The giant arapaima is a fish monster of the Amazon. The most dangerous animals of the Amazon rainforest Scary animals of the Amazon
1. Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)
It is very unlikely that you will catch this specimen of fish, but there is always a chance. The arapaima, also known as the pirakuchu or paiche, is a huge carnivorous fish that can be found in the Amazon River and its surrounding lakes. Luckily, this prehistoric giant fish prefers to prey on other fish and birds rather than humans, and they are such effective predators that they can even live in piranha-infested waters. They usually stay close to the surface of the water because they need to take in extra oxygen through their gills. Arapaima can reach two and a half meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms and are the world's largest freshwater fish.
2. Tambaki (Colossoma macropomum)
Also known as Pacu, Tambaqui are the seeds and fruits that this fish eats. A member of the piranha family, the species can reach up to one meter in length and weigh up to 45 kilograms. It is probably considered the most valuable fish in the region. The fish often feeds on rubber tree seeds and is usually found in the waters near Manaus in Brazil.
4. Red Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)
Possibly the Amazon's most famous and most dangerous sea creature, the pot-bellied piranha has been portrayed everywhere as one of the most dangerous fish in the popular Amazon River, but in fact it is not. The fish are mainly scavengers and can grow up to 30 centimeters in length. In Hollywood films they are shown to eat their prey to the bone in a matter of minutes, in fact this is quite a rare occurrence and usually only happens when a school of fish has been starving for a very long time.
5. Armored Catfish
Characterized by bony plates covering their skin. Armored catfish, a member of the loricarid family, usually have a ventral suctermute with papillae on the lips that allow them to feed and breathe. The armored catfish is also known as the "Plec" and various varieties of armored catfish can be found in the Amazon region. Fish can eat wood, but they cannot digest it and excrete undigested pieces of wood as waste.
6. Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus)
Despite its name, the electric eel is not actually an eel, it is a fish. The electric eel can reach about two and a half meters in length and weigh about 22-23 kilograms. Adult electric eels deliver a shock that can reach 650 volts. This is quite enough to cause very severe damage to a person in the water, up to and including instant death. Usually lives at depth, in dirty soil. After its death, the eel can contain a strong electrical discharge for another 8 hours. Therefore, local residents living on the banks of the Amazon always try to avoid this type of fish.
7. Pancake ramps
The fish literally resembles pancakes. This species was discovered in 2012 in Rio Nanay near Iquitos, Peru. Freshwater stingrays are known to grow to approximately 450 kilograms and have over 40 different species, many of which are regularly found in the Amazon River.
8. Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
Traditionally a saltwater fish, the Bull Shark has adapted to freshwater and is most often found in Brazil due to its proximity to the ocean. These smart creatures have developed special osmoregulatory kidneys that allow them to change the salinity of the water where they live. Their kidneys primarily process the vital salts they need throughout their body, allowing them to constantly move into freshwater areas.
9. Payara vampire fish (Hydrolycus scomberoides)
Payara or vampire fish can be found in most areas of the Amazon in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Known to be an extremely aggressive fish species (and vampire-like!). Vampire fish are most often found in fast-moving water and rapids, which usually makes them harder to spot. Fierce predators can eat fish up to half their body size, which is usually about one meter and weighs about 18 kilograms. Its striking feature is its two front fangs.
10. Peacock Bass or Tucunar Peacock Bass (Cichla Temensis)
Tucunar Peacock Bass are native to the Rio Negro, Huatuma and Orinocoin basins of northern South America. This particular type of bass is also known as: Spotted Pavon, Spotted Peacock, or Painted Pavon. This is a very large South American cichlid and a very valuable fish. Reaches almost 1 meter in length and weighs more than 12 kg. Peacock bass are most often found in rapids and calm, moderate-depth waters. They feed only on small fish, especially threadfin shad, mosquitoes, tilapia and blue fungus.
