There are many animals in the Amazon Rain forest. In fact, there are many that are still being discovered. Though I wish I could, I cannot show you all of them. Yet, I can show you just a few of my favorites.

Three Toed Sloth
     This strange animal is actually one of the five species of sloth. His scientific name is Bradypus tridactylus. The sloth is known for being rather slow. He has hook like claws for hanging. His claws and camouflage are forms of defense. This amazing creature eats leaves and soft buds and does not drink water. His water comes from the juicy leaves he eats. Though he has poor eyesight, he has a very good sense of smell. He has small algae that live in his coat, turning it green! The three toed sloth's average length is 1.5 feet to 2.5 feet, yet a baby is around ten inches and 12 ounces. His or her life span is 30 to 40 years. The sloth sleeps an average of 15 hours per day.

Toco Toucan
    Though there are 37 species of toucan in the Amazon Rain forest, the toco toucan is one of the largest. It's scientific name is Ramphastos toco. It is from the Ramphasitalae family and is in the Aves class. It is known to live in a range of areas from Central America to northern Argentina. It's conservation status is common, meaning they are easily found in it's range. It's bill can grow to 7.5 inches but is still suprisingly light. Like many birds, they live and eat in flocks. This animal has learned to eat sugarcane and coconuts from neighboring plantations. This animal scares birds away from their nests to steal their eggs. It even has been known to break into houses and steal food!

Cock-of-the-Rock
    This is one of the brightest colored animals known to man. The cock-of-the-rock has an amazing bright red crest and back he shows proudly. He lives in the steep forests along river gorges in the Andes Mountains. This bird is not heard of much, but is found breathtaking.

Emerald Tree Boa
    The emerald tree boa's scientific name is Corallus caninus. It can be found in the countries of Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana, Surinam, and Brazil. Of all mainland boas, the emerald tree boa has the fifth largest distribution. That means it can be found in many places. The normal lengths of this boa is 7 feet to 10 feet. The emerald tree boa is a master at camouflage. He lies extremely still, acting like a vine or a cluster of leaves. Then when a small animal, such as a bird, bat, flies by, he attacks. This feisty creature swallows his prey whole!

Scarlet Macaw
    The scarlet macaw is the most popular of all the parrots. It's scientific name is Ara macao. It's normal length is 33 to 37 inches. It has a wingspan of 44 to 47 inches. The scarlet macaws weigh 950 to 1150 grams. Their origin is Mexico and most of South America. No matter how popular they are, their homes are being destroyed at an unbelievable rate. They may not be around much longer.

Lion Tamarin
  Lion Tamarins are small, squirrel like monkeys. They live from southern Central America to the Amazon. There are only a few hundred of these creatures left. There are only a few small areas in Brazil where they can be found. Even though they are protected by law, these cute little monkeys are illegally sold as pets. They enjoy eating flowers, fruit, plant saps, and nectar. They also eat some insects, frogs, and lizards.

White Faced Capuchin
   The white faced capuchin is a small monkey with a scientific name of Cebus capucinus. The white faced capuchin is also known as a "white throated" capuchin. They live from Honduras to South America. This is the most common capuchin found as a pet. It is considered a New World monkey because of its popularity. It is also known for having a prehensile tail, which allows them to grasp and to hold things.