5 of the Amazon's Creatures

There is a plethora of wildlife that exists in the Amazon rainforest. There are as many as 300 separate mammal species in this vast ecosystem, with most of these being some sort of rodent or member of the bat family. Some of these animals are found only in the western hemisphere and are adapted for their life in the rainforest. Let's take a look at five of the most unique.

The capybara is the largest rodent in the world, sometimes weighing close to 150 pounds. It is found in the rainforest close to a source of water and lives in large groups, with as many as 30 in one herd. The capybara has what amounts to webbed

The largest cat in the Americas is the jaguar, which lives throughout South and Central America as well as in the Amazon rainforest. It can be 300 pounds in a very large specimen and differs from its close cousin, the leopard, in that it weighs more, has a shorter tail, and different looking spots. A skilled climber, the jaguar is incredibly proficient as a swimmer and actually enjoys being in the water.

Sloths spend most of their time in the trees of the rainforest where they hang upside down. Slow moving on land but able to swim, the sloth will sleep up to 15 hours a day and spend the rest of the time searching for food. The animal moves so slowly that certain forms of algae will grow on its coat. A sloth that falls from its tree and winds up on the land is easy prey for other predators since it must drag itself around by its front feet.

The tapir is related to both the rhinoceros and the horse but resembles a pig that has a nose somewhat like that of an elephant. It has a snout that can pull leaves off of trees and bushes. Always close by to water, the tapir is one of the animals that the jaguar will kill and eat when the opportunity arise.

Armed with the longest tongue of all mammals when compared to its body size, the giant anteater has a tube-shaped head and enjoys a diet of termites and ants. It reaches these insects in their burrows with its sticky tongue. The giant anteater has claws on its front feet that are very long and sharp. With these claws the anteater tears apart ant and termite hills. It can also defend itself by standing on its back legs and lashing out with these impressive weapons.