RDR2 Guarma: What to Do Before Leaving and Missable Animals

If you want a fully filled Animal Compendium, do not leave Guarma before recording its seven genuinely exclusive species.

They are:

• Blue and Yellow Macaw;
• Great Green Macaw;
• Scarlet Macaw;
• Red-footed Booby;
• Red Boa;
• Rainbow Boa;
• Sunglow Boa.

The Fer-de-Lance also appears on Guarma, but it can later spawn around Stillwater Creek.

The Green Turtle can be studied and drawn in Arthur’s journal, but it does not have a normal Animal Compendium entry.

Quick answer

Question	Answer
Does Guarma have missable animals?	Yes
How many main exclusive species?	7
Which ones?	3 macaws, Red-footed Booby and 3 boas
Is Fer-de-Lance exclusive?	No; it can appear later at Stillwater Creek
Is Green Iguana exclusive?	No
Is Cuban Land Crab exclusive?	No
Is Green Turtle in the Compendium?	No; it can produce a journal drawing
Required for official 100%?	No
Required for Zoologist?	No
Required for Skin Deep?	No
When should I hunt them?	Before committing to Guarma’s final mission sequence
Is there a missable hat?	Yes, the Sun Hat
Can you normally return later?	No

Make a save before Guarma

Your safest fallback comes before the island.

Before Banking, the Old American Art:
save.
Do not overwrite it.

If something goes wrong on Guarma, that is your clean fallback.

Best time to explore

After Welcome to the New World, several Guarma missions become available.

A useful route is:

1. finish Welcome to the New World;
2. complete Savagery Unleashed;
3. do not start A Kind and Benevolent Despot with Dutch yet;
4. save;
5. clear the wildlife;
6. save again;
7. continue the story.

Once you commit to the later mission sequence, the game quickly pushes Arthur toward leaving the island.

Guarma checklist

Compendium

• Blue and Yellow Macaw
• Great Green Macaw
• Scarlet Macaw
• Red-footed Booby
• Red Boa
• Rainbow Boa
• Sunglow Boa

Recommended extras

• Fer-de-Lance
• Green Turtle for the journal
• Sun Hat

No need to stay for these

• Green Iguana
• Cuban Land Crab

Both can be found later on the main map.

The three macaws

All three fly around Guarma’s river and jungle areas.

Search around Arroyo de la Vibora, particularly the trees, rocks and small islands.

You need:

• Blue and Yellow Macaw;
• Great Green Macaw;
• Scarlet Macaw.

Method

1. Equip binoculars.
2. Scan perched and low-flying birds.
3. Use Study.
4. Kill afterward if you also want the kill data.
5. Pick up or pluck the bird where applicable.

If your first goal is the Compendium:

study before shooting.

Blue and Yellow Macaw

Its colors make it easy to recognize.

Check trees and rocks beside the river.

Great Green Macaw

The green coloring blends into the background more easily.

Use binoculars on large parrots even when you are not sure of the species.

Scarlet Macaw

Bright red and usually easy to distinguish.

Study it as soon as the name appears.

Red-footed Booby

This bird often spends its time in the air.

Look over:

• the river;
• coastal sections;
• the sky above the rocks.

Method

1. Equip binoculars.
2. Look up.
3. Follow larger flying birds.
4. Study when the correct name appears.
5. Shoot it afterward if you want the additional Compendium actions.

Do not search for it on the jungle floor.

The three boas

You need:

• Red Boa;
• Rainbow Boa;
• Sunglow Boa.

They spawn in vegetation downhill from camp and around the river area.

Method

Use Eagle Eye constantly.

1. Move through the vegetation.
2. Activate Eagle Eye.
3. Look for snake trails.
4. Follow them.
5. Study the boa first.
6. Kill and skin it afterward if you want the completed entry.

If the same snake keeps spawning

Leave the spawn area.

Check another one.

Return.

Saving and reloading during the free-roam window can also refresh wildlife.

Several repeated Rainbow Boas do not mean the other species are gone.

Red Boa

Some guides call it the Red-tailed Boa.

It is the red boa entry you need here.

