Download Vancouver Aquarium Amazon Background Info

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The Amazon – Overview
Also read ‘The Amazon’ AquaFacts at www.vanaqua.org/education/aquafacts
The Amazon Basin accounts for 1/3 of the tropical rainforest belt and contains the
oldest forest on Earth. It forms the world’s largest rainforest and river basin and
spans the borders of eight countries and one territory; located in Brazil for the most
part, it also spreads into Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana,
Suriname, and French Guiana.
It is fed and drained by the Amazon River. It is believed that, for millions of years,
a smaller Amazon River flowed westward toward the Pacific Ocean. Then, South
America (SA) broke off from Africa and moved westward where it collided with the
eastward moving Pacific Ocean floor; thus, creating the Andes, flooding much of the
western part of SA, and reversing the flow of the Amazon River to its current
eastbound direction.
Today, the Amazon River begins in Peru’s Andes (fed by glaciers) and continues
eastward, with its roughly 1,100 tributaries feeding into it, and growing until it
reaches the east coast of SA, more than 6,400 km from its origins, pouring 20
billion litres of freshwater per day into the Atlantic Ocean. This basin contains 20%
of the Earth’s fresh water.
It can rain for up to 8 months of the year, with up to three metres of rainfall –
that’s roughly twice as much rain that falls on Vancouver, on average! It’s so wet
there that trees release a lot of moisture and create 50% of the rain that falls in the
rainforest.
The Amazon River floods every year, sometimes for up to 10 months. One storey,
two stories, three stories up – flood waters can rise to 15 metres high and stretch
20 km into the forests. The rising waters create a flooded forest system eight
times the size of Vancouver Island. Yet, flooded forests take up only 3-4% of the
Amazon basin!
The astonishing diversity of the Amazon’s vegetation creates innumerable
specialized niches, thus allowing for the incomparable richness of animal species
that can be found in this tropical rainforest. The Amazon forest is not only the
richest ecosystem on Earth; it is also one of the most complex, with millions of
different interrelationships. The Amazon is home to the richest diversity of plants
and animals on Earth!
For a long time, the scientific community agreed that there were most likely an
estimated 2 million species of animals on Earth.
In 1982, that belief was
challenged by the work of Terry Erwins, a biologist doing research in the Amazon.
For 5 years, he studied the insects of the Amazon rainforest: what he found
revolutionized what was then conceived as the world’s biodiversity. Every day, he
would pick one tree and count and identify all the insects in that one tree. Every
time, he would find close to 20,000 individuals, representing between 1,500 and
2,000 species, 80% of which were new species! Today, scientists estimate that
there could be up to 10 million species of animals on this planet, and possibly even
a multiple of that number…
Over the last decade
(~2000-2010), a new species was found in the Amazon
every three days!
The Amazon’s biodiversity:
 The Amazon is home to the largest variety of freshwater fishes in the world –
over 3,000 species and counting. Canada has a total of 230 fish varieties.
 You can find up to 50,000 KNOWN species of plants (researchers believe that
there could be as many undiscovered species).
 1/5 of the world’s bird species (at least 2,700).
 Over 90% of animals are invertebrates; in Brazil alone, over 128,000 species
have been described so far. In any 2.5 km2 of forest (roughly half the size of
Stanley Park), about 50,000 species of insects can be found!
 More than 4,000 different types of butterflies have already been
catalogued, with hundreds more to come!
 All of these animals and plants share their home with 30 million people!
Home to some of the largest animals on Earth: The largest...
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Freshwater fish:
Snake:
Eagle:
Rodent:
Otter:
Arapaima (a-r-a-pie-ma)
Anaconda
Harpy eagle
Capybara (cap-i-baa-ra)
River otter
Structure of the rainforest: There are four main layers, each with specific
communities of animals and plants:
1) Forest Floor: In many places, only 7% of sunlight reaches the floor.
Shrubs, dwarf trees and small plants that need little light, ferns, and
mushrooms. The decaying litter is quickly recycled by decomposers (like
cockroaches). Animals such as deer, hoofed tapirs, tinamous (partridge-like
birds), rabbits and jaguars. And, of course this layer includes all aquatic life,
such as fishes, caimans, river otters, manatees, and dolphins.
2) Under-Storey:
Small palms, woody shrubs and young canopy trees,
interwoven with vines are found in this layer. Plants often have immense
leaves and long narrow treetops (believed to be an adaptation to absorb the
most sunlight). Ocelots, anacondas, and coatis can be found here.
