The Amazon Rainforest is a vast ecosystem that provides a habitat for creatures as strange and wonderful as the jaguar, the poison frog and the Jesus lizard. But the Amazon is not only home to those animals that simply roam, swing and slide in the trees. In the depths of the Amazon River, the largest river in the world, live creatures so amazing and so terrifying that sometimes they seem even scarier than creepy sea creatures.

Black Cayman

The black caiman looks like an alligator on steroids. They can grow up to six meters long, with larger, heavier skulls than Nile crocodiles, and are the apex predator in Amazonian waters. This means that they are the kings of the river who eat almost everything, including piranha, monkeys, deer and anaconda. And yes, they often attack people. In 2010, a biologist named Days Nishimura was attacked by a caiman while cleaning fish on her houseboat. while she managed to fight him off, he took one of her legs with him. This particular caiman lived under her houseboat for eight months, apparently waiting for a chance to attack.

Green Anaconda
Continuing the theme of giant reptiles, the largest snake in the world lives in the Amazon: the anaconda. While pythons are actually longer, the green anaconda is much heavier; females are larger than males and can reach 250 kilograms, grow up to nine meters in length and reach 30 centimeters in diameter. They are not venomous, but instead use their muscles to constrict and suffocate their prey, which includes capybara, deer, caiman, and even jaguars. Preferring shallower waters that allow them to sneak up on prey, anacondas tend to live in branches of the Amazon rather than the river itself.

Arapaima
Arapaima are giant carnivorous fish that live in the Amazon and surrounding lakes. Encased in an armored casing, they don't bother living in piranha-infested waters, as they are quite efficient predators themselves, feeding on fish and the occasional bird. Arapaima tend to stay close to the surface because they have to breathe air in addition to the oxygen they get through their gills. They make a distinctive coughing sound when they emerge to gasp for air. They can reach 2.7 meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms. These fish are so dangerous that even their tongue has teeth.

giant otter
Giant otters are the longest members of the weasel family, with adult males reaching up to two meters from head to tail. Their diet primarily consists of fish and crabs, which they hunt in family groups of three to eight members, and they can eat up to four kilograms of seafood a day. Their good looks are deceiving as they are more than worthy of the other animals on this list and are capable of hunting even the anaconda. Under certain conditions, they can easily keep protection from the caiman. One family of otters was seen devouring a 1.5 meter long caiman in about 45 minutes. While their numbers are declining mainly due to human interference, they are among the most dangerous predators in the Amazon rainforest, earning the local name “river wolves.”

bull shark
Typically ocean-dwelling marine animals, bull sharks are at home in fresh water as well. They were found deep in the Amazon, in Peru, which is almost 4,000 kilometers from the sea. They have special kidneys that can sense changes in salinity. surrounding water and adjust accordingly. And you don't want to meet one of them in the river. They tend to reach 3.3 meters in length and weigh up to 312 kilograms. Like all other sharks, they have several rows of sharp, triangular teeth and very strong jaws with a bite force of 589 kilograms. They are also quite partial to humans, being one of the most commonly attacked humans (along with tiger sharks and great whites). Combined with the habit of living near densely populated areas, this has led many experts to label bull sharks as the world's most dangerous sharks.

electric eel
Electric eels are actually more closely related to catfish than simple eels. They can grow up to 2.5 meters long and can generate charges of electricity from specialized cells called electrocytes. These impacts can reach up to 600 volts, which is enough to knock a horse down. While one shock is not enough to kill a healthy adult, blows electric eel may cause respiratory or cardiac failure and the person may drown. Many of the disappearances reported in the region have been attributed to eels, which shocked their victims and left them drowning in the river. Luckily for us, eels tend to feed on fish, birds, and small mammals. They locate their prey by sending out small, 10-volt blasts before killing them with large blasts.

piranhas
The most dangerous predator of the Amazon River, about which even horror films are made. The red-bellied piranha is primarily a scavenger. But that doesn't mean they won't attack healthy creatures, given that they can grow to over 30 centimeters and swim in large groups. Piranhas have incredibly sharp teeth, one row in each of their strong upper and lower jaws. These teeth grapple with tremendous force, making them ideal for tearing and ripping through the flesh of their prey. Their fearsome reputation mainly comes from tales of their frenzied attacks, where groups of piranhas attack their unfortunate prey and tear it to shreds within minutes. These attacks are rare and are usually the result of starvation or provocation.

