a Y) of that tree.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/100th of a second

I’ve posted quite a few shots of the keel-billed toucan and the chestnut-mandibled toucan, but none yet of this guy — the white-throated toucan. I met this fine looking bird down in the Bolivian rainforest back in 2008. They are found throughout the Amazon Basin of South America. Always a pleasure to meet another member of the toucan family.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/200th of a second

The hoatzin, although not necessarily the most attractive bird in the world, does have its unique charm. I photographed this one in the Bolivian Amazon at Madidi National Park. These pheasant-sized birds are rare in that they eat only leaves. Due to their diet, they have a bit of a manure-like smell to them and are often called stink birds. To be fair, I kind of liked the smell.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/500th of a second

This squirrel monkey looked like he was going incognito in a black wig with matching goatee. Cute little guy, nonetheless. I took the photo from a canoe while on Lake Chalalan in Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second

I was, obviously, directly above this spectacled caiman as it lurked in the muddy waters of the Yucama River in the Pampas region of Bolivia. I remember it being a scorching hot day, and I was enjoying just a hint of a breeze as I stood on a small bridge that spanned the river.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/5 at 1/1250th of a second