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| There are two different kinds of mammals in the Amazon Rain Forest: tree dwellers and forest floor dwellers. The tree dwellers include porcupines, bats, opossums, mice, kinkajous, squirrels, sloths, and monkeys, which are the best known. |
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| The monkeys that live in the Amazon Rain Forest are called New World Monkeys. The monkeys in Africa and Asia are called Old World Monkeys. The difference between Old and New World monkeys is that New World monkeys have a longer tail. Their tail is a prehensile (pree-HEN-sul) tail. That means that the tail has a bare patch of skin that grips like the palm of a human hand. Old World Monkeys don't have this kind of tail, nor do they swing with their tail. The size of New World Monkeys ranges from the pygmy marmoset which weighs about 2.5 ounces, to the howler monkey which weighs around 20 pounds. Also, the owl monkey, which is the only nocturnal monkey in the world, is a New World Monkey. New World Monkeys also live in groups. This is good for the babies, because everyone in the group can pitch in and help raise them. The howler monkey is a type monkey in the Amazon Rain Forest. It lives in groups, and they howl very loudly to warn other members of the group of an attack. They can howl so loudly because the hyoid, a supportive bone at the base of the tongue, enlarges and is shaped into a hollow box that acts like a megaphone. |
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| Some other tree dwellers are sloths, and the unusual coati-mundi. This animal is a relative to the raccoon, so it is very curious, nosy, and mischievous. It also has a tail as long as a monkey's. It eats mostly eggs, and, if none are available, it eats berries, insects, and, if it has to, snakes. Sometimes it would rather fight than eat. The three- toed sloth has learned to adapt to its habitat well. Since there is not much protein in its diet, it hangs in trees most of the day so it can conserve its energy. |
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| There are also lots of mammals on the forest floor. Some of these are jaguars, anteaters, deer, tapirs, armadillos, ocelots, and capybara, the largest rodent in the world. It weighs up to 150 pounds! They also have webbed feet. That way, if they see danger, they can swim away. Although the capybara is very large, the jaguar is the dominating predator on the forest floor. The jaguar weighs up to 200 pounds, and its worst enemy is the alligator. The jaguar eats almost anything it can find, but its main food, as well as the ocelot's, is the anteater. |
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| Bats are also inhabitants of the Amazon Rain Forest. There are many different species of them. There are bats of all sizes. Two of them are the vampire bat, and the fruit bat. Fruit bats are huge. Their wingspans reach about three feet. They are harmless though, because they only eat fruit. The vampire bat is much smaller. Their wingspan is about eight or nine inches. They drink blood though, animal or human, so they are a lot more deadly. |
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| These are only a few of the thousands of mammals living in the Amazon Rain Forest. There are many, many more species of them for you to learn about. |
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| By: Austin |
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