The Amazon rain forest is a huge ecosystem, providing habitat for creatures weird and wonderful like the jaguar, poison frog and Jesus lizard. But the Amazon is home to more than just those animals that simply wander, 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 they sometimes seem even scarier than the 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 an apex predator in Amazonian waters. This means they are kings of the river and will eat almost anything, including piranha, monkeys, deer and anaconda. And yes, they often attack people. In 2010, a biologist named Dace 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 had been living under her houseboat for eight months, apparently waiting for the 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 to nine meters in length and reach 30 centimeters in diameter. They are not venomous, but instead use their muscles to constrict and strangle their prey, which includes capybara, deer, caiman, and even jaguars. Preferring shallower waters that allow them to sneak toward prey, anacondas tend to live in the 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 have to worry about 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 must inhale air in addition to the oxygen received through their gills. They make a distinctive coughing sound when they emerge to grab air. They can reach 2.7 meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms. These fish are so dangerous that even their tongues have 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 per day. Their cute looks are deceiving as they are more than a match for the other animals on this list and are capable of hunting even an anaconda. Under certain conditions, they can easily protect themselves from caiman. One family of otters was seen devouring a 1.5m caiman, which took approximately 45 minutes. While their numbers are declining mainly due to human intervention, they are among the most dangerous predators in the Amazon rain forest, earning the local name “river wolves.” 
Bull shark
Typically an ocean-dwelling marine animal, bull sharks are at home in fresh water. 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 the salinity of the surrounding water and adapt 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 frequently attacked humans (along with tiger sharks and great whites). Combined with a habit of living near densely populated areas, this has led many experts to label bull sharks the most dangerous sharks in the world. 
Electric eel
Electric eels are actually more closely related to catfish than simple eels. They can grow to 2.5 meters long and can generate charges of electricity from specialized cells called electrocytes. These shocks can reach up to 600 volts, which is enough to knock a horse off its feet. While the shock alone is not enough to kill a healthy adult, shocks from an electric eel can cause respiratory or heart failure and drowning. Many of the disappearances reported in the region have been attributed to eels that 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 larger blasts. 
Piranhas
The most dangerous predator of the Amazon River, about which they even make horror films. 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, with one row on each of their strong upper and lower jaws. These teeth grip with tremendous force, making them ideal for tearing and tearing the flesh of their prey. Their fearsome reputation mainly comes from tales of their frantic attacks, where groups of piranhas attack their unlucky prey and tear them to shreds within minutes. These attacks are rare and usually result from starvation, or provocation. 
Payara, vampire fish
Any creature with the name “vampire fish” should automatically be considered scary, and the payara is no exception. They are absolutely ferocious predators, capable of devouring fish up to half their own body size. Considering 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 how dangerous these villains can be. They get their name from the two fangs that grow from their lower jaw, reaching 15 centimeters in length. Payaras use their fangs to literally impale their prey after a lightning-fast strike. Their fangs are so large that vampire fish have special holes in their upper jaw to avoid impaling themselves. 
Paku
Another inhabitant of the Amazon, which can be much more dangerous for men than for women. The 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 omnivorous, with the majority of its diet consisting of fruits and nuts. Unfortunately for some pacu, "nuts" can mean more than just what falls from the trees. Yes, that's right: Paku sometimes nibbled off the testicles of male swimmers in Papua New Guinea after the fish apparently mistook their genitals for a snack. And don't worry that you can't head to the Amazon to see these monsters, because they're already spreading to Europe. 
The growth of the catfish is clearly not successful; as a rule, there are no specimens larger than a matchstick. The body is thin and thin, so the fish is almost transparent. Having become hungry, the candiru begins to look for a victim, and chooses a larger fish. Even in the opaque Amazon, an excellent sense of smell helps to find it. When the candiru fish senses the characteristic stream of water that the prey throws out through the gills when breathing, and catches the smell of ammonia (a metabolic product of fish, partially eliminated from their body through respiration), it rushes forward.
Victim attack
Having found the fish, the candiru crawls into the gap directly under the gill cover and then becomes well attached to the gills of the victim. The catfish does this with the help of spines located on the fins, so much so that it is impossible to get rid of it by any force; even the most powerful stream of water that passes through the gills does not help.
Now the candiru fish begins its meal. With skill, she bites a hole in the tissue of the fish gills, and blood begins to ooze out of it, which the catfish feeds on. This explains another name for candiru - “Brazilian vampire”. The fish eats quickly, the time from the start of food intake to complete saturation ranges from thirty seconds to two minutes. The candiru then detaches from the victim and swims away.
Danger to humans
Something terrible happens when a catfish makes a mistake when choosing an owner. The victim may be a person or another mammal, and then the consequences can be the most serious.
