amozon plants and animals.docx

7/25/2019 Amozon Plants and Animals.docx

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11. Golden Lion Tamarin

This bizarre animal is actually a monkey that derives its name from the great catsbecause of its impressive mane. It is comprised of abundance thick rings of beautifulgolden hair surrounding its respectable and charismatic black face. The Golden LionTamarin can grow 6 to 1 inches long! while its tail can be even longer at 1" to 1#inches$ %emales often give birth to twins where the male fathers play a critical role in

caring for the babies! carrying their o&spring on their back in between feedings. Theysleep in tree holes during the night and is active during day time! living in groups of "to ' which constitutes their families! and make use of scent marks or songs for makingtheir presence known on their territories.

10. Anaconda


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The world(s largest and heaviest! most powerful snake! and may be the most famed aswell! the )naconda can grow as long as * feet and weigh up to ## pounds$ They growconstantly their entire lifetime in this case! eating about + pounds of prey every day assmall meals! while larger meals that they swallow whole can satisfy them for a fewweeks. ) female anaconda is typically larger and gives birth to live young which count" to + little anacondas that are each " feet long$

9. Peanut Head Bug


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)lso known as the lantern ,y! ,ying snake! alligator bug! or snake cicada! among manyother names! the peanut head bug is deemed a mysterious creation. -eird as it looks!this insect has a head that closely resembles an unshelled peanut$ It has an enlargedhead with a bulbous protuberance popping on it! which even scientists are uncertain ofwhat it does. They believe that it can possibly mimic a lizard(s head to pave the waytowards escaping predators. It(s wings are uniue in a way that the spots appear like anowl(s eyes. /ome myths say that it(s bite can be deadly depending on the mood of

these wings. Truth is! the peanut head bug would be apparently defenseless in itselfand is simply a harmless plant0hopper.

8. Glass Frog


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)s its name implies! the skin of the glass frog is translucent though it is mostly limegreen. ou can actually see its abdomen! heart! liver! and various other organs if youcare to look! as if you have been granted 203ay vision$ These ueer creaturesthemselves couldn(t care less about their young! leaving eggs atop the leaves of treesoverhanging the river! such that the tadpoles freely ,ow from the trees and directly intothe water upon hatching.

7. Jesus Lizard


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This reptile is not really bizarre in terms of performing miracles! but is called 4esusLizard for being able to run on water$ 5atholic eplorers found it similar to the Gospelstory of 4esus who walked on the waters of the /ea of Galilee. -hen ,eeing frompredators! it can literally run on the surface of water such as a pond or stream at aspeed of # miles per hour! and for up to a distance of " meters. This common basiliskcan do this incredible stunt with its toes that possess a special webbing! allowing it tostand upon its two hind feet.

. !in"a#ou


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The kinka7ou! a relative of he raccoon! have a furry golden skin and a tail designed togrip branches. 8ore commonly known as bear0monkey! honey bear or lion monkey! the9inka7ou is rarely seen due to being a nocturnal creature which clings on the top oftrees! sticking their #0inch long tongues out for picking hanging ripe fruits. They love todrink the nectar of ,owers and has a diet consisting of : percent fruits! but still! theyare considered carnivores. They are sometimes kept as pets even when they can bedangerous to their owners for potentially carrying the roundworm parasite.

$. %lot&


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;ne of the most unusual animals on earth! the /loth is known for being the slow animal.This mammal is lagging in everything! from its movement which entails sleeping for 1hours a day and bulging only as necessary! to its metabolism which can take theirbodies a month to digest food$ 8oreover! a sloth(s main diet is mostly only leaveschewed by it(s tongue that is around 1 to 1" inches long. It(s not surprising that two0thirds of their whole body is made up of the contents of their stomach$ Their bodytemperature is really low at only '6 degrees %ahrenheit


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The poison dart frog! contrary to its name! may not be deadly at all! as only * speciesare actually lethal! of which the golden poison arrow frog is the most dangerous. /etaside this possibility! they look vibrant and attractive arriving in a myriad of colorsincluding the aforementioned gold! yellow! red! copper! green! black or blue which theyutilize in a tactic to ward o& predators called aposematic coloration.

). Amazon *i+er (ol,&in


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The most famous inhabitants of the )mazon 3iver is no other than the )mazon 3iver>olphin! or Boto! which looks pretty in pink and can grow even bigger than humans$Their distinct color is said to be due to their blood capillaries located near the surface ofthe skin. -hat(s more interesting is that legend tells of these fascinating creaturestransforming themselves into the form of a man at nighttime! to hypnotize theirprospect of young and beautiful woman$

-. aca/


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?ative to the 7ungles of /outh )merica! 8acaws are social birds usually seen travelingin ,ocks in sizes of 1 to * of them each! and are loyal to their lifelong mates. Theyare beautifully colored birds that hold a vibrant plumage. Their beaks are uite powerfuland can e&ortlessly crack nuts and seeds! while their scaly tongues are dry andcontains a bone! which is mostly used for tapping into fruits. /ome macaws can evenmimic human speech$

1. Jaguar


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Thought to be the real king of the 7ungle! the 7aguar is the largest cat in the )mericas!though it ranks third in the entire world! behind only the lion and tiger. Their spots!which highly resemble roses! render them distinctive from other big cats! ) 7aguar hasthe strongest bite force of all of these predatory felines! with its incredibly powerful7aws incomparable to those of any other cat. -ith this bite! the 7aguar is foundpossessing the capability of piercing a skull and breaking a sea turtle(s shell. Thisanimal is a solitary killer! and will typically scale and climb trees to use as a vantage

point when hunting prey prior to pouncing upon their targets.


