Plants and animals of the Amazon. The most dangerous animals of the Amazon rainforest About the river cow living in the Amazon River

Do you dream of going fishing big river in the world of the Amazon, or you just want to take part in an exotic journey along this fabulously beautiful and mysterious river, and your dream may come true in the near future. But before heading to the Amazon for trophies, there are a few things you should be aware of. dangerous species ichthyofauna that live in this river and can cause you trouble and even very big ones.

Some predatory Amazonian fish can be huge, like the bull shark, while others are modest and small, like piranhas.

Piranha

This gluttonous and bloodthirsty fish belongs to the cyprinid species of the Pyrinidae family. Piranha sizes rarely exceed 30 cm. However, these medium-sized fish can sometimes be more dangerous than a huge caiman or giant anaconda. The piranha has a short, laterally compressed body that allows it to move quickly in the water and maneuver perfectly. The powerful jaws of this predatory fish are studded with razor-sharp teeth. The whole danger of piranha lies in its pack lifestyle and hunting as part of a flock. This fish responds well to the smell of blood. If the animal is wounded and enters the water, it is immediately attacked by piranhas rushing from all sides to the smell of blood. In addition, piranha feeds on carrion and cleans the bottom of the river from it, thus performing the role of orderlies. There are approximately 400 species of piranhas in the Amazon. Many of these fish are vegetarians and feed mainly on plant foods. However, not all predatory piranha species are bloodthirsty.

Stingray

The danger of this fish lies in its tail equipped with a poisonous spike. This fish can often lie on the bottom under a thin layer of sand, waiting for prey. If it is disturbed by a person or a large animal, then the fish beats with its tail armed with a poisonous spike and the poison from it penetrates the wound, bringing great suffering to the victim. The Amazon Indians use the sharp and large spike of this fish as an arrowhead. The Amazonian stingray belongs to the species of cartilaginous fish, the stingray family.

electric eel

However, not only the sharp spikes of the stingray and the teeth of the piranha lie in wait for the fisherman or traveler in the waters of the Amazon. Electric eel has a very unusual way of defense and attack. In the body of an eel there is a special organ "battery" capable of generating electricity. In the back of the body of the eel is the negative part of the charge, and in the front is positive. This fish also has another weak electrical organ that sends out weak discharges that help the fish navigate and identify prey or danger. Then he uses a powerful discharge to silence the victim or scare the enemy away. If an eel is 1 meter long, the electric shock it gives out can be about 650 volts. And the old individuals, the length of which reaches 3 m, give out an even more powerful discharge. These eels belong to the genus Cyprinidae, a family of eels. And on those familiar to all European eels that also live in Russia, electric eels are similar only in appearance. Also, the Amazonian eel receives oxygen not in the water, but directly from the atmosphere. After all, it lives in oxygen-poor places overgrown with grass, and constantly this fish has to rise to the surface for breathing.

Vandellia

vampire fish

This fish belongs to the mackerel fish family, lives in the rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Due to its impressive sharp teeth, reaching a length of 15 cm, it is considered a dangerous predator capable of inflicting serious wounds on a person or animal. However, this fish has delicious meat and is considered a delicacy. The main prey of this fish are piranhas and other small fish. This predator pierces its prey with long sharp fangs.

shark bull

The main habitat of the bull shark is the salty waters of the ocean, but this predator feels comfortable in fresh waters too. Cases have been recorded when these sharks were seen near the Peruvian town of Iquitos, located 4000 km from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. These sharks have special kidneys that adapt to changing salt levels in the water. And probably no one would want to meet in the waters of the river with such a giant monster with powerful huge jaws and teeth. The bull shark on average can be 3.3 m long, but often its dimensions can be larger. The weight of large individuals on average reaches more than 300 kg. The bite force of the jaws of a bull shark can reach a force of 590 kg. Also, these sharks do not mind tasting human flesh, and rank third after the tiger and great white sharks in the number of attacks on humans. Such formidable characteristics of this predator and the circumstances that the bull shark prefers to be near places densely populated by people gave rise to experts to believe that these sharks are the most dangerous in the world for humans.