Payara, the vampire fish
Any creature named "vampire fish" should automatically be recognized as scary, and the payara is no exception. They are absolutely ferocious predators, capable of devouring fish up to half their own body size. Given that they can grow up to 1.2 meters long, this is no mean feat. A significant portion of their diet is made up of piranha, which should give you some idea of ​​just how dangerous these villains can be. They get their name from the two fangs that sprout from their lower jaw, which are up to 15 centimeters long. Payar fangs are used to literally pierce their prey after a lightning lunge. Their fangs are so large that vampire fish have special holes in their upper jaw to avoid impaling themselves.

Pacu
Another inhabitant of the Amazon, which can be much more dangerous for men than for women. Pacu is a much larger relative of the piranha, known for its distinctive sharp teeth. Unlike most of the creatures on this list, the pacu is actually an omnivore and most of its diet consists of fruits and nuts. Unfortunately for some pacu, "nuts" may not only mean things that fall from trees. Yes, that's right: Puck was sometimes bitten off the testicles of male swimmers in papua new guinea after the fish apparently mistook their genitals for a snack. And don't worry you can't head to the Amazon to see these monsters because they're already spreading to Europe.

The Amazon rainforest has long been known as the most dangerous place, where a huge number of strange and wonderful creatures live, the meeting with which does not bode well. However, the threat lurks not only in the forest. The waters of the Amazon River are no less scary. Just look what monsters live there - you will think a million times before you go there!

black caiman

We can say that this is an alligator on steroids, their muscles are much larger, and they can grow up to six meters in length. These are undoubtedly the top predators of the Amazon River, local kings who indiscriminately eat anyone who comes across their path.

Anaconda

Another giant monster of the Amazon is the well-known anaconda, the largest snake in the world. The weight of a female anaconda can reach 250 kilograms, and this is with a length of 9 meters and a diameter of 30 centimeters. These predators prefer shallow water, so most often they can be found not in the river itself, but in its branches.

Arapaima

The huge arapaima predator is equipped with armored scales, so it fearlessly swims among piranhas, eating fish and birds. The length of these creepy fish is almost three meters, and weight - 90 kilograms. The ferocity of these creatures can be judged by their teeth, which are even on the tongue!

brazilian otter

Brazilian otters grow up to 2 meters in length and feed mainly on fish and crabs. However, the fact that they always hunt in large groups allows them to successfully get more serious prey: there were cases when these harmless-looking creatures killed and ate adult anacondas and even caimans. No wonder they are called "river wolves".

Common vandellia or candiru

bull sharks

Most often, bull sharks live in the salty waters of the ocean, but they feel just as great in fresh water. There were cases when these bloodthirsty predators swam so far along the Amazon that they reached the city (), located almost 4 thousand kilometers from the sea. Considering that sharp teeth and powerful jaws provide these 3-meter creatures with a bite force of 589 kilograms, you definitely would not want to meet them, but they are not averse to feasting on a person!

electric eels

We would not advise you to approach them in any case: two-meter creatures are capable of generating electrical discharges with a power of up to 600 volts. And this is 5 times the current in an American outlet and enough to easily knock a horse down. Repeated strikes by these creatures can lead to heart or respiratory failure, causing people to lose consciousness and simply drown in the water.

common piranha

It is difficult to imagine more terrible and ferocious creatures, this is the real quintessence of the horror of the Amazon River. We all know that the sharp teeth of these fish have repeatedly inspired Hollywood directors to create creepy films. However, in fairness, it is worth noting that piranhas are primarily scavengers. But, unfortunately, this does not mean at all that they do not attack healthy creatures. Their incredibly sharp teeth, located on the upper and lower jaws, close very tightly, which makes them an ideal tool for tearing flesh.

