Endangered animals in the Pantanal

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 25 January 2021
Update Date: 27 September 2024
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Saving Wildlife: Giants of the Pantanal
Video: Saving Wildlife: Giants of the Pantanal

Content

When talking about Pantanal, what comes to your mind? a lot of people think about jaguars, alligators or large fish. The truth is that this biome - known to be the largest wetland in the world - has an enormous diversity of plants and animals.

However, all this wealth lives in constant threat, whether due to the growing number of fires, the expansion of farming or illegal hunting. Therefore, there is a great risk that the number of endangered animals in the Pantanal.

In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will show you which animals are in danger, which have already been extinct and what can be done to prevent other animals from disappearing from nature. Check out!


What is the Pantanal?

The Pantanal is one of the six biomes present in Brazil, together with the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. Its area is 150,988 km², which represents 1.8% of the total area of ​​the Brazilian territory.[1]

Although small compared to other Brazilian biomes, don't be fooled. So you have an idea, Pantanal has a area larger than Greece, England or Portugal and is twice the size of Panama.

where is the Pantanal

Located in the Midwest region, it is present in 22 cities in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, in addition to Paraguay and Bolivia. The biome stands out for the strong presence of traditional communities, such as peoples indigenous people and maroons, which over the years helped to spread the Pantanal culture.


It is located on a huge depression located in the Upper Paraguay River Basin. In periods of heavy rain, the Paraguay river overflows and it floods a large part of the territory and the plantation regions are flooded. When the waters come down, cattle are raised and new crops are harvested and planted, so the region is well known for its fishing, livestock and agricultural exploitation.

Fauna and Flora

for your huge biodiversity (flora and fauna), the Pantanal is a National Heritage by the Federal Constitution and considered a Biosphere and Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, which does not prevent growing deforestation and destruction. Only 4.6% of the region is protected by conservation units.


The presence of a great diversity of plants and animals, such as mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and insects is also due to its privileged location and the influence of flora and fauna from the Amazon Forest, Atlantic Forest, Chaco and Cerrado.

There are at least 3,500 species of plants, 124 species of mammals, 463 species of birds and 325 species of fish.[2]But the list of endangered animals keeps growing, mainly due to human action.

In addition to the inadequate irregular occupation of the land, extractivism, hunting and predatory fishing are encouraged by the smuggling of skins and rare species. The border with other South American countries increases the risks to the ecosystem. THE expansion of farming and fires are identified as the main threats to the biome. Between August and September 2020, there was a record number of fires in the region, which destroyed the equivalent of more than 2 million football fields.[3]

Endangered animals in the Pantanal

According to the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, a government environmental agency that is part of the Ministry of Environment, there are 1,172 species of animals threatened with extinction in Brazil. Of this total, 318 are in a situation considered critical, that is, they are in great danger of actually disappearing from nature.[2]

It is important not to confuse animals endangered, that is, those that still exist but are at risk of disappearing, with those that are already in extinction in nature (known only by captive creation) or extinct (which no longer exist). In the threat category, species can be classified as: vulnerable, endangered or in critical danger.

Below, let's get to know the animals that live in the Pantanal and that are at risk of extinction according to the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Chico Mendes Institute. Only last on the list is an animal that has gone extinct. It is worth noting that this is the portrait of the situation analyzed until the closing of this article.[4]

1. Jaguar (panthera onca)

Also called jaguar, it is the third biggest cat in the world. He is an excellent swimmer and lives in river or lake areas. It can reach 150kg and has a very strong and fatal bite. It is a carnivorous animal, which puts it at the top of the food chain.

It is a tourist attraction for anyone interested in nature, but unfortunately also for hunters, which is why the jaguar is on the official list of endangered species in Brazil. In addition to hunting, the increase of cities and the loss of their natural habitat due to deforestation increase the threat of extinction.

2. Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

He is the largest canid mammal native to South America and can be found in the Pantanal, Pampas and Cerrado. Its habits and physical characteristics make it a unique and very special species.

3. Dog Vinegar (Speothos venaticus)

It has a very compact body, short, robust legs, rounded ears, a short tail and a wide vocal repertoire. Don't find the different sounds that he can issue.

4. Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)

It is also known as the river wolf, water jaguar or giant otter. It is a carnivorous mammal with semiaquatic habits. The species is at risk of extinction mainly due to the loss of its habitat. It has white markings on the throat, which makes it possible to differentiate between each individual. The tail is flat in the shape of a paddle to aid in swimming. It also has short hairs with brown or brown coloration and wide feet and membranes joining the toes.

5. Marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus)

It is found in the Pantanal, but it also lives in the Amazon and Cerrado. It is the largest deer in Latin America and can weigh up to 125 kg and reach 1.80 m in height. It is estimated that 60% of its species has already been extinct due to hunting and loss of part of their habitat. That's why it runs a lot of risk of being one of the endangered animals in the Pantanal.