Injuries to humans are very rare, but for the victims the consequences are extremely severe. In the human body, the candiru feeds on surrounding tissues and blood, which causes bleeding and severe pain in the victim. If the victim is not given medical assistance in time, a catfish infection can lead to death.
Once in the human body, the candiru (fish) cannot get out of it on its own, since people are not typical hosts for catfish. Often, it is not possible to remove the fish from the human ureters without surgical intervention. This is how the catfish keeps the natives living along the shores of the Amazon at bay.
Indian method
Features of behavior
Zoologists have made different assumptions regarding what exactly attracts catfish to human genitals. The most plausible version is that the candiru is a fish that is extremely sensitive to the smell of urine: it happened that it attacked a person just a few seconds after he urinated in the water.
However, the catfish does not always penetrate the victim. Sometimes, having overtaken the prey, they bite through the skin with their long teeth and begin to suck out the blood. This causes the body of the fish itself to swell and swell. After eating, the catfish sinks to the bottom.
Treatment and consequences
If a person who is struck by a candiru fish does not undergo surgery in time, he may die. In most cases, surgical intervention occurs without serious consequences. Residents of the Amazon coast traditionally use folk medicine. They inject the juices of two plants, in particular, genips, into the place where the catfish attaches. As a result of this, the candiru dies and then decomposes.
Finally
So now you know that the most dangerous vertebrate in the tropical rivers of South America is the small candiru fish. It does not occur in Russia. If a person urinates in the murky waters of the Amazon, the catfish feels the characteristic flow of water, as well as the smell of ammonia contained in human urine. The fish mistakes it for the gills and makes a fatal mistake, penetrating the human body.
The Amazon River, with a length of 6,762 kilometers, is the longest, widest and fastest river in the world, and although Colombia owns only a hundred kilometers of it, it has a significant influence on the natural and climatic parameters of this region. This river is home to about three thousand species of fish, among them such unusual and amazing ones as the arapaima - the largest freshwater fish, the mythical pink dolphin, the predatory piranha, the fanged payara that eats it, the electric eel, the stingray, the pacu - a fish of the piranha order with “human-like” "with teeth, the catfish, and finally, the small but insidious candiru fish.
The Orinoco River, originating in Venezuela on the border with Brazil, flows only along a section of Colombia's eastern border, but such large Colombian rivers as the Meta, Casanare, Vichada, Guaviare, Inirida, Guania, Vaupes, Apaporis and Caqueta are its tributaries. The Casiquiare River, which begins as a branch of the Orinoco, flows into the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, thus forming a natural channel between the Orinoco and the Amazon. For this reason, some species of fish can migrate throughout the water space of both rivers.
Among the fish that live in the basins of both rivers, the most predatory and well-known are piranhas, payars, electric eels and stingrays.
Piranha is called the scourge of Orinoquia and the Amazon. And if all the inhabitants of the jungle are afraid of it, then the payara, a large predatory fish that lives in some rivers of the Orinoco River basin, snacks on it with pleasure.
Payara or Sabertooth Tetra is a species of relatively little-known fish.
It can reach a length of 117 cm and weigh 17.8 kg. Ichthyophage, eats many piranhas.
The most notable features of the payara are the two pairs of fangs that are found in its lower jaw. A couple of them are visible, but the second is in the jaw when folded and is invisible in photographs. Larger specimens have fangs that reach 10–15 centimeters (4–6 inches), earning the fish the nickname “vampire fish.”
Payaira feeds on almost any fish that is smaller in size, including piranhas and their own kind.
Piranhas- small, on average up to 30 cm in length, fish inhabiting the rivers of South America. Young piranhas are silver-blue in color, with dark speckles, but with age they darken and acquire a black mourning color. Despite their small stature, piranhas are one of the most voracious fish. The razor-sharp teeth of a piranha, when it closes its jaws, adjoin each other like a folded lock of fingers. It can easily bite a stick or finger with its teeth.
Shepherds driving herds across rivers where piranhas live have to give up one of the animals. And while the predators are dealing with the prey, away from this place the entire herd is safely transported to the other side. Wild animals turned out to be no less smart than people. In order to drink water or cross a river where piranhas are found, they begin to attract the attention of predators with the noise or splashing of water. And when a flock of piranhas rush towards the noise, the animals move along the shore to a safe place, where they quickly drink or cross the river.
