A fish that lives in the Amazon. Giant arapaima - fish monster of the Amazon

South America, spread over nine countries, is home to the Amazon Rainforest, the largest rainforest in the world. It covers an area of ​​55 square kilometers and contains a wealth of biodiversity, including species that have not yet been fully studied. The Amazon River flows through the forest and supports thriving animal and plant life. These forests are known as the "lungs of the Earth" because they absorb greatest number carbon dioxide on the ground and release oxygen. These forests are also home to some of the most dangerous animals known to man. Here's our list of the 15 most dangerous animals tropical forests Amazons.
This is an Alligator found in the Amazon, which is one of the largest species in the world. This Amazonian tropical animal is a very skilled hunter and kills its prey by approaching it from under the water and then crushing it with its powerful jaws. He then drags the catch underwater until it suffocates. It kills everything from small fish, otters, dogs and deer to jaguars and other caimans. Caimans can grow up to 6 meters in length. The black caiman's body is covered with hard scales that act as armor, however the color can vary between olive green, grey, brown or black. The species has bony ridges above the eyes. They have excellent hearing and vision and are equipped with strong teeth used for crushing food. You can also read about

This animal is not actually an eel, but a fish that looks like an eel. It has three organs that can generate five times more electricity than a normal plug point. This makes it one of the. It uses this electricity to shock and immobilize its prey before eating it whole. It also releases electricity as a method of defense to scare off an attacker. People are usually attacked by eels if they are accidentally stepped on. Most deaths are not due to shock itself, but due to subsequent paralysis and drowning. This method of killing its prey has earned the eel a place on this list of the ten most dangerous animals of the Amazon rainforest. The species has about 6,000 cells to produce electrocytes, and can generate 600 volts of power, which is about 5 times stronger than the electricity generated in a standard electrical outlet. The shock can knock a horse down instantly. It can kill a person in two or three hits, but people come into contact with eels very often. The species can live 15 years in wildlife and 22 years in captivity.

This large cat comes from South America is the main predator of the region. The jaguar lives alone over large areas, similar to leopards or tigers in India, and hunts small land animals. It rarely comes into contact with people, and when it does, it is usually because it is trying to attack livestock. Although it rarely attacks, this cat is a dangerous animal due to its speed, stealth, strong jaw and sharp teeth that can even pierce turtle shells and the human skull. However, their numbers are declining due to habitat loss and hunting. It is also considered one of the strongest animals on planet Earth. Jaguars love to eat monkeys, crocodiles, deer, sloths, fish, frogs and anything else they can catch. Jaguars are solitary animals that love to live and hunt alone, however, this does not apply during mating season.

The most dangerous of all species, the red-bellied piranha is a scavenger and usually eats dead animals. It is only known to attack live animals if it feels threatened or if there is little food in the area. People have been attacked by piranhas, but these attacks do not result in death, only injury due to the fish's sharp teeth. Piranhas exhibit cannibalism and are known to eat other members of their species. It is also one of the deadliest fish in the world. Speaking of appearance, they have a silver body covered with red spots that serve as camouflage in murky waters. The pointed and sharp teeth of the piranha are arranged in one row and bite through the silver hook. The piranha's jaw bone is the strongest and can crush human hand in 5-10 seconds. Local residents use piranha teeth to make weapons and other tools. Like sharks, piranhas are also equipped with a special organ that can sense blood in the water. They live up to 25 years in the wild and 10-20 years in captivity.

This Amazon rainforest animal is a brightly colored frog that secretes poison from glands on its skin. This poison is very toxic and causes heart failure if it enters the body in large quantities. The golden poison dart frog is a rare species because it can kill twenty adults. It is known that some tribes in tropical forests The Amazons use the poison of this frog to coat the tips of their arrows, which they use to hunt other animals. Due to the depletion of rainforests, poison frogs are endangered, and the blue poison dart frog is endangered due to its popularity in animal markets.