Mackerel hydrolic

These meter-long underwater inhabitants were also called vampire fish. On the lower jaw they have two sharp fangs that can grow up to 15 centimeters. They use these devices to literally impale the victim on them after they rush at it. The fangs of these fish are so large that nature had to take care of the safety of the hydrolics themselves. So that they do not pierce themselves with them, they have special holes in the upper jaw.

brown pacu

A fish with human teeth, the brown pacu is a larger relative of the piranha. True, unlike the latter, these freshwater prefer fruits and nuts, although they are generally considered omnivores. The problem is that "stupid" pacu are unable to tell the difference between nuts that fall from trees and male genitalia, which has left some male swimmers without testicles.

It is one of the natural wonders of our planet. In terms of world fame, the river competes with the Indian Ganges and the Egyptian Nile. The unique ecosystem of the longest water artery on earth (more than 7 thousand km from the source) attracts lovers of the exotic, the brightness of tropical flora and fauna, and ordinary tourists - lovers of natural beauty. In the vast expanses of the Amazon, surprising with the richness of flora and fauna, about 1.5 million of the most diverse species of plants and animals live; this corner of the planet can, without exaggeration, be called the world's genetic fund. According to scientists, per 10 km² rainforest there are more than 1800 species of birds, 250 species of various mammals, about 2 thousand different species of fish and countless various invertebrates and insects (many of their species are still unknown to the scientific world).

The Amazon Basin, which contains 10 longest rivers of the world, together with all tributaries, occupies approximately 40% of the territory.

In essence, these are wet jungles and swamps stretching along the equator, therefore climatic conditions throughout the lowlands are almost the same. The Amazon basin is distinguished by the most extensive tropical evergreen forest on Earth, the climate of which is hot and humid, the air temperature is stable throughout the year, it constantly stays + 25-28 ° C, even at night t almost never falls below + 20 ° C.

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Fauna

The rainforests are home to many rare species of animals, and some of them are on the verge of extinction. Among such animals, we should mention the baker, spider monkey, sloth, armadillo, Cayman freshwater dolphin, crocodile, boa.

Near the shores of the Amazon there is a tapir, an excellent swimmer, although his body weight can reach 200 kg. Tapir most often moves along the paths near the river, it feeds on algae, as well as leaves, twigs and fruits of coastal plants.

Near the rivers you can often meet the world's largest rodent - capybarawhose weight reaches up to 50 kg, and outwardly the animal resembles guinea pig. Animals coming to the watering hole near the shore are guarded by anacondas (a species of the largest snakes from the subfamily of boas), which also hunt in the water, it is not for nothing that they are also called water boas. An anaconda can even strangle a caiman (Spanish: Cayman, a genus of reptiles of the alligator family).

One of the very dangerous inhabitants of the jungle, and, at the same time, a water-loving member of the cat family, is the jaguar, which is called "d'iaguar" ("Like us").

The incredible number of birds living in the river basin is staggering; nowhere else in the world can one find such a number and species diversity of birds. Most birds feed on insects, which in turn feed on plants. Plants, trying to protect themselves from voracious insects, produce various potent, most often poisonous substances, most of which have medicinal qualities. Therefore, the jungle can be safely called a storehouse medicinal plants used in scientific and traditional medicine.

Among the forest birds, one can note the forest falcon, the toucan, the macaw parrot, the bald parrot, the fly-eater, the hummingbird, and the gaviao bird of prey.

Among insects, there are over 1800 species of butterflies and more than 200 species of mosquitoes.

In general, in the Amazonian jungle, whose territory is more than 6 million km² and covers 9 countries of South America, there are as many different organisms as there are not on any "piece" of our planet. A huge number of diverse trees make it possible to rightfully call the Amazon jungle the "Tree of Life". In fact, each tree is home to over 400 species of insects alone! In the dense crowns of trees, among the vines, monkeys, birds, snakes and the bats. Did you know that almost 50% of all living organisms known to scientists today live in the Amazon basin, every year this tropical world gives us more and more new varieties of plants and animals, hitherto unknown.

