AMAZON FAUNA
The Amazon region, for its plant and water variety also has one of the greatest faunal concentrations of earth, with species of animals that have not been cataloged by science. Amazon animals are not easily observable by the density of the forest and because of this, many species live hidden in the woods, But still predatorily captured by man.
In the Amazon there are About 427 species of mammals, 173 endemic show the size of the Amazonian fauna. This number may still grow, because there are always new species being discovered. There are in the region, 158 species of bats, 110 rodents, whose most famous representatives are the capybara that measures up to over 1 meter and weigh more than 50 kilos, plus the paca and agouti.
Primates are also very numerous. There are about 81 species of monkeys classified by scientists and are still being discovered at the rate of almost one per year, which represents a high rate for science. There are at least six species of original cats like the jaguar (Jaguar), black (jaguanun), red (puma)) and ocelot (Margay cat). There are also four species of deer.
The tapir is the heaviest animal in the Amazon A mix of rhino and horse. There is a kind of wild pig, called collared peccary and the jawbone, unlike the domestic pig, because it has withered tail
It is also important to mention armadillos, anteaters, Skunks and sloths. Birds, 1,800 species of birds live in the Amazon, among which stand out cock-of-rocks wren, Flemish, harpy eagle, hawk, macaw, parrot and parakeet. Many of the species are endangered because of the richness of their plumage, In addition to the above mentioned we can add hummingbird, the mockingbird, cardinal, Oriole.
Reptiles, In the snake group include the coral, the bushmaster and pit viper that are poisonous. The anaconda, and the boa constrictor, contained non-poisonous and can reach more than 10 meters long, which allows the domain and death of the prey by strangulation.
In the group of Caymans the highlight are the Cayman Açu (largest one) and Tinga. Closing this group, we have the turtles, the tortoise Mata Mata. Fish, the Amazon has more than 3000 species of fish, of which 1,800 are already cataloged by INPA.
We have been cataloged more species of fish in the Amazon river than in the Congo river and Mississippi river together. The most popular fish are: peacock bass, Arapaima, tambaqui, matrinxã, Curimata, carauaçu, pacu, Jaraqui, piranha, golden, catfish and sardines.
In the Amazon there is the manatee, mammal. It can be seen in the aquarium of the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) in Manaus. It is a rare mammal, studied by scientists to be an endangered animal.
Dolphins, several species of dolphins also inhabit the Amazon and are tourist attractions in various jungle lodges in the región, where domesticated, can be fed and swim side by side with tourists.
Insects, assiduous participant of the Amazon environmental group system. This group has a vital work in the food chain. It is known more than 200 species of mosquitoes and about 1,800 species of butterflies, grasshoppers, wasps, ants, bees and tanajuras, are the most known in the region.
About the 1500 species collected between 1848 and 1859, about 8,000 were completely unknown. Some species are hermaphrodites, others feed on sap, plants or leaves, others live in their own trees. Multitudes of ants work day and night, such cutleafs ants and termites. This group is one of the major obstacles to the penetration in the Amazon jungle, where they proliferated dramatically, Since the tiny micuim until the titanus giganteus the greatest beetles earth, over 15 cm in length.
Source: Portal Amazônia (https://www.portalamazonia.com.br/secao/amazoniadeaz/interna.php?id=951) , com informações da obra “O Espaço Geográfico do Amazonas, de Marconde Carvalho de Noronha”