The quarrelsome nature of piranhas makes them often quarrel and attack each other.
Piranhas attack any living creature that is within their reach: large fish, domestic and wild animals in the river, and humans. The alligator is trying to get out of their way.
Piranhas react to the smell of blood. As soon as a wounded animal enters the water where piranhas live, the fish, excited by the smell of blood, attack the victim. It only takes piranhas three minutes to leave the naked skeleton of a tapir. Moreover, if the animal does not smell of blood, the piranha will not be interested in it. Therefore, they can be considered orderlies who exterminate sick and wounded animals. Piranhas also feed on carrion, cleaning the river bottom. There are about 400 species of piranha in the Amazon. Among them there are also peaceful vegetarians, and not all predators are so aggressive. Oddly enough, piranhas are caring parents and drive everyone away from their home.
Paku- this time the fish is more amazing than scary. Although it still evokes a kind of mystical horror. And this fish is amazing in that it has teeth that are, to be sure, “human.”
When such a fish was caught recently in the Chelyabinsk region (someone must have played with an exotic animal and released it into a Russian reservoir), the entire Runet started talking about the mutant fish. Although it was just the Amazonian Pacu fish, which is caught in Colombia on an almost industrial scale and supplied to large cities - Bogota, Medellin, etc. Its meat is very tasty.
This fish is a herbivore, although it is very similar to a piranha. The black pacu is the largest fish of the piranha family. The maximum size is 70 cm. The body of fish of this family is high, laterally compressed.
Aravana- a predatory, rather large fish - one of the most ancient fish on earth. It lives in the northern part of South America and the Amazon basin, preferring dead branches of rivers with stagnant water. These fish often live in large schools and devour any aquatic life. On average, its length is 90-120 cm. Despite the fact that Aravans look majestic and even a little aggressive, they are actually very timid. They feed on insects and their larvae, fish that are smaller than them and can eat their own fry. Aravans mature at the age of 4-6 years. Males are brighter and slimmer than females. In addition, they have an elongated anal fin and a more powerful lower jaw with a noticeably protruding edge.
Aravana spawns seasonally, in batches. Marriage ceremonies take place near the bottom. During the dance, the male knocks out “giant” eggs from the female’s abdomen (its diameter reaches 16 millimeters), fertilizes it and takes it into his mouth for subsequent incubation. The seven-centimeter-long juvenile emerges from pharyngeal confinement into the wild after 50-60 days, retaining a pendulous yolk sac for the first ten days. However, this does not prevent them from hunting other people’s juveniles and insects.
Aravans are excellent jumpers. They are able to jump out of the water up to 2 meters.
Several legends are associated with this fish, one of which says that the meat of this fish should not be eaten by pregnant women, because it will bring misfortune to the unborn child. Otherwise, it is a commercial fish.
Another legend claims that keeping this fish in an aquarium will bring good luck in business and prosperity. For this reason, it has become fashionable to keep these giants in aquariums. The arawana was first brought to Russia only in 1979 in single copies. Nowadays it can be found quite often among aquarists who have large aquariums.
Graceful arawans have several types of colors - silver and black arowans are found in the Amazon basin. Blacks live in the Rio Negro River basin, which is a tributary of the Amazon. Asian and African Aravans have very beautiful colors.
Arapaima(Pirarucu) is the largest freshwater fish on our planet and lives mainly in the reservoirs of South America (Amazon, Orinoco). Sometimes, some specimens exceed 3 meters in length. Upon reaching 1.5 meters in size, arapaimas develop a very bright, interesting color. The front half of the body is yellow-green, and the back half is bright beet red.
By the breeding season, usually in April or May, the arapaima moves to shallow places with clean water and a sandy bottom. In such places, with the help of fins, the arapaima digs a nest with a diameter of about 50 cm and a depth of about 15 cm. There are cases when the arapaima uses the same nest for several years. Like most large fish, arapaima grows very quickly.
What is very interesting is that it is a lungfish that can breathe atmospheric air, similar to labyrinth fish.
The fish is rare, listed in the International Red Book.