Rainbow Boa

Mark it on your checklist once studied.

Do not rely on memory.

Sunglow Boa

This is a separate Compendium entry.

Check the displayed name before shooting.

Fer-de-Lance

If you find one on Guarma:

study it.

You can save yourself a later search.

But after completing the seven exclusive species, you do not need to remain stuck on the island for hours waiting for it.

Fer-de-Lance can also spawn around Stillwater Creek in the Epilogue.

It can be rare.

Guarma is an opportunity rather than your final chance.

Green Turtle

The Green Turtle is an odd extra.

It can be studied in the water around Bahía de la Paz.

Arthur can add it to the journal.

It does not occupy a normal Animal Compendium slot.

Treat it as extra completionist content.

Cuban Land Crab

Cuban Land Crabs can be found later on the Flat Iron Lake islands.

They are not Guarma-exclusive.

Green Iguana

Green Iguanas also spawn on the Flat Iron Lake islands west of Lemoyne.

You can safely get them after Guarma.

Sun Hat

Guarma soldiers can wear a savable Sun Hat.

If you collect stolen and missable hats, get one before leaving.

Method

During combat with Guarma soldiers:

1. inspect dropped hats;
2. look for the Sun Hat;
3. put it on;
4. make sure the game registers it as a savable hat.

Reload or retry a checkpoint if none appears.

Do you need to kill and skin every Guarma animal?

That depends on your goal.

To discover the species

Study it.

For more complete Compendium entries

Also:

• kill;
• pick up or pluck birds;
• skin snakes.

Zoologist and Skin Deep

Guarma-exclusive wildlife is exempt from these trophies.

Guarma and Zoologist

Missing these island species does not block Zoologist.

The trophy can be completed through eligible mainland animals.

Guarma and Skin Deep

The same applies to Skin Deep.

Guarma and official 100%

Total Completion requires only part of the Animal Compendium.

Guarma’s exclusive animals therefore do not block Best in the West.

Can you return to Guarma?

Normal free-roam progression does not give you a return route after Chapter 5.

Community glitches exist.

Do not use them as your main plan.

Keep a pre-Guarma manual save.

1. Find the macaws

Scan trees and sky around the river.

2. Find the Red-footed Booby

Keep looking upward.

3. Find the three boas

Use Eagle Eye in the vegetation.

4. Take Fer-de-Lance if it appears

Save yourself a later search.

5. Study Green Turtle if you want the journal entry

Optional.

6. Get the Sun Hat

If you collect hats.

7. Check the Compendium

Do not trust memory before starting Dutch’s mission.

Before continuing the story

• Blue and Yellow Macaw.
• Great Green Macaw.
• Scarlet Macaw.
• Red-footed Booby.
• Red Boa.
• Rainbow Boa.
• Sunglow Boa.
• Fer-de-Lance if you want it now.
• Green Turtle if you want the journal drawing.
• Sun Hat if you collect hats.
• Manual save.

Then continue.

Frequently asked questions

How many Guarma-exclusive animals are there?

Seven main Compendium species are exclusive in normal gameplay: three macaws, Red-footed Booby and three boas.

Is Fer-de-Lance missable?

It appears on Guarma and can also spawn later around Stillwater Creek.

Is Green Turtle in the Compendium?

No.

It can be studied and recorded in the journal.

Is Green Iguana Guarma-exclusive?

No.

It also appears on the Flat Iron Lake islands.

Is Cuban Land Crab exclusive?

No.

It can be found on the main map.

Are Guarma animals required for Zoologist?

No.

Are they required for Skin Deep?

No.

Are they required for 100%?

No.

When should I hunt them?

Use the Guarma free-roam window before committing to Dutch’s later mission sequence.

Can I return afterward?

Not through normal free roam.

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More RDR2 guides

RDR2 Missables

RDR2 Compendium

RDR2 100% Completion

Legend of the East as Arthur

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Sources

Red Dead Wiki — Missable Content in Redemption 2.

PowerPyx — All Animal Locations / Zoologist & Skin Deep.

RDR2 community wildlife routes and spawn documentation.

Last verified: October 5, 2026.

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