Megafauna are large animals (for definitions, see the Megafauna page). Extant and recently extinct (in the Pleistocene) megafauna of Central and South America are listed here.

Class of Mammalia

Marsupials
Marsupial Saber-tooth † (Thylacosmilus atrox)

Primates

Brown Spider Monkey (Ateles hybridus)
Gray Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix cana)

Human (Homo sapiens)
Southern Muriqui (Brachyteles arachnoides)
Yucatan Black Howler (Alouatta pigra)

Xenarthrans

Brown-throated Sloth (Bradypus variegatus)
Chilean Ground Sloth (Mylodon sp.)
Doedicurus †
Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus )

habitats, including grasslands, deciduous forests and rainforests. It feeds mainly on ants and termites, sometimes up to 30,000 insects in a single day.

Giant Caribbean Ground Sloth † (Megalocnus sp.)
Giant Ground Sloth † (Megatherium americanum)
Southern Glyptodon † (Glyptodon asper)

Rodents

Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

Josephoartigasia monesi †
Paca (Cuniculus sp.)

Cetaceans

Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis)
Costero (Sotalia guianensis)

La Plata Dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei)
Tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis)

Carnivores

Culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus)
Cougar (Puma concolor)
Dire Wolf † (Canis dirus)
Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Jaguar ({Panthera onca)
Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
Pleistiocene South America Jaguar † (Panthera onca mesembrina)
Saber-toothed Cat † (Smilodon populator)
Short-eared Dog (Atelocynus microtis)
Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

Elephants
American Mastodon † (Mammut americanum)
Cuvieronius †
Stegomastodon †
Sirenians
Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis)
West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)
Hoofed Mammals

Agalmaceros †
Alpaca (Vicugna pacos)
Antifer †
Baird's Tapir (Tapirus bairdii)
Black Dwarf Lowland Tapir (Tapirus pygmaeus)
Brazilian Tapir (Tapirus terrestris)
Charitoceros †
Chacoan Peccary (Catagonus wagneri)
Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu)
Giant Forest Peccary (Pecari maximus)
Guanaco (Lama guanicoe)
Hippidion †

Llama (Lama glama)
Macrauchenia †
Marsh Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus)
Mixotoxodon †
Morenolaphus †
Mountain Tapir (Tapirus pinchaque)
Palaeolama mirifica †
Pampas Deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus)
Southern Pudu (Pudu puda)
Tapirus veronensis †
Toxodon †
Taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis)
Vicuña (Vicugna vicugna)
White-lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari)

Class of Aves

Ratites
Greater Rhea (Rhea americana)
Pelicans
Peruvian Pelican (Pelecanus thagus)
Herons, Storks, and Flamingos

Andean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus andinus)
Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria)
James's Flamingo (Phoenicopterus jamesi)
Maguari Stork (Ciconia maguari)

Ibises

Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber)

Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaja ajaja)

Waterfowl

Black-necked Screamer (Chauna chavaria)

Horned Screamer (Anhima cornuta)

Old World Vultures
King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa )
New World Vultures
Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)
Birds of Prey

Crested Eagle (Morphnus guianensis)

Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)

Cranes
Red-legged Seriema (Cariama cristata)
Parrots

Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)
Green-winged Macaw (Ara chloropterus)
Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)

Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)

Toucans

Choco Toucan (Ramphastos brevis)
Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus)
Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)

Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco)

Class of Saurospida

Tortoises and Turtles

Arrau River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa)
Matamata (Chelus fimbriatus)

Mesoamerican River Turtle (Dermatemys mawii)
Pig-nosed Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta)

Snakes and Lizards

Basilisk Lizard (Basiliscus plumifrons)
Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor)
Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus)
Gold tegu (Tupinambis teguixin)
Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)

Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)
Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
South American bushmaster (Lachesis muta)
Yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus)

Crocodilians

Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger)
Broad-snouted Caiman (Caiman latirostris)
Cuban Crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer)

Morelet's Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii)
Orinoco Crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius)
Yacare Caiman (Caiman yacaré)

Class of Actinopterygii

Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)
Aruana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum)
Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus)

Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum)

Class of Arthropoda

Arachnids
Chaco golden knee (Grammostola areostrania)
Insects
Brazilian Giant Cockroach (Blaberus giganteus)

NOTE: functional category tags should not be placed in these subpages while they are in user space.

[[Category:Megafauna|*]] [[Category:Megafauna of South America]] [[Category:Lists of animals]] [[Category:Fauna of South America]]