Amazon river dolphin, buto or inia, is the largest species of river dolphin; adults can reach 2.5 in length and weigh more than 200 kg. Dolphins are born dark in color, but lighten as they age and are therefore often called pink. By their nature, ini are playful and curious, they lend themselves well to taming, but they are difficult to train and they are quite aggressive, so these dolphins are usually not kept in aquariums. Interestingly, inias disperse the piranhas that infest these waters, so swimmers feel safe in such company, and fishermen follow them to find schools of fish.
Amazonian manatee— in total, scientists distinguish three types of manatees: Amazonian, American and African. All of them are members of the genus Sirenia.
It is believed that the first person to call manatees sirens was Christopher Columbus. “I observed three sea maidens,” he wrote quite seriously in the ship’s log, “but they were not as beautiful as they are painted.” Columbus had no doubt that the creatures he encountered in the waters of the Caribbean Sea were sea maidens, or, in other words, sirens. The great navigator actually saw manatees.
It is difficult to imagine how one could mistake these heavy, wrinkled, and even bristly muzzles of bluish-gray shades for beauties, but the myth that appeared about three thousand years ago has happily survived to this day. The legend is so ingrained in literature and sea stories that the genus of manatees and their relatives, dugongs, was named Sirenia by biologists. 
In the evolutionary series, mammals manatees (sirens) are placed between cetaceans and pinnipeds. A long time ago, the ancestors of manatees lived on land, grazed on the banks of reservoirs, where there was a lot of lush grass, and often found themselves in the water in search of food, and then moved there altogether. Manatees have retained some characteristics of land animals.
They have lungs and limbs transformed into flippers. However, on land these seven hundred kilogram giants are completely helpless. They cannot move even by crawling, as seals or sea otters do. On the other hand, manatees, unlike whales, are able to get out of the shallows into the open sea.
They breathe infrequently. They come to the surface for a new breath of air no more than after 10-15 minutes, and even less often during sleep.
The female manatee gives birth to her cubs in the water. The male does not abandon the female after the birth of the cub. Manatees are very caring parents. The mother feeds the only cub with milk and allows it to ride on itself when it gets tired.
Lomantines are curious, trusting and not aggressive, although in case of danger they are able to stand up for themselves. They are strict vegetarians and eat huge amounts of algae in shallow waters. One animal eats at least 40-50 kilograms of algae per day. The gluttony of manatees makes them useful to humans.
Many river beds, canals and irrigation systems are heavily overgrown with algae, which leads to failures in the operation of irrigation systems and water pipelines of hydroelectric power plants. Manatees came to help in eliminating this problem, and with pleasure and great appetite they perform their duties. A grazing manatee uses its flippers like a man uses his hands. Perhaps this is precisely why the myth of the sea maidens arose...
Electric eel- the most dangerous fish among all electric fish. In terms of the number of human casualties, it is even ahead of the legendary piranha. This eel (by the way, it has nothing to do with ordinary eels) is capable of emitting a powerful electrical charge. If you take a young eel in your hands, you feel a slight tingling sensation, and this, given the fact that the babies are only a few days old and are only 2-3 cm in size. It is easy to imagine what sensations you will get if you touch a two-meter eel. A person in such close contact receives a shock of 600 V and can die from it. The electric eel sends powerful force waves up to 150 times a day. But the strangest thing is that, despite such weapons, the eel feeds mainly on small fish.
To kill a fish, the electric eel only needs to shudder and release a current. The victim dies instantly. The eel grabs it from the bottom, always from the head, and then, sinking to the bottom, digests the prey for several minutes.
Electric eels live in the rivers of South America and are found in large numbers in the waters of the Amazon. In those places where the eel lives, there is often a great lack of oxygen. Therefore, the electric eel has developed a behavioral feature. Eels stay under water for about 2 hours, and then swim to the surface and breathe there for 10 minutes, whereas ordinary fish only need to surface for a few seconds.
Electric eels are large fish that look like huge, thick worms: an adult can reach a length of up to 3 meters and weigh up to 40 kilograms. The body is elongated, slightly flattened laterally. The skin is bare and not covered with scales. The fins are very developed, with their help the electric eel is able to easily move in all directions. Adult electric eels are brown in color, with the undersides of the head and throat being bright orange. The coloring of young individuals is paler.
