AMAZON RAINFOREST ANIMALS...
More than anywhere on Earth

Caiman lizard eye. Amazon Rainforest - © Steve Geer/Istockphoto

Amazon Rainforest Animals:

Tremendously reach in animal life, the jungle is populated by insects, arachnids, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. Here are some of them...

• Spider monkey:
  Inhabits the canopy of the rainforest eating fruits, seeds and leaves. It can grow up to two feet tall, excluding the tail. The spider monkey likes to hang upside down using only its powerful tail to hold on to branches.
  Other species include: squirrel monkey, capuchin monkey, woolly monkey, red hawler monkey and pigmy marmoset.
• Golden Lion Tamarin:
  A type of monkey of the omnivore typle, the golden lion tamarin eats fruits, insects, spiders, lizards, etc. It can reach up to 12 inches long (with a 12 inches tail) and a weight of about 2 pounds.
• Sloth:
  Lives in the canopy of the Amazon rainforest, rarely climbing down from the trees. Have huge, hooked claws and long arms. The sloth eats mainly fruits, leaves and bugs, spending most of the time hunging upside down.
• Giant Anteater:
  Armed with a 2 foot long tongue, the anteater can swallow ants and termites very fast. An adult can reach up to 8 feet long and a weight up to 140 pounds.
• Giant River Otter:
  A highly endangered specie of the Amazon river, it can grow up to 6 feet long and a weight of around 70 pounds. Biggest of its kind in the world, the giant river otter eats mostly fish, small reptiles and birds.




Golden Lion Tamarin. Amazon Rainforest - © Merijn van der Vliet/Istockphoto



• Capybara:
  Biggest rodent on Earth, the capybara it's about 2 feet tall and a weight of around 100 pounds. An excelent swimmer, even under water, lives and sleeps in the water, showing only its nostrils above water level. Another endangered specie in the Amazon river. Its diet consist mainly of grass, aquatic vegetation, melons and squashes. Read more here...
• Toucan:
  Inhabits the canopy of the Amazon rainforest. With short, thick neck, the toucan is distinguished by its large and colourful beak (black, blue, red, white or combinations).
  It can grow from about 7 inches to over 2 feet.
• Macaw:
  The largest of the parrot family, macaw has a sharp, hooked bill ideal for eating nuts, fruits and seeds. It can reach from 1 foot to 3 feet in size.
  The scarlet macaw is endangered due to poaching, hunting and destruction of habitat by deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Its lifespan is about 75 years.
• Amazon Pink River Dolphin:
  One of the most beautifl creatures of the Amazon river, surrounded by all kinds of myths and legends in the jungle. Read more about the Amazon Pink River Dolphin here.
• Electric Eel:
  A type of fish - not eel at all - that can grow to about 8 feet long and weight of up to 60 punds. Visit Amazon River Fish for more on the electric eel.




Squirrel monkey. Amazon Rainforest - © Valerie Crafter/Istockphoto



• Piranha:
  Perhaps the most feared criature in the Amazon river. It has a powerful jaw and razor-like triangular teeth that can shred flesh from bone in a matter of seconds.
  Read more about piranha at Amazon River Fish page.
• Black Caiman:
  The largest predator in the Amazon river. It has no enemies other than man and can eat from piranha, capybara and giant river otters to humans.
  The black caiman can grow to 20 feet long and reach up to 3,000 pounds in weight.
• Anaconda:
  Snake of the boa constrictor type, the anaconda continue to grow throughout its entire life, reaching up to 21 feet long and an astonishing 40 stone of mass.
  It will squeeze its pray until it cannot breathe, then swallow it, not chewing at all. From capybara to humans, the anaconda doesn't eat often, as it will take more than a week to digest, according to the size of the prey.
• Jaguar:
  One of the most dangerous animals in the Amazon rainforest.
  An excelent hunter able to swim after pirarucu or turtles ( see the video at Amazon River Fish for an example), climb trees or run after its prey. The jaguar is about 6 feet long and can reach up to 250 pounds in weight.
• Poison Arrow Frog:
  Very small in size, but poisonous enough as to kill up to 100 people.
  It has the most powerful poison known by man, but harmless if left alone. Amazon indians hunt using its poison in the tip of their arrows.

Let's have a video introduction to Amazon rainforest animals...