A giant predatory fish that lives in the Amazon. Wildlife of the Amazon

The Amazon rainforest is a huge ecosystem that provides habitat for such unusual and beautiful creatures as the jaguar, poison dart frog and helmeted basilisk. But in this environment live not only animals that prowl, swing and slide through the trees. In the muddy waters of the Amazon River, deep river all over the world, such amazing and terrible creatures live that the sight of their jaws is more terrible than some jaws floating in the marine environment.

10. Black caimans (lat. Melanosuchus niger)

A photo. black caiman

The black caiman is like an alligator pumped on steroids. It can grow up to six meters in size, and has a larger and heavier skull than the same nile crocodile, and in Amazonian waters it is at the top of the food chain. This means that they mainly reign in the rivers, they eat almost everything that can get into their teeth, including perches, piranhas, monkeys, anacondas and deer.

And, of course, they are able to attack people, which happens periodically. In early 2010, biologist Diis Nishimura was attacked by a caiman while cleaning fish on her houseboat, and although she managed to fight it off, she lost one of her legs. This particular caiman had been waiting for her under the houseboat for nine months, apparently waiting for the moment to strike.

9. Giant anacondas(lat. Eunectes murinus)

A photo. green anaconda

Continuing the theme of gigantic reptiles, we should recall the largest snake in the whole world that lives in the Amazon: the anaconda. While reticulated pythons are actually considered the longest snakes themselves, green anacondas are much heavier; females are generally larger than their males and can grow up to nine meters (over 29 feet) long, weigh 250 kilograms (550 pounds), and reach 30 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter. Is not Poisonous snakes, but instead of venom, they rely on their enormous muscular strength to grip and strangle their prey, among which you can find capybara, caiman, deer and even jaguar. She likes shallow water, which allows her to stealthily sneak up on her prey. As a rule, these snakes live in the tributaries of the Amazon, and not in the main channel of the river.

8. Arapaima (lat. Arapaima)

A photo. Arapaima caught

Arapaima according to the IGFA world record is the largest fish living in water bodies. Arapaima, also known as "pirarucu" or "paiche", are giant carnivorous fish that live in the Amazon and nearby lakes. Being studded with armored scales, they don't care because they live in piranha-infested waters, as they are quite agile predators that eat fish and randomly passing birds. As a rule, arapaima are near the surface, because they need to breathe ordinary air, and also receive oxygen from the water with their gills. They make a characteristic cough when they surface. The arapaima's proximity to the surface of the water makes it vulnerable to human hunters, who can easily attack with harpoons. Some indigenous communities consume Arapaima meat and tongue, turning them into jewelry and other items.

They grow up to 2.6 meters in size and gain about 90 kilograms (200 pounds) in weight. These fish are so dangerous that even their tongue is littered with teeth.

7. Giant otters (lat. Pteronura brasiliensis)

A photo. giant otter

The name itself speaks of them, these animals are very large, and these are really very large otters. They are the longest of the 13 otter species, with adult males growing up to two meters (over six feet) in length (from head to tail). It is difficult to distinguish between a male and a female giant otter because there is no fundamental difference in head or body size. This species can make up to nine different sounds and it can be very loud.

Their main food consists of crabs and fish, which they catch in family groups of two to seven individuals, and are capable of eating up to four kilograms (nine pounds) of seafood per day. Don't look at their cute faces, they deserve to be on this list more than any other animal, as it has been observed that in groups they can kill and eat anacondas. They are also able to give a serious rebuff to the caiman. One day, a family of otters was spotted eating a 1.5-meter (5-foot) caiman, which took them approximately 45 minutes. Although their numbers are declining, mostly due to human activities, they are among the most advanced predators in the world. tropical forest Amazon.

6. Ordinary vandellias (lat. Vandellia cirrhosa)

A photo. Candiru

However, candiru prefer other fish, with the help of spines they attach themselves inside the gills of larger individuals and feed on the blood of their owner.

