Amazon wildlife. Wild animals and fish of the Amazon, river inhabitants, underwater and flora of the Amazon
The Amazon originates at an altitude of 5 thousand meters from the snow-capped peaks of the Peruvian Andes. Gradually, streams of meltwater flow down, forming a river. At such heights there are practically no inhabitants in the river, but there are exceptions. The Spur Duck (Merganetta armata) thrives in cold, stormy streams.
Driven by the force of gravity, the river makes its way through the mountain ranges, washing away sediment from the mountain ridges along the way. Soon the Amazon falls into the humid mountain forests. These forests are one of the wettest places on the planet. Clouds and fog collide with the mountain slopes, and there is 6 meters of rainfall per year. Passing through mountain gorges, the Amazon forms numerous waterfalls.
This kingdom of rain forests is located at an altitude of 3.5 thousand meters, here the Amazon continues to gain its power. Surviving in such a humid climate is also not easy. But many plants take advantage of this dampness; they do not need soil moisture and therefore can grow directly on tree trunks. Instead of insects, hummingbirds and other birds act as pollinators. It is home to the largest diversity of hummingbird species in the world. Each species has a beak adapted for specific tasks; birds and plants complement each other perfectly. Another amazing creature also lives here - the smallest bear in the world and the only one in South America, called the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus). Monkeys do not rise to such heights.
Descending lower and lower, the Amazon finally reaches the foot of the Andes. Here the river slows down its rapid flow and spills over a wide plain.
Near the Peruvian city of Iquitas, the river gets its name Amazon. Already here the width of the river reaches 2 km, and the average depth of the river is 100 meters. Despite the fact that this place is 3.5 thousand meters away from the Atlantic Ocean, ships sail here. From here the river will flow across the plain, making its way through the world's largest tropical jungle, covering an area of 7 million km. sq.
The river is full of minerals brought from the mountain peaks, and they settle on the river shallows. These minerals provide many benefits to the wild animals and fish of the Amazon. For example, Ara parrots cannot imagine life without them. This clay helps Macaws get rid of the poison that they eat along with plant seeds.
The intricacies of the branches and tributaries of the Amazon basin are home to a huge number of unique and unusual animals. The diversity of both the flora in the Amazon basin and the underwater world of the river is amazing.
Brazilian or giant otter (lat. Pteronura brasiliensis). Loves quiet creeks, grows up to 2 meters in length. One of the largest predators in the Amazon. He can even eat a boa constrictor or a python for lunch. Giant otters live in large family clans.
Wedge belly or Amazon flying fish. To escape from predators, it can jump 120 cm out of the water with the help of well-developed pectoral fins.
The Sun Heron is a master of bluffing and can scare away many predators due to its unusual plumage.
The Amazon is replete with oxbow lakes. There is no longer a current here and the plants are growing in full force. The most successful in this matter is the giant Amazonian lily, or as it is also called Victoria Regia, its leaves reach 2 meters in diameter.
Giant Amazonian lily or Victoria Regia. As you can see, you can sleep peacefully on it without even getting your feet wet.
Floating plants on the river form peculiar floating mobile islands; these lawns drift along with the river current. Their diameter can be many times greater than 100 meters. Not only plants, but also animals live on these rafts. The largest animal in South America, the manatee, lives in them. The weight of a manatee can reach 500 kg and a length of 3 meters.
The world's largest rodent, the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), also lives here.
Amazonian caimans play the role of a crocodile here; caimans happily eat capybaras. These rodents should also beware of anacondas.
Video: Anaconda catches and eats a capybara.
Every year before the start of the rainy season, the water level in the Amazon drops to a minimum. A large number of closed lagoons are formed. This is the hardest time of the year for fish, they find themselves trapped. But the predators are feasting with might and main, fishing at this time of year is very simple and you can catch fish without any stress at all.
There are 20 species of piranha in the Amazon, but the most ferocious of them all is the red piranha. If these monsters find themselves locked in a water trap, they first destroy all life around them, and then real cannibalism begins. After such a “massacre” only the strongest individuals remain alive.
During the rainy season, the water level in the river will rise sharply. Good times are finally coming for the fish. The Amazon Basin is literally a swimming pool. The Amazon does not have time to dump excess water into the Atlantic Ocean and overflows its banks. On such a large river, the flood must be large. The river overflows and floods everything around at a distance of 80 km on both sides of its banks. Trees are flooded to a depth of 16 meters. The area of flooded land can be compared with the area of England. The fish rushes after the flood. There is a lot of fish food here, for every taste. Most likely, this explains the diversity of the underwater world of the Amazon. There are more than 3,000 species of fish in the river, which is more than in the Atlantic Ocean.
