The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world, occupying an area shared by nine countries — Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. In fact, it is so large that it represents half of the remaining rainforests on Earth. It is an amazing natural sanctuary, home to unique plants and roughly 16,000 species of animals, many of which cannot be found in other parts of the world. Some scientists even say that there is a new species of animal discovered in the Amazon rainforest every 3 days!
All of these animals are fascinating in their own ways, well-adapted to life in the rainforest, and most of them are a joy to photograph and even to simply behold. Some of them, however, should be left alone — for your own safety. In fact, you should be careful not even to get close to them. Below are the fifteen most dangerous animals in the Amazon rainforest.
1. Green Anaconda
Growing over 30 feet (9 meters) long and weighing over 500 pounds (227 kilograms), the green anaconda is the world’s largest snake and it lurks in the Amazon River, lying in wait for prey. Because of its size, the green anaconda is awkward on land, but in the water it can move stealthily and quickly, striking at anything it knows it can overpower — jaguars, caimans, wild pigs, deer and even humans, especially children. It coils its body around its prey and drags it into the water, suffocating it within minutes, and then swallows it whole with its large jaws. The good thing about green anacondas? They do not eat often, with a big meal able to last them months, so if they’re not hungry, you’re safe. If they are… you better run.
2. Black Caiman
The black caiman is one of the largest alligators in the world and one of the most fearsome predators in the Amazon rainforest. It does not hesitate to eat any other animal in the Amazon — whether monkeys, sloths, piranhas, wild pigs, giant otters, dogs, anacondas or other caimans. With their powerful jaws, they grab their prey and drown it, swallowing it whole whenever possible. If it is too big, they wait for it to rot a little then bite it into smaller chunks. Several attacks on humans have been recorded, although humans are usually only at risk from individuals over 13 feet (4 meters) long — the black caiman can grow up to 20 feet (6 meters) long.
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