The rainforest is divided into peculiar tiers in which they live different kinds, many animals do not even move vertically, all the time being in their natural niche. One of these unique animals Amazonian sloth, which, justifying its name, practically does not move, it constantly hangs on branches or on vines. Interestingly, these animals are completely unable to move on the ground, they can neither walk nor stand, but sloths are wonderful swimmers.

On one of the islands, located in the middle of the river, on an area of ​​​​more than 800 hectares, there is a unique eco-park, in which sick and confiscated monkeys are given the opportunity to adapt to the surrounding wild environment. The island contains more than 20 species of primates, there are quite rare species that cannot be seen in any zoo in the world. This exceptional nature reserve was established for conservation purposes, as well as a scientific center for the study of primates.

— an irreplaceable natural ecosystem, which is now threatened with extinction due to mass felling trees. The ruthless exploitation of forests leads to soil erosion and the death of many plant and animal species. Now it is extremely rare to find here Amazonian otter(lat. Ptesonura brasilensis). The list of endangered species has already included mahogany (Spanish: Rio Palenque) and a unique brazilian rosewood(Palisander Rosewood) with amazingly beautiful wood, from which expensive furniture is made.

The waters of the Amazon are rich in river inhabitants: the number and variety of representatives of the river depths is simply amazing, but this is not surprising, because only one of the tributaries of the river carries more water than all European rivers, taken together!

Underwater inhabitants of the Amazon

According to scientists, tens of millions of years ago, there was a sea on the site of the Amazon, dividing the South American mainland into northern and southern parts. Due to land formation processes, this territory began to slowly rise, sea water gradually desalinated, and the ancestors of some of today's inhabitants of the Amazon managed to adapt to fresh river water.

Such inhabitants include: a massive bullfish (reaching a length of 4 m and weighing more than 500 kg.) And a typical sea ​​fish- slope. Interestingly, the spine of the Pink Dolphin's neck is not fused together, making it able to bend its neck at right angles to its body.

Rich animal world The Amazon is also represented by the freshwater white river dolphin inia (lat. Inia geoffrensis) and nutria (in Europe, this animal is specially bred on fur farms).

The diversity of fish species found in the Amazon and its tributaries is simply amazing. By the way, many popular aquarium fish, for example, swordtails, guppies, angelfish and armored catfish come from here. Only in the Amazon basin are fish such as tambakui (Spanish Tambaqui, lat. Colossoma macropomum) - an omnivorous predator that grows up to 90 cm long, feeding on seeds and fruits of rubber trees that fall into the water; protopters (lat. Protopterus) - a species of lungfish, one of the last on the planet; as well as Arawana fish (Spanish Arawana, lat. Osteoglossum bicirrhosum), reaching a length of up to 1 m, which, jumping out of the water, grabs insects from tree branches hanging over the river.

Herbivores include exotic wedge-belly fish, which can fly through the air more than 10 m, as well as very impressive (up to 4 meters), but completely harmless Arapaima, their rough tongue (the Indians use it instead of a grater, rubbing the roots) helps the manatees prevent excessive overgrowth of the river with algae.

In addition to herbivores, there are also many predators in the Amazon, it is impossible not to mention one of the most famous inhabitants of the Amazon, piranhas - small flat fish (13 - 40 cm long), unusually voracious, with a powerful lower jaw. The triangular teeth of piranhas are arranged in such a way that when the fish's mouth closes, they resemble the teeth of a gear. Piranhas lead predatory image life, they attack even large animals crossing the river. They are also dangerous for people: attracted by the smell of blood, flocks of these fish attack their prey, gnawing at the victim to the bones with lightning speed.

It should be noted that, despite the frightening reputation, not all types of piranhas are so terrible: only 4 out of 18 are dangerous for humans. modern species. But it is better not to mess with carnivorous piranhas. It is a little reassuring that this fish, which has a small mouth, is not able to bite off large pieces, so flocks of piranhas are a real danger.