Not surprisingly, the Amazon is home to the largest freshwater fish in the world - the Arapaima or Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas). This giant fish has something like a lung, and from time to time it comes up to breathe fresh air. Arapaima's weight can reach 200 kg.
The largest freshwater fish in the world is Arapaima or Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas)
Other unusual creatures live among the flooded forests. For example, a blind pink penguin (Amazon dolphin, or white river dolphin) lives here; it uses echolocation to catch fish in the thickets.
Trees can remain under water for six months a year, so the river and fish transport seeds here.
Another unusual local animal is the bald uakari. These monkeys can eat fruits of any maturity.
Bald uakari.
There are also fish here that jump out of the water during the mating season. The tetra jumps out of the water and leaves its eggs on the leaves of the trees. The male will wet it with water until the fry hatch.
Fire ants have a hard time during a flood; they all gather together and form a living raft, connecting with each other. They are carried away by the current, and the only hope for salvation is if they are washed ashore.
Fire ants huddled together.
People have also adapted to such fluctuations in water levels and live on rafts.
It is also home to giant river turtles, the largest river turtles on the planet, for a million years. Their shell is more than a meter in diameter.
River in South America. Formed by the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali rivers. The length from the source of the Marañon River is 6992.06 km, from the source of the Apachet River - about 7000 km, from the source of Ucayali over 7000 km. The Amazon, with its longest source, claims, together with the Nile, to be the longest watercourse in the world, and is also the world's largest river in terms of basin area and full flow.
Length - 6,992 km
Basin area - 7,180,000 km²
Flows - Madeira, Marañon, Ucayali, Rio Negro, Xingu, Jurua, Solimões, Putumayo, Napo, Trombetas
Estuary - Atlantic Ocean
The Amazon River basin covers more than 7 million square kilometers and extends in the north from the headwaters of the Orinoco and Guyana to the edge of Mato Grosso in the south. This unique world is called “Amazonia”. There is an exceptionally diverse flora and fauna here. This is the natural habitat of many amazing aquarium fish, and for the life of many of them it is not so much the large rivers that are important as the great many small bodies of water - oxbow lakes, ponds and streams located in this amazing region.
According to various expert estimates, there are from 2,500 to 4,000 species of fish in the Amazon River basin. These waters can rightly be called the kingdom of catfish; according to the most conservative estimates, more than 1,500 species live there - from 3-centimeter crumbs, see the website aquariumax.ru, to multi-meter giants.
The Amazon is a real Mecca for aquarists. The vast territory of the region, the diversity of hydrochemical parameters of the water, and the consistently high temperature have led to an amazing diversity of flora and fauna.
Amazon wildlife
The Amazon is home to a huge number of fish and other river inhabitants. Particularly dangerous include the bull shark, which weighs more than 300 kilograms and reaches three meters in length, as well as piranhas. These toothy fish can gnaw off an entire horse just a few seconds before the skeleton.
But they are not the ones who rule the Amazon, because the caimans pose a danger to all living things. This is a special type of alligator.
Among the friendly inhabitants of the dangerous stormy river are dolphins and beautiful ornamental fish (guppies, angelfish, swordtails), of which there are countless numbers - more than 2,500 thousand! One of the last lungfishes on the planet, protoptera, found their refuge in the waters of the Amazon.
Here you can also see the rarest arowana. This is a meter-long fish that can jump high above the water and swallow huge beetles in flight.
There are many species of fish similar to our catfish in the Amazon.
These are piraiba, cashara, jau, pirarara.
Like all catfish, they are caught on bottom gear, using various baits or live baits for bait.
Looking like a cross between a catfish and a perch, the red-tailed pirarara with a yellow stripe along its belly reaches fifty kilograms in weight.
Zhau, very similar to our catfish, is also found weighing a hundredweight.
Piraiba, which resembles a sturgeon in outline and characteristic dorsal fin, grows up to one and a half hundred kilograms.
Dorado
A special fish for the spinning angler in the Amazon is the dorado.
Shiny with yellow scales, like a strange living gold bar, this powerful predator is a worthy reward for the fisherman.
