Strange animals found in the Brazilian Amazon

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 17 February 2021
Update Date: 20 November 2024
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10 UNIQUE Animals Found in Brazil 🇧🇷
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The Amazon is Brazil's biome, occupies more than 40% of the national territory, and comprises the largest forest in the world. The native fauna and flora of its ecosystems reveal incredible biodiversity and many Amazon animals cannot be found anywhere else in the world. While all these species are fascinating for their rarity, some are even more striking because they are so different.

You are passionate about nature and want to know more about the strange animals found in the Brazilian Amazon? In this article from the Animal Expert article, you will find curiosities and images of typical animals from the Amazon that stand out for their striking appearance and for the peculiar characteristics of their morphology. You will also get to know some unique species of this biome that are at serious risk of extinction.


10 strange animals found in the Brazilian Amazon

When we talk about strange animals found in the Brazilian Amazon, we are not necessarily referring to species – let's say – not very attractive according to the current aesthetic standard in society. This list includes beautiful animals with very rare characteristics that are rarely found in other species.

Anyway, the most important thing is that you find out what the typical animals of the Amazon, with unique characteristics that make this biome one of the most diverse in the world. Here are some interesting facts about these unusual species.

glass frog

In fact, it is not just a strange animal found in the Brazilian Amazon, but an extensive family of anuran amphibians belonging to the Centrolenidae family. “Glass frog” is the popular name used to describe several species of frogs that are characterized by their translucent body.


The transparent skin allows you to see at a glance the viscera, muscles and bones of these amphibians, making them deserves a prominent place among the strange animals of the Amazon rainforest. They also inhabit Paraguay, northern South America and the humid forests of Central America.

Why or electric eel

A fish that looks like a huge water snake and is capable of emitting electrical waves? Yes, this is possible when we talk about typical animals of the Amazon. The why (electrophorus electricus), also known as electric eel, has such peculiar characteristics that it is the only species of fish of the genus Gymnotidae.


The eel can emit electrical waves from the inside of the body to the outside because its organism has a set of special cells that emit powerful electrical discharges of up to 600 W. The whys use this fascinating ability for many functions, such as hunting, defending against predators and communicate with other eels.

Arrowhead frogs or poisonous toads

Arrow frogs are known and feared as one of the most dangerous animals in the Amazon. Despite the small size, the skin of these amphibians has a powerful poison called batrachotoxin, which used to be used by the Indians on arrowheads to bring about the rapid death of animals that they hunted for food and also of enemies that invaded their territory.

Today, more than 180 species of arrowhead frogs that make up the superfamily are recorded. Dendrobatidae. THE most poisonous species is the golden arrow frog (Phyllobates terribilis), whose poison could kill more than 1000 people. We don't need to explain why it's on this list of weird Amazon rainforest animals, right?

jupará

Probably few people would imagine that a lovely little mammal would be among the strange animals found in the Brazilian Amazon. However, the juparás (flavus pots) are endemic animals of the American continent, have particular characteristics that differentiate them from other species that make up the family of Procionidae. For this reason, it is the only species within the genus pots.

In Brazil, it is also known as the night monkey because it has nocturnal habits and can be similar to a tamarin. But in fact, the juparás belong to the same family as the raccoons and the coatis, and are not related to the species of monkeys that inhabit the Brazilian jungles. Its most outstanding physical characteristic is the golden coat and the long tail which it uses to support itself on the branches of trees.

lizard Jesus or basilisk

Why would they name a lizard in honor of Jesus Christ? Well because this reptile has the amazing ability to "walk" on water. Thanks to the combination of light weight, low body density, the anatomy of its hind legs (which have membranes between the toes) and the speed that this little lizard can reach when moving, it is possible that, instead of sinking like would make virtually all animals, able to run over rivers and other bodies of water. An extraordinary ability to escape larger and heavier predators.

The most interesting thing is that this, among the strange animals found in the Brazilian Amazon, is not just one species that has this ability. In fact, the basilisk family comprises four species, the most common being Basiliscus Basiliscus, better known as the common basilisk. Despite being one of the animals that live in the Brazilian Amazon, the Jesus lizards also live in other jungles in South and Central America.

Jequityranabuoy

The jequitiranabóia (laternary glow) is known in English as the peanut head insect. But it's not just the shape of the head that draws attention to this animal from the Amazon. The whole aspect of this insect is quite strange and quite unattractive, but it's for good reason, to camouflage yourself. As it is a small and harmless pet, its only defense mechanism to escape predators is if camouflage between the leaves, branches and land from their natural habitat.

