Animals of the Amazon Jungle and Beyond Quiz

Answer: Capybara

The capybara is about 3-4 feet long, up to two feet tall, and weighs between 60 and 174 pounds. It needs water to survive, not only because of its very dry skin that needs to be soaked periodically in a waterhole, but also because it eats water plants and leaves and grasses near water. Capybaras generally live in groups of 10-20.

In the wild, capybaras usually live less than four years because they are a favorite prey of such predators as caimans, anacondas, and jaguars.

Answer: Piranha

Piranha usually travel in schools of 20 or more. Although about 20 species exist, only 4-6 pose much danger. Their reputation is rather exaggerated although they are known to scavenge on dead animals and, sometimes, humans.

Answer: Green anaconda

The green anaconda weighs up to 550 pounds and reaches a length of 20-30 feet. It lives 10-30 years and gives birth to 24-50 or more young. Anacondas use constriction to subdue and kill their prey, then eat it whole, helped by a jaw that unhinges. They consume such creatures as tapirs, capybaras, caimans, pigs, birds, and fish. Once it has eaten, it can go several weeks before eating again.

Answer: Toucan

A close relative of the woodpecker, the toucan has a number of different species. They range from 5 ounces to 1 and 1/2 pounds, and from 11 inches to 29 inches. Toucans nest in tree holes and hollows and lay 2-21 eggs. They generally eat fruit, but will consume insects and small lizards. Their lifespan in the wild is not known, but they can live up to 18 years in captivity.

Answer: Alpaca

Alpacas can be found grazing in herds in the Andes at 11,000-16,00 feet. They are valued for their fleece, a flame-resistant natural fiber with no lanolin. Usually sheared once a year, alpacas produce 5-10 pounds of fiber, which comes in over 50 natural colors. Once processed, the fiber is turned into such items as blankets, scarves, and various textiles.

Answer: Tapir

The South American tapir lives east of the Andes Mountains in the Amazon Rain Forest and River Basin. It uses its snout to grab branches and strip off leaves and buds, and to pluck fruit. The lowland tapir, at up to 8 feet long, 3 1/2 feet high, and 700 pounds, is the largest terrestrial mammal in the Amazon area. Tapirs can live up to 25 years, although they are prey for crocodiles, jaguars, and green anacondas.

Answer: Black caiman

The black caiman is a very large beast. It grows up to 20 feet long and can weigh 880 pounds. It preys on such things as fish, snakes, monkeys, agoutis, capybaras, wild pigs, and tapirs, as well as domestic animals. Mature black caimans have no natural predators and can live 50-80 years.

Answer: South American fox

The South American fox is not actually a true fox but is a member of the Canine family in a different genus. It only looks like a fox. They grow to three feet or more in length, plus a bushy tail of up to 20 inches, and they can weigh up to 12 pounds. Usually nocturnal, they are omnivores, preying on small animals and birds, and consuming fruit, plants, rodents, and insects.

Answer: Scarlet macaw

The scarlet macaw, which prefers subtropical rain forests, open woodlands, and savannas, ranges over much of South and Central America. It has a shrill squawking call, and its colors blend in well with the leaves and fruits on trees. Scarlet macaws mate for life, can live up to 50 years, are from 11-39 inches tall, and can weigh up to 3.7 pounds.

Answer: Jaguar

The jaguar is the third largest feline in the world after the tiger and lion. A top-level carnivore, it eats about anything it can catch: deer, peccary, crocodiles, snakes, turtles, fish, and tapirs, for example. Only about 15,000 jaguars remain in the wild.

They have been all but completely eliminated in the United States, and their numbers in Central and South America are continuing to decline both because of killing by humans and because of loss of habitat. They are officially listed as "near threatened."