The habits of the dorado are similar to our asp. A predator breaks into a school of peaceful fish and commits robbery.
The “cauldron” formed on the surface of the water serves as a target for throwing the spoon.
As a rule, the bite of a huge, powerful fish follows almost immediately. But the result depends on the strength of the tackle.
Very often, a thick fishing line or braid cannot withstand the pressure, and the dorado remains in its native element.
The fish, which grows up to a meter in length, is a worthy rival to any spinning angler.
Paco
Often the fisherman's prey will be a paco - a fish similar in appearance to the famous piranha, but distinguished by its teeth.
Paco's teeth are unusually similar to human teeth.
A row of wide and tightly fitted one to the other - a complete resemblance to a human jaw.
Paco grows larger than the piranha and also reaches a meter.
Dangerous fish living in the Amazon
Piranha
This voracious and bloodthirsty fish belongs to the cyprinid species of the pyrinid fish family. The size of a piranha rarely exceeds 30 cm. However, these small fish can sometimes be more dangerous than a huge caiman or a giant anaconda.
Electric eel
However, not only the sharp spines of a stingray and the teeth of a piranha lie in wait for a fisherman or traveler in the waters of the Amazon. The electric eel has a very unusual method of defense and attack. The eel’s body contains a special “battery” organ capable of generating electricity. In the back of the eel's body there is a negative part of the charge, and in the front there is a positive one. This fish also has another weak electrical organ; it sends weak discharges that help the fish navigate and identify prey or danger. Then he uses a powerful discharge to silence the victim or scare away the enemy. If an eel is 1 meter long, the electrical discharge it produces can be around 650 volts.
stingray
The danger of this fish lies in its tail equipped with a poisonous spine. This fish can often lie on the bottom under a thin layer of sand, waiting for prey. If it is disturbed by a person or a large animal, then the fish hits its tail armed with a poisonous spike and the poison from it penetrates into the wound, causing severe suffering to the victim.
Vampire fish
This fish belongs to the mackerel fish family and lives in the rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Due to its impressive sharp teeth, reaching a length of 15 cm, it is considered a dangerous predator capable of causing serious wounds to humans or animals.
The Amazon is the largest river on planet Earth, its waters and coastal areas are home to a huge number of different animals. There you can find small and beautiful birds, as well as deadly snakes and wild cats. Some animals are dangerous to humans, but get along well with each other. We present to you the ten most common and terrifying animals of the Amazon.
Jaguar
The largest cat living on the banks of the Amazon. The jaguar's diet includes all kinds of land inhabitants of the jungle, ranging from small mice to deer. The average weight of jaguars fluctuates around 90-100 kilograms, but there are individuals that grow up to 120 kilograms. For humans, jaguars do not pose a direct threat, because they do not attack people of their own free will, only for the purpose of self-defense.
Piranhas
Piranhas have become the main characters of horror films many times. But the truth is that they initially feed on carrion. However, this fact does not exclude the possibility that they cannot attack other animals. Each piranha can be 30 centimeters in size. Their weapons are straight teeth on both jaws, which can close completely, allowing them to tear off pieces of flesh. Piranhas live in large groups and therefore pose a great danger to most animals.
There are many different snakes found in the Amazon forest, but the South American rattlesnake is one of the most dangerous snakes to humans. Its bite can easily result in death if help is not provided to the victim in time. The snake lives in the Amazon jungle far from the river itself. It feeds on small mammals, rodents and amphibians. According to statistics, a tenth of snake bites in South America belong to these snakes.
Spotted dart frog
A frog belonging to the genus of dart frogs. Inhabits deciduous trees of the Amazon. The frog's appearance is as impressive as its venom. Although the frog itself is very small, only 5 centimeters in length, its poison is enough to kill 10 adult men. It feeds on all kinds of insects. Even with a motley appearance, the poison dart frog is not afraid of predators and does not need camouflage, since the motley appearance indicates danger, and those who do not believe will have to taste deadly poison.
Electric eel
The creatures prefer muddy bottoms. Their length is within 2-3 meters, sometimes slightly exceeding this figure. The mass of an eel can be more than 40 kilograms. Eels prefer to feed on small birds, fish, small mammals and amphibians. Eels hunt thanks to special organs that generate a discharge of electricity, delivering a blow of sufficient power to kill or stun prey. For humans, the eel does not pose a mortal danger, since the power of its discharge is not enough to kill a person, but it can lead to a heart attack or loss of consciousness.