This shark is one of the three most dangerous species sharks and often attacks people who violate its territory. She lives in troubled waters rivers and hunts other aquatic animals such as fish, dolphins, and snakes. Because it swims in shallow, dirty water, people cannot see it, and if they get too close, the shark attacks them. A shark bite can be fatal because it drags its victims into the water and they either drown or die due to loss of blood. The species can grow up to 2.1 meters in length, however, females have been seen growing to an average of 2.4 meters in length and weighing 130 kg. Males are smaller compared to females and weigh around 94 kg. They are a type of shark that can grow in salt and fresh water. The bull shark can switch between salt water and fresh water and vice versa. The bull shark will be able to survive even if the water level is only 60 cm, and this is why they often come into contact with people. Additionally, female bull sharks prefer to give birth in shallow water because this will prevent larger sharks from eating their babies.

One of the largest snakes in the world, the green anaconda can grow up to 9 meters in length - twice that more giraffe. They live in water and can silently sneak up on prey and strike it with force, squeezing it with their powerful body until it suffocates and dies. They then swallow the prey whole. They usually hunt wild boars, deer, capybaras, and sometimes jaguars and people. You can also read about the most. Anaconda non-venomous snake. They spend most time alone, but males seek females to mate between April and May. Sometimes several species of male green anaconda will pursue the same female. This phenomenon is known as "breeding balls", where dozens of males are wrapped around one female and all try to mate. Sometimes green anacondas engage in behavior where female green anacondas eat smaller males.

It’s not for nothing that this animal was included in the list, because the spider has one of the deadliest poisons in the world. This is a ground spider that hunts at night. It can sting people who venture too close, and the venom causes severe pain and can eventually cause paralysis. The spider with the deadliest venom in the world is found throughout the entire jungle. However, during the daytime they hide under rocks and in crevices, in places that are dark and damp. Additionally, they are mostly visible where people have untouched items, clothes they are not wearing, or piles of wood or any items stored in a closet or garage, so people need to be careful. One of the most aggressive types of spiders will fight other spiders for territory if the population in the area is high.

As the name suggests, this centipede is a giant – it grows up to 30 centimeters. It is an experienced predator that kills small animals such as spiders, mice, small birds, bats, lizards and snakes. It is not poisonous, but hunts by wrapping itself around its prey and eating it as it slowly dies. Although it cannot kill people, the bite causes severe pain, fever and weakness. However, it is a ferocious and dangerous animal of the Amazon rainforest. This species has powerful jaws that can very easily bite through skin and inject very painful venom. Speaking of appearance, the entire body is divided into 23 parts, each with its own pair of legs. Amazonian giant centipedes do not breathe through their mouths, instead they have small holes in the side of each segment that allow them to take in oxygen to keep them alive. They are one of the fastest runners because they are almost blind and love to eat insects, tarantulas, small lizards, frogs, small birds, small snakes, rodents and even bats. The species is widespread throughout South America and several Caribbean islands. This is one of the.

This tiny ant—which grows to about 2 centimeters—gets its name from its ant, which is likened to a bullet. It also injects venom into the bite site and can kill small animals. These ants hunt in groups and can paralyze or kill large animals with many bites. The bite is not fatal to humans, but causes severe pain and can lead to temporary paralysis of the area around the bite. They have the most painful insect bites in the world and its bite contains a neurotoxin. It is located on the abdomen of the ant. They mainly nest in bushes, trees and in the ground.

This poisonous species The vipers have mostly been spotted off the coast of São Paulo state in Brazil. It can be recognized by the light yellowish-brown color of its underside and the shape of its head, characteristic of the genus Bothrops. The species can grow to a length of 70 cm, however it sometimes also reaches 118 cm. There are various color combinations, such as a pale yellowish-brown base color that is covered by a series of spots that may be triangular or quadrangular.

It is the most powerful predator found in the Amazon rainforest and is also one of the largest existing species eagles in the world. This species is primarily found in the tropical lowland rainforests of Central America. Additionally, in Brazil, the harpy eagle is also known as the royal-hawk. The harpy eagle is the national bird of Panama and is featured on the coat of arms of Panama.