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here are10 amazing rainforest plantsthat will blow your mind and get you

reacquainted with our planet.

1. BANANA

Youre probably thinking I know all there is to know about bananas; I eat them forbreakfast and can make delicious banana bread. Well, there is more to bananas

then eating them. Even though they grow on trees, bananas are not trees, but giant

herbs. After a year, they reach their full height of anywhere between 10 and 20

feet. The blossoms eventually bloom into a fruit, where they then ripen and are

used for sustenance. Banana stems can weigh nearly 100 pounds and are about

93 percent water.
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/kids/species-profiles#plantshttp://www.rainforest-alliance.org/kids/species-profiles#plants


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Habitation:Found in Central America, South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and

non-tropical regions like the United States thanks to modern agricultural

technologies.

2. ORCHID

Known for their beauty, orchids are the largest family of plants in the world. The

species varies greatly in weight and size with some petals getting as long as 30inches, and flowers growing up to 14 feet long. They also come in every color,

except black. They grow on rocks, in the soil, underground and on other plants and

trees, all while relying on certain insects or birds for pollination.


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Habitation:Extremely adaptable and grows in most climates with the majority

being found in Central America, South America and in countries along the Andes

Mountains.

3. COFFEE

What would you do if you couldnt have that cup of coffee in the morning? Ugh, that

would be awful. Well you can thank the coffee plant of the rainforest for your jolt of

caffeine every day. It can grow as tall as 30 feet, but is considered a bush or shrub.

From the picture they look like grapes, but those are berries containing two coffee

beans inside. It takes an amazing six to eight years for the plant to be in full

production and coffee plants can live up to 100 years old.

Habitation:Prefers high altitudes for shade with a wet and dry season. Originated

in Ethiopia and Sudan and now more than two-thirds grow in Latin America.

4. BRAZIL NUT TREE


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Towering above all the other trees in the Amazon Rainforest, the Brazil nut tree can

reach over 160 feet. Known for its production of the Brazil nut, these delectable

delights are produced inside fruit the size of a baseball and can weigh up to five

pounds. The exterior layer of the fruit is so hard only the agoutis, a large rodentwith sharp teeth, can break it open. The tree relies on the agoutis, bees and other

rainforest plants for survival. Imagine if these species disappeared!

Habitation:Located in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela,

Ecuador and Peru.

5. POINSETTIA


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The poinsettia is mostly seen around Christmastime in the United States. This

beautiful plant actually grows in the rainforest in the form of a bush or tree. Who

knew?! One would think the colorful part of the plant is the petals, but they are

actually the leaves. The flowers are the small, yellow stalks in the middle of the

leaves. The poinsettia comes in red, white, pink and bicolor. Also, to clear up

rumors, they are not poisonous, even though some believe this is so. Thank

goodness its not, since its the number-one flowering potted plant in the US!

Habitation:Native to the tropical forests in Mexico and Central America.

6. CACAO


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When we see the word cacao we associate it with chocolate, but its a little more

complicated than that. The cacao tree is an evergreen, which grows a pod

containing 20 to 60 reddish-brown cocoa beans. When harvested, it takes

anywhere from seven to 14 pods to produce one pound of dry cocoa beans, which

is turned into delicious chocolate. Its important for cacao to be harvested

sustainably, since chocolate is in very high demand.

Habitation:Grows below altitudes of 1,000 feet in an area that receives about 4

inches of rain per month, originated in the lowland rainforests of Amazon River

basins and can now be found in southern Mexico.

7. RUBBER TREE


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Reaching as high as 130 feet, the rubber tree is recognized for its milky white sap,

or commonly called latex. Yes, the rubber tree is used to make rubber. Who would

have thought? Sometimes called rubberwood, the tree is tapped for latex at six-

years-old and reproduces by scattering its seeds as far as 100 feet from itself.

Habitation:Located in the Amazon region of South America including Brazil,Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

8. HELICONIA


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This colorful plant has 40 different species with paddle-shaped leaves that are part

of the banana family. In addition to being called heliconia, it is also referred to as

lobster claws or parrot flowers. The plant structure has bracts, which is a colorful

leaf that comes in pink, orange, yellow, green, purple or red. Bracts actually hidethe plants flowers tucked inside of them, protecting the nectar so only certain

birds, like the hummingbird, can reach it. Butterflies also enjoy the sweet nectar.

Habitation:Found in the Neotropics including southern Mexico, Central and South

America and the West Indies.

9. SAPODILLA


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This strong, wind-resistant tree has an extensive root system and a famous bark

that contains a white, gummy sap called chicle. The egg-shaped fruit contains a

grainy yellow fruit inside that when eaten tastes like a pear. Considered the best

fruit in Central America, even rainforest mammals, like howler monkeys, find thefruit delicious. The first chewing gum was even created from the sapodilla by the

Mayans and Aztecs!

Habitation:Native to southern Mexico, Belize and northeastern Guatemala.

10. BROMELIAD


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Bromeliad seems like a complex word and plant, but its really not. Bromeliads

contain more than 2,700 species that grow on the ground, on rocks and on other

plants and rocks. These beautiful plants have bright colored flowers ranging from

reds to oranges to purples and to blues. One of the most common bromeliad is asweet, wondrous fruit. What is it? The pineapple! Bromeliads are even sometimes

homes for tree frogs, snails and salamanders where theyll stay for their entire

lives.

Habitation:Found in the Neotropics including southern Mexico, Central and South

America and the West Indies. One species is also found in western Africa.

Some of our favorite foods and plants come from the rainforest; thats why its soimportant to preserve the rainforest in a respectful and sustainable manner.

Imagine living without bananas, chocolate and beautiful orchids and poinsettias.

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