The Amazon rainforest is a moist broadleaf forest that blankets 5,400,000 square kilometers of the Amazon River basin in South America. The shear vastness of this forest is difficult to comprehend. It stretches across the boundaries of nine nations—Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Its biodiversity is unparalleled—an estimated one in ten animals on the planet inhabits the Amazon rainforest. Listed here are a few of the better-known species from the Amazon rainforest and its surrounding habitats.
1. Capybara
Photo © Dagsjo / iStockphoto.
Capybaras are a species of large rodent native to South America. Populations of capybaras are found in Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, Uruguay, and Argentina. They live in a variety of habitats but prefer habitats that are close to water such as flooded grasslands, lowland forests, rainforests, and marshes.
2. Jaguar
Photo © Ewanchesser / iStockphoto.
Jaguars are widely distributed. Their range extends from southern Arizona and New Mexico to northern Argentina and Brazil. The Amazon Basin contains the largest population of jaguars. Their preferred habitat is that of tropical lowland forests. They also inhabit scrublands, coastal forests, and swamps.
3. Ocelot
Photo © Matte6969 / iStockphoto.
4. Giant Anteater
Photo © Tom Brakefield / Getty Images.
5. Goldon Lion Tamarin
Photo © Enjoylife2 / iStockphoto.
6. Red Howler
Photo © Rkhalil / iStockphoto.
7. Green Poison Dart Frog
Photo © Karen Baard-de Bloois.
8. Toucan
Photo © Ranplett / iStockphoto.
9. Three-toed Sloth
Photo © Kevin Schafer / Getty Images.
10. Harpy Eagle
Photo © Michael Schamis / Flickr.
