5 Reptiles That Live In The Amazon
Within the great biodiversity of the largest tropical forest in the world, we can find thousands of species. But this time we’re going to talk about 5 reptiles that live in the Amazon. Would you like to meet them? So keep reading this article.
What are the reptiles that live in the Amazon?
The “green lung of the planet” is home to millions of animals and plants. They all live in trees and rivers. Among the reptiles that live in the Amazon, we can highlight:
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Anaconda (anaconda)
It is a constrictor snake belonging to the boa constrictor family and endemic to South America. The anaconda (photo that opens this article) ‘fights’ with the reticulated python for the prize for the world’s largest snake, as it can measure up to four meters and weigh 17 kilos.
It is dark green, with oval black and ocher markings; its belly is lighter and its muzzle is covered in scales. The tongue serves as an olfactory receptor, which allows it to find food in trees and water.
When it hunts, it chokes its prey and swallows it whole. This is possible because her jaw “displaces” and she manages to open her mouth wide.
After eating, she spends up to a week digesting. Their diet is based on capybaras, tapirs, rodents, fish, amphibians, reptiles and eggs.
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alligator with glasses
Another famous reptile that lives in the Amazon. It is carnivorous and inhabits rivers and marshes. Males reach 2.5 meters in length and females reach almost half that size.
During the breeding season (during the rainy season) they make a nest with vegetation and soil, and lay up to 40 eggs, which incubate for more than three months.
The spectacled alligator feeds on crustaceans, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians and mammals of different sizes. It’s called that because the bulge that appears in the area of his eyes makes him look like he’s wearing glasses. The rest of its body is dark green with scales.
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Taricaya turtle
This turtle lives in rivers and lakes in the Amazon, and is also known as Tracajá. Its carapace is olive green or brown, the skin on its legs, head and tail is gray, and around its face and skull it has scales; giving the impression that it has a protective ‘helmet’. Younger ones have yellow spots on their faces, which darken as they become adults.
It flexes its neck laterally, meaning it doesn’t hide its head in the shell with a straight-line motion, but “bends” the neck to one side.
She is a skilful, playful swimmer who loves to ‘sunbathe’ in the morning. It feeds on fish, plants and small invertebrates. She is really a skilled hunter, especially in the water.
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Basilisk
This lizard native to Central and South America is a kind of combination between an iguana and a dinosaur. It has a kind of “keel” on top of the head, back and tail.
One of the curiosities of the basilisk is that it can walk on the surface of the water without sinking. It does this thanks to some lobes of skin on its feet, which serve as fins.
But to “walk on water” he needs to increase his speed, which is why this is the technique used to escape danger.
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Alligator-açu
The Saurópsido aligatórido is the only kind of Melanosuchus that remains alive. It is black, which allows it to blend in with the environment.
It spends most of its time in the water and is one of the most feared reptiles that live in the Amazon.
The alligator feeds on large animals, especially mammals, such as deer, capybaras and tapirs. Adult males can measure six meters in length (including their long tail).
