Class
Mammalia - Order Perissodactyla - Family Tapiridae
Tapirus terrestris
Species Authority: Linnaeus, 1758
Popular Name: Anta (Brazilian tapir)
Situation: Lower
Risk/near threatened (Baillie and Groombridge 1996) |
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The Anta
- Brazilian Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is one of four
species in the tapir family. The Brazilian Tapir can attain body
lengths of 1.80 to 2.50 m with a 5 to 10 cm long tail and 270
kg in weight.
One of
its main features is a short proboscis, an extension of the nose
and upper lip, which is used to pull and hold branches of trees
while feeding. It has weak eyesight and relies largely on hearing
and smell.
The Brazilian Tapir can be
found near water in the Amazon Rainforest and River Basin in
South America,
west of the Andes. Its range stretches from Venezuela, Colombia,
and Guianas, Argentina, and Paraguay, in the south, to Bolivia,
Peru, and Ecuador in the West. They can be found in the whole
Brazilian territory with the exception of the east of the South-East
region and the North-East. |
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They
are mainly active after dark and spend the daytime resting in
dense undergrowth. At night, this herbivore emerges to browse
on plants growing in forest clearings and alongside streams and
rivers. They are good swimmers and when in danger, they dive
in the water. Tapirs are solitary animals, only coming together
in the breeding season. A female tapir breeds once a year, the
gestation period being 12-13 months. The species has a life span of approximately
25 to 30 years. In the wild, the main predators are crocodilians
and large cats such as, the jaguar and puma which often attacks
the tapir at night, when they leave the water and sleep on the
riverband.
See photos
of the Brazilian Tapir HERE. (ARKive Images of life on Earth) |
The Gambá
- Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) can be found
in many regions
of America, such as Canada, United States, Mexico, Argentina,
Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela, Uruguay, Guianas and in the Brazilian
territory.
It is a widespread and common species.
In Brazil,
the distribution of the Didelphis is as follows:
- Didelphis aurita - The whole state of São Paulo,
specially in the Atlantic Forest region and other nearby states.
It can also be found in the North of Rio Grande do Sul and in
the Amazonia;
- Didelphis albiventris - Central part of Brazil. It is
also common in the state of São Paulo;
- Didelphis marsupialis - Amazonic Region;
- Didelphis paraguaiensis - found in the states of Rio
Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso. |
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Class
Mammalia - Order Didelphimorphia - Family Didelphidae
Didelphis marsupialis
Species Authority: Linnaeus, 1758
Popular Name: Gambá (Opossum) |
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The animal
has nocturne habits and hunts during the night. During the day
it usually searches for spots with low luminosity to sleep. Being
an omnivorous animal, it eats from roots and fruits to insects,
crustaceans, amphibians, lizards and birds.
Although
hunted or trapped locally for food, sport and as predators of
poultry, the species does not appear to have been adversely affected
by human settlement (Novak 1999). Commercial hunting for the
fur trade does not appear to have much impact. |
Class
Mammalia - Order Cetacea - Family Iniidae (Was in the 1996-2002
IUCN Red Lists under the family Platanistidae)
Inia geoffrensis
Species Authority: Blainville, 1817
Popular Name: Boto cor-de-rosa (Amazon River Dolphin)
Situation: Vulnerable
(Groombridge 1994) |
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The Boto-cor-de-rosa
- Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) is exclusively to the Amazon
River Basin.
Their color vary from dark gray to light gray, and pink in the
inferior parts. They are animals of diurnal and nocturnal habits.
