Common Animals in the Amazon
With an area as large as 2,722,000 square miles, the Amazon basin and the river that helps form it are populated by many animals that inhabit its ecosystems. Some of the common animals in the Amazon are aquatic or semi-aquatic in nature, while others live in the surrounding tropical rainforests that cover much of the region.
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Capybara
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The capybara, the largest rodent on the planet, lives throughout the Amazon Basin as well as in many other parts of Central and South America. The capybara reaches lengths of over 4 feet and weights that exceed 100 lbs., according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park website. The capybara is always found in close proximity to water. It eats aquatic vegetation and escapes danger with its excellent swimming ability. The capybara is a social creature, with a single dominant male in charge of groups comprising as many as 30 individuals.
Pygmy Marmoset
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The pygmy marmoset is the smallest of all true monkeys in the world, with adults in the range of 5 inches long and weighing only 4 to 7 oz. Its territory spans the Upper Amazon area that lies east of the Andes, with its range including portions of Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador. The pygmy marmoset's full ruff of hair on the chest and head has inspired comparisons to a lion's mane. The monkey subsists on a diet of tree sap, bugs, fruits and small lizards.
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Coatimundi
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A close relative of the common raccoon, the coatimundi lives in many habitats across Latin America and into southwestern North America. The coatimundi is common in the Amazon rainforest, partaking of insects, lizards, frogs and fruit. The coatimundi, states the Big Cat Rescue site, resembles a raccoon that someone has “stretched,” with a ringed tail but an elongated body. Though the body can be as long as 26.5 inches, the coatimundi's tail is just as long. The coatimundi hunts for its meals on the ground, but seeks the relative protection of trees when retiring for the evening.
Green Anaconda
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The National Geographic website notes that in terms of weight, the green anaconda is the world’s largest snake species, with some specimens known to weigh more than 550 lbs. The green anaconda is part of the boa family of snakes. This constrictor lives mostly in the basins of the Orinoco and the Amazon Rivers. The green anaconda has the ability to kill and eat animals as large as jaguars, deer, capybaras and caimans--a relative to the alligators and crocodiles. The green anaconda is slow when on land, but in the water, this huge snake is quick and able to remain nearly entirely submerged as it waits to ambush its victims.
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References
- Photo Credit Nosey Capybara image by Pontus Edenberg from Fotolia.com
