In a place like the Amazon rainforest where so many organisms live, it's hard not to find creatures competing and preying on one another. One predator may become another's prey, and so on- it's crazy how many animals can rise to meet survival! As a starter, we've gathered a list of some organisms living in the Amazon, how they might interact, and who eats who. There are thousands of other organisms living in the same place though, so count on these ones to be the bare minimum of what can really happen out in the wild world of the Amazon rainforest.
Plants:
The amazon rainforest is a home for many different types of plants, though the two most well know would have to be the Brazil Nut Tree and Orchids. The Brazil Nut Tree is one of the rainforest's prime trees in the amazon, it towers above all other trees and produces fruit the size of a baseball during January and February. The tree is dependent on a certain large rodent called the Agouti- this rodent is the only known animals capable of breaking open the hard shell of the trees fruit, thanks to their sharp chisel-like teeth. Without the Agouti to open the fruits, the tree would not be able to have its seeds spread nearly as much as they do today. As for orchids, these plants, with so many species around the world, are one of the largest and best known plants globally. Orchids can grow in many different ways; in the soil, underground, on rocks, but most grow on other plants and trees [meaning they're epiphytes.] Many orchids rely heavily on certain insects and birds to help pollinate, but the orchids main 'partner' is a type of fungi called Mycorrhizae Fungi- due to the orchids nature lack of water-retentive roots, at some point in their life cycle, the fungi will grow somewhat inside the orchids roots, aiding it in absorbing water and minerals. And later on in the cycle, the orchid will help the fungi by producing the nutrients made during photosynthesis that the fungi needs to survive! It's a very neat little symbiotic relationship.
Plants:
The amazon rainforest is a home for many different types of plants, though the two most well know would have to be the Brazil Nut Tree and Orchids. The Brazil Nut Tree is one of the rainforest's prime trees in the amazon, it towers above all other trees and produces fruit the size of a baseball during January and February. The tree is dependent on a certain large rodent called the Agouti- this rodent is the only known animals capable of breaking open the hard shell of the trees fruit, thanks to their sharp chisel-like teeth. Without the Agouti to open the fruits, the tree would not be able to have its seeds spread nearly as much as they do today. As for orchids, these plants, with so many species around the world, are one of the largest and best known plants globally. Orchids can grow in many different ways; in the soil, underground, on rocks, but most grow on other plants and trees [meaning they're epiphytes.] Many orchids rely heavily on certain insects and birds to help pollinate, but the orchids main 'partner' is a type of fungi called Mycorrhizae Fungi- due to the orchids nature lack of water-retentive roots, at some point in their life cycle, the fungi will grow somewhat inside the orchids roots, aiding it in absorbing water and minerals. And later on in the cycle, the orchid will help the fungi by producing the nutrients made during photosynthesis that the fungi needs to survive! It's a very neat little symbiotic relationship.
Insects:
Many insects call the rainforest their home, from ants, to beetles, to butterflies, and spiders and praying mantis'.. there are so many insects, and subspecies of those insects, that it's hard to count them all! A few of the more common ones though, as already named, are spiders, such as common Orb-Weaver spiders that are generally small and can be found just about anywhere; these spiders are the ones that build the beautiful orb like webs we often see in our gardens- thus their name. These spiders rely on small, or larger, insects to get caught in their web, so that they can then proceed to wrap the insect in their web before slowly devouring its meal. As one might think, most spiders compete with one another, as well as with any other insect-eating creature such as birds and other insects, lucky for them though, insects are abundant in the rainforest.
Though Orb-Weaver spiders are generally small, not all the spiders in the Amazon are, some spiders, such as the Goliath Bird-Eater are not so small. If the name itself doesn't already say much, the Goliath Bird-Eater is a member of the tarantula family, recorded to be the second largest spider in the world [by leg-span] by mass, it may be the largest. These ginormous arachnids are certainly large enough to eat birds, as the name suggests, however, it is rare that they actually do, and instead prefer to feed on smaller insects and invertebrates. Despite the massive size of these spiders, they are not reported to be any threat to humans, as they do not posses venom and their bite is no worse than that of a wasp sting.