3) Canopy: Rising 20 to 40m from the ground, forming a ‘green umbrella’
shading the rest of the forest. Direct sunlight and wind cause the ambient
temperature and humidity to vary throughout the day. Sunlight is converted
into energy, producing lots of leaves, fruits and nuts. Animals found here
include: Parrots, toucans, insects, frogs, lizards, monkeys, and many
nocturnal animals, like anteaters, kinkajous, bats, and sloths. Adaptations:
prehensile tails (that can grasp), sharp claws, or skin flaps that enable some
species to glide without wings. Plants have leaves that can shed the excess
water with their ‘drip tips’ (preventing algae and mould growth). Many
plants (bromeliads, ferns, orchids, and vines) live on the emergent layer’s
tree trunks.
4) Emergent layer: Can reach up to 50m. Tall, slender trunks often supported
by buttress or stilt roots to hold against winds and floods. Leaves are thick
and waxy (to resist drying from wind and sunlight). Home for butterflies,
some species of birds and the majestic harpy eagles.
The endangered Amazon: Many of these plants and animals are endemic to very
particular areas. Many animals and plants are in danger of becoming extinct,
mainly because of deforestation (logging or burning of large areas) for the purpose
of cattle ranching and crop cultivation.
The forest provides food and shelter to animals. It also affects the fish: no trees =
no fruits and nuts = no food and no shelter (also increases current speed) for the
fish. No trees means the soil gets washed away with the rain (up to 1,000
cm/year), leading to important erosion and sedimentation of rivers = lower oxygen.
Also changes the climate locally.
Why should we care? Not only because this ecosystem is a rich and unique one,
of incredible beauty, but also because it plays an important role in our own
existence:
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Recycles carbon dioxide and produces oxygen;
Source of everyday products such as rubber, coffee, and cocoa
(chocolate!);
Important source of medicinal products (4/5 medicines) and potential
source for undiscovered cures.
The Graham Amazon Gallery (opened 1987)
Why a rainforest exhibit at the Aquarium? The Aquarium has been presenting
animals from the Amazon (reptiles and fish) for a long time. Because there is such
a strong interdependence between the aquatic and terrestrial animals and plants in
this ecosystem, it only made sense to show both habitats, so that visitors can enjoy
and appreciate the bigger picture.
Temperature is maintained at 27 degrees by day and 22 degrees at night. Spray
misters keep humidity at 75 - 80%. Lights are turned on and off gradually to
simulate dawn and dusk.
Free Range Concept:
Fun place because
a) Can see live plants and animals without a glass in between, and
b) Always changing! Challenging place because the animals move!
That’s why good to come early, before the program, for a look,
resulting in a more enjoyable and exciting time for the students.
Most animals have favourite spots.
Familiarize yourself with the way this habitat is built, from the floor to the
ceiling.
 Look at the different layers of vegetation: at the shapes of the
leaves, the root systems if you can see it, the flowers and fruits, if
any.
 Then listen and look for animals you can find (on or close to: plants,
water, ground, and ceiling).
 Try to identify the animals (search for the info panels).
 Try to observe them a little while: What are they doing?
Where do the animals in the exhibits come from?
 Purchased from local tropical fish dealers (who bred them);
 Obtained from conservation-oriented groups;
 Many are bred at the Aquarium, or at other aquariums; and,
 Donations from hobbyists (fishes).
Fish Background Information:
The Amazon is home to more than 3,000 freshwater species.
Piranha
 Famous or infamous carnivore of the Amazon - It is important to demystify
these creatures
 Only 4 are carnivores out of 20 species: the others eat mainly plants, fruit
and nuts
 Usually eat fish, but stories say they will attack anything – even so they can’t
eat an entire animal by themselves and instead nip off
scales and bits of flesh.
 Typically will attack struggling or bleeding
mammals in the water or during times where
food is scarce such as the dry season when they
are herded together by low waters
 Teeth are sharper than most fish of similar size,
and jaws are powerful
 Largest can be 30 cm
Arapaima
 Reports of up to 4.5m – disputed largest freshwater fish (some say the
Mekong Catfish gets bigger)
 Can live up to 15 years, the ones we have are about 10 years old
 Adults are obligate air breathers – breathe every 10-20 minutes
 