The most interesting thing about the structure of electric eels is its electrical organs, which occupy more than 2/3 of the body length. The positive pole of this “battery” lies in the front of the eel’s body, and the negative pole lies in the back. The highest discharge voltage, according to observations in aquariums, can reach 650 V, but usually it is less, and in fish one meter long it does not exceed 350 V. This power is enough to light 5 light bulbs. The main electrical organs are used by the eel to protect itself from enemies and to paralyze prey. There is another additional electrical organ, but the field produced by it plays the role of a locator: with the help of interference arising within this field, the eel receives information about obstacles on the way or the approach of potential prey. The frequency of these location discharges is very small and practically imperceptible to humans.
The discharge itself, which is produced by electric eels, is not fatal to humans, but it is still very dangerous. If you get an electric shock while underwater, you can easily lose consciousness.
The electric eel is aggressive. Can attack without warning, even if there is no threat to him. If something living comes within the range of its force field, the eel will not hide or swim away. It is better for the person himself to swim to the side if an electric eel appears on the way. You should not swim to this fish at a distance of less than 3 meters; this is precisely the main radius of action of the meter-long eel’s field.
Stingray- another dangerous fish of the Amazon.
The sandbank, where the bottom is clearly visible, seems safe. But under a thin layer of sand rests a flat river stingray, Araya, painted to match the color of the bottom, as the Brazilians call it. An alarmed stingray beats its tail, in the middle of which two jagged poisonous stilettos stick out. Poison flows down a groove into the spikes from a special gland, so the wound inflicted by the stingray is very painful. Having been hit by stilettos, a person jumps out of the water, spurred on by unbearable pain, like a fiery whip. And he immediately falls on the sand, bleeding and losing consciousness. Wounds from poisoned stingray stilettos are said to be mostly fatal.
The Amazon Indians use the large and strong spine of the stingray as an arrowhead. River stingrays, unlike their closest relatives, sea stingrays, are typical freshwater animals inhabiting the rivers of the Amazon basin. Apart from the Amazon, they are not found in any other rivers, but only in the seas. Amazon stingrays belong to the class of cartilaginous fish, to the order Stingrays, to the family of river stingrays.
Kandiru, or carnero - tiny, worm-like. Its length is 7-15 centimeters, and its thickness is only a few millimeters (in addition to that, it is also half transparent). In the blink of an eye, the candiru climbs into the natural openings on the body of a bathing person and bites into their walls from the inside. It is impossible to remove it without surgery.
The author of the book “In the Amazon Jungle,” Elgot Landge, who lived twelve adventurous months in the Amazon forests, says that the forest dwellers, out of fear of the candiru, became accustomed to bathing only in special baths. They build a boardwalk low above the water. A window is cut in the middle - through it the bather scoops up water with a nut shell and, after carefully examining it, pours it on himself.
Tropical fish - the common Vandellia or Candiru (Latin Vandellia cirrhosa), (English Candiru) lives in the Amazon basin and terrifies the local population. This is a small catfish, although some species reach 15 cm.
Aspred catfish They live only in the Amazon, preferring brackish water near the mouth. Externally, the catfish resembles a tadpole - a wide head without gill covers, a wide and flat chest and a long thin body. Aspredo are very caring parents - after fertilization, the female literally rubs the eggs into her belly. The eggs adhere to the spongy skin, and then grow into it and feed, connecting with the mother’s blood vessels. Having hatched, the fry leave the mother's belly.
American scalefish(from the order of bipulmonates) is another interesting fish of the Amazon basin. It lives in small swampy and drying up reservoirs of the Amazon basin and belongs to the order of the horn-toothed family of the Lepidoptera family. Lungfish are a very ancient species of fish. The first lungfish appeared about 380 million years ago and are considered the most ancient fish on the planet. For a long time, such fish were known only from fossilized remains found by archaeologists. Only in 1835 was it discovered that the Protoptera fish, which lives in African waters, is a lungfish.
In fact, six species of this group of fish have survived to this day, and the American lakefish (from the order Dipulmonata) is one of them. 
Modern lungfishes are fish that live in fresh water. The main feature of which is that in addition to gills, like all ordinary fish, they also have real lungs (a modified swim bladder), with the help of which they can successfully breathe atmospheric air. This is where their name comes from.
