There are not many large predators in South America, but the Jaguar is one of the strongest predators in the world.Unlike the African leopard, which looks very much like a jaguar, the jaguar does not have to carry its food into a tree, because there are no other animals in South America that would try to take it away from a jaguar.
Pound for pound, the jaguar may have more biting power than any other animal. Of course the hippopotamus and crocodile have strong jaws, but they are much larger than a jaguar. The jaguar regularly hunts river turtles, because it is the only animal that can bite through the rock-like shell.
The word jaguar comes from the South American Tupi-Guarani language. According to one early European explorer, jaguara meant "a beast that kills its prey with one bound." The original and complete indigenous name for the species is Jaguarete. Curiously, Jagua means "dog" in Guarani. Jaguar is also a royal title bestowed to a royal prince, princess or ruling monarch in some Maya traditions such is that of the Lencas.The jaguar's habitat ranges from the rain forests of South and Central America to marshy and even desert terrain in Mexico, but they are rarely seen in mountainous regions. Known for their strong swimming and climbing abilities, they often prefer to live by rivers, in swamps, and in dense forest with thick cover for stalking prey. They are the largest predator in their range. Jaguars, on rare occasions, are seen as far north as the southwestern United States, particularly in Arizona. The historic jaguar range actually extended as far north as southern California and western Texas As recently as 2004 wildlife officials in Arizona have photographed and documented jaguars in the southern parts of the state.
The largest snake in the world Anaconda is living in rivers and dense forests of South America.Anacondas in the wild spend most of their time hanging out in rivers hunting for their food. They are solitary creatures that are somewhat shy and not many of them are easily seen. They are very well camouflaged in the swamps and bogs in which they thrive. There are some historical reports of early European explorers of the South American jungles seeing giant.Anacondas are members of the boa constrictor family of snakes. That means that they kill their prey by coiling their large, powerful bodies around their victims and squeezing until their prey suffocates or is crushed to death and dies from internal bleeding. Then the snake unhinges its jaw and swallows the victim whole. Although they are big and strong enough to eat people, they seldom do (but they have been known to). Anacondas are much more likely to eat aquatic creatures, such as fish. Occasionally they have been known to eat : caimans (a relative of the alligator), other snakes, deer, and even jaguars. Anacondas are rather slow-moving snakes, so they have to rely on stealth and the element of surprise to catch their unsuspecting prey.
Of all the wild animals of the Americas, few are as amazing in aspect, actions, and vulnerability to one great human affliction as the armadillos.Armadillos are any of several small mammals of the family Dasypodidae, mostly known for having a bony armor shell. Their average size is about 75 centimeters (30 inches), including tail. All species are native to the American continents, where they inhabit a variety of environments.The nine-banded armadillo, which ranges from northern Argentina to the southern United States, and a few close armadillo cousins in South America are the only mammals known to bear identical quadruplets routinely.
The Killer fish piranhas or pirañas are a group of carnivorous freshwater fish living in South American rivers. They belong to five genera of the subfamily of Serrasalminae (which also includes closely related herbivorous fish including pacus and silver dollars). They are normally about 15 to 25 cm long (6 to 10 inches) long, although reportedly individuals have been found up to 40 cm in length. They are known for their sharp teeth and an aggressive appetite for meat and flesh. They are normally only found in the Amazonian and Paraguayan river systems.Piranhas generally pose little threat to humans, and human attacks are extremely seldom. Natives frequently swim in piranha infested water without attacks or scratches. It is not recommended to swim where piranha live in drought season because of increased aggressiveness caused by food scarcity.
The Llama (Lama glama) is a large camelid native to South America. The term llama is sometimes used more broadly, to indicate any of the four closely related animals that make up the South American branch of the family Camelidae: the llama itself, the vicuña, alpaca, and guanaco.
Differentiating characteristics between llamas and alpacas are that llamas are larger and have ovular heads instead of round ones. The main difference between llamas and camels is that camels have a hump or humps and llamas do not.You can see the llamas in peru and Chile.
The New World monkeys or Platyrrhines are the four families of primates that are found in Central and South America, the Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae and Atelidae. All families differ from the Old World monkeys and apes in having long, often prehensile tails.The name means "flat nosed", and this is how they are distinguished from Old World monkeys. Platyrrhine noses are flatter, with side facing nostrils, compared to the narrow noses and downward facing nostrils of Old World Monkeys. Many are small, arboreal and nocturnal, so our knowledge of them is less comprehensive than that of the more easily observed Old World monkeys. Unlike most Old World monkeys, many New World monkeys form monogamous pair bonds, and show substantial paternal care of young.