5. Blunt sharks (lat. Carcharhinus leucas)

A photo. blunt shark

Considering that, technically, animals that live in the ocean cannot be in fresh water, blunt sharks this does not apply, since they feel great in both sea (salt) and river (fresh) water. They have been found very far in the depths of the Amazon, almost 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from the sea. This fish has special kidneys that can recognize differences in salinity and adapt accordingly. And you definitely do not want to meet such a fish in river water. They usually grow up to 3.1 meters in size, and these sharks have been reported to weigh 312 kilograms (690 pounds). Like many sharks, they have multiple rows of sharp, triangular teeth and extremely powerful jaws capable of closing with a force of 589 kilograms (1,300 pounds). It is also worth mentioning that this species of shark is particularly unfriendly to humans, as they are among the top three sharks that most often attack humans (along with great white and tiger sharks). Also given their habit of swimming near densely populated areas, this has led many experts to call them .

4. Electric eels (lat. Electrophorus electricus)

A photo. Electric eel experiments

In fact, the electric eel is much closer to catfish than to eels, but you probably don't want to be near one of them to find out. Reaching up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) in size, they are able to generate blasts of electricity from special cells called electrocytes located on their sides. These electrical discharges can reach up to 600 volts, this discharge is enough to make a horse buckle and fall. Although a single shock is not enough to kill a healthy average person, multiple shocks can cause the heart and lungs to collapse, and it is usually the shock that causes people to drown. That's why .

Most of the disappearances recorded in the Amazon have been attributed to eels, which put their victims into a state of shock and left them to drown in the river. Luckily for us, this type of eel tends to eat a diet of amphibians, fish, small mammals, and birds. They seek out their prey by emitting small 10-volt electrical discharges from their electrocytes, after which they stun or kill them.

3. Common piranhas (lat. Pygocentrus nattereri)

A photo. Piranha

This is the real horror of the Amazon River, this animal is so feared that it has become the inspiration for many dubious Hollywood films. But in fact, the common (red-bellied) piranha feeds on carrion. But it is not at all worth understanding that they are not capable of attacking living beings; after all, it's worth considering that they can grow to over 30 centimeters (12 inches) in length and swim in large groups. Like all piranhas, red-bellied piranhas have incredibly sharp teeth lined up in a single row on each of their powerful lower and upper jaws. These teeth clench with great force, which is why they are perfect weapon to tear and eat flesh. Their fearsome reputation is largely fueled by rumors of their "feast madness" where a group of piranhas gather around an unlucky prey and gnaw them to the bone in a matter of minutes. Such attacks rarely occur and are usually the result of starvation or provocation.

2. Payars (vampire fish, lat. Hydrolycus armatus)

A photo. Payara teeth

Anything called "vampire fish" is automatically associated with a scary animal, and payara is no exception. These fish are incredible ferocious predators capable of eating fish up to half their size. Given that they can reach up to 1.3 meters (four feet) in length, this is not at all worth understanding that this is the limit. They mostly like to eat piranhas, which may give you some idea of ​​just how tough these sharp-toothed beasts can be. They get their name from the two fangs that grow from the lower jaw and they are able to grow up to 14 centimeters (six inches) in length. Fish use them to literally impale their prey, and then viciously tear it to pieces. In fact, their fangs are so large that they have special holes in the upper jaw, designed to prevent their own piercing.

This voracious carnivore is fast and aggressive. They, as a rule, leave a small fish in their mouths, and then, skillfully maneuvering, begin to swallow. However, if the prey is too large, the payars may cut it into smaller pieces first and then swallow it.

1. Pacu (lat. Colossoma macropomum)

A photo. pacu teeth

Certainly a far more dangerous animal for males than females, this is the pacu, which is larger than its closest relative, the piranha, and is known for its distinctive humanoid teeth. They look very similar to piranhas but have flatter, stronger teeth designed for crushing, and one fisherman reportedly died after having his testicles bitten off.

