10 Bizarre Creatures of the Amazon Rainforest
The fast-disappearing Amazon rainforest harbors some amazing
creatures. Most of us have heard of vampire bats, piranhas and the
anaconda, but among the forest’s inhabitants are weird and wonderful
animals just as bizarre
as the more famous ones, if not more so. Here are 10 of the most
bizarre Amazon rainforest animals you’ve likely never heard of.
This relative of the raccoon has golden fur and a tail that can grip branches. Also called the honey bear, it lives in trees and mainly eats fruit. It uses its five inch-long tongue to grasp hanging fruit and also to lick nectar from flowers.
Dwelling in murky rivers, the electric eel delivers hundreds of volts that can stun a human. Deaths attributed to this animal are most likely from drowning when the paralyzed victim is unable to swim. The eel uses its “power” to kill prey and to navigate in poor visibility. Despite its name, the electric eel is not closely related to true eels but is the largest member of a group of electric fish called knife fish.
These brightly colored frogs are among the most toxic creatures on earth. Their coloration serves to warn potential predators. Some species’ toxin is so virulent that merely touching the animal can deliver a lethal dose. Scientists prefer to call them poison frogs, because in fact they are not widely used by Indians for dart poison. Called “curare” its main ingredient is from toxic vines.
The world’s largest ant grows to the size of your pinky and has a bite to match. It also stings like a wasp. Unlike most ants it is solitary during the day, although it lives in a colony, in a nest usually at the base of a tree. The origin of the name is uncertain. Perhaps being the size of a bullet is the reason, or because the pain of its sting is akin to a bullet. Another name is 24 hour ant, because of the time for the pain of the sting to wear off. Some local tribes have a coming of age ceremony in which the young man has to endure repeated stings without making a sound. (Women are spared the ordeal.)
When fleeing from predators, this reptile runs along the surface of water such as a pond or stream. The lizard reaches about 5 miles per hour this way. It propels itself along the water, using surface tension to briefly support its weight. The lizard’s toes have flaps of skin to create a broader surface and an air pocket to enhance the surface tension. But the “miracle” soon gives way to physics and the lizard is forced to swim.
10. Kinkajou
This relative of the raccoon has golden fur and a tail that can grip branches. Also called the honey bear, it lives in trees and mainly eats fruit. It uses its five inch-long tongue to grasp hanging fruit and also to lick nectar from flowers.
9. Electric Eel
Dwelling in murky rivers, the electric eel delivers hundreds of volts that can stun a human. Deaths attributed to this animal are most likely from drowning when the paralyzed victim is unable to swim. The eel uses its “power” to kill prey and to navigate in poor visibility. Despite its name, the electric eel is not closely related to true eels but is the largest member of a group of electric fish called knife fish.
8. Poison Dart Frog
These brightly colored frogs are among the most toxic creatures on earth. Their coloration serves to warn potential predators. Some species’ toxin is so virulent that merely touching the animal can deliver a lethal dose. Scientists prefer to call them poison frogs, because in fact they are not widely used by Indians for dart poison. Called “curare” its main ingredient is from toxic vines.
7. Bullet Ant
The world’s largest ant grows to the size of your pinky and has a bite to match. It also stings like a wasp. Unlike most ants it is solitary during the day, although it lives in a colony, in a nest usually at the base of a tree. The origin of the name is uncertain. Perhaps being the size of a bullet is the reason, or because the pain of its sting is akin to a bullet. Another name is 24 hour ant, because of the time for the pain of the sting to wear off. Some local tribes have a coming of age ceremony in which the young man has to endure repeated stings without making a sound. (Women are spared the ordeal.)
6. Jesus Lizard
When fleeing from predators, this reptile runs along the surface of water such as a pond or stream. The lizard reaches about 5 miles per hour this way. It propels itself along the water, using surface tension to briefly support its weight. The lizard’s toes have flaps of skin to create a broader surface and an air pocket to enhance the surface tension. But the “miracle” soon gives way to physics and the lizard is forced to swim.
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