6. Pampas Deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus leucogaster)

Its body measures between 80 and 95 cm and it can weigh up to 40 kg. Males have an antler that forms at the time of reproduction. It has a ring of white fur around the eyes and ears with a whitish color on the inside. You fur is orange on the rest of the body, except for the white belly and black tail. It does not usually form large groups and is usually seen alone or in groups of up to 6 individuals.

7. Brown-bellied Jacu (penelope ochrogaster)

It is a large bird that has long wings and tail, with plumage composed of white stripes, light feet and a dark beak, and can measure up to 77 cm. It has a reddish head and is rarely seen in nature for its aloof behavior, something very different from the other Jacus. O deforestation and illegal hunting are the main reasons for its possibility of extinction. In another PeritoAnimal article you can find out more about endangered birds.

8. True beak (Sporophila maximilian)

This bird is between 14.5 and 16.5 centimeters in length. Also called northern boll weevil, true boll weevil or black boll weevil, inhabits flooded pastures, paths with shrubs, edges of forest clumps, swamps, riverbanks and lakes, apparently in places close to water, especially where there is grass and rice, their staple foods in nature. You pesticides used in rice are pointed out as one of the causes that put this animal on the red list of animals at risk of extinction.

9. Tapir (Tapirus terrestris)

It's the largest land mammal in Brazil, reaching 2.40 m in length and weighing 300 kg. Another name it gets is tapir. Lonely, the tapir can live to be 35 years old.A curiosity about her is her gestation time, which lasts more than a year and can reach 400 days.

10. Giant Armadillo (Maximus Priodonts)

This species is naturally rare and lives between 12 and 15 years on average. It has a long, tapered tail covered with small pentagonal shields. Among the main threats to the giant armadillo are the fires, agriculture, deforestation and hunting.

11. Margay (Leopardus wiediiá)

The animal is present in all biomes in Brazil, but it is predominantly associated with forest environments. This species has very large, protruding eyes, a protruding snout, large legs and a very long tail. The hind legs have especially flexible joints, allowing rotation of up to 180 degrees, which gives it the rare ability among felines to descend from a tree. head down.

12. Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus)

The animal can be seen not only in the Pantanal, but also in the Amazon, the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest. The species has a terrestrial habit and is solitary with the exception of the mother with her offspring, during the breastfeeding period, and during the breeding season, when couples can be formed. The fires, the farming and deforestation are the main reasons for the threat to the giant anteater.

13. Puma or cougar (Puma concolor)

It is a terrestrial mammal that can be found in different regions of the Americas. Furthermore, it is one of the felines best adapted to different types of environments. It has a soft beige coat all over the body, with the exception of the belly region, which is lighter. Puppies are born with dark brown spots and blue eyes. Size and weight vary according to region of occurrence. Very agile, the puma can jump off the ground at a height of 5.5 m.

14. Gray eagle (Corona vulture)

It is large and has between 75 and 85 cm, weighing up to 3.5 kg. The adult bird usually has a lead gray plumage, plus a crown-shaped plume and short tail with a single gray band.

Extinct: Small Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus glaucus)

The little hyacinth macaw is indeed extinct. It can be confused with other hyacinth macaws: the blue macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), which is extinct from the wild, existing only under human care; the Lear's Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari), which is endangered in the wild; and the Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), which is threatened with extinction in nature. She stood out for her great beauty, which always made her highly coveted by hunters. Below we find a drawing of what this species would be like, which unfortunately is part of the list of endangered animals in the wetlands.

How to prevent the extinction of animals

As we have already mentioned, the Pantanal biome is extremely rich in both its fauna and flora. And the conservation of natural ecosystems, flora, fauna and microorganisms, guarantees the sustainability of natural resources, which positively affects the lives of us humans on planet Earth.

The disappearance of animals affects the entire food chain, causing an imbalance in nature. Several studies also show that the reduction in the variety of animal and plant species is as harmful to the productivity of ecosystems as pollution and climate change.

Even the end of the animals that feed mainly on fruits, called frugivores, also compromises the capacity of tropical forests to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, accelerating the global warming.[5]

To prevent the extinction of animals, awareness is essential. It is necessary to fight illegal hunting, deforestation, fires and be careful with buildings in what are considered natural habitats for animals. Throwing garbage in the proper places is essential to avoid contact of animals with certain products or even the death by asphyxia with the improper disposal of plastic, for example.[6]

There are also a number of projects to conserve and support the reproduction of animal species that you can support, in addition to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

All endangered animals

Information on animals at risk of extinction can be accessed at:

  • Red Book of the Chico Mendes Institute: is a document that contains a list of all Brazilian species threatened with extinction. To access it, visit the ICMBio website.
  • International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List: the page, in English, provides a search field where you can enter the name of the animal you want to know.

In this other PeritoAnimal article, see others endangered animals in Brazil.

If you want to read more articles similar to Endangered animals in the Pantanal, we recommend that you enter our Endangered Animals section.