Wild Life of the Amazon

Toucan

The tocan is found in the wild nowhere else in the world. it's huge beak,

which can be as long as 20 centimetres which

enables it to eat large fruit.

Macaws
They are members of the parrot family.


Piranha
The Amazon is home to the piranha, one of the world's

most terrifying fish. Up to 60 centimetres long,

piranhas hunt in shoals, or packs, and can kill cattle

or humans and strip the flesh from their bones

in a few minutes.

You wouldn't want one of these in your fish tank!





Jaguar
Weighing up to 90 kilograms and measuring up to 75 centimetres

at the shoulder. The Jaguar is the largest member

of the cat family outside Asia and Africa.






Giant Horned Frog

The rainforest atmosphere is so damp that a wide

variety of frogs can thrive without living close to rivers

or streams. The huge horned frog is found only in The Amazon forest .



Anaconda
An Anaconda at rest.

When it is hungry, it will uncoil itself

and lie still in the water with only its

eyes above the surface, waiting for prey.

Many stories are told about anacondas

attacking fishermen, but it is rare for

anacondas to attack humans unless

they are being directly assualted or

agitated.





The Amazon rainforest is the home of over 300 species of mammals,

thousands of freshwater fish, tens of thousands of trees

and nearly a hundred thousand other plant species.

Also there are so many species of insects that

experts agree they will not find them all!

Some say it is 20,000. Others say it is nearer to millions!

New species of wildlife are still being discovered!


For more information go to http://www.mbarron/net/amazon/wildlife.htm

Information compiled by Michael Barron

The Amazon rain forest is the largest tropical forest
on earth, covering about 2.7 million square miles,
or 90% the size of the 48 lower States of the U.S.