Deer, peccaries, tapirs, squirrels, monkeys, jaguars, capybaras, pacas, birds, and other tropical forest fauna are the major game animals. A number of insects and reptiles round out the list of Tucano animal foods. Horticulture is largely, but not exclusively, a female activity. Manioc cultivation and processing to remove poisonous substances occupy much of the women's time. Other crops include squash, melons, yams, sweet potatoes, calabash, sugarcane, bananas, plantains, citrus fruits, and pineapples.
Men are the exclusive cultivators and consumers of coca, tobacco, and hallucinogens.
Although still a minor economic activity, some Tucano engage in production for trade with non-Indian people in the area. Furthermore, a few Tucano have worked for these outsiders, especially as rubber tappers. The settlement pattern of the Tucano is dispersed villages, located along river systems. Rivers, navigated in dugout canoes, are the major travel routes. Each community shifts its residence within a large area every three to five years, as soil depletion necessitates the clearing of new crop lands.