The American lepidosiren or lepidosiren is the only lungfish found in South America. The length of its body reaches 1.2 m. Lepidosirens usually live in temporary reservoirs, which are filled with water only during periods of heavy rains and floods.
South America, spread over nine countries, is home to the Amazon Rainforest, the largest rainforest in the world. It covers an area of 55 square kilometers and contains a wealth of biodiversity, including species that have not yet been fully studied. The Amazon River flows through the forest and supports thriving animal and plant life. These forests are known as the "lungs of the Earth" because they absorb the largest amount of carbon dioxide on earth and release oxygen. These forests are also home to some of the most dangerous animals known to man. Here's our list of the 15 most dangerous animals in the Amazon rainforest. This is an Alligator found in the Amazon, which is one of the largest species in the world. This Amazonian tropical animal is a very skilled hunter and kills its prey by approaching it from under the water and then crushing it with its powerful jaws. He then drags the catch underwater until it suffocates. It kills everything from small fish, otters, dogs and deer to jaguars and other caimans. Caimans can grow up to 6 meters in length. The black caiman's body is covered with hard scales that act as armor, however the color can vary between olive green, grey, brown or black. The species has bony ridges above the eyes. They have excellent hearing and vision and are equipped with strong teeth used for crushing food. You can also read about 
This animal is not actually an eel, but a fish that looks like an eel. It has three organs that can generate five times more electricity than a normal plug point. This makes it one of the. It uses this electricity to shock and immobilize its prey before eating it whole. It also releases electricity as a method of defense to scare off an attacker. People are usually attacked by eels if they are accidentally stepped on. Most deaths are not due to shock itself, but due to subsequent paralysis and drowning. This method of killing its prey has earned the eel a place on this list of the ten most dangerous animals of the Amazon rainforest. The species has about 6,000 cells to produce electrocytes, and can generate 600 volts of power, which is about 5 times stronger than the electricity generated in a standard electrical outlet. The shock can knock a horse down instantly. It can kill a person in two or three hits, but people come into contact with eels very often. The species can live 15 years in the wild and 22 years in captivity. 
This large cat, native to South America, is the region's top predator. The jaguar lives alone over large areas, similar to leopards or tigers in India, and hunts small land animals. It rarely comes into contact with people, and when it does, it is usually because it is trying to attack livestock. Although it rarely attacks, this cat is a dangerous animal due to its speed, stealth, strong jaw and sharp teeth that can pierce even turtle shells and the human skull. However, their numbers are declining due to habitat loss and hunting. It is also considered one of the strongest animals on planet Earth. Jaguars love to eat monkeys, crocodiles, deer, sloths, fish, frogs and anything else they can catch. Jaguars are solitary animals that love to live and hunt alone, however, this does not apply during mating season. 
The most dangerous of all species, the red-bellied piranha is a scavenger and usually eats dead animals. It is only known to attack live animals if it feels threatened or if there is little food in the area. People have been attacked by piranhas, but these attacks do not result in death, only injury due to the fish's sharp teeth. Piranhas exhibit cannibalism and are known to eat other members of their species. It is also one of the deadliest fish in the world. Speaking of appearance, they have a silver body covered with red spots that serve as camouflage in murky waters. The pointed and sharp teeth of the piranha are arranged in one row and bite through the silver hook. The piranha's jaw bone is the strongest and can crush a human hand in 5-10 seconds. Local residents use piranha teeth to make weapons and other tools. Like sharks, piranhas are also equipped with a special organ that can sense blood in the water. They live up to 25 years in the wild and 10-20 years in captivity. 
This Amazon rainforest animal is a brightly colored frog that secretes poison from glands on its skin. This poison is very toxic and causes heart failure if it enters the body in large quantities. The golden poison dart frog is a rare species because it can kill twenty adults. Some tribes in the Amazon rainforest are known to use the poison of this frog to coat the tips of their arrows used to hunt other animals. Due to the depletion of rainforests, poison frogs are endangered, and the blue poison dart frog is endangered due to its popularity in animal markets. 