Fish expert Henrik Carl said the pacu is not usually dangerous to humans, but it does have a "pretty severe bite". He said: “There have been cases in other countries, such as Papau New Guinea, where some men's testicles have been bitten off. They bite because they are hungry, and testicles are just right for that. They usually eat nuts, fruits and fish, but human testicles are just a natural target."

Oh, and don't worry if you can't get to the Amazon to watch these monsters, they can already be found in Europe where they have already begun to breed.

The growth of the catfish is clearly not successful, as a rule, there are no individuals larger than a match. The body is thin, thin, so the fish is almost transparent. Hungry, the candiru begins to look for a victim, and chooses a larger fish. Even in opaque, Amazons have an excellent sense of smell to find it. When the candiru fish feels the characteristic stream of water that the prey throws out through the gills when breathing, and catches the smell of ammonia (a metabolic product of fish, partially excreted by breathing from their body), it rushes forward.

Attack of the victim

Having found a fish, the candiru crawls into the gap directly under the gill cover and then is well fixed in the gills of the victim. The catfish does this with the help of spikes located on the fins, so much so that it is impossible to get rid of it by any means, even the most powerful stream of water that passes through the gills does not help.

Now the candiru fish starts the meal. With skill, she bites a hole in the tissues of fish gills, blood begins to ooze from it, which the catfish feeds on. This explains another name for the candiru - "Brazilian vampire". The fish eats quickly, the time from the start of a meal to full saturation is from thirty seconds to two minutes. The candiru then detaches itself from the victim and floats away.

Human danger

A terrible thing happens when a catfish makes a mistake when choosing a host. The victim may be a human or other mammal, and then the consequences can be the most serious.

Human injuries are very rare, but for those affected, the consequences are extremely severe. In the human body, the candiru feeds on the surrounding tissues and blood, which causes bleeding and severe pain in the victim. If time does not provide the victim medical care, defeat by catfish can lead to death.

Once in the human body, the candiru (fish) cannot get out of it on its own, since people are not typical hosts for catfish. Often, without surgical intervention, the fish cannot be removed from the human ureters. This catfish keeps the natives living along the banks of the Amazon in fear.

Indian Method

Behavioral Features

Regarding what exactly attracts catfish to the human genitals, zoologists have expressed different assumptions. The most plausible version is that the candiru is a fish that is extremely sensitive to the smell of urine: it happened that it attacked a person just a few seconds after he urinated into the water.

However, the catfish does not always penetrate the victim. Sometimes, having overtaken the prey, they bite through the skin with long teeth and begin to suck out the blood. From this, the body of the fish itself swells and swells. After eating, the catfish sinks to the bottom.

Treatment and consequences

If a person who was struck by a candiru fish does not have an operation in time, he may die. In the majority of cases surgical intervention passes without serious consequences. The inhabitants of the Amazon coast traditionally use folk treatment. In the place of attachment of the catfish, they introduce the juices of two plants, in particular, genips. As a result of this, the candiru dies, and then decomposes.

Finally

So, now you know that the most feared vertebrate in the tropical rivers of South America is the small candiru fish. It is not found in Russia. If a person performs the process of urination in the muddy waters of the Amazon, the catfish feels a characteristic stream of water, as well as the smell of ammonia contained in human urine. The fish takes it for gills and makes a fatal mistake, penetrating into the human body.

The giant arapaima is one of the largest and least studied fish in the world. Those descriptions of fish that are found in the literature are borrowed mainly from the unreliable stories of travelers.

It is even strange how little has been done so far to deepen our knowledge of the biology and behavior of the arapaima. For years, it has been hunted mercilessly both in the Peruvian and Brazilian parts of the Amazon, and in its many tributaries. At the same time, no one cared about studying it and did not think about preserving it. Schools of fish seemed inexhaustible. And only when the number of fish began to noticeably decrease, interest in it appeared.

Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Representatives of this species live in the Amazon in Brazil, Guyana and Peru. Adults reach 2.5 m in length and weigh up to 200 kg. The uniqueness of the arapaima is the ability to breathe air. Due to their archaic morphology, the fish is considered a living fossil. In Brazil, fishing is allowed only once a year. Initially, the fish was harvested with the help of harpoons when it rose to breathe on the surface.

