Central and South America have some of the worlds most unique species of wildlife. Perhaps, some are more familiar than others. Central and South America have many different groups of species, which include: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. These groups of animals need to live in specific types of climates and habitats in order to ensure their survivorship.
The Amazon River system, which provides and supports various habitats, is home to many different species of wildlife. The carnivorous (meat-eating) Amazon dolphin and herbivorous (plant-eating) manatee reside in the waters of the Amazon. Different species of fish such as: air breathing lungfish, electric fish, "four-eyed" anableps, arapaima (giant, carnivorous fish), and the piranha can also be found in the Amazon. When swimming in a school, the piranha has been known to strip the flesh off a 100lb capybara in less than one minute. Terecay turtles lay their eggs, caimans bask in the sun, and the amphibious (land or water) capybara feeds on lush marginal vegetation. However, the capybara must be aware of its predators the anaconda and jaguar. Unfortunately, the future of certain animals in the Amazon is uncertain. Hunters, seeking the valuable pelts of the giant otter, have reduced their numbers to near extinction. The spectacled caiman is hunted for its hide and the red-headed turtle is hunted for its delicious eggs and meat. Both have been hunted to near extinction as well.
The Amazonian rain forest, in Brazil alone, is the largest rain forest in the world. Many species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and birds occupy the canopy of this magnificent rain forest. The iguana lives in the trees high above from the ground. It has flattened sides and a long, strong tail, which gives it balance and stability when it leaps. It also has clawed feet, which allows the iguana to grip branches.
The poison dart frog is a tree frog that secretes poison when it gets attacked. Even a small amount of the toxin can be lethal to humans. Today, South American Indians use the poison to tip their arrowheads before hunting.
The spider monkey uses its prehensile tail for stability and locomotion high in the canopy. It has elongated limbs, which allows the spider monkey to be very acrobatic and acts like the trapeze artist of the forest.
An incredible amount of different species of birds can be found in the Amazon rain forest. In one valley alone, more than 450 species of birds can be observed. The Amazon rain forest is home to toucans, parrots, puffbirds, hummingbirds, and many more. These colorful birds blend in with the lighter leaves or foliage of the canopy in the forest. There are not many threats to these birds while being so high up in the canopy. However, the primary threat is the harpy eagle, which preys on small mammals below and birds up high in the canopy. Many species of birds will nest not only on branches, but in cavities inside the tree too. These birds include: many types of woodpeckers, woodcreepers, and ovenbirds. The oddest of all the Amazonian birds are the hoatzin. The young of this bird has two well-developed claws at the end of each wing. This allows them to cling to branches, but they disappear when they reach three weeks old.
Incredible amounts and types of insects reside in the rain forest and play a major role in the food web. Many species of birds will feed on insects. Due to the strong predation, insects need to camouflage themselves as much as possible. The bush cricket, for example, uses two defense mechanisms. The first is its leaf-like camouflage to blend in with its surroundings. When that fails, the bush cricket uses its alarm display (fans out its striking wings) to startle birds and makes itself appear larger and more ferocious. This allows the bush cricket to gain more time to escape from its predators. Other species of insects include: bogus wasps, longicorns, and lo moths.
The west coast of South America has one of the ocean's richest nutrient sources. Rocks on land, animal decomposition (breaking down of dead things), and rotting vegetation are carried by rivers into the sea. This enhances the deep waters with a nutrient called phosphorous. The birds continue to concentrate additional nutrients by forming islands of guano (bird droppings that act as fertilizers), which is accumulated over hundreds of years.
This area has ideal conditions for the development of plankton (weakly swimming plant and animal life, such as blue-green algae and various larvae, in a body of water) due to the cold currents from the Antarctic and nutrient-rich upwelling waters from the Pacific Ocean. Large amounts of zooplankton (animal life of the plankton) support anchovy fisheries, which then support incredible colonies of sea birds such as pelicans and cormorants.
Pelicans dive headfirst into the water when searching for anchovies. They have air sacs within their skin that enables them to come to the surface quickly. Cormorants, on the other hand, swim similar to a torpedo in the water after the anchovies. The Peruvian cormorant is described as the most valuable bird in the world due to the amount of guano they contribute as fertilizer to the barren land.
In addition, these cold currents help penguins to reach as far north as the Galapagos Islands. Sea lions benefit from the rich seawaters when feeding on fish. In addition, they spread out all over the coasts of South America and breed in colonies. Mountainous Life
The Andes mountains have four levels of climates including: tropical, sub-tropical, south temperate, and green plains called paramo. These green plains have grasses that grow all year round. Rainfall is high and snow is uncommon below 15, 000 feet. Life in the Andes Mountains is abundant with mammals and birds. These animals have adapted well with the high altitude of the mountains. The spectacled bear, the only South American bear, is well adapted to the Andes. It is a skilled climber and will escalate up to one hundred feet to break branches off a palm tree and then consume the leaves below on the ground. Some unique birds well adapted for the Andes are the sierra finch, Andean flicker, and the ground tyrant. The sierra finch builds its nest in the leaves of the puya tree. This tree has spiny leaves and many species of birds fly into them, which leads to injury or death. However, the sierra finch feels right at home here. The Andean flicker, a woodpecker, uses the same tree and creates tunnels in the trunk of the tree. The ground tyrant, also called the pick and shovel bird, is a skilled underground architect. Using its beak as a pickax and claws to dig, this bird can create hollow chambers up to three feet in length. These cavities act as an incubating chamber.
To the south of the Amazon rain forest and east of the Andes; to the Atlantic seaboard, lie the grasslands of the South America. A Chaco is a lowland alluvial plain (a level or gently sloping flat-land surface) dry for part of the year. However, when the rains come, it is under water. The Chaco is made up of a mixture of soils from the rivers of the Andes. The most famous native mammal in the Chaco is the maned wolf. This wolf is one of the largest in its family and is as tall as it is long.
The pampas is an extensive, generally grass-covered plain, interrupted by trees, of temperate South America and lies east of the Andes Mountains. The west side is dry and has a hot climate. On the other hand, the east side has a moister climate, which are created by the winds from the Atlantic seaboard. The herbivorous (plant eater) pampas deer inhabits this area. The population of this species has declined due to over-hunting and expansion of ranching and agriculture across its natural habitat.
The steppe is usually flat land without forests. The land is arid and consists of xerophilous plants (plants that can survive in dry conditions). A steepe is usually found in large tracts and in regions of extreme temperature range. The Magellan goose has adapted to the area and does well here during the breeding season.