Bull shark
Even being inhabitants of salty ocean waters, sharks can thrive in fresh water. Therefore, there are times when formidable ocean predators swim into the waters of the Amazon. It happened that sharks were encountered near settlements along the Amazon, which is quite a distance of 4,000 kilometers from the ocean. Thanks to the special structure of their kidneys, sharks quickly adapt to the salt balance in the water. “Bulls” are often over 3 meters long, and their body weight can exceed 300 kilograms. The bite force of such a monster is 589 kilograms. Sharks eat everything, they don’t disdain human flesh either, this is the type of shark that most often devours people. Due to the fact that sharks are very dangerous and live near densely populated areas, they are considered the most dangerous among all sharks in the world.
Anaconda
Anaconda is the largest snake on Earth. Although there are species of pythons that are longer than the anaconda, their weight is much greater than that of longer snakes. An anaconda can weigh over 200 kilograms, reach a length of up to 9 meters, and the snake’s body reaches a diameter of up to 30 centimeters. An anaconda can catch a caiman or a jaguar, but at the same time risks becoming lunch itself. Often its diet consists of capybaras and deer. The anaconda prefers to hunt in shallow water, where it can easily get close to its prey unnoticed.
Black caiman
Black caimans are the largest predators in the Amazon River. Caimans can grow over five meters in length. Being the rulers of the waters of the Amazon, caimans feed on absolutely everything that falls into their mouths: monkeys, large fish, anacondas, jaguars, carrion - anything that a huge reptile can swallow. For people, caimans are also very dangerous; they willingly attack onlookers, so when swimming along the river, you need to be on alert. Once upon a time, caimans were on the verge of extinction, but a law prohibiting hunting of them increased the number of inhabitants of the river.
Arapaima
Arapaima is a huge predatory fish that lives in the waters of the Amazon. The scales of a fish are very durable and serve as excellent protection for it. Therefore, no piranhas are afraid of the arapaima. The fish's diet includes mainly fish and sometimes birds. An underwater predator often swims at the surface of the water, because the oxygen received through the gills is not enough for them, and they take breaths, floating to the surface of the water. The average length of the fish is about 2 meters, but sometimes it reaches 3. The maximum weight that has been recorded is 200 kilograms. It also poses a danger to people. There was a case when a fish attacked two fishermen, as a result of which they died.
Brazilian otter
The Brazilian otter is the largest otter of the mustelid family and the genus of giant otters, living in freshwater. They most often eat fish and crustaceans that inhabit the waters of the Amazon. Otters grow up to 2 meters in length (from snout to tip of tail). The hunt takes place in communities of up to eight representatives. Many people think that otters are very cute and harmless, but this is far from the truth. Otters are capable of catching an anaconda in a flock and tearing it to pieces; there have been cases of reprisals against caimans; the killed otters are immediately eaten. Although the number of Brazilian otters is declining, due in part to poachers, they are considered one of the Amazon's strongest predators.
The Amazon rain forest is a huge ecosystem, providing habitat for creatures weird and wonderful like the jaguar, poison frog and Jesus lizard. But the Amazon is home to more than just those animals that simply wander, swing and slide in the trees. In the depths of the Amazon River, the largest river in the world, live creatures so amazing and so terrifying that they sometimes seem even scarier than the creepy sea creatures.
Black Cayman
The black caiman looks like an alligator on steroids. They can grow up to six meters long, with larger, heavier skulls than Nile crocodiles, and are an apex predator in Amazonian waters. This means they are kings of the river and will eat almost anything, including piranha, monkeys, deer and anaconda. And yes, they often attack people. In 2010, a biologist named Dace Nishimura was attacked by a caiman while cleaning fish on her houseboat. while she managed to fight him off, he took one of her legs with him. This particular caiman had been living under her houseboat for eight months, apparently waiting for the chance to attack.
Green Anaconda
Continuing the theme of giant reptiles, the largest snake in the world lives in the Amazon: the anaconda. While pythons are actually longer, the green anaconda is much heavier; females are larger than males and can reach 250 kilograms, grow to nine meters in length and reach 30 centimeters in diameter. They are not venomous, but instead use their muscles to constrict and strangle their prey, which includes capybara, deer, caiman, and even jaguars. Preferring shallower waters that allow them to sneak toward prey, anacondas tend to live in the branches of the Amazon rather than the river itself.
