There are some nutrients that Amazon animals just can’t get from leaves or fruits. While scientists still quibble about just what these are, it’s probably salt. After all, living far from the salty Atlantic Ocean, and separated from the nearby Pacific by some giant mountains, means that salt is hard to come by here in the Amazon Rainforest. It’s barely in the soil, nor is it in the rain or the rivers! So jungle animals need to find a way to get their sodium. The way many animals do this is by, well…eating dirt. In fact, that’s where the Mammal Clay Lick comes in!

Just a few minutes away from our Refugio Amazonas lodge, a small clay cliff attracts dozens of species. Night and day, these animals — especially mammals — munch on the salty clay to supplement their diets. (It’s possible that they need something else from the clay, too. We’re still studying them!) Likewise, Parrots, Macaws, and lots of other jungle animals also eat clay, probably for the same reason. You can visit their Clay Licks as well, including the famous Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick, the Parrot Clay Lick, the Parakeet Clay Lick, and the Colorado Macaw Clay Lick.

As part of our popular Wired Amazon project, connecting regular people to amazing jungle science, you can visit the Mammal Clay Lick. While all types of animals come to munch the clay, it’s most known for White-Lipped Peccaries. These wild, odd-looking jungle pigs show up in herds of five to twenty individuals to eat clay in the late morning. Other wildlife may also show up, from Deer to Guans to Parakeets. Even more, the area is sometimes home to a rare Harpy Eagle nest! Finally, you get to help our resident scientists check camera traps — special cameras designed to film the area’s animals for our AmazonCam research project. You never know what strange creature you’ll spot!

Why You’ll Love the Mammal Clay Lick

• See One-of-a-Kind Species: The Mammal Clay Lick attracts many species that you won’t see anywhere else in the rainforest. Some animals, like the Jaguar or the Giant Anteater, are very elusive. Due to their shyness and scarcity, you’re most likely to catch sight of them while checking the camera traps.


• Become a Citizen Scientist: You’ll have an incredible experience visiting other animals Clay Licks, particularly Tambopata’s famous Macaw Clay Licks, and witnessing a true spectacle of nature. But the Mammal Clay Lick offers a unique chance to participate in the scientific process by helping with the AmazonCam project! This makes it a must-do activity for science lovers of all ages.