This shark is one of the three most dangerous shark species and often attacks people who trespass on its territory. She lives in the muddy waters of the river and hunts other aquatic animals such as fish, dolphins, and snakes. Because it swims in shallow, dirty water, people cannot see it, and if they get too close, the shark attacks them. A shark bite can be fatal because it drags its victims into the water and they either drown or die due to loss of blood. The species can grow up to 2.1 meters in length, however, females have been seen growing to an average of 2.4 meters in length and weighing 130 kg. Males are smaller compared to females and weigh around 94 kg. They are a type of shark that can grow in salt and fresh water. The bull shark can switch between salt water and fresh water and vice versa. The bull shark will be able to survive even if the water level is only 60 cm, and this is why they often come into contact with people. Additionally, female bull sharks prefer to give birth in shallow water because this will prevent larger sharks from eating their babies. 
One of the largest snakes in the world, the green anaconda can grow up to 9 meters in length - twice the size of a giraffe. They live in water and can silently sneak up on prey and strike it with force, squeezing it with their powerful body until it suffocates and dies. They then swallow the prey whole. They usually hunt wild boar, deer, capybaras, and sometimes jaguars and people. You can also read about the most. Anaconda is a non-venomous snake. They spend most of their time alone, but males seek females to mate with between April and May. Sometimes several species of male green anaconda will pursue the same female. This phenomenon is known as "breeding balls", where dozens of males are wrapped around one female and all try to mate. Sometimes green anacondas engage in behavior where female green anacondas eat smaller males. 
It’s not for nothing that this animal was included in the list, because the spider has one of the deadliest poisons in the world. This is a ground spider that hunts at night. It can sting people who venture too close, and the venom causes severe pain and can eventually cause paralysis. The spider with the deadliest venom in the world is found throughout the entire jungle. However, during the daytime they hide under rocks and in crevices, in places that are dark and damp. Additionally, they are mostly visible where people have untouched items, clothes they are not wearing, or piles of wood or any items stored in a closet or garage, so people need to be careful. One of the most aggressive types of spiders will fight other spiders for territory if the population in the area is high. 
As the name suggests, this centipede is a giant – it grows up to 30 centimeters. It is an experienced predator that kills small animals such as spiders, mice, small birds, bats, lizards and snakes. It is not poisonous, but hunts by wrapping itself around its prey and eating it as it slowly dies. Although it cannot kill people, the bite causes severe pain, fever and weakness. However, it is a ferocious and dangerous animal of the Amazon rainforest. This species has powerful jaws that can very easily bite through skin and inject very painful venom. Speaking of appearance, the entire body is divided into 23 parts, each with its own pair of legs. Amazonian giant centipedes do not breathe through their mouths, instead they have small holes in the side of each segment that allow them to take in oxygen to keep them alive. They are among the fastest runners because they are almost blind and love to eat insects, tarantulas, small lizards, frogs, small birds, small snakes, rodents and even bats. The species is widespread throughout South America and several Caribbean islands. This is one of the. 
This tiny ant—which grows to about 2 centimeters—gets its name from its ant, which is likened to a bullet. It also injects venom into the bite site and can kill small animals. These ants hunt in groups and can paralyze or kill large animals with many bites. The bite is not fatal to humans, but causes severe pain and can lead to temporary paralysis of the area around the bite. They have the most painful insect bites in the world and its bite contains a neurotoxin. It is located on the abdomen of the ant. They mainly nest in bushes, trees and in the ground. 
This venomous viper species has been mainly spotted off the coast of Sao Paulo state in Brazil. It can be recognized by the light yellowish-brown color of its underside and the shape of its head, characteristic of the genus Bothrops. The species can grow to a length of 70 cm, however it sometimes also reaches 118 cm. There are various color combinations, such as a pale yellowish-brown base color that is covered by a series of spots that may be triangular or quadrangular. 
It is the most powerful raptor found in the Amazon rainforest, and is also one of the largest existing eagle species in the world. This species is primarily found in the tropical lowland rainforests of Central America. Additionally, in Brazil, the harpy eagle is also known as the royal-hawk. The harpy eagle is the national bird of Panama and is featured on the coat of arms of Panama. 
Bats - However, vampire bats have an even more interesting feature, they are mammals that can survive only on blood. In addition, these species live in places of complete darkness, usually in caves, old wells, hollow trees and buildings. Nocturnal creatures are most active in the early nights. The only species of bat that can "adopt" another young bat if something happens to its mother.