As you know, piranhas feel blood in the water at a great distance. Sensing the prey, the flock frantically rushes to it, and if the animal is carelessly within reach, the fish deal with it in a matter of minutes. So, in 1981, the most monstrous world record was set by red piranhas: a ferry sank near the city of Obidos (), and more than 300 people were eaten alive by a flock of fish in a few minutes.

It is not very pleasant to meet a giant Amazonian crocodile - caiman, a relative of the North American alligator. The caiman is especially dangerous because this animal is a real genius of disguise, it is not easy to immediately identify the floating “log”. Often he moves with a "wreath" of water hyacinth adorning his head.

Fish like flathead catfish(lat. Phractocephalus hemioliopterus) and haraki (Spanish: Jaraqui, the main food fish of the Amazon), due to the ability to vibrate the swim bladder by muscle contraction, are able to make shrill sounds. The Amazonian flathead catfish can reach over 2 m in length and up to 80 kg. weight, this fish makes loud trumpet sounds, similar to the roar of an elephant, which are carried over the water at a distance of up to 100 m. And the males of the haraki during spawning make a very loud sound, reminiscent of the noise of a running motorcycle engine. The abundance and diversity of "singing" fish in the Amazon is apparently due to the significant amount of humus and limestone impurities in the river. In conditions of high turbidity of river waters, visual communication of fish becomes difficult, so they use sounds.

The Amazonian spatter fish can be safely sent to the Olympics, because the accuracy of its “shooting” is beyond the head - the “spit” of the archer, mind you, from under the water, hits exactly the target (usually an insect) from a distance of more than 1.5 m!

Many amazing animals are found in the Amazon, there is a “mammalian” fish here, along the sides of which there are glands that secrete a liquid similar to milk. The young generation of this amazing fish feeds on its mother's "milk".

Completely unique electric eel found in the underwater thickets of the river. In addition to the fact that he has special organs capable of producing a "discharge" up to 600 V, the stingray also has a radar. Just a unique mobile power plant!

The list of unique fish and aquatic animals living in the Amazon is endless!

Dangerous animals of the Amazon

The amazing world of wild flora and fauna reigning in the zone of the world's largest river may be unsafe for people. After all, poisonous and dangerous animals are found everywhere in the Amazon basin.

In addition to the aforementioned Amazonian piranha, vampire fish, and jaguars, there are various Poisonous snakes, frogs and spiders. These animals are dangerous and, at the same time, very rare species.

frogs

The frogs that live on the coast, as well as in the forests of the Amazon Basin, undoubtedly deserve special mention:

• "Ranitomeya summersi" (lat.) - a genus of frogs from the order of tailless amphibians, poison dart frogs (they live in tropical forests). This is a poisonous species of frog, discovered in Peru recently, in 2008. The frog is distinguished by unique bright orange patterns that cover its entire body, and a "black mask" that hides its eyes.
• "Ameerega pepperi" (lat.) - also a species of poisonous frog, found in Peru in 2009, with an unusual bright skin color (bright green with shades of blue).
• "Osteocephalus yasuni" is another species of unusual frog that was discovered in the last century (in 1999). The habitat of this frog is the Amazon basin in Colombia, Peru and.
• "Ranitomeya benedict" - dwarf poison dart frog, this tiny tree frog lives in low-lying rain forests, is very poisonous and dangerous. It was first found in 2008 in Peru. In addition to being very beautiful, the frog is also useful: frog venom is used in medicine as an effective pain reliever.
• "Hypsiboas liliae" - a unique frog, of the rarest kind. It is bright green in color, with large, strongly bulging eyes and iridescent blue skin on the abdomen.
• "Nymfargus wileyi" - unusual interesting view frogs, first found in Ecuador. The frog is different in that it has green color and such transparent skin on the abdomen that everything is clearly visible through it internal organs amphibian (for which they were nicknamed "glass frogs").
• "Osteocephalus castaneicola" - this frog, first discovered in Bolivia quite recently, in 2009. The frog has a silver-gray skin with a fashionable "tiger" pattern on the paws.