One of the more predatory insects is the praying mantis', they can grow anywhere from one to ten inches, and are masters of camouflager and mimicking their surroundings. While they may not look it, mantis' are strong creatures, and with their amazing eyesight they can spot prey, move without startling it, and then capture their prey with their powerful forelegs to hold them in place while devouring the prey with their strong jaws. The mantis' diets can frequently change, depending on what is available to eat; most of the time they will consume other insects- spiders, butterflies, beetles, sometimes even other mantis'. Other times, they will eat small invertebrate such as small lizards, mice, frogs, and even hummingbirds! It's no wonder this interesting insect is so well known.
Many insects call the rainforest their home, from ants, to beetles, to butterflies, and spiders and praying mantis'.. there are so many insects, and subspecies of those insects, that it's hard to count them all! A few of the more common ones though, as already named, are spiders, such as common Orb-Weaver spiders that are generally small and can be found just about anywhere; these spiders are the ones that build the beautiful orb like webs we often see in our gardens- thus their name. These spiders rely on small, or larger, insects to get caught in their web, so that they can then proceed to wrap the insect in their web before slowly devouring its meal. As one might think, most spiders compete with one another, as well as with any other insect-eating creature such as birds and other insects, lucky for them though, insects are abundant in the rainforest.
Though Orb-Weaver spiders are generally small, not all the spiders in the Amazon are, some spiders, such as the Goliath Bird-Eater are not so small. If the name itself doesn't already say much, the Goliath Bird-Eater is a member of the tarantula family, recorded to be the second largest spider in the world [by leg-span] by mass, it may be the largest. These ginormous arachnids are certainly large enough to eat birds, as the name suggests, however, it is rare that they actually do, and instead prefer to feed on smaller insects and invertebrates. Despite the massive size of these spiders, they are not reported to be any threat to humans, as they do not posses venom and their bite is no worse than that of a wasp sting.
One of the more predatory insects is the praying mantis', they can grow anywhere from one to ten inches, and are masters of camouflager and mimicking their surroundings. While they may not look it, mantis' are strong creatures, and with their amazing eyesight they can spot prey, move without startling it, and then capture their prey with their powerful forelegs to hold them in place while devouring the prey with their strong jaws. The mantis' diets can frequently change, depending on what is available to eat; most of the time they will consume other insects- spiders, butterflies, beetles, sometimes even other mantis'. Other times, they will eat small invertebrate such as small lizards, mice, frogs, and even hummingbirds! It's no wonder this interesting insect is so well known.
Birds:
Just like every other organism, the rainforest holds many species of birds- predatory birds, fruit eaters, hummingbirds, the list just goes on! One of the more common birds is the Blue-Gray Tanager, this little bird belongs to a large family of tropical birds- with over 200 species of Tanager ranging all the way from Canada to Central Argentina! These birds play an important role in seed dispersal for both trees and shrubs in the rainforest, as their diet consists mainly of a large variety of fruits, berries, and insects, as well as leaves, flowers and nectar. Like our common sparrow, the Blue-Gray Tanager is a pretty regular member of the rainforest, and has many predators going after it, like; predatory birds, snakes, felines, and crocodiles. Though the primary threat to these sweet birds is habitat destruction.
Possibly one of the most popular and well known birds that resides in the Amazon rainforest is the Scarlet Macaw, they are the largest parrot in the world and are very distinctive due to their bright red, blue, and yellow feathers. As one might guess, these parrots just love to live in larger groups, and make lots of noise. However, unlike a lot of animals, the Scarlet Macaw mates for life, and spends hours with their mates and offspring, cleaning one another. Though these colourful birds can look intimidating from their size, they mainly only eat fruits, nuts, leaves, and berries. One thing that has given the Scarlet Macaw an advantage in their region is that they can eat fruits that are normally deadly toxic to other animals- this is most likely because these birds eat large amounts of clay, which can neutralize the poison.
Because there are so many birds in the Amazon rainforest, there is much competition for fruits and insects, and for those that eat smaller rodents and other birds, the competition is just as bad- as they are competing with every other carnivorous animal. For this reason, most of the amazon birds have adapted to having a wider variety in their diet, being able to eat many different fruits and insects- and have gained characteristics to help aid them in getting said food. Like a parrot with their large beak, meant for breaking open nuts and being able to eat at larger fruits. Or an Osprey, with oily plumage that repel water as they dive fully into rivers and lakes, large feet to grab and hold onto fish, and even a reversible toe that allows them to carry a fish more easily while in flight.