Probably, the shape of the head of the jequityranabóia tries to imitate the head of a lizard. In addition, its wings have two spots that resemble the eyes of an owl. These strategies are useful to confuse and deceive predators.

Anaconda or green anaconda

Anacondas or anacondas are so famous that they have even become protagonists on the big screens. He is one of the few strange animals in the Amazon rainforest to become a movie star. However, far from that murderous image painted in the movies, these large snakes with semi-aquatic habits are quite reserved and attacks on people are rare, usually occurring when the anaconda feels threatened by the human presence.

Currently, four species of anaconda endemic to South America are recognized. The green anaconda that inhabits the Brazilian Amazon is the largest of these four species, measuring up to 9 meters in length and weighing more than 200 kilos. For this reason, it is considered the most robust and heaviest snake in the world, losing in size only to the reticulated python.

Cape Verdean Ant or Paraponera

Of all the types of ants that exist in the world, the Cape Verde ant (clavata paraponera) draws attention for being the largest known species in the world. They are so big that they can be mistaken for wasps, although they are incapable of flying.

In addition, it has a powerful sting, which can be up to 30 times more painful than that of a wasp. In fact, it is said that the pain caused by a Paraponera bite is comparable to the impact of a bullet and can take more than 24 hours to go away. No wonder these insects are also called bullet ants (mainly in English and Spanish).

candiru

At a glance, the candiru (Vandellia cirrhosa) may look like a harmless little fish with a transparent body and no really flashy physical features. But why can it be considered one of the strangest animals in the Brazilian Amazon? This animal is one of the few known hematophagous vertebrates, that is, they feed on the blood of other animals.

These tiny catfish relatives have hook-shaped spines that they use to penetrate the skin of other fish, absorb the blood, and hold themselves firmly. Although rarer, they can also enter the urinary tract or anus of bathers and parasitize them, a painful condition that often requires surgery to resolve.

Image:Reproduction/William Costa-Portal Amazônia

Urutau

Can a bird be one of the strange animals found in the Brazilian Amazon? Yes absolutely yes. Especially when it comes to a “ghost bird” that is able to go completely unnoticed in the middle of its natural habitat. The color and pattern of the common urutau's plumage (Nyctibius griseus) it perfectly mimics the appearance of bark from dry, dead or broken tree trunks.

Also, its eyes have a small slit in the lids through which the bird can continue. seeing even with eyes closed. They also demonstrate an impressive ability to remain completely immobile for several hours, even when they detect the presence of other animals or people. This ability allows the uruuta to deceive possible predators and save a lot of energy in escaping.

Image:Reproduction/The Messenger

Endangered animals in the Amazon

According to the Taxonomic Catalog of Species of Brazil [1], carried out at the initiative of the Ministry of the Environment, Brazilian fauna comprises more than 116 thousand recorded species of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Unfortunately, approximately 10% of these Brazilian species are in danger of extinction and the most affected biome is the Amazon.

The studies carried out by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation [2] (ICMBio) between 2010 and 2014 reveal that at least 1050 animals in the Amazon are at risk of disappearing in the coming decades. Between the endangered Amazon animals, you can find fish, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects, birds and invertebrate animals. It would be impossible to talk about so many species in so few lines. However, below we will mention some emblematic animals of this Brazilian biome that are at risk of becoming extinct:

  • Pink dolphin (Inia geoffrensis);
  • Margay (Leopardus wiedii);
  • Ararajuba (Guaruba guarouba);
  • Hawk (Harpy harpy);
  • Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inungui);
  • Chauá (Rhodocorytha Amazon);
  • Jaguar (panthera onca);
  • Caiarara (Cebus kaapori);
  • Capuchin Monkey (Sapajus cay);
  • Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla);
  • Spider monkey (Atheles Belzebuth);
  • Puma (Puma concolor);
  • Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis);
  • Uakari (Cacajao hosomi);
  • Arapacu (Kerthios dendrokolaptes);
  • Black-billed Toucan (Vitellinus Ramphastos);
  • Sauim-de-lear (two-colored saguinus);
  • Blue Arara (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus);
  • Cocoa rat (Callistomys pictus);
  • Golden Lion tamarin (Leontopithecus Rosalia);
  • Amazon weasel (African mustela);
  • Ocelot (Leopardus sparrow);
  • Guara wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus);
  • Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas);
  • Yellow-faced Woodpecker (Galeatus Dryocups).