Amazon is the most big river on planet Earth, its waters and coastal areas are home to a huge number of different animals. There are both small and beautiful birds, and deadly snakes, wild cats. Some animals are dangerous to humans, but get along well with each other. We present you the ten most common and terrifying animals of the Amazon.

Jaguar

The largest cat that lives on the banks of the Amazon. The diet of the jaguar includes all kinds of land inhabitants of the jungle, ranging from small mice to deer. The weight of jaguars on average fluctuates around 90-100 kilograms, but there are individuals that grow up to 120 kilograms. For humans, jaguars do not pose a direct threat, because they do not attack people of their own free will, only for the purpose of self-defense.

piranhas

Piranhas have become the main characters of horror films many times. But the truth is that they originally feed on carrion. However, this fact does not exclude that they cannot attack other animals. Each piranha can be 30 centimeters in size. Their weapons are straight teeth, on both jaws, which can close completely, enabling them to tear off pieces of flesh. Piranhas live in large groups, therefore they are a great danger to most animals.
Many different snakes can be found in the Amazon forests, but the South American rattlesnake- one of the most dangerous snakes for humans. Her bite can easily end in death if you do not help the victim in time. The snake lives in the Amazon jungle far from the river itself. Feeds on small mammals, rodents and amphibians. Statistically, one tenth snake bites V South America belongs to these snakes.

Spotted dart frog

A frog belonging to the genus of poison dart frogs. Inhabits the deciduous trees of the Amazon. The appearance of the frog is as impressive as its poison. Although the frog itself is very small, only 5 centimeters long, its poison is enough to kill 10 adult men. It feeds on all kinds of insects. Even having a motley appearance, the poison dart frog is not afraid of predators and does not need to be disguised, because the motley appearance speaks of danger, and those who do not believe will have to taste deadly poison.

electric eel

Creatures prefer muddy bottoms. Their length is within 2-3 meters, sometimes slightly exceeding this figure. The mass of an eel can be more than 40 kilograms. Eels prefer to feed on small birds, fish, small mammals and amphibians. Eels hunt using special organs that generate a discharge of electricity, making a blow with enough power to kill or stun prey. For a person, eel does not represent mortal danger, because the power of its discharge is not enough to kill a person, but it can lead to a heart attack or loss of consciousness.

bull shark

Even being inhabitants of salty ocean waters, sharks can feel great in fresh water. Therefore, there are times when the formidable predators of the ocean swim into the waters of the Amazon. It happened that sharks were met near settlements along the Amazon, and this is a considerable 4000 kilometers from the ocean. Due to the special structure of the kidneys, sharks quickly adapt to the salt balance in the water. "Bulls" are often over 3 meters long, body weight can exceed 300 kilograms. The bite force of such a monster is 589 kilograms. Sharks eat everything, they also do not disdain human flesh, it is this type of shark that most often devours people. Due to the fact that sharks are very dangerous and live near densely populated areas, they are considered the most dangerous among all sharks in the world.

Anaconda

Anaconda is the largest snake on earth. Although there are species of pythons that overtake the anaconda in length, but its weight is much greater than that of longer snakes. An anaconda can have a mass of over 200 kilograms, reach a length of up to 9 meters, and the body of a snake in diameter reaches 30 centimeters. Anaconda is able to catch a caiman or a jaguar, but at the same time risks becoming a dinner itself. Often her diet consists of capybaras and deer. The anaconda prefers to hunt in shallow water, where it can easily sneak up on its prey without being noticed.

black caiman

Black caimans are the largest predators in the Amazon River. In length, caimans can grow over five meters. As masters of the waters of the Amazon, caimans feed on absolutely everything that comes into their mouths: monkeys, big fish, anacondas, jaguars, carrion - everything that a huge reptile can swallow. For people, caimans are also very dangerous, they willingly attack onlookers, so when swimming along the river, you need to be on the alert. Once caimans were on the verge of extinction, but the law prohibiting hunting for them has increased the number of inhabitants of the river.