Today it is caught mainly with nets. Let's take a look at this in more detail..

Photo 2.

Photo: View of the Amazon River from the window of the Cessna 208 amphibious aircraft that brought photographer Bruno Kelly from Manaus to the village of Medio Jurua, municipality of Carauari, Amazonas state, Brazil, on September 3, 2012.
REUTERS/Bruno Kelly

In Brazil, giant fish have been placed in ponds in the hope that they will take root there. In eastern Peru, in the jungles of the province of Loreto, certain areas of rivers and a number of lakes are left as a reserve fund. It is allowed to fish here only under the license of the Ministry Agriculture.

Arapaima lives throughout the Amazon basin. To the east, it occurs in two areas separated by the black and acidic waters of the Rio Negro. Arapaima is not found in Rio Negro, but the river, apparently, is not an insurmountable barrier for fish. Otherwise, one would have to assume the existence of two species of fish, having different origins and living north and south of this river.

The western distribution area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe arapaima is probably Rio Morona, to the east of it, Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi, where a huge amount of fish is found. This is the second protected reservoir in Peru for breeding and observing arapaima.

The adult arapaima is painted very picturesquely: the color of its back changes from bluish-black to metallic green, the belly - from cream to greenish-white, the sides and tail are silver-gray. Each of its huge scales shimmers with all sorts of shades of red (in Brazil, the fish is called pirarucu, which means red fish).

Photo 3.

Swinging in time with the movements of the fishermen, a small canoe floated along the mirror-like surface of the Amazon. Suddenly, the water at the bow of the boat began to swirl, the mouth of a giant fish stuck out, exhaling air with a whistle. The fishermen stared dumbfounded at the monster two human heights long, covered with a scaly shell. And the giant splashed his blood-red tail - and disappeared into the depths ...

Tell such a Russian fisherman, he will immediately be ridiculed. Who is not familiar with fishing tales: either a giant fish will fall off the hook, or the local Nessie will be seen. But on the Amazon, meeting a giant is a reality.

Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish. There were specimens 4.5 m long! Now you don't see them. Since 1978, the record of the Rio Negro River (Brazil) has been held, where they caught arapaima with data of 2.48 m - 147 kg (the price of a kilogram of tender and tasty meat, almost without bones, far exceeds the monthly income of Amazonian fishermen. In North America it can be seen in antique shops).

Photo 4.

it strange creature looks like a dinosaur era. Yes, it is true: a living fossil has not changed in 135 million years. Tropical Goliath has adapted to the marshy swamps of the Amazon basin: the bladder attached to the esophagus acts as a lung, the arapaima protrudes from the water every 10-15 minutes. She, as it were, “patrols” the Amazon basin, captures small fish in her mouth and grinds them with a bony, rough tongue (locals use it as sandpaper).

Photo 5.

These giants live in the freshwater reservoirs of South America, in particular in the eastern and western parts of the Amazon basin (in the Rio Morona, Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi rivers). In these places there is a huge number of arapaima. In the Amazon itself, this fish is not so much, because. she prefers quiet streams with a weak current and a lot of vegetation. A pond with indented banks and a large number of floating plants - that's perfect place for its habitation and existence.

Photo 6.

According to local residents, this fish can reach 4 meters in length and weigh about 200 kilograms. But arapaima is valuable commercial fish, therefore, now such huge specimens are practically not found in nature. In our time, most often come across specimens no more than 2-2.5 meters. But still, giants can be found, for example, in special aquariums or reserves.

Photo 7.

Previously, arapaima were caught in large quantities and did not think about its population. Now, when the stocks of these fish have noticeably decreased, in some countries of South America, for example, in eastern Peru, areas of rivers and lakes have been identified that are strictly protected and fishing in these places is allowed only under license from the Ministry of Agriculture. Yes, but in limited quantities.

Photo 8.