Just like every other organism, the rainforest holds many species of birds- predatory birds, fruit eaters, hummingbirds, the list just goes on! One of the more common birds is the Blue-Gray Tanager, this little bird belongs to a large family of tropical birds- with over 200 species of Tanager ranging all the way from Canada to Central Argentina! These birds play an important role in seed dispersal for both trees and shrubs in the rainforest, as their diet consists mainly of a large variety of fruits, berries, and insects, as well as leaves, flowers and nectar. Like our common sparrow, the Blue-Gray Tanager is a pretty regular member of the rainforest, and has many predators going after it, like; predatory birds, snakes, felines, and crocodiles. Though the primary threat to these sweet birds is habitat destruction.
Possibly one of the most popular and well known birds that resides in the Amazon rainforest is the Scarlet Macaw, they are the largest parrot in the world and are very distinctive due to their bright red, blue, and yellow feathers. As one might guess, these parrots just love to live in larger groups, and make lots of noise. However, unlike a lot of animals, the Scarlet Macaw mates for life, and spends hours with their mates and offspring, cleaning one another. Though these colourful birds can look intimidating from their size, they mainly only eat fruits, nuts, leaves, and berries. One thing that has given the Scarlet Macaw an advantage in their region is that they can eat fruits that are normally deadly toxic to other animals- this is most likely because these birds eat large amounts of clay, which can neutralize the poison.
Because there are so many birds in the Amazon rainforest, there is much competition for fruits and insects, and for those that eat smaller rodents and other birds, the competition is just as bad- as they are competing with every other carnivorous animal. For this reason, most of the amazon birds have adapted to having a wider variety in their diet, being able to eat many different fruits and insects- and have gained characteristics to help aid them in getting said food. Like a parrot with their large beak, meant for breaking open nuts and being able to eat at larger fruits. Or an Osprey, with oily plumage that repel water as they dive fully into rivers and lakes, large feet to grab and hold onto fish, and even a reversible toe that allows them to carry a fish more easily while in flight.
Predators:
While any organism that consumes another can be considered a predator, lets face it, when asked the question: "What are some predators?" The first thing that comes to mind will probably be something along the lines of; lions, tigers, sharks, constrictors, eagles, etc. Well, taking on that logic, we decided to use the two deadliest predators in the Amazon rainforest- the reigning kings. Except themselves and human threats, virtually nothing can take them on, and those that try, usually end up dead. To start off, we have what is one of the best known, and beautiful animals, the Jaguar.
Big cats everywhere seem to be lethal weapons of mass destruction when put to the test, and while all are champion predators in their kingdom, the Jaguar is the champion of the rainforest. At five to six feet in length and weighing 100 to 250 pounds, these big felines are the largest cats of South America. In some South American traditions the Jaguar God of the Night was the lord of the underworld, and the name jaguar was even derived from the Native American word yaguar, meaning "he who kills with one leap." And it's no wonder the Jaguar got its name from that when it's such a powerful creature. One of the distinctive features of this solitary cat is that unlike many others of its kind, the Jaguar is completely unafraid of water, and is actually quite the prominent swimmer- making it easy for them to catch fish, turtles, and even small alligators known as caiman. On land, they will hunt just about anything, but prefer larger animals such as peccaries, capybaras, tapirs, and deer. What makes the jaguar a great predator is that it will sometimes even climb into trees and prepare an ambush- killing their prey with only one powerful bite!
Unfortunately, due to their much-loved coats, hunters will often kill jaguars for their skins. However, the jaguar has yet to reached the threatened status, and still stands at near-threatened. With any luck, this king of the rainforest has a long time before they reach endangered.
While any organism that consumes another can be considered a predator, lets face it, when asked the question: "What are some predators?" The first thing that comes to mind will probably be something along the lines of; lions, tigers, sharks, constrictors, eagles, etc. Well, taking on that logic, we decided to use the two deadliest predators in the Amazon rainforest- the reigning kings. Except themselves and human threats, virtually nothing can take them on, and those that try, usually end up dead. To start off, we have what is one of the best known, and beautiful animals, the Jaguar.
