The Amazon Rainforest: A Cornucopia of Wildlife
The Amazon rainforest is home to numerous species that make up twenty percent of those found on the planet. Covering an area of two and a half million square miles, representing two-thirds of South America, the Amazon rainforest spans nine countries: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Suriname, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Guyana.
The Amazon rainforest, considered to be the world’s largest natural resource, makes up more than fifty percent of the earth’s total rainforest.
Known as the lungs of the earth, it produces more than twenty percent of the Earth’s oxygen; more than any other single source. As such, it is a vital source of the air we breathe.
Its cups are home to the iconic toucan with its short thick neck and large colorful beak in combinations of red, black, blue, white and red. In addition, the Amazon rainforest is home to more than a third of all bird species found on Earth. Many of which are in danger of extinction due to the invasion of man and the deforestation of the tropical forest.
In addition to its abundant bird population, the Amazon rainforest is also home to the Capybara. At two feet tall and weighing over a hundred pounds, the capybara is the largest rodent on the planet. An endangered species, it is an excellent swimmer, spending most of its days and nights in and under water. The capybara exists primarily on a diet of aquatic vegetation, melons, gourds, and grass.
The largest mammal in the Amazon rainforest is not a land animal, as you might suspect, but lives in the Amazon River and its tributaries, the Amazonian manatee. Also known as sea cows (reputation earned for their herbivorous habits and for spending most of their days grazing). Some have even supposed that they saw mermaids when they encountered the Amazonian manatee.
Considered the most beautiful of all the creatures of the Amazon rainforest, it is the mythical pink dolphin of the Amazon River. Suffering from the effects of the development of the Amazon rainforest, the Amazon pink river dolphin is a species in serious danger of extinction due to the contamination of its habitat by agriculture, mining and industry. The local fishermen do not see the dolphin for its beauty due to its habit of opening holes in their nets to steal their catch.
A beautiful, but deadly, resident of the Amazon rainforest is the jaguar. An excellent hunter and natural athlete, the jaguar grows up to six feet in length and can weigh up to two hundred pounds. Naturally adept on land or water, the jaguar can climb trees or run in search of its prey, or swim after aquatic prey such as pirarucú or turtles.
A less attractive, but just as dangerous, resident of the Amazon rainforest is its largest predator, the black caiman. With no natural enemies other than man, it can grow up to twenty feet long and weigh over three thousand pounds. It has been known to eat giant river otters, capybaras, and even humans.
Of course, the Amazon rainforest, with its diverse animal population, is home not only to large predators, but also to almost microscopic ones. One of the deadliest is the poison arrow frog. Harmless if left alone, it possesses the most powerful toxin known to man. Its toxin can kill up to a hundred people. Amazonian Indians have long harvested the frog for its poison, which they use on the tips of their arrows when hunting.
The Amazon is a healthy environment for the legendary anaconda, which grows throughout its life. The largest ever caught was approximately twenty-eight feet long with a forty-four-inch girth and is estimated to have weighed almost five hundred pounds.
The most infamous of all the Amazon rainforest wildlife is, without a doubt, the piranha. The most feared and well-known of all the rainforest creatures is the red-bellied piranha. Feeding in large schools, they can converge and devour prey such as alligators, anacondas, and jaguars with their sharp teeth. However, contrary to popular myths, attacks on humans are extremely rare.