Arapaima

Arapaima - huge predatory fish living in the waters of the Amazon. The scales of the fish are very durable and serve as an excellent protection for it. Therefore, no piranhas are afraid of arapaime. The diet of fish includes mainly fish and sometimes birds. An underwater predator often swims near the surface of the water, because the oxygen received through the gills is not enough for them, and they take breaths, floating to the surface of the water. The average length of the fish is about 2 meters, but sometimes it reaches 3. The maximum weight that has been recorded is 200 kilograms. It also poses a danger to people. There was a case when a fish attacked two fishermen, as a result of which they died.

brazilian otter

The Brazilian otter is the largest freshwater otter of the mustelid family and the genus of giant otters. They eat most often fish and crustaceans that inhabit the waters of the Amazon. Otters grow up to 2 meters in length (from the muzzle to the tip of the tail). Hunting takes place in communities of up to eight representatives. Many consider otters to be very cute and harmless, but this is far from the truth. Otters are able to catch an anaconda in a flock and tear it to pieces, there have been cases of reprisals against caimans, the dead otters are immediately eaten. Although the number of Brazilian otters is declining, due to poachers in particular, they are considered one of the strongest predators of the Amazon.

The Amazon rainforest is a vast ecosystem that is home to strange and wonderful creatures such as the jaguar, poison dart frogs and basilisks. However, the forest is not only the habitat of those creatures that prowl, run or crawl in its wilds. In the depths of the Amazon River, the world's largest river, there are creatures so amazing and scary that, in comparison, the movie "Jaws" seems like a pleasant and relaxing swim in the ocean.

10. Black Caiman

Basically, the black caiman is an alligator on steroids. Black caimans can grow up to six meters in length, have larger and heavier skulls than Nile crocodiles, and are top predators in the waters of the Amazon River. This means they are basically kings of the river, eating anything they can get their teeth on, including piranhas, monkeys, freshwater perches, deer and anacondas.

Oh yes, it is worth noting that they readily attack people. In 2010, a biologist named Deise Nishimura was attacked by a black caiman while she was cleaning fish in her houseboat. Despite the fact that she managed to fight him off, the black caiman took one of her legs with him. This caiman lived under her houseboat for eight months, apparently waiting for a convenient opportunity to attack.

9. Anaconda (Green Anaconda)


Continuing the theme of giant reptiles, we present to your attention the largest snake in the world that lives in the Amazon River - the anaconda. While reticulated pythons can be longer in length, anacondas are much heavier. Female anacondas are usually larger than males and can weigh up to 250 kilograms. The body length of the anaconda can be about 9 meters, and the body diameter can reach 30 centimeters. They are not venomous, but use their formidable muscular strength to constrict and suffocate their prey, which include capybaras, deer, caimans, and even jaguars. Preferring shallow waters that allow them to sneak up on their prey, they tend not to live in the Amazon River itself, but in its branches.

8. Arapaima


Arapaima, also known as puraruku or paiche, is a giant predatory fish that lives in the Amazon and adjacent lakes. Equipped with armored scales, they swim without much fear in piranha-infested waters, and are themselves quite effective predators, feeding on fish and the occasional bird. Arapaima prefer to stay close to the surface, because in addition to the oxygen they get from the water through their gills, they still need to take breaths of air when rising to the surface of the water. Appearing on the surface, they make a characteristic sound, similar to a cough. Their body length can reach 2.7 meters, and weight 90 kilograms. These fish are so ferocious that they even have teeth on their tongues.

7. Brazilian otter (Giant Otter)


Brazilian otters are the largest freshwater otters. Brazilian otters have the longest body length of the mustelid family, and adult males can grow up to two meters when measured from head to tail. Their diet mainly consists of fish and crabs, which they hunt in family groups of three to eight individuals. They can eat up to four kilograms of seafood per day. However, many people find them cute, but don't let their cuteness fool you, they're just as harmless as the other creatures on this list. There have been cases where groups of Brazilian otters have killed and eaten adult anacondas. They can also kill the caiman with ease. During the observation of one of the groups of Brazilian otters, it was noticed that they killed and ate a one and a half meter caiman in 45 minutes. Although their numbers are declining rapidly due in part to human intervention, they are considered one of the strongest predators of the Amazon rainforest, hence their unofficial nickname "river wolves".