Big cats everywhere seem to be lethal weapons of mass destruction when put to the test, and while all are champion predators in their kingdom, the Jaguar is the champion of the rainforest. At five to six feet in length and weighing 100 to 250 pounds, these big felines are the largest cats of South America. In some South American traditions the Jaguar God of the Night was the lord of the underworld, and the name jaguar was even derived from the Native American word yaguar, meaning "he who kills with one leap." And it's no wonder the Jaguar got its name from that when it's such a powerful creature. One of the distinctive features of this solitary cat is that unlike many others of its kind, the Jaguar is completely unafraid of water, and is actually quite the prominent swimmer- making it easy for them to catch fish, turtles, and even small alligators known as caiman. On land, they will hunt just about anything, but prefer larger animals such as peccaries, capybaras, tapirs, and deer. What makes the jaguar a great predator is that it will sometimes even climb into trees and prepare an ambush- killing their prey with only one powerful bite!
Unfortunately, due to their much-loved coats, hunters will often kill jaguars for their skins. However, the jaguar has yet to reached the threatened status, and still stands at near-threatened. With any luck, this king of the rainforest has a long time before they reach endangered.
Our second crowned king, or rather, queen, of the amazon is the distinctive, and terrifyingly large Green Anaconda. This massive snake can reach impressive length of over 30 feet in length, 12 inches in width, and weigh more than 550 pounds! And unlike many animals, female anacondas are generally larger than the males. While this snake is extremely powerful, they do not have venom like many smaller snakes- who knows, maybe nature didn't think it would be fair to give such a big and strong snake even more of an advantage. So instead of poisoning their prey, green anacondas, will hold onto their meals with their strong jaws while wrapping the whole of their muscular bodies around their prey in order to suffocate them, or drag them underwater- yes you read right. Because green anacondas have their eyes and noses on the top of their head, they are capable of seeing and smelling their prey even while under water, much like a crocodile. These massive creatures are beyond even the jaguar, and thanks to their size and ability to suffocate large land animals, can make just about anything their prey- from birds, to large rodents, deer, fish, tapirs, peccaries, dogs, sheep, turtles.. they even have the ability to consume jaguars. It's no secret that snakes swallow their prey whole by unhinging their jaws, but the anaconda just takes that to a whole new level of scary.
Because of their frightening power and massive size, adult anacondas have no natural predators, and are sitting steadily at the top of the food chain. As it is, humans are the only threat to them, and much of the time, humans only kill them in fear that the snake will attack them! That, and their skin is often turned into leather or used for decoration- deforestation is also a threat to their survival.
Because of their frightening power and massive size, adult anacondas have no natural predators, and are sitting steadily at the top of the food chain. As it is, humans are the only threat to them, and much of the time, humans only kill them in fear that the snake will attack them! That, and their skin is often turned into leather or used for decoration- deforestation is also a threat to their survival.
Among the two rulers of the Amazon, there are also a number of other main predators, though the main ones are all birds and felines, as well as the occasional reptile. Some of them include the Caiman, Puma, Jaguarundi, Ocelots, Vultures, Osprey.. the list can go on and on. Among all these predators is the one common thing: they all eat meat. Therefore, they all compete daily for their food, while at the same time, trying to avoid becoming the prey of a more powerful predator. For instance, the Jaguarundi is a very small wild cat, being only slightly larger than a house cat. They mostly feed on smaller birds, but also prey on small mammals like rodents, as well as fish, frogs, and reptiles. Generally, as an adaptation to their area, depending on where a Jaguarundi lives, their pelt colours will vary- darker colours are usually seen on those in denser places like the forest, whereas lighter browns and sandy colours are seen on those living in more desert-like areas. Fortunately for this small feline, because their pelt is so plain, they are not hunted for any uses- except maybe by the farmers when these cats get into their poultry farms. They are also able to adapt rather well to human disturbances- maybe they're more like house cats then they seem. And in general, the only real threat to them is their loss of habitat. However, one of these cute felines could easily become the meal of some Caiman, Jaguar, or Anaconda- size does help in the wild world. That, and powerful weapons.
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In the wild world of the Amazon rainforest, it can be a dog eat dog world. Some creatures go days without food because they are unable to catch something themselves, or cannot win over competition. Other organisms simply aren't cut out for living, and quickly have their life taken by another. While others adapt, and learn how to fend for themselves, finding new ways to get at food- like how some monkey's will make tools out of rocks and sticks in order to break open nuts and get at insects in the ground and in trees.
It's survival of the fittest, and the smartest. Those that cannot compete, lose. |