Animal Life From Amazon River
To give a succinct overview of the complete fauna of the Amazon is as impossible as it is to adequately describe the great diversity of its flora; in part this is because many of the region’s species have yet to be identified. The rivers and streams of the basin teem with life, and the forest canopy resonates with the cries of birds and monkeys and the whine of insects. There is a notable paucity of large terrestrial mammal species; indeed, many of the mammals are arboreal. More than 8,000 species of insects alone have been collected and classified.
Myriads of mosquitoes plague travelers and may transmit such diseases as malaria and yellow fever. Leaf-cutting ants (Atta and Acromyrmex) and other pests may torment the traveler. The most troublesome insects of all are the ubiquitous, small, black flies, called piums, whose bite can itch for days. Fireflies, stinging bees, hornets, wasps, beetles, cockroaches, cicadas, centipedes, scorpions, ticks, red bugs, and giant spiders are abundant. Most spectacular, however, are the hundreds of species of brilliantly coloured butterflies; sometimes thousands of butterflies gather in the afternoon on moist riverside sandbanks.
The Amazon and its tributaries, together with the bordering varzea lakes and flooded forests, constitute a vast sea of fresh water, much of it slowly flowing, which teems with fish life. About 1,500 fish species have been found within the Amazon system, but many more remain unidentified. Most fish are migratory, moving in great schools at spawning time. Fish represent a critical source of protein in the often meat-poor diet of the peasant (caboclo) population (the term caboclo is used for the peasant population of mixed Indian-European blood). Among the more important commercial species are the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, and various giant catfish. The well-known, small, flesh-eating piranha generally feeds on other fish but may attack any animal, including humans, that enters the water; its razor-sharp teeth cut out chunks of flesh, stripping a carcass of its meat in a few minutes. The traffic in frozen and dried fish to urban markets has increased to such a degree that some stocks are locally threatened. With the rapid means of transport afforded by jet airplanes, a worldwide market has developed for tropical aquarium fish distinctive to the Amazon. Iquitos, Manaus, and the Colombian port of Leticia are centres of this trade.
Crocodiles are hunted for their skins; river turtles and their eggs are considered a delicacy; the giant sea cow, or manatee, is sought for its flesh and for oil. All are threatened by overhunting, and the manatee has been listed as an endangered species. Aquatic animals also include fresh-water dolphins (Inia geoffrensis); the capybara, the largest rodent in the world (weighing up to 170 pounds); and the nutria, or coypu, valued especially for its pelt. Other common rodents are the paca, agouti, porcupine, and local species of squirrels, rats, and mice. The tapir, the white-lipped peccary, and several species of deer are native to the Amazon basin and much sought for their meat. Water buffalo, introduced from Southeast Asia as work and dairy cattle, have run wild in the remote, swampy parts of Maraj Island.
Especially characteristic of the Amazon forest are several species of monkeys. Of note are the howler monkeys, which make the selva resound with their morning and evening choruses. The small, agile squirrel monkey, the most ubiquitous of Amazonia’s monkeys, is used in laboratories, as is the larger spider monkey. Among a host of other primate species are woolly monkeys, capuchin monkeys, titis, sakis, and marmosets. All species are used for food and frequently are seen for sale in local markets. As the human population increases and the shotgun replaces the blowgun, pressure on the wild fauna is mounting.
Large cats, such as the jaguar and ocelot, are rare, although pumas may be found in larger numbers in the Andean fringe of the basin. Smaller carnivores include coati, grisons, and weasels. Countless bats inhabit the Amazonian night, including the blood-drinking vampire bat. Other animals of the forest include two varieties of arboreal sloths, three types of anteaters, armadillos, and iguanas, the last especially prized for their flesh. Among snakes the nonpoisonous boa constrictor and anaconda are notable for their size, the latter reaching lengths of up to 30 feet.
The Amazon basin is exceedingly rich in birdlife. Morning and evening, the parrots and macaws fly to and from their feeding grounds, their brilliant plumage flashing in the sunlight and their raucous voices calling out their presence. Through the day the caciques quarrel in trees where their hanging nests swing by the dozens. Hoatzins screech in noisy flocks from streamside brush, while solitary hawks and eagles scream from tree stumps. Everywhere is heard the twittering of small birds, the sound of woodpeckers, and the gutteral noises of such waterbirds as herons, cormorants, roseate spoonbills, and scarlet ibises. Parakeets, more common than sparrows in the United States, fly around in great flocks. At dusk, toucans cry a discordant plaint from the treetops and are joined by ground-dwelling tinamous and quail.
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