5 Bull Sharks


Despite the fact that bull sharks tend to live in the salty waters of the ocean, they thrive in fresh waters. There were cases when they swam so far along the Amazon River that they were seen in the city of Iquitos (Iquitos) in Peru, almost 4,000 kilometers from the sea. Their specific kidneys sense changes in salt levels in the water and adapt accordingly. And you definitely wouldn't want to meet one of them in the river. These sharks often grow up to 3.3 meters in length, and the weight of especially large individuals caught by fishermen reached 312 kilograms. Like other sharks, bull sharks have several rows of sharp, triangular teeth and incredibly strong jaws, providing a bite force of 589 kilograms. They are also not averse to eating humans, and it is this type of shark that most often attacks people (second and third places are occupied by tiger and great white sharks, respectively). The above characteristics, combined with the fact that these sharks prefer to live near densely populated areas, have led many experts to consider them the most dangerous sharks in the world.

4 Electric Eels


Electric eels are actually more closely related to catfish than to other eels, but you probably don't want to get close enough to see for yourself. They grow up to 2.5 meters in length and can generate electrical discharges with the help of special electrical organs located along their sides. These discharges can reach 600 volts, five times the power of an average American outlet, and enough to knock a horse down. Although one shock is not enough to kill a healthy adult, repeated shocks can lead to heart or respiratory failure, and cases of people passing out and drowning after an electric eel attack are not uncommon. Many of the reported disappearances near the Amazon River have been linked to eel attacks that stunned people with electricity and left them drowning in the river's waters. Luckily for our species, although eels are carnivores, they tend to eat a diet of fish, amphibians, birds, and small mammals. They detect prey by sending out small, 10-volt shocks with their electrical organs, and when they find it, they kill it by releasing strong shocks.

3 Common Piranhas (Red-Bellied Piranhas)


The quintessential horror of the Amazon River, so frightening that it inspired a number of controversial Hollywood films, the common piranha is actually a scavenger first and foremost. However, this does not mean that piranhas do not attack healthy creatures. They can grow up to 30 centimeters in length and usually swim in large groups, so they pose a significant threat to most animals. Like all types of piranhas, common piranhas have incredibly sharp teeth that are arranged in a row on the upper and lower jaws of these fish. These teeth interlock completely, making them the ideal tool for ripping and tearing the victim's flesh. Their intimidating reputation mainly comes from "fever-eating", when a whole group of piranhas surround an unfortunate victim and eat their flesh to the bone in a few minutes. Such attacks are usually the result of a long hunger or provocation.

2. Mackerel Hydrolic (Payara / Vampire Fish)


Despite their diminutive name, hydrolic mackerels are ferocious predators capable of catching and devouring fish that are half their own body size. Given that their body length can reach 1.2 meters, this is quite an impressive feat. Most of their diet consists of piranhas, which should give you some idea of ​​just how ferocious these fanged fiends can be. From their lower jaw grow two fangs that can grow up to 15 centimeters in length. They use these fangs to literally impale a victim on them after they rush at it. In fact, their fangs are so big that they have special holes in their upper jaw to prevent them from piercing themselves with their fangs.

1. Brown pacu (Pacu)


One creature that lives in the Amazon River is much scarier for men than for women. The brown pacu is a much larger relative of the piranha, well known for its distinctive human-like teeth. Unlike many of the other creatures on this list, pacu are actually omnivores and most of their diet consists of fruits and nuts. Unfortunately, for some pacu, "nuts" are not just things that fall from trees. Yes, you understood correctly. There have been several cases of pacu being bitten off the testicles of male swimmers. In Papua New Guinea, several men have died after a pacu mistook their genitals for easy prey. Oh yeah, don't worry if you can't get to the Amazon to see these male-defying monsters - they've already begun to spread across Europe.