The continent South America is interesting by the geographical location. It is located in two hemispheres at once – the main part of the territory in Youzhny, the small extremity in Northern. Quite considerable extent of the continent - 7200 km from the North on the South – and such features of a relief as the mountain ridge of the Andes stretched along all its western part led to the fact that here 5 climatic zones, and, as a result, rich and various fauna were created. Some representatives of the South American fauna are unique and meet only here.
Instruction
1. The South American rainforests are located in the territory of the Amazonian lowland. The fauna of this extensive region is very different. Some, and his various representatives, are interesting that they perfectly adapted to life on trees.
2. A wood life is led, for example, by broad-nosed American primacies. One of the most interesting are tsibida and igrunkovy monkeys. The main feature tsibid or tsepkokhvosty monkeys is the long and strong tail serving at these primacies as the fifth extremity. A tail of a tsibida cling to branches at movement in crowns. Tiny igrunkovy or sharp-clawed monkeys have claws on fingers, dense indumentum and brushes on tips of ears. Length of a body of an igrunkovy monkey – 13-37 cm. At the same time length of a tail which they use at the movement as a counterbalance, - from 15 to 42 cm. Live in the top tier of rainforests. On the earth go down seldom. Are omnivorous.
3. An idler – the animal living only in South America, one more representative of fauna preferring life in crowns. It is inactive, spends the most part of time in trailing situation. On the earth goes down extremely seldom. Eats leaves and sprouts of trees.
4. The Tamandua, or a tetradactyl anteater – the animal leading generally a nocturnalism. Spends the most part of time on trees, has long claws and a tenacious tail. On the ground move slowly. Unlike it the big anteater who is also living in the Amazonian forests lives only on the earth.
5. A wood life is led by some representatives enotovy and rodents – a nosukh, a kinkazha or a flower bear, a koenda or a wood tsepkokhvosty porcupine – and also separate species of marsupials of rats or opossums. Also the largest representative of family of rodents – a water pig a capybara which length of a body reaches 120 cm lives in forests of Amazon.
6. Hoofed animals are not enough here. Among them there are a spitserogy deer, a tapir, a mumps bakers. Also predators of families cat's and dog - an ocelot, yaguarund, a jaguar, sectional dog meet.
7. And the woods a large number of Amphibia and reptiles – a water boa an anaconda, a wood sobakogolovy boa, a great number of venomous snakes and lizards lives, in the rivers there live reptiles. The Orinoco crocodile – the largest South American animal. Length of a body of certain individuals reaches 5 m. But, perhaps, the most famous river inhabitant is the blood-thirsty predator a piranha. Interesting representatives of Amphibia are wood frogs.
8. The great number of birds - a gotsiana, the harpy, herons-chernoklyuvy, solar herons, a large number of parrots among which the largest look is a parrot of macaw lives in forests. The characteristic representative of birds is the humming-bird. One of species of these birds – a humming-bird bee - the least birds in the world. Besides the South American tropical forests – the house for a huge number of insects – ants, bugs, butterflies.
9. In the South American savanna and subtropical steppes there are no such large herbivores, as in Africa. Here it is possible to see small pampassky deer, several species of lamas, battleships, anteaters, wild pigs bakers. On coast of reservoirs there live nutrias and marsh beavers. Except the same predators, as in rainforests, it is possible to meet pumas, cats and foxes of Pampas, Magellanic foxes, jubate wolves here.
10. The most widespread species of rodents are tuko-tuko and viskach. Except parrots and a humming-bird there are running birds here – an ostrich to Nantes, an ostrich of Darwin, to a tinam, palamedeya or a shportsevy goose. Here also the great number of snakes and lizards lives.
11. 2 species of lamas – a vicuna and guanako - a-point bear, some species of marsupials live in remote mountainous areas of the continent. From birds in the Andes the condor – the largest bird of prey is everywhere widespread in the world.
12. The fauna of Galapagos Islands is peculiar. There are a lot of large reptiles – overland turtles, iguanas. Among birds, there are representatives of both tropical, and Antarctic fauna - parrots, cormorants, penguins. Mammals are few – seals, some species of rodents, bats.