An adult can reach 3-4 meters. The powerful body of the fish is covered with large scales that shimmer various shades red. This is especially noticeable in its tail. For this, the locals gave the fish another name - piraruku, which translates as "red fish". The fish themselves have different color- from "green metallic" to bluish-black.

Photo 9.

Her very unusual respiratory system. pharynx and swim bladder fish are covered with lung tissue, which allows the fish to breathe normal air. Such an adaptation developed due to the low oxygen content in the waters of these freshwater rivers. Thanks to this, arapaima can easily survive the drought.

Photo 10.

You can't confuse the breathing pattern of this fish with anyone else. When they rise to the surface for a breath of fresh air, small whirlpools begin to form on the water surface, and then the fish itself appears at this place with a huge open mouth. All this action lasts just a couple of seconds. She releases the "old" air and takes a new sip, her mouth closes abruptly and the fish goes to the depths. Adults breathe like this every 10-15 minutes, young ones a little more often.

Photo 11.

On the head of these fish are special glands that secrete a special mucus. But what it is for, you will find out a little later.

Photo 12.

These giants feed on bottom fish, sometimes they can eat small animals, such as birds. In juveniles, freshwater shrimp are the main dish.

Photo 13.

The breeding season for pyrarucu is in November. But they begin to create pairs already in August-September. These giants are very caring parents, especially males. Then I immediately remembered how the male "sea dragons" take care of their offspring. These fish are not far behind. The male digs a shallow hole with a diameter of about 50 centimeters near the shore. The female lays her eggs in it. Then, throughout the entire period of development and maturation of eggs, the male is next to the clutch. He guards the eggs and swims near the "nest", while the females at this time drive away the fish swimming nearby.

Photo 14.

A week later, fry are born. The male is also next to them. Or maybe they are with him? The young are kept in a dense flock near his head, and even to breathe they rise together. But how does a male manage to discipline his kids like that? There is a secret. Remember, I mentioned special glands on the head of adults. So, the mucus that is secreted by these glands contains a stable substance that attracts fry. It is what makes them stick together. But after 2.5-3 months, when the young grow up a little, these flocks break up. The bond between parents and children is weakening.

Photo 38.

Once the meat of these monsters was the staple food of the peoples of the Amazon. Since the late 1960s, in many rivers, the Arapaima have disappeared completely: after all, they only killed with a harpoon big fish, the nets also allowed to catch babies. The government has banned the sale of arapaime less than a meter and a half long, but the taste, which only trout and salmon can compete with, pushes people to break the law. Arapaima breeding in artificial pools with heated water is promising: they grow as much as five times faster than carps!

Photo 15.

However, here is the opinion of K. X. Lyuling:

The literature of past years greatly exaggerates the size of the arapaima. To some extent, these exaggerations began with the descriptions of R. Schomburk in the book Fishes of British Guiana, written after a trip to Guiana in 1836. Schomburk writes that fish can reach a length of 14 feet (foot = 0.305 meters) and weigh up to 400 pounds (pound = 0.454 kilograms). However, this information was obtained by the author secondhand - from the words of the local population - he personally did not have evidence to confirm such data. The good famous book about the fish of the world McCormick expresses doubts about the reliability of these stories. After reviewing all available and more or less reliable information, he concludes that members of the Arapaima species never exceed 9 feet in length, a fairly substantial size for a freshwater fish.

My own experience convinced me that McCormick was right. The animals we caught in Rio Pacay averaged 6 feet in length. most big fish turned out to be a female 7 feet long and weighing 300 pounds. Obviously, the illustration from the old editions of Brehm's Animal Life, which depicted an Indian sitting on the back of a pyrarucu, 12 to 15 feet long, should be considered sheer fantasy.

The distribution of arapaima in certain areas of the river apparently depends more on the vegetation growing there than on the nature of the water itself. For fish, a heavily indented coast with a wide strip of coastal floating plants is needed, which, intertwined, form floating meadows.