Bats, however, vampire bats have even more interesting feature, they are mammals that can only survive on blood. In addition, these species live in places of complete darkness, usually in caves, old wells, hollow trees and buildings. Nocturnal creatures are most active in the early nights. The only species of bat that can "adopt" another young bat if something happens to its mother.

Amazon is the most big river On planet Earth, its waters and coastal areas are home to a huge number of different animals. There you can find 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 to 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

The Amazon is home to many thousands of species of fish that are found nowhere else in the world. The most big fish The Amazon, which was named by local residents as arapaima, is a real giant, with some scientists classifying this species as the largest of those that live in freshwater rivers.

The freshwater arapaima is the largest fish in the Amazon, as it can reach approximately 2.5-3 m in length and weigh more than 200 kg. Despite the fact that 100 years ago large fish of this species were not a rare prey for local fishermen, nowadays even individuals weighing 50 kg are rarely found. The popularity of catching arapaima is explained by the fact that the meat of this fish is distinguished by its excellent taste qualities. The gradual decline of the arapaima population in the waters of the Amazon has attracted the attention of scientists to this species. Large arapaima are most often found in the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon, but scientists believe that adult fish can move along the river bed, migrating for seasonal spawning in more clear waters. Arapaima are found throughout the Amazon, but not so often.

In fact, the arapaima is a truly amazing creature, because despite its large size, it can survive in fresh water, where the oxygen saturation level is not too high. The thing is that this amazing fish is able to breathe not only through its gills. She has a primitive lung, which allows her to compensate for the lack of oxygen necessary to nourish the tissues of such a large body. Arapaima, living in different parts of the Amazon, come up to breathe air every 20-30 minutes. Large individuals of arapaima prefer quiet backwaters, total area which does not exceed 140 m, of which there are many along the entire length of the river. It is the fact that this large fish lives in shallow backwaters, which are not very large, that makes it extremely vulnerable to fishermen.

The arapaima feeds mainly on bottom fish and crustaceans, but may also include in its diet some fruits that fall in abundance into the river during a flood. This fish has excellent hearing and sense of smell, so it can smell ripe fruits in the water even from a great distance. Adult arapaima are very caring parents. During the breeding season, which falls in November for these fish, they move closer to the sandy shores, where they dig a small depression where the female plays. After this, the male is constantly on duty near the hole with eggs, and the female drives away the fish that try to get closer. Thus, fish provide reliable protection for future generations. After hatching, the juveniles stay near the head of the adult and even rise to breathe with the parent. Only after 3-4 months the connection weakens, and the juveniles begin an independent life.

The abundance of food in the Amazon River causes arapaima to grow rapidly and gain weight. The number of arapaima in the waters of the Amazon is gradually decreasing, since if previously only large individuals were exterminated when hunting with harpoons, now the use of modern nets has made it possible to catch juveniles.

Is one of natural wonders of our planet. In terms of world fame, the river competes with the Indian Ganges and the Egyptian Nile. The unique ecosystem of the longest water artery on earth (more than 7 thousand km from the source) attracts lovers of exoticism, brightness tropical flora and fauna, and ordinary tourists - lovers of natural beauty. The vast expanses of the Amazon, which amazes with the richness of flora and fauna, are home to about 1.5 million of the most diverse species of plants and animals; without exaggeration, this corner of the planet can be called the world's genetic fund. According to scientists, per 10 km² of tropical forest there are more than 1,800 species of birds, 250 species of various mammals, about 2 thousand different species of fish and countless invertebrates and insects of all kinds (many of their species are still unknown to the scientific world).

The Amazon River basin, which contains 10 longest rivers of the world, together with all its tributaries, occupies approximately 40% of the territory.

In essence, it is a humid jungle and swamps stretching along the equator, so climatic conditions The lowlands are practically the same throughout. The Amazon basin has the largest tropical rainforest on Earth. evergreen forest, the climate of which is hot and humid, the air temperature is stable throughout the year, here it constantly stays at +25-28°C, even at night the temperature almost never drops below + 20°C.