Arapaima
Arapaima are giant carnivorous fish that live in the Amazon and surrounding lakes. Encased in an armored casing, they don't have to worry about living in piranha-infested waters, as they are quite efficient predators themselves, feeding on fish and the occasional bird. Arapaima tend to stay close to the surface because they must inhale air in addition to the oxygen received through their gills. They make a distinctive coughing sound when they emerge to grab air. They can reach 2.7 meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms. These fish are so dangerous that even their tongues have teeth.
Giant otter
Giant otters are the longest members of the weasel family, with adult males reaching up to two meters from head to tail. Their diet primarily consists of fish and crabs, which they hunt in family groups of three to eight members, and they can eat up to four kilograms of seafood per day. Their cute looks are deceiving as they are more than a match for the other animals on this list and are capable of hunting even an anaconda. Under certain conditions, they can easily protect themselves from caiman. One family of otters was seen devouring a 1.5m caiman, which took approximately 45 minutes. While their numbers are declining mainly due to human intervention, they are among the most dangerous predators in the Amazon rain forest, earning the local name “river wolves.”
Bull shark
Typically an ocean-dwelling marine animal, bull sharks are at home in fresh water. They were found deep in the Amazon, in Peru, which is almost 4,000 kilometers from the sea. They have special kidneys that can sense changes in the salinity of the surrounding water and adapt accordingly. And you don't want to meet one of them in the river. They tend to reach 3.3 meters in length and weigh up to 312 kilograms. Like all other sharks, they have several rows of sharp, triangular teeth and very strong jaws with a bite force of 589 kilograms. They are also quite partial to humans, being one of the most frequently attacked humans (along with tiger sharks and great whites). Combined with a habit of living near densely populated areas, this has led many experts to label bull sharks the most dangerous sharks in the world.
Electric eel
Electric eels are actually more closely related to catfish than simple eels. They can grow to 2.5 meters long and can generate charges of electricity from specialized cells called electrocytes. These shocks can reach up to 600 volts, which is enough to knock a horse off its feet. While the shock alone is not enough to kill a healthy adult, shocks from an electric eel can cause respiratory or heart failure and drowning. Many of the disappearances reported in the region have been attributed to eels that shocked their victims and left them drowning in the river. Luckily for us, eels tend to feed on fish, birds and small mammals. They locate their prey by sending out small, 10-volt blasts before killing them with larger blasts.
Piranhas
The most dangerous predator of the Amazon River, about which they even make horror films. The red-bellied piranha is primarily a scavenger. But that doesn't mean they won't attack healthy creatures, given that they can grow to over 30 centimeters and swim in large groups. Piranhas have incredibly sharp teeth, with one row on each of their strong upper and lower jaws. These teeth grip with tremendous force, making them ideal for tearing and tearing the flesh of their prey. Their fearsome reputation mainly comes from tales of their frantic attacks, where groups of piranhas attack their unlucky prey and tear them to shreds within minutes. These attacks are rare and usually result from starvation, or provocation.
Payara, vampire fish
Any creature with the name “vampire fish” should automatically be considered scary, and the payara is no exception. They are absolutely ferocious predators, capable of devouring fish up to half their own body size. Considering they can grow up to 1.2 meters long, this is no mean feat. A significant portion of their diet is made up of piranha, which should give you some idea of how dangerous these villains can be. They get their name from the two fangs that grow from their lower jaw, reaching 15 centimeters in length. Payaras use their fangs to literally impale their prey after a lightning-fast strike. Their fangs are so large that vampire fish have special holes in their upper jaw to avoid impaling themselves.
Paku
Another inhabitant of the Amazon, which can be much more dangerous for men than for women. The pacu is a much larger relative of the piranha, known for its distinctive sharp teeth. Unlike most of the creatures on this list, the pacu is actually omnivorous, with the majority of its diet consisting of fruits and nuts. Unfortunately for some pacu, "nuts" can mean more than just what falls from the trees. Yes, that's right: Paku sometimes nibbled off the testicles of male swimmers in Papua New Guinea after the fish apparently mistook their genitals for a snack. And don't worry that you can't head to the Amazon to see these monsters, because they're already spreading to Europe.
