Written by Shubhi Kaushik

Wildlife in the Amazon If you are thinking about Jaguars hunting in the dark, Iguanas sloppily moving up a tree trunk, or the Anacondas crunching the bones of its prey, it has to be the thick dense rainforests of The Amazon. One of the largest biodiversity hotspot in the world and home to over 2000 species which accounts to about a third of the entire world species. Some of which are found exclusively in the Amazonian rainforest. These jungles are deep and dense, partly impenetrable and cover almost half of the South America. No matter how dangerous the Amazon forests are to us, they are home to thousands of varied wildlife species, out of which some are yet to be discovered as they discreetly hide in the Amazon forests. Take a sneak peak at some of the Stars of this ‘tinseltown’.   Amazonian Mammals The Amazon is home to more than 300 species of mammals some of which are endemic to the Amazon alone. Some are super-fast some are lazy and slow moving, some are harmless herbivores while some are carnivores.  Some prefer trees and some prefer water. Whatever types they are, these beautiful creatures are rare and the Amazon extends to them a humble abode. Bats and Rodents are the most widespread species in the amazon and famous for attacking and killing the tribes in the forest. Cats like Jaguar, Jaguarundi, and ocelot are the famed habitants of the ostentatious jungles of the Amazon. Jaguar- the star of amazon forest   The endangered Puma The Armadillo Family of Capybara The ‘golden fur ball’ – Golden Lion Tamarin The sluggish Two Toed Sloth   Small version of Jaguar- Jaguarundi   The feline terror – Ocelot  Uncle scrooge match – Rio acari Marmoset  I will kill you!! – Vampire Bat The long snout – Tapir Amazonian Birds You can find some of the most exotic species of birds in the Amazon. The jungles in this part of the world are home to some rare and colourful birds which are exclusive to Amazon. Believe it or not, the Amazon Basin is home to 1500 bird species, while South America houses roughly one third of the entire world’s bird population. Some of them gather in thousands, like the celebrated Macaws or the Toucans and it is indeed a spectacular and vibrant looking picture to see them in flocks. These birds nibble on seeds, fruits and minerals found typically in the Amazon to clean the toxins. They believe in healthy lifestyle!! Long knife beak- Toucan ‘Ambassador for L’Oreal Hair Colour Range’ – the Gouldian Flinch The Elite of Amazonian birds- the Blue Macaw The very coy - Cockatoo  The daredevil - Harpy Eagle  The Humming Bird – ‘needle beak’ Amazonian Amphibians The damp climate of the forests in the Amazon breeds a variety of slimy and poisonous amphibians. You need to watch out for these vicious creatures because they may be small and camouflaged by nature but are poisonous enough to kill humans. They thrive in abundance in the marshy lowlands waiting to attack their prey. The Poison Dart Frog or ‘jumping marvels’ are the most colourful tiny frogs found here, but do not go by their appearance as some of them are potential enough to kill up to ten humans at once. The other amphibian exclusively found in the Amazon is the Horned Frog that has a peculiarly broad mouth and swallows anything that passes by, sluggish fella!!  Big mouth – the Horned Frog      The colourful jumping jacks- Poison Dart Frogs  The Caecilians. This amphibian grows new skin every three days as it has a nutrient-rich skin and its little ones feed on it. Amazonian Reptiles The reptiles of the Amazon are the most dangerous species alive. They are colossal and hefty and take the life out of their prey within seconds. It is said there are many reptile species breathing in the Amazon but most of them are still undiscovered. The most common are the Boa, Anaconda, Green Iguana etc. while most of them are carnivores the Green Iguana is true blue Vegan! The Boa Constrictor    ‘Mother of Snakes’- the Anaconda  The Green Iguana- ‘Absolutely Vegan’ The Caiman Lizards

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