For this reason alone, rivers fast current, like the Amazon, are unsuitable for the existence of arapaima. The bottom of the Amazon always remains smooth and uniform, so there are few floating plants, the ones that are usually tangled among shrubs and hanging branches.

On Rio Pacai we found arapaima in backwaters, where, in addition to floating meadows of aquatic grasses, floating mimosas and hyacinths grew. In other places, these species may have been replaced by floating ferns, victoria-regia, and some others. The giant fish is invisible between the plants.

It is perhaps not surprising that arapaims prefer to breathe air rather than the oxygen of the swampy waters in which they live.

Photo 16.

Arapaima's manner of inhaling air is very characteristic. When it comes to the surface big fish, first a whirlpool forms on the water surface. Then suddenly the fish itself appears with its mouth open. She quickly releases air, making a clicking sound, inhales Fresh air and immediately plunges into the depths.

According to the whirlpool formed on the surface of the water, fishermen hunting for arapaima determine where to throw the harpoon. They throw their heavy gun right in the middle of the whirlpool and in most cases they miss the target. But the point is that giant fish often lives in small reservoirs, 60-140 meters long, and whirlpools are constantly formed here, and therefore, the likelihood of a harpoon hitting an animal increases. Adults appear on the surface every 10-15 minutes, young ones more often.

Having reached a certain size, arapaima moves to the fish table, specializing mainly in bottom armored fish. In the stomachs of arapaim most often come across prickly needles pectoral fins these fish.

In Rio Pakai, obviously, the conditions for the life of arapaima are the most favorable. The fish living here reach maturity within four to five years. By this time they are about six feet long and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. It is believed (although not proven) that some, and possibly all, adults breed twice a year.

Once I was lucky enough to watch a pair of arapimes preparing to spawn. Everything happened in the clear and still waters of the quiet bay of Rio Pakai. The behavior of arapaima during spawning and their further care for offspring is truly an amazing sight.

Photo 17.

In all likelihood, the spawning hole in the soft clay bottom of the fish is pulled out by mouth. In the quiet bay where we made our observations, the fish chose to spawn at a depth of only five feet below the surface. For several days, the male was within this place, and the female almost all the time kept 10-15 meters from him.

The young, hatched from the eggs, remain in the hole for about seven days. Next to them is constantly a male, either circling over the hole, or perched on the side. After that, the fry rise to the surface, relentlessly following the male and keeping in a dense flock near his head. Under the supervision of the father, the whole flock floats to the surface at once to inhale the air-Spirit.

At the age of seven to eight days, the fry begin to feed on plankton. Watching the fish through the still waters of our quiet bay, we did not notice that the fish were rearing young growth "in vtu", that is, they would take the fish in their mouths in a moment of danger. There were also no signs that the larvae feed on a substance secreted from the platelike gills located on the heads of the parents. The local population makes a clear mistake, assuming that the young are fed by parental "milk".

In November 1959, I was able to count 11 schools of young fish in a lake of about 160 acres (an acre is about 0.4 hectares). They swam close to the shore and parallel to it. The flocks seemed to avoid the wind. This is probably due to the fact that the waves formed by the wind make it difficult to inhale air from the surface of the water.

We decided to see what would happen to a flock of fish if it suddenly lost its parents, and caught them. The orphaned fish, having lost contact with their parents, obviously lost contact with each other. The tight flock began to disintegrate and eventually dispersed. After some time, we noticed that the juveniles in other flocks differ significantly from each other in size. Such a large contrast could hardly be explained by the fact that the same generation of fish developed differently. Apparently, other Arapaima adopted orphans. Expanding the circle of swimming after the death of their parents, the orphaned flock of fish spontaneously mixed with neighboring groups.

Photo 18.

On the head of the arapaima there are glands very interesting structure. Outside, they have a number of small, tongue-like protrusions, at the ends of which, with a magnifying glass, tiny holes can be discerned. Through these openings, the mucus formed in the glands is secreted.