The Amazon River basin, also known as the Amazon rainforest, or Amazonia, covers more than 7 million square kilometers and spans the borders of nine countries: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. By some estimates, this region (which covers almost 40% of the South American continent) is home to a tenth of the world's animals. In this article, you will discover the most important animals that live in the Amazon, from monkeys to dart frogs.
Piranha
There are many myths about piranhas including that they can eat a cow carcass in less than 5 minutes or like to attack people. However, there is no doubt that the piranha is designed to kill, as it has sharp teeth and extremely powerful jaws. Considering how afraid many people are of the common piranha, they would hardly want to know about the giant piranha ancestor - megapiranha, which was 4 times larger than its contemporary.
Capybara
The capybara is the world's largest rodent, growing up to 70 kg. It is widespread throughout South America, but is especially fond of the warm, humid surroundings of the Amazon River basin. This mammal prefers the abundant vegetation of tropical forests, including fruits, tree bark, and aquatic plants, and gathers in social groups of up to 100 individuals.
Jaguar
The third largest representative after lions and tigers. Over the past century, jaguars have faced threats such as deforestation and human encroachment, limiting their range throughout South America. However, jaguars are much more difficult to hunt in the dense forests of the Amazon basin than in open areas, and impenetrable areas of the rainforest may be the last hope for these cats. The jaguar is a super predator, being at the top of the food chain and not threatened by other animals.
Giant otter
Giant otters are the largest members of the mustelidae family, and are closely related to weasels. Males of this species can reach a length of up to 2 m and a weight of up to 35 kg. Both sexes have thick and shiny fur, which is very valuable for poachers. It is estimated that there are only about 5,000 giant otters left in the entire Amazon.
Unusual for mustelids (but fortunate for poachers), giant otters live in large social groups of about 20 individuals.
Giant anteater
He has a comically long snout - thanks to which he is able to sneak into narrow insect holes, as well as a long bushy tail. Some individuals can reach a weight of 45 kg. Like many, the giant anteater is seriously endangered, but the swampy, impassable Amazon River basin provides some level of protection from human encroachment for the remaining individuals (not to mention an inexhaustible supply of tasty ants).
Golden lion marmoset
The golden lion tamarin is a small monkey, also known as the golden lion tamarin or rosalia. This species of primate has suffered terribly from human encroachment: by some estimates, the ape lost a whopping 95% of its South American habitat when European settlers arrived 600 years ago. The golden marmoset weighs no more than one kilogram and has a striking appearance: thick, silky, bright red fur, as well as a dark face and large brown eyes.
This primate's distinctive color likely depends on a combination of intense sunlight and the abundance of carotenoids contained in its diet.
Black caiman
It is the largest and most dangerous reptile in the Amazon. It is a member of the alligator family and can reach a body length of about 6 m and a weight of up to 500 kg. Black caimans eat almost anything that moves, from mammals to birds and their fellow reptiles. In the 1970s, the black caiman was in serious danger of extinction due to hunting for its meat and valuable skin, but its population has since recovered, which may not be a source of joy for other animals in the Amazon rainforest.
Tree frogs
Dart frogs are a family from the class of amphibians, with 179 species. The brighter the color of poison dart frogs, the stronger their poison - which is why Amazon predators stay away from bright green or orange species. These frogs do not produce their own poison, but accumulate it from ants, mites and other insects in their diet (this is evidenced by the fact that dart frogs that were kept in captivity and fed on other foods are much less poisonous).
Rainbow toucan
The rainbow toucan is one of the most comical animal species in the Amazon. It is characterized by a huge, multi-colored beak, which is actually much lighter than it appears at first glance (the rest of the body is not so bright, with the exception of the yellow neck). Unlike many of the animals on this list, the rainbow toucan population is of least concern. This bird jumps from branch to branch and lives in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals. During the mating season, males challenge each other to a duel and use their beaks as weapons.
Three-toed sloth
Millions of years ago, during the Pleistocene era, the tropical forests of South America were home to giant, 4-ton sloths - Megatherium. How things have changed: Today, one of the most common sloths in the Amazon is the three-toed sloth (Bradypus tridactylus). It has a greenish-brown coat color (due to green algae), limbs with three sharp and long claws, and is also capable of swimming. This animal is terribly leisurely - its average speed is about 16 meters/hour.
The three-toed sloth coexists with two species of the two-toed sloth genus (Choloepus): Goffman's sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) and the two-toed sloth or unau (Choloepus didactylus), and they sometimes choose the same trees.