There are many wild and interesting regions to explore on the planet, but one of the most interesting places to visit if you love to see a wide range of fascinating plants and animals is the Amazon rainforest. This is a huge area that spans across many South American countries and is home to many weird and wonderful plants and animals.
Here are just a few of the plants and animals who are native exclusively to this very special part of the world…
The Brazil Nut Tree – One of the largest trees in the rainforest, these trees of course produce one of the most loved foods – the Brazil nut. They are also a symbol of the interconnections between all of the rainforest species, as these trees can only produce their loved fruits if they are pollinated by one particular species of bee – the euglossine bee. Once this pollination occurs, the nuts themselves grow in pods that are so hard, few animals can actually crack them. Apart from humans, only two animals can complete this difficult task – agoutis and macaws.
The Rubber Tree – As well as being a native to the Amazon rainforest, this is a tree that gave us rubber. Something that was used for centuries before explorers arrived, the sap from this tree is what produces rubber. Nowadays companies like this UK rubber moulding company www.meadex.co.uk/rubber-moulding/ then go on to form this into various shapes to create the things we use. The sap is where the rubber comes from, and it is obtained in a process called tapping.
Blue Throated Macaw – This stunning bird is heavily protected, as it was nearly driven to extinction during the 70s and 80s as large numbers of them were taken away due to demand from the pet trade. For some time, it was thought to be extinct completely until a small community of them were found in Bolivia. Thanks to great conservation work, their numbers are gradually creeping back up. Creating special nature reserves for them has meant that there are now hundreds of successful breeding pairs in the wild.
Arapaima Gigas – This strange fish is found only in the Amazon and is a huge beast. Despite their large shark-like size and strange looks they are not actually a threatening fish – in fact, they are actually threatened as a species themselves due to overfishing. They are found near the top of the water and this is due to the fact that unlike other fish they actually breathe air rather than breathing through gills. So this and their size makes them a very easy fish to spot and catch.
Green Anaconda – The world’s largest snake by weight, for people who have a fear of snakes this is the stuff of nightmares! They are a type of constrictor like a boa, but because they are so large, they are capable of eating huge prey – they have even been known to catch and eat whole jaguars!