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Fauna

Tropical forests are home to many rare species of animals, some of which are on the verge of extinction. Among such animals we should mention the baker, spider monkey, sloth, armadillo, caiman freshwater dolphin, crocodile, boa.

Near the shores of the Amazon, there is a tapir, an excellent swimmer, although its body weight can reach 200 kg. The tapir most often moves along paths near the river; it feeds on algae, as well as leaves, twigs and fruits of coastal plants.

Near rivers you can often find the world's largest rodent - capybara, whose weight reaches up to 50 kg, and in appearance the animal resembles a guinea pig. Animals coming to drink near the shore are watched by anacondas (a species of the largest snakes from the subfamily of boas), which also hunt in the water; it is not for nothing that they are also called water boas. An anaconda can even strangle a caiman (Spanish: Cayman, a genus of reptiles of the alligator family).

One of the very dangerous inhabitants jungle, and, at the same time, a water-loving representative of the cat family, is the jaguar, which is called “d’iaguar” (“Like us”).

The incredible number of birds living in the river basin is staggering; nowhere else in the world can such a number and species diversity of birds be found. Most birds feed on insects, which in turn feed on plants. Plants, trying to protect themselves from voracious insects, produce various potent, most often toxic substances, most of which have medicinal qualities. Therefore, the jungle can safely be called a treasure trove medicinal plants, used in scientific and folk medicine.

Among the forest birds one can note the forest falcon, toucan, macaw, bald parrot, fly eater, hummingbird, as well as the gaviao bird of prey.

Among insects, there are over 1,800 species of butterflies and more than 200 species of mosquitoes.

In general, in the Amazon jungle, the territory of which is more than 6 million km² and covers 9 countries of South America, there live as many different organisms as there are on any “piece” of our planet. Great amount The wide variety of trees allows us to rightfully call the Amazon jungle the “Tree of Life”. In fact, every tree is home to more than 400 species of insects alone! In the dense crowns of trees and among the vines live monkeys, birds, snakes and bats. Did you know that almost 50% of all living organisms known to scientists today live in the Amazon basin, every year this tropical world gives us more and more new varieties of plants and animals, hitherto unknown.

The tropical forest is divided into peculiar tiers in which they live different kinds, many animals do not even move vertically, remaining all the time in their natural niche. One of these unique animals is Amazon sloth, which, living up to its name, practically does not move, it constantly hangs on branches or on vines. It is interesting that these animals are completely incapable of moving on the ground, they can neither walk nor stand, but sloths are wonderful swimmers.

On one of the islands, located in the middle of the river, on an area of ​​more than 800 hectares, there is a unique eco-park, which gives sick and confiscated monkeys the opportunity to adapt to the environment. wild environment. The island contains more than 20 species of primates; there are quite rare species here that cannot be seen in any zoo in the world. This one is exceptional nature reserve was created for environmental purposes, as well as science Center, who studies primates.

- an irreplaceable natural ecosystem, which today is threatened with extinction due to massive cutting down of trees. Ruthless exploitation of forests leads to soil erosion and the death of many species of plants and animals. Nowadays it is extremely rare to find here Amazonian otter(lat. Ptesonura brasilensis). The list of endangered species has already included the mahogany tree (Spanish: Rio Palenque) and the unique Brazilian rosewood(Palisander Rosewood) with amazingly beautiful wood from which expensive furniture is made.

The waters of the Amazon are rich in river inhabitants: the number and diversity of representatives of the river depths is simply amazing, but this is not surprising, because just one of the river’s tributaries carries more water than all of them European rivers, taken together!

Underwater inhabitants of the Amazon

According to scientists, tens of millions of years ago, on the site of the Amazon, there was a sea that separated South American continent to the northern and southern parts. Due to land formation processes, this territory began to slowly rise, sea ​​water gradually desalinated, and the ancestors of some of today's inhabitants of the Amazon managed to adapt to fresh river water.

This kind of inhabitants includes: massive bull fish (reaching a length of 4 m and weighing more than 500 kg) and typical sea ​​fish- stingray Interestingly, the Pink Dolphin's neck spine is not fused together, allowing it to bend its neck at right angles to its body.

Rich animal world The Amazon is also represented by the freshwater white river dolphin inia (lat. Inia geoffrensis) and nutria (in Europe, this animal is specially bred on fur farms).

The variety of fish species found in the Amazon and its tributaries is simply amazing. By the way, many popular aquarium fish, for example, swordtails, guppies, angelfish and armored catfish come from here. Only in the Amazon basin are there fish such as tambaqui (Spanish Tambaqui, Latin Colossoma macropomum) - an omnivorous predator that grows up to 90 cm in length, feeding on seeds and fruits of rubber trees falling into the water; protoptera (lat. Protopterus) - species lungfish, one of the last on the planet; as well as the arawana fish (Spanish Arawana, Latin Osteoglossum bicirrhosum), reaching a length of up to 1 m, which, jumping out of the water, grabs insects from tree branches hanging over the river.

Herbivores include exotic wedge-bellied fish, which can fly through the air for more than 10 m, as well as very impressive (up to 4 meters), but completely harmless arapaima, their rough tongue (the Indians use it instead of a grater, rubbing roots) helps manatees prevent the river from becoming overgrown with algae.

In addition to herbivores, the Amazon is also home to many predators. It is impossible not to mention here one of the most famous inhabitants of the Amazon, piranhas - small flat fish (13 - 40 cm long), unusually voracious, with a powerful lower jaw. The triangular teeth of piranhas are arranged in such a way that when the fish closes its mouth, they resemble the teeth of a gear. Piranhas lead predatory image life, they even attack large animals crossing the river. They are also dangerous for people: attracted by the smell of blood, schools of these fish attack their prey, gnawing the victim down to the bones with lightning speed.

It should be noted that, despite their frightening reputation, not all types of piranha are so terrible: only 4 out of 18 are dangerous to humans modern species. But it’s better not to mess with carnivorous piranhas. It is a little reassuring that this fish, which has a small mouth, is not able to bite off large pieces, so real danger represent schools of piranhas.

As you know, piranhas sense blood in water from a great distance. Sensing prey, the school frantically rushes towards it, and if the animal carelessly gets within reach, the fish finish it off in a matter of minutes. So, in 1981, red piranhas set the most monstrous world record: a ferry sank near the city of Obidos (), and more than 300 people were eaten alive by a school of fish in a few minutes.

It is not very pleasant to meet a giant Amazonian crocodile - caiman, a relative of the North American alligator. The caiman is especially dangerous because this animal is a real genius of camouflage; it is not easy to immediately identify a floating “log”. He often moves with a “wreath” of water hyacinth decorating his head.

Fish like flathead catfish(Latin Phractocephalus hemioliopterus) and haraki (Spanish Jaraqui, main commercial fish Amazon) thanks to the ability to vibrate swim bladder by contracting muscles, they can make piercing sounds. The Amazonian flathead catfish can reach more than 2 m in length and up to 80 kg. weight, this fish makes loud trumpet sounds, similar to the roar of an elephant, which spread over the water at a distance of up to 100 m. And male harakas during spawning make a very loud sound, reminiscent of the noise of a running motorcycle engine. The abundance and diversity of “singing” fish in the Amazon is apparently explained by the significant amount of humus and limestone impurities in the river. In conditions of high turbidity of river waters, visual communication of fish becomes difficult, so they use sounds.

The Amazonian splasher fish can be safely sent to the Olympics, because the accuracy of its “shooting” is beyond belief - the “spit” of the splasher, mind you, from under the water, hits the target (usually an insect) from a distance of more than 1.5 m!

Many amazing animals are found in the Amazon, including “mammalian” fish that have glands along their sides that secrete a liquid similar to milk. The younger generation of this amazing fish feeds on mother's "milk".

Completely unique electric eel, found in the underwater thickets of the river. In addition to the fact that it has special organs capable of producing a “discharge” of up to 600 V, the stingray also has a radar. Simply a unique mobile power station!

The list of unique fish and aquatic animals living in the Amazon goes on and on!

Dangerous Animals of the Amazon

The amazing world of wild flora and fauna that reigns in the area of ​​the world's largest river may be unsafe for people. After all, poisonous and dangerous animals are found everywhere in the Amazon.

In addition to the aforementioned Amazonian piranha, vampire fish, and jaguars, there are various Poisonous snakes, frogs and spiders. These animals are dangerous and, at the same time, very rare species.

frogs

Frogs living on the coast, as well as in the forests of the Amazon Basin, undoubtedly deserve special mention:

• “Ranitomeya summersi” (Latin) is a genus of frogs from the order of tailless amphibians, dart frogs (they live in tropical forests). This is a poisonous species of frog that was recently discovered in Peru in 2008. The frog is distinguished by unique bright orange patterns covering its entire body and a “black mask” that hides its eyes.
• "Ameerega pepperi" (lat.) - also a species poison frog, found in Peru in 2009, with an unusual bright skin color (bright green with shades of blue).
• "Osteocephalus yasuni" - another species unusual frogs, which were discovered in the last century (in 1999). The habitat of this frog is the Amazon basin in Colombia, Peru and.
• "Ranitomeya benedict" - dwarf poison dart frog, this tiny tree frog lives in low-lying rain forests, is very poisonous and dangerous. It was first found in 2008 in Peru. In addition to the fact that the frog is very beautiful, it is also useful: the poison of the frog is used in medicine as an effective painkiller.
• "Hypsiboas liliae" - a unique frog, of the rarest kind. It is bright green in color, with large, strongly bulging eyes and iridescent blue skin on its abdomen.
• "Nymphargus wileyi" - unusual interesting view frogs, first found in Ecuador. The frog is distinguished by the fact that it has a green color and such transparent skin on its abdomen that everything is clearly visible through it. internal organs amphibian (for which they were nicknamed “glass frogs”).
• "Osteocephalus castaneicola" is a frog first discovered in Bolivia as recently as 2009. The frog has silver-gray skin with a fashionable "tiger" pattern on its legs.

Black caiman

The largest individuals of this alligator reach 6 m in length. They have the reaction of a mongoose and the strength of a tiger. The most dangerous predators Amazons who will tear to shreds anyone who falls into their huge jaws.

Anaconda

Another huge predator that lives in local waters is the anaconda. This is the world's largest snake, weighing up to 250 kg. Anacondas reach 9 m in length and 30 cm in diameter. If such a snake wraps itself around a person, he will no longer be able to escape. These monsters love shallow water, so they spend most of their time in the tributaries of the river.

Arapaima

These giants have armored scales, so they don’t even care about piranhas. Arapaima hunt mainly for smaller fish and birds, but sometimes they also attack humans. Fish grow up to 3 m in length and weigh up to 90 kg. 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 hunt fish and crabs. However, there is strength in numbers: when they gather in flocks, they kill adult anacondas and even caimans.

Vandellia vulgaris (Brazilian vampire)

Bull sharks

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

Electric eels

Two-meter eels can strike victims with a charge of up to 600 volts. And this is almost 3 times more than in the outlet. It seems like a killer tension, but it's not. It's not the discharge that kills. The victim simply stops breathing from painful shock, and she drowns in the water.

Common Piranha

These little creatures often appear in Hollywood horror films. And it’s not without reason that they gained fame as ruthless killers. The sharp teeth of these fish close together and tear the flesh to shreds. It is noteworthy that piranhas are scavengers. But they do not disdain fresh meat.

Mackerel hydrolic

These underwater bloodsuckers have truly vampiric fangs located on the lower jaw of the hydrolics. The victim is impaled on them like a stake, and can no longer escape anywhere. Hydroliks have special holes in their palates to hide such long fangs.

Brown pacu

These fish with human smiles are relatives of the previously mentioned piranhas. Although pacu prefer fruits and nuts, there are also cases of attacks on people.