brown pacu

However, in the waters of the Amazon there is also a fish that is much more dangerous for men swimming in the water than for women. The brown pacu is one of the largest piranha-related fish. However, unlike many of its other relatives, the pacu is not an outright predator. This is an omnivorous fish and more than half of their diet consists of nuts and fruits that have fallen from trees into the river. It turned out that for some individuals of this species, “nuts” are not only things that have fallen from trees. I hope that everyone who reads this article understands correctly what is meant. About a dozen cases have been recorded when the pacu, mistaking the testicles of male swimmers for nuts, bit them off. There were even fatal cases. By the way, pacu teeth are very similar to human teeth. However, today pacu can be found not only in the waters of the Amazon. This fish began to spread in the rivers of Southern Europe.

Other interesting materials:

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 of the Amazon, which will tear to shreds anyone who falls into their huge mouths.

Anaconda

Another huge predator that lives in local waters is the anaconda. This is the largest snake in the world, 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 saved. 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 even piranhas are nothing to them. Arapaim 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 prey on fish and crabs. However, strength is in numbers: straying into 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 the locals. Their jaws provide a bite force of 589 kg. After meeting with them, usually no one survives.

electric eels

Two-meter eels can hit the victim 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 the pain shock, and she drowns in the water.

Piranhas Common

These little critters often feature in Hollywood horror films. And it's not for nothing that they gained fame 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 fresh meat.

Mackerel hydrolic

These underwater bloodsuckers have truly vampire fangs located on mandible hydrolics. The victim is impaled on them, as if on a stake, and can no longer escape anywhere. There are special holes in the sky of hydrolics to hide such long fangs.

brown pacu

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

The Amazon River Basin, also known as the Amazon Rainforest or Amazonia, covers more than 7 million square kilometers and spans the borders of nine countries: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. By some estimates, this region (which occupies almost 40% of the area of ​​the South American continent) is home to a tenth of the world's animals. In this article, you will discover the most important animals living in the Amazon, from monkeys to poison dart frogs.

Piranha

There are many myths about piranhas including that they can eat a cow carcass in less than 5 minutes or like to attack people. However, there is no doubt that the piranha is made to kill, as it has sharp teeth and extremely powerful jaws. Considering how many people are afraid of the common piranha, they would hardly want to know about the giant ancestor of the piranha - megapiranha, which was 4 times larger than its contemporary.

capybara

The capybara is the largest rodent in the world, growing up to 70 kg. It is widely distributed throughout South America, but is especially fond of the warm, humid surroundings of the Amazon basin. This mammal prefers abundant rainforest vegetation, including fruit, tree bark, aquatic plants, and gathers in social groups of up to 100 individuals.

Jaguar

The third largest representative after lions and tigers. Over the past century, jaguars have faced threats such as deforestation and human encroachment that have limited their range throughout South America. However, jaguars are much more difficult to hunt in the dense forests of the Amazon than in the open, and impenetrable patches of rainforest may be the last resort for these cats. The jaguar is a super predator, being at the top of the food chain, it is not threatened by other animals.

giant otter

Giant otters are major representatives family of mustelids, and are closely related to weasels. Males of this species can reach a length of up to 2 m and a weight of up to 35 kg. Both sexes have thick and shiny coats that are very valuable to poachers. It is estimated that there are only about 5,000 giant otters left in the entire Amazon.

Unusually for mustelids (but fortunately for poachers), giant otters live in large social groups consisting of about 20 individuals.

giant anteater

It has a comically long muzzle - thanks to which it is able to sneak into the narrow holes of insects, as well as a long bushy tail. Some individuals can reach a weight of 45 kg. Like many, the giant anteater is under serious threat, but the swampy, impenetrable Amazon River basin provides some level of protection from human encroachment for the remaining individuals (not to mention an inexhaustible supply of tasty ants).