They live in small groups or are solitary. They eat fish and
can swallow crustaceans and turtles. They rarely jump out of
the water. They are curious animals and approach swimmers without
attacking them. They have visual deficiency. This fresh water
mammal makes its home in deep portions of rivers near sandbars
and other natural formations that cause a pool of deep water
to form. During the flood season, the Amazon river dolphin will
move into the main stream to enjoy the deeper than normal river
flow. |
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Although
there is no regular hunt for the species, they are sometimes
killed and maimed deliberately by fishermen to protect their
catch and gear, or in retaliation for perceived competition for
fish resources. Most human-caused mortality is incidental. Several
dams have already fragmented the Amazonian river dolphin population,
and many more have been proposed (Best and da Silva 1989, IWC
2001). As mercury is often used to separate gold from soil and
rock in mining operations along the Amazon (Pfeiffer et al. 1993),
where mining for gold is pervasive if not rampant, contamination
of the dolphins' food web is a further concern (Aula et al. 1995).
See photos
and videos HERE. (ARKive Images of life on Earth) |
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In Brazil,
there is a legend about the river dolphin. It is said that the
boto becomes a handsome man who seduces the young ladies. According
to an Amazonian legend, the boto appears transformed into a very
handsome man during the night. But he is always wearing a hat,
because his transformation is not complete since his breathing
hole is still at the top of his head. Like a gentleman, he flirts,
enchanting the young woman he sees. Because of the legend, young
women are always alerted by their parents not to flirt with any
man wearing a hat. It is said that the transformation of the
boto occurs mostly during the month of June, when people celecbrate
the birthdays of Saints Anthony, John and Peter. During these
June celebrations (Festa Junina) if a man appears wearing a hat
people ask him to take it off to make sure he iss not a boto. |
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Class
Mammalia - Order Sirenia - Family Treichechidea
Trichechus manatus
Species Authority: Linnaeus, 1758
Popular Name: Peixe-boi marinho (American Manatee)
Situation: Vulnerable
(Groombridge 1994) |
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The
Peixe-boi marinho - American Manatee (Trichechus manatus) can be found in many parts of the western
world along the Atlantic Coasts. These places include the United
States, Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico,
Central America, South America (from Columbia to the mouth of
the Amazon in Brazil). In Brazil, they can be found from the
North-east to the state of Amapá.
There
are two species
of manatees in Brazil:
the Peixe-boi marinho - American Manatee (Trichechus
manatus) and the Peixe-boi amazônico - Amazonian
Manatee (Trichechus inunguis) as seen below. |
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The Peixe-boi
amazônico - Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis)
can be found
only in the Amazonian River Basin in Brazil and in the Orinoco
River in Peru.
Unlike
their cousins the American Manatees, who can live in either fresh
or salt water, the Amazonian Manatees dwell solely in fresh water.
While
the American manatee (Trichechus manatus) can measure
up to 4 meters and weigh up to 800 quilos, the Amazonian manatee
(Trichechus inunguis) is smaller, can reach up to 2,5
meters and weigh up to 300 quilos.
Due to
the hunt of the species, the manatee is today the the most endangered
aquatic mammal in Brazil.
See photos
HERE. (ARKive Images of life on Earth) |
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Class
Mammalia - Order Sirenia - Family Treichechidea
Trichechus inunguis
Species Authority: Natterer, 1883
Popular Name: Peixe-boi amazônico (Amazonian Manatee)
Situation: Vulnerable
(Groombridge 1994) |
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Birds
Class
Aves - Order Psittaciformes - Family Psittacidae
Guaruba guarouba
Species Authority: J.F.Gmelin, 1788
Popular Name: Ararajuba (Golden Conure)
Situation: In
Danger (BirdLife International 2000) |
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The Ararajuba
- Golden Conure (Guaruba guarouba, synonym Aratinga
guarouba) is a bird of the Psittacidae family, which includes
macaws, parrots, parakeets and king-parakeets. The Golden Conure
is considered to be the largest of all conures. It is 15 inches
in length, with an average weight of around 290 grams. Its vivid
colours such as yolk-yellow and bright green, recalling the colors
of the Brazilian national flag, make it a national symbol, and
also because Psittacidae birds such as the Ararajuba are specifically
found in tropical environments.
This
species is restricted
to the Brazilian territory, between the northern states of Maranhão
and west of Pará. This species has a very small population that
is nomadic along rivers in the Amazon basin, and has suffered
from habitat loss and extensive trapping for trade. It is consequently
listed as Endangered.
They
live in flocks of 4 to 10 individuals, in tall rain forest areas.
During reproduction, they build their nests in the hollows of
trees, and may have up to 9 young per nest. The family’s
incubation period varies between 20 and 30 days. They eat various
kinds of fruit-seeds. It is interesting to watch them eat: they
use their beaks to climb up branches and hold their food with
their claws. |
 Like all other species
of such family, the
Ararajuba population has been continuously endangered, due to its attractive
coloring, its easy taming and its disposition to imitate the
human voice. Their feathers are also used for ornaments, which
constitutes another risk for these birds. |
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Picture
taken by me at Rio's Zoo in 2006. |
Class
Aves - Order Psittaciformes - Family Psittacidae
Ara ararauna
Species Authority: Linnaeus, 1758
Popular Name: Arara canindé (Blue and Yellow Macaw)
Situation: Lower
Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000) |
All pictures
were taken by me at Rio's Zoo in 2006. |
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The Arara
canindé - Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna),
is a member of the macaw group of parrots which breeds in the
swampy forests
of tropical South America from Panama south to Brazil, Bolivia
and Paraguay.
It is believed that it is probably now extinct on Trinidad.
They
can reach 76-86 cm long and weigh 900 to 1300 g and are vivid
in appearance with blue wings and tail, golden underparts and
a green cap on the head. They can live up to 60 years in captivity.
There
are 17 species of macaws distributed through tropical America.
In Brazil, 5 of these species can be found in the Amazonian region,
North-East of Brazil and in the Planalto Central region: Arara
Canindé - Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna),
Arara-Azul-Grande - Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus),
Arara-Azul-de-Lear - Lear's Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari),
Arara-Vermelha-Grande - Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloroptera)
and the Arara-Canga - Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao). |
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 The Arara azul - Hyacinth
Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), is the largest
psitacidade in the world. It reaches 93-100 cm in length and
their average weight is 1,5 kilos. They have a large black and
powerful bill which is deeply curved and pointed. Their plummage
is entirely cobalt blue and the feathers contrast with the bare
yellow eye ring and yellow skin next to the lower part of their
bill. At a distance, they may look black, thus, the species is
also known as "arara-preta" and "arara-una"
(“una”, means black in Tupi language and "preta"
is the Portuguese word for black).
The species
is monogamous and couples remain together for their whole lives.
The hyacinth macaw occurs
in three distinct areas in South America, mainly in Brazil, where it is found in
east Amazonia, east-central Brazil, and in the Pantanal region
of southwest Brazil reaching into Bolivia and Paraguay. |
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Class
Aves - Order Psittaciformes - Family Psitacidae
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
Species Authority: Latham, 1790
Popular Name: Arara azul (Hyacinth Macaw )
Situation: Endangered
(EN - A1bcd+2bcd) - IUCN Red List 2002 |
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This
species qualifies
as Endangered since the remaining small populations are probably
undergoing very rapid reductions as a result of illegal trapping for
the cage-bird trade and habitat loss. The hyacinth macaw is protected
by law in Brazil and international trade is prohibited. The Hyacinth Macaw Project in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso
do Sul, has carried out important research by ringing individual
birds and has created a number of artificial nests to compensate
for the small percentage of sites available in the region.
See photos
HERE. (Céu Azul de Copacabana Editora)
See photos
and videos HERE. (ARKive Images of life on Earth) |
Foto:
Adriano A. Paiva
Class
Aves - Order Psittaciformes - Family Psittacidae
Anodorhynchus leari
Popular Name: Arara-azul-de-Lear (Lear's Macaw)
Situation: Critically
Endangered (CR - C2b) - IUCN Red List 2002 |
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The Arara-azul-le-lear
- Lear's Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari), also known as
the Indigo Macaw, is
a Brazilian species
with a highly restricted range. The bird is metallic blue tinged
with green, and a yellow patch of skin by the bill. It weighs
around 950 g (2 pounds) and is 75 cm (30 inches) long.
It was
first described in 1858 by Napoleon's nephew, Lucien Bonaparte,
from an illustration by the famous British poet, Edward Lear.
The Lear's Macaw was named after Lear, who spent some time in
Brazil painting the birds and writing poems on them. |
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This
parrot remained elusive in the wild however, and was only accepted
as a distinct species in 1978 when naturalist Helmut Sick finally
located the wild population in the interior northeast of Brazil,
in the Bahia state. Originally, the bird was thought to be some
sort of hybrid derived from the very similar Hyacinth macaw.
However, this idea was soon abandoned, as the Lear's Macaw has
plumage that differs slightly from that of its close relatives.
The macaw was actually first seen by humans in 1950 in a Brazilian
zoo, but was not classified as its own species.
The head,
neck and underparts of this parrot are greenish-blue, whilst
the rest of the body has a violet/indigo appearance. Bare skin
around the eyes and at the base of the lower bill is pale yellow.
The population
of the Lear's Macaw, as of 1994, is 140 birds. It is currently listed as Critically Endangered because it has an extremely
small population which breeds in one area and is continuing to
decline, principally as a result of trapping for trade. Many
organizations, such as BioBrazil and the World Parrot Trust,
along with local ranchers and other independant organiations,
are working to help conserve the species. Many ranchers are proud
to have macaw nesting sites on their land, and are happy to adopt
the birds to help expand their nesting areas.
See photos
and videos HERE. (ARKive Images of life on Earth) |
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Foto: Luiz
Marigo |
Class
Aves - Order Psittaciformes - Family Psittacidae
Ara chloroptera
Species authority: Gray, 1859
Popular Name: Arara vermelha grande (Red-and-green Macaw) |
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The Arara-vermelha
- Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloroptera) is native from the forests from Panama to
Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. The species is often mistaken for the Scarlet
macaw (Ara macao) because of its predominantly red feathering.
Their diet is based on seeds and fruits.
The breast
of the Red-and-green Macaw is bright red, but the lower feathers
of the wing are green. In addition, the Red-and-green Macaw has
characteristic red lines around the eyes formed by rows of tiny
feathers on the otherwise bare skin. This is the commonest of
the large macaws and the largest of the "Ara" genus,
widespread in the forests of Northern South America. However,
in common with other macaws, in recent years there has been a
marked decline in its numbers due to habitat loss and illegal
capture. |
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Some
macaw owners and experts call the Green-winged Macaw the "gentle
giant", as it is larger in size than the Scarlet Macaw and
Blue-and-yellow Macaw, but has a more docile nature which often
makes it a more desirable pet than the other two popular species.
It is second only in size to the Hyacinth Macaw.
Pictures
taken by me at Rio's Zoo in 2006. |
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Foto:
Xavier MARCHANT
Class
Aves - Order Psittaciformes - Family Psittacidae
Ara macao
Species authority: Linnaeus, 1758
Popular Name: Ara-Canga (Scarlet Macaw)
Situation: Lower
Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000) |
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The Ara-canga
- Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is a large, colourful
parrot, sligthly smaller than the red-and-green macaw. It is
native to
humid evergreen forests in the American tropics, from extreme eastern Mexico locally
to Amazonian Peru and Brazil. It has been widely extirpated by
habitat destruction and capture for the pet trade.
It is
about 81 to 96 cm (32 to 36 inches) long, of which more than
half is the pointed, graduated tail typical of macaws. Average
weight is about a kilogram (2 to 2.5 pounds). The plumage is
mostly scarlet, but the rump and tail-covert feathers are light
blue, the greater upperwing coverts are yellow, the upper sides
of the flight feathers of the wings are dark blue as are the
ends of the tail feathers, and the undersides of the wing and
tail flight feathers are dark red with metallic gold iridescence.
There is bare white skin around the eye and from there to the
bill. |
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Scarlet
Macaws make loud, low-pitched, throaty squawks and screams. Wild
Scarlet Macaws eat mostly fruits and seeds, including large,
hard seeds. Like most parrots, the Scarlet Macaw lays 2 to 4
white eggs in a tree cavity. The young hatch after 24 to 25 days.
They fledge about 105 days later and leave their parents as late
as a year.
Scarlet
Macaws are popular cage birds for those who can pay both the
high price of the bird and the price of the big cage needed.
They are considered sociable and affectionate. |
 The Tucano-toco
- Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco) is the largest of the
toucans. It weighs around 540g. Its large bill is brightly colored
orange and black and can get to about eight inches in length.
They have strong feet and toes to support its weight. Two toes
point forward and two point backward. Its wings are short and
rounded and it has a long broad tail which helps him stay balanced
in the trees. It's generally black with touches of white, scarlet
on the chest and yellow.
The Toco
Toucan likes to live in open areas, lowland rainforests and palm
groves of South America. In Brazil, Toco Toucans can be found in the whole national
terrytory
except on the coast, from the Marajó Island and Chuí.
This species has
a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence
of 4,300,000 km2. The global population size has not been quantified,
but it is believed to be large as the species is described as
'frequent' in at least parts of its range (Stotz et al. 1996). |
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Class
Aves - Order Piciformes - Family Ramphastidae
Ramphastos toco
Species Authority: Müller, 1776
Popular Name: Tucano-toco (Toco Toucan)
Situation: Lower
Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000) |
All pictures
were taken by me at Rio's Zoo in 2006. |
 The
Toco Toucan will mate at different times, depending on where
they live. They breed once a year and have two to four shiny
white eggs in a clutch. The incubation period is sixteen days.
Both parents care for their young, protecting and feeding them.
Toucans usually live in pairs or groups called flocks. Their
nests are in holes in trees. They communicate with each other
using toad likes noises. They live up to 20 years.
They
eat fruits, seeds, insects and spiders. The Toco Toucan is a
predator. It hunts lizards and snakes and steals eggs and nestlings
from smaller birds. |
Class
Aves - Order Galliformes - Family Cracidae
Crax fasciolata
Species Authority: Spix, 1825
Popular Name: Mutum (Bare-faced Curassow)
Situation: Lower
Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000) |
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The Mutum
- Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata) presents three
subspecies: pinima of north-east Brazil, grayi
in east Bolivia and the nominate in central and south-west
Brazil, Paraguay and north Argentina. Although occupying a relatively
large range and still being common in a few areas, many populations
appear to be in decline, and it has disappeared from parts of
its former range as a result of habitat destruction and hunting
(del Hoyo 1994). The pinima is extinct around Belem, Pará
(Novaes and Lima 1998), and may survive only in western Maranhão
at Gurupi Biological Reserve and adjoining territories. The species
was not found during extensive fieldwork around Paragominas,
eastern Pará (A. Aleixo per. F. Olmos in litt. 2003).
Although the nominate survives in Brazil from Minas Gerais,
Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul north to Pará and
Mato Grosso, and can be locally common (as in the northern Pantanal
and Serra dos Carajás), it is extinct, or nearly so, in
São Paulo and Paraná (del Hoyo 1994, F. Olmos in
litt. 2003). |
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Hunting
pressure is an issue in Goiás, Tocantins and southern
Pará, but the nominate is not considered to be
particularly threatened in Brazil (F. Olmos in litt. 2003). The
species listed as being of "High conservation priority"
in the IUCN Cracid Action Plan, and more information on population
size, trends and habitat loss are needed, especially for the
core range in Brazil. However, this species has a large range,
with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 3,700,000 km2.
The global population size has not been quantified, but it is
believed to be large as the species is described as 'frequent'
in at least parts of its range (Stotz et al. 1996). Global population
trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed
to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion
of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years
or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated
as Least Concern. |
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Picture
were taken by me at Rio's Zoo in 2006. |
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The Jaburu
- Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria) is a large bird, measuring
about 1 meter high and 2,60 meters from one wing to another.
Their average weight is 8 kilos. They have a large beak with
a little inclination to the top. They have bare and black head
and neck, and their neck have a red base. Their plumage is entirely
white.
In Brazil,
it is also known as tuiuiú, jaburu, tuim-de-papo-vermelho
(in Mato Grosso), cauauá (in Amazonas) and jabiru in the
south of Brazil. Their diet include insects, crabs, snails, frogs
and fish. They live by the riverbank of large rivers and lages
with sparse trees. In Brazil, they can be found in the whole
national territory, escept in the south. The jabiru is considered
symbol of the Pantanal region in Brazil. |
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Class
Aves - Order Ciconiiformes - Family Ciconiidae
Jabiru mycteria
Species Authority: Lichtenstein, 1819
Popular Name: Jaburu (Jabiru)
Situation: Lower
Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000) |
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This
species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of
occurrence of 6,900,000 km2. The global population size has not
been quantified, but it is believed to be large as the species
is described as 'frequent' in at least parts of its range (Stotz
et al. 1996).
It can
be found also from Méxicoto Paraguay, Uruguay and north
of Argentina, but the largest populations can be found in the
Pantanal and oriental Chaco in Paraguay. |
Reptiles
Class
Reptilia - Order Crocodylia - Family Alligatoridae
Caiman latirostris
Species Authority: Daudin, 1802
Popular Name: Jacaré-do-papo-amarelo (Broad-nosed caiman)
Situation: In
Danger (IUCN 1990) |
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The Jacaré
do papo amarelo - Broad-nosed caiman (Caiman latirostris) is classified
as a medium-sized crocodilian, seldom exceeding 10 feet in length.
The snout is broader than in most other of their species. They
are found
in the sluggish streams and muddy bayous of south-east Brazil,
reaching inland to Paraguay and Argentina.
They
are more active during the night. In the wild, these carnivores
eat a very generalized diet that includes snails, turtles, aquatic
insects and their larvae, crustaceans, amphibians and small fish,
including piranhas. At the Zoo, the caiman are fed small rodents.
Beginning
in the middle of the century, commercial hunting took a significant
toll on this species. The skin was prized because it is more
suitable for tanning than the skin of other crocodilians. |
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Equally
dangerous
to the species is the on-going threat of habitat destruction. Deforestation and water
pollution are major problems in most areas of their range.
According
to information obtained at the Zoológico de São Paulo, with the prohibition
of the hunting of the species in Brazil, the broad-nosed caiman
is not considered in risk of extinction anymore although illegal
hunting still persists in some areas. However, it is listed at
the IUCN Red List as endangered. |
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Picture
taken by me at Rio's Zoo in 2005. |
Resources:
IBAMA, Fiocruz, MMA - Ministério do Meio Ambiente, Animals of Brazil, IUCN 2004.
2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Wikipedia, Bristol Zoo,
The Monkey Sanctuary, IUCN/SSC Top
25 Most Endangered Primates, Parque Ecológico São Carlos, Fundação
Parque Zoológico de São Paulo and Fundação
RIO ZOO.
Animal graphics by: Graphics
by Irene
~ Animated cliparts found on the internet many years ago. If
in the future I find out their creator's websites I will be gladly
provide the credits.
Some pictures were taken by me, others were found on the internet
in the websites where I made those researches. They are displayed
here for eduactional purposes only.
Backgrounds by All
Free Backgrounds
~ Light background by Rajiv's
Graphics
~ |
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