The secretion of these glands is not used as food, although this would seem to be the simplest and most obvious explanation for its purpose. It performs much more important functions. Here is an example. When we pulled the male out of the water, the flock accompanying him for a long time remained in the same place from which he had disappeared. And one more thing: a flock of juveniles gathers around a gauze pad, previously soaked in the secretions of the male. From both examples, it follows that the male secretes a relatively stable substance, thanks to which the whole group is held together.

At the age of two and a half - three and a half months, flocks of young animals begin to disintegrate. By this time, the bond between parents and children is weakening.

Photo 19.

Residents of the village of Medio Jurua display gutted piraruca at Lake Manaria, Carauari municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil, on September 3, 2012. Piraruku is the largest freshwater fish South America.
REUTERS/Bruno Kelly

Photo 20.

Photo 21.

The waters of the Amazon are even more teeming dangerous monsters that will not leave you the slightest chance. Still want to visit this place? For you, we have prepared a list of the 10 most dangerous animals that live in this river.

black caiman

This is the jock in the world of alligators. The largest individuals reach 6 meters in length. Such creatures have the reaction of a mongoose and the strength of a tiger. Most dangerous predators Amazons who will tear to shreds anyone who falls into their huge maws.

Anaconda

Another huge predator that lives in local waters is the anaconda. This is the largest snake in the world, weighing up to 250 kilograms. Anacondas are 9 meters long and 30 centimeters in diameter. If such a creature wraps itself around a person, he will no longer be saved. These monsters love shallow water, so most time spent in the tributaries of the river.


Arapaima

These giants have armored scales, so even piranhas are nothing to them. Arapaim hunt mainly for smaller fish and birds, but are not averse to eating human beings. Fish grow up to three meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms. The monsters are so ferocious that they even have teeth on their tongues.


brazilian otter

Even the otters here are gigantic. These 2-meter animals prey on fish and crabs. However, strength is in numbers: straying into flocks, they kill adult anacondas and even caimans. If for these creatures, which are called river wolves, it is not a problem to kill such strong animals, then people for them are just a snack.


common vandellia(Brazilian vampire)

Small individuals enter the human body through the anus, vaginal opening and even through the penis. Having settled inside the body, they can cause hellish pain. The poor fellows, who have felt such torment, pray to doctors for salvation.

bull sharks

Such cute little animals most often live in salty ocean water. Unfortunately, sometimes they swim into fresh waters and terrify the locals. Their jaws provide a bite force of 589 kilograms. After meeting with them, usually no one survived.


electric eels

I wouldn't recommend taking these babies. Two-meter eels can hit the victim with a charge of up to 600 volts. And this, by the way, is almost 3 times more than in your outlet. It seems like a killer tension, but it's not.

It's not the discharge that kills. The victim simply stops breathing from pain shock and she sinks in the water.


common piranha

These little critters often feature in Hollywood horror films. And it's not without reason that they have gained fame as ruthless killers. The sharp teeth of these fish close and tear the flesh to shreds.

It is noteworthy that piranhas are scavengers. But they do not disdain to eat fresh meat.


Mackerel hydrolic

These underwater bloodsuckers have truly vampire fangs. Only these fangs are found on the lower jaw of hydrolytics. The victim is impaled on them, as if on a stake, and can no longer escape anywhere. There are even special holes in the palate of hydrolics to hide such long fangs.


brown pacu

These fish with human smiles are relatives of the piranhas mentioned earlier. Although the pacu prefer fruits and nuts, they are not averse to biting someone. There were cases when these stupid fish literally gnawed off the testicles of men swimming naked. I would never want to be in their place.


The beautiful and majestic Amazon is fraught with many dangers. It attracts lovers of extreme recreation, who pay for the experience with their health and even life.

Amazon is the most big river on planet Earth, its waters and coastal areas are home to huge amount various animals. There are both small and beautiful birds, and deadly snakes, wild cats. Some animals are dangerous to humans, but get along well with each other. We present you the ten most common and terrifying animals of the Amazon.

Jaguar

piranhas

Spotted dart frog

electric eel

bull shark

Anaconda

black caiman

Arapaima

brazilian otter