Golden Lion Marmoset

The golden lion marmoset is a small monkey, also known as the golden lion tamarin or rosalia. This primate species has suffered terribly from human encroachment: by some estimates, the ape lost a whopping 95% of its South American habitat with the arrival of European settlers 600 years ago. The golden marmoset weighs no more than one kilogram and has an amazing appearance: thick, silky, bright red coat, as well as a dark face, and large brown eyes.

This primate's distinctive color probably depends on a combination of intense sunlight and the abundance of carotenoids found in its diet.

black caiman

It is the largest and most dangerous reptile in the Amazon. It is a representative of the alligator family and can reach a body length of about 6 m and a weight of up to 500 kg. Black caimans eat almost anything that moves, from mammals to birds and their reptile cousins. In the 1970s, the black caiman was under serious threat of extinction due to hunting for meat and valuable skin, but its population has since recovered, which cannot bring joy to other animals of the Amazon rainforest.

Dart frogs

Arrow flies are a family of amphibians with 179 species. The brighter the color of the poison dart frogs, the stronger their poison - which is why Amazon predators stay away from bright green or orange species. These frogs do not produce their own poison, but accumulate it from ants, mites and other insects in their diet (this is evidenced by the fact that poison dart frogs that were kept in captivity and fed on other foods are much less poisonous).

rainbow toucan

The rainbow toucan is one of the most comical animal species in the Amazon. It is characterized by a huge, multi-colored beak that is actually much lighter than it first appears (the rest of the body is not as bright except for the yellow neck). Unlike many of the animals on this list, the rainbow toucan population is of the least concern. This bird jumps from branch to branch and lives in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals. During the mating season, males challenge each other to duels and use their beaks as weapons.

three-toed sloth

Millions of years ago, during the Pleistocene era, tropical forests South America were home to giant, 4-ton sloths - megatheriums. How things have changed: Today, one of the most common sloths in the Amazon is the three-toed sloth. (Bradypus tridactylus). It has a greenish-brown coat color (due to green algae), limbs with three sharp and long claws, and is also able to swim. This animal is terribly slow - its average speed is about 16o meters / hour.

The three-toed sloth coexists with two species of the two-toed sloth genus (Choloepus): sloth hoffman (Choloepus hoffmanni) and two-toed sloth or unau (Choloepus didactylus), and they sometimes choose the same trees.

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 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 most 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 Amazon Rainforest is a vast ecosystem that provides a habitat for creatures as strange and wonderful as the jaguar, the poison frog and the Jesus lizard. But the Amazon is not only home to those animals that simply roam, swing and slide in the trees. In the depths of the Amazon River, the largest river in the world, live creatures so amazing and so terrifying that sometimes they seem even scarier than creepy sea creatures.

Black Cayman

The black caiman looks like an alligator on steroids. They can grow up to six meters long, with larger, heavier skulls than Nile crocodiles, and are the apex predator in Amazonian waters. This means that they are the kings of the river who eat almost everything, including piranha, monkeys, deer and anaconda. And yes, they often attack people. In 2010, a biologist named Days Nishimura was attacked by a caiman while cleaning fish on her houseboat. while she managed to fight him off, he took one of her legs with him. This particular caiman lived under her houseboat for eight months, apparently waiting for a chance to attack.

Green Anaconda
Continuing the theme of giant reptiles, the largest snake in the world lives in the Amazon: the anaconda. While pythons are actually longer, the green anaconda is much heavier; females are larger than males and can reach 250 kilograms, grow up to nine meters in length and reach 30 centimeters in diameter. They are not venomous, but instead use their muscles to constrict and suffocate their prey, which includes capybara, deer, caiman, and even jaguars. Preferring shallower waters that allow them to sneak up on prey, anacondas tend to live in branches of the Amazon rather than the river itself.

Arapaima
Arapaima are giant carnivorous fish that live in the Amazon and surrounding lakes. Encased in an armored casing, they don't bother living in piranha-infested waters, as they are quite efficient predators themselves, feeding on fish and the occasional bird. Arapaima tend to stay close to the surface because they have to breathe air in addition to the oxygen they get through their gills. They make a distinctive coughing sound when they emerge to gasp for air. They can reach 2.7 meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms. These fish are so dangerous that even their tongue has teeth.

giant otter
Giant otters are the longest members of the weasel family, with adult males reaching up to two meters from head to tail. Their diet primarily consists of fish and crabs, which they hunt in family groups of three to eight members, and they can eat up to four kilograms of seafood a day. Their good looks are deceiving as they are more than worthy of the other animals on this list and are capable of hunting even the anaconda. Under certain conditions, they can easily keep protection from the caiman. One family of otters was seen devouring a 1.5 meter caiman in about 45 minutes. While their numbers are declining mainly due to human interference, they are among the most dangerous predators in the Amazon rainforest, earning the local name “river wolves.”

bull shark
Commonly living in the ocean marine animals, bull sharks are both at home and in fresh water. They were found deep in the Amazon, in Peru, which is almost 4,000 kilometers from the sea. They have special kidneys that can sense changes in the salinity of the surrounding water and adjust accordingly. And you don't want to meet one of them in the river. They tend to reach 3.3 meters in length and weigh up to 312 kilograms. Like all other sharks, they have several rows of sharp, triangular teeth and very strong jaws with a bite force of 589 kilograms. They are also quite partial to humans, being one of the most commonly attacked humans (along with tiger sharks and great whites). Combined with the habit of living near densely populated areas, this has led many experts to label bull sharks as the world's most dangerous sharks.

electric eel
Electric eels are actually more closely related to catfish than simple eels. They can grow up to 2.5 meters long and can generate charges of electricity from specialized cells called electrocytes. These impacts can reach up to 600 volts, which is enough to knock a horse down. While shock alone is not enough to kill a healthy adult, shocks from an electric eel can cause respiratory failure or heart failure and a person can drown. Many of the disappearances reported in the region have been attributed to eels, which shocked their victims and left them drowning in the river. Luckily for us, eels tend to feed on fish, birds, and small mammals. They locate their prey by sending out small, 10-volt blasts before killing them with large blasts.

piranhas
Most dangerous predator The Amazon River, about which they even make horror films. The red-bellied piranha is primarily a scavenger. But that doesn't mean they won't attack healthy creatures, given that they can grow to over 30 centimeters and swim in large groups. Piranhas have incredibly sharp teeth, one row in each of their strong upper and lower jaws. These teeth grapple with tremendous force, making them ideal for tearing and ripping through the flesh of their prey. Their fearsome reputation mainly comes from tales of their frenzied attacks, where groups of piranhas attack their unfortunate prey and tear it to shreds within minutes. These attacks are rare and are usually the result of starvation or provocation.

Payara, the vampire fish
Any creature named "vampire fish" should automatically be recognized as scary, and the payara is no exception. They are absolutely ferocious predators, capable of devouring fish up to half their own body size. Given that they can grow up to 1.2 meters long, this is no mean feat. A significant portion of their diet is made up of piranha, which should give you some idea of ​​just how dangerous these villains can be. They get their name from the two fangs that sprout from their lower jaw, which are up to 15 centimeters long. Payar fangs are used to literally pierce their prey after a lightning lunge. Their fangs are so big that vampire fish have holes in their teeth. upper jaw to avoid piercing yourself.

Paku
Another inhabitant of the Amazon, which can be much more dangerous for men than for women. Pacu is a much larger relative of the piranha, known for its distinctive sharp teeth. Unlike most of the creatures on this list, the pacu is actually an omnivore and most of its diet consists of fruits and nuts. Unfortunately for some pacu, "nuts" may not only mean things that fall from trees. Yes, that's right: Paku was sometimes bitten off the testicles of male swimmers in Papua New Guinea after the fish apparently mistook their genitals for a snack. And don't worry you can't head to the Amazon to see these monsters because they're already spreading to Europe.