Animals in the Amazon

The Amazon is home to some of the world's most distinct species and many of its sights and sounds cannot be found elsewhere, for example these pink dolphins as seen in the picture!

Poison dart frog  - with its striking appearance and unique features, the poison dart frog is one of the most interesting - and dangerous - species in the Amazon.

While most other frog species have brown or green skin, which helps camouflage themselves in the wild, the poison dart frog uses its brightly coloured skin to warn predators that it is "unfit for consumption."

The frog's skin also serves another protective function - it secretes a dangerous poison that can paralyze and in some cases kill predators. The poison is so deadly that the Choco Indians of Western Colombia rub handmade darts along a frog's back to use in hunting, or sometimes warfare. One frog can supply enough toxin for 30-50 darts, which stay potent for about a year.

With all its protection you might wander why poison dart frogs need so much protection? The frogs make their home on the moist floor of the tropical rain forest and spend their days hunting ants and termites in the thick brush, which makes them especially vulnerable to predators, like snakes.

Poison dart frogs are fascinating for other reasons as well. The male frogs make insect-like buzzing and chirping noises to attract females, and these vocalisations can travel great distances. The frogs also make interesting parents: Once tadpoles hatch, the parent carries them on its back, high up into the forest canopy, where it deposits the tadpoles into a variety of plants that provide a water-filled shelter so the young can develop. The biggest environmental threat to frogs is deforestation.

Jaguar

Jaguars are the largest of American cats and are strong swimmers and climbers. Once found all the way from the southwestern United States to northern Argentina, today jaguars only inhabit the rain forests of Central and South America. A legendary symbol of Latin America's tropical rain forests, the jaguar requires large areas of natural habitat to survive. The third largest cat in the world, jaguars may weigh more than 300 pounds and grow to more than eight feet in length, including a two-foot tail. Most countries with jaguar populations legally protect them, but hunting and habitat loss continue to be threats to the survival of the species.

Howler monkey

The howler monkey's large vocal organ is hidden by long black hair on its throat. Using their loud, distinctive call - which can be heard up to two miles away - howler monkeys warn other animals away from their territory. The howler monkey's diet consists mainly of fruit, much of it not yet ripe. The howler monkey lives in troops of 10 to 30 monkeys comprised of both sexes.