Many fascinating animals inhabit the Amazon Rainforest.
Here are some that you might see in Xixuaú-Xiparinã
Spider Monkeys Spider monkeys live in tropical rainforests throughout Mexico and and South America. They have long arms and gripping tails that allow them to move from branch to branch. Spider monkeys find food on the treetops. They eat nuts, fruits, leaves, bird eggs, and spiders. The trees in the rainforest provide canopies for the monkeys as well as food. Spider monkeys are well suited for the Amazon because they have strong tails which allow them to move from tree to tree. These monkeys live in the canopy of the forest, where there are a lot of fruits and seeds; and where many predators cannot reach them. Fun Fact: Spider Monkeys get their name because they are seen hanging onto separate branches of the trees using all of their four limbs and their tail, giving them a spider-like appearance. Spider monkeys are quite noisy and have a variety of loud calls which are easy to hear for about 1000m on the ground and 2000m above the canopy. |
Sloths Sloths are found in rainforest canopies in South and Central America. The majority of sloths are the size of a small dog and have flat, short heads. There large, hooked claws and long arms allow them to hang from branches for long periods of time. Since their metabolism is slow, they are able to have long intervals between meals. They eat fruit, leaves, insects, and twigs. Sloths are well suited for the Amazon Rainforest because their large claws and arms allow to hang from trees. The trees also provide shelter and food for them. Fun Fact: Sloths' algae-covered fur helps camouflage them in their forest environment. Sloths spend nearly all of their time in trees, descending only once a week to defecate on the forest ground. Sloths' mouths are shaped so they look like they are smiling. They can rotate their heads nearly 90 degrees. |
Toucans Toucans are found in southern Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. Toucans have small wings, strong and short legs, and large bills. Their tails varies in size from half to full length of their body. Toucans eat fruits, insects, small and lizards. They also plunder other bird's nests for eggs. Toucans are well suited for the Amazon because their large bills help them obtain edible parts of fruit and allow them to break into eggs which are plentiful. The Amazon rainforest trees provide shelter for them. Fun Fact: Although the Toucan's bill looks cumbersome, it is actually quite light because it is made of protein and supported by hollow bones. However, the Toucan’s broad wings are heavy making flight laborious. |
Piranhas Piranhas are found in South American rivers. Piranhas are normally 14 to 26 centimetres long. Piranhas have one of the strongest bites found in bony fishes. Their strong jaws and jagged teeth make them adept to tearing flesh. Piranhas eat both land and aquatic creatures. They are well suited for the Amazon Rainforest because their strong jaw and sharp teeth allow them to eat animals that are bigger than them and their jaws prevent animals from escaping from them. Fun Fact: The word Piranha literally translates to "tooth fish" in the Brazilian language, Tupí. Some Piranha can bite with a maximum force of 72 pounds (that’s three times their own body weight). |
Anacondas Anacondas are found in tropical South America east of the Andes, in tropical rivers and swamps. Their average length is 9 to 15 feet but some can grow to a shocking 30 feet long. They are semiaquatic, so they are known for their swimming ability. There are four different species of anaconda: green, yellow (Paraguayan), dark-spotted, and Beni (Bolivian). The green anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world and one of longest. Anacondas are muscular, stocky snakes that are thicker than boas with large, narrow heads. They all have nostrils and eyes on the top of their heads. Anacondas eat a variety of animals, which include rodents, lizards and fish. Anacondas are well suited for the Amazon because they are able to see above water while submerged. This means anacondas can see prey without moving or being noticed. Fun Fact: Anacondas use their teeth and powerful jaws to hold onto their prey while their muscular bodies wrap around their catches to suffocate them or drag them underwater. After asphyxiating their prey, they are able to unhinge their jaws to swallow their prey head-first and whole. They can go weeks or even months without feeding again. |
Credit: José Maria Fernández Díaz-Formentí. [http://www.livescience.com/53318-anaconda-facts.html, January 8, 2016]
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Spectacled Caiman [http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/species/spectacled-caiman, Sept. 15th, 2012]
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Spectacled Caimans Spectacled Caimans inhabit South and Central American, swamps, marshes, rivers and lakes. They get their name from the bony ridge between the fronts of its eyes. Males can reach eight to nine feet in length. The caimans' main source of food is fish, but they also eat insects, small mammals, birds, and other reptiles. They have large, strong jaws. They are excellent swimmers, using their powerful tails and webbed feet to propel themselves through the water. The caimans are well-suited for the Amazon because they have few natural predators there and their food supply of fish and small animals is plentiful. Fun Fact: The Spectacled Caiman can burrow into the mud and estivate, a summer hibernation. They do this when the climate becomes too hot and dry, to help them live through the heat and lack of food sources. |
Giant Otters Giant otters live in creeks and rivers of South America and they are the largest otters in the world, at 6 feet long. Giant otters swim by propelling themselves with their powerful tails and long bodies. They also have webbed feet, water-repellent fur, and nostrils and ears that close in water. Giant otters mainly eat fish, but they can also eat snakes, crustaceans, and other aquatic animals. Giant otters construct their shelter by burrowing into banks or under dead logs. Giant otters are well-suited for the Amazon Rainforest because their webbed feet and strong tails allow them swim efficiently. They can eat up to 10 lbs. a day of fish which the Amazon can easily provide. Fun Fact: Otters work together to groom, communicate and play. They love to build slides to go down. Otters used their dung, known as spraint, to mark their territory and communicate with other otters. |
Giant Otter [http://www.amazoniabr.org/en/gallery-view.asp?GalleryRef=_GL4UVHDE0R&GalleryTitle=Spirits%20of%20the%20forest&GalleryID=51, ND]
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