Introduction
Interesting facts and information about Amazon Rainforest animals in South America is not hard to come by because the Amazon Rainforest is where one-tenth of the world's wildlife species live. What that amounts to is millions of species of birds, fish, mammals, insects, amphibians and reptiles. When we list typical rainforest animals, monkeys, gorillas, parrots, caimans, and jaguars are among the most famous. There are however, so many more animals who inhabit this part of the world. Everyone, including kids, should be aware that is why these animals need to be protected from the many threats they face or the number of engendered and extinct rainforest animals will continue to rise.Click here for a great selection of Amazon.com Amazon Rainforest animal books.
Amazon Rainforest Animal General Facts
- Scientists have not yet discovered many species of animals living in the rainforest. For example, Muras tamarind, a species of monkey was recently just discovered in 2009.
- Some commonly known predators in the Amazon are the Jaguar, Anaconda, Caiman and the small but deadly Poison Dart Frog.
- The diversity of animal types in the Amazon is far reaching. From big to small, cute to strange looking, quiet to noisy, and dangerous to non-threatening all types of animals can be found.
- Amazon fish species are the largest in number With approximately 3,000 species of fish. Bird species come in next with over 1,200 species. There are about 400 species each of mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
- The Amazon Rainforest in home to the Pink Dolphin, also known as the Amazon River Dolphin. At over 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length, it is one of the largest freshwater dolphins on earth.
- Plants and trees help animals survive in the Amazon. This rainforest is referred to as the "lungs of the planet".
Amazon Rainforest Endangered Animal Facts
- Astonishingly, about 35 species of animals in the Amazon Rainforest become extinct each and every day.
- Unfortunately there are more and more species becoming endangered in the Amazon Rainforest. Some of the currently endangered animals include the jaguar, gorilla, poison Dart frog, hyacinth macaw, golden-lion tamarind, and the three-toed sloth.
- Some of the top reasons for the population decline of so many of these animals are deforestation, illegal poaching, environmental changes (such as global warming), and excessive hunting and fishing (both legal and illegal).
- Many animals of the Amazon face the threat of illegal capture for pet trade. The Scarlet Macaw is a perfect example of a beautiful bird that often gets caught and sold depleting the natural population in the Amazon.
- It is estimated that about 20% of the rainforest has been destroyed due to deforestation since the 1960s. If the trend continues, some estimates indicate that over half of the remaining rainforests could be gone in the next seventeen years. This would mean the end of countless species and a significant decline of the remaining species.
- It is not only humans impacting the population of the Amazon animals, but also environmental factors such as a decrease in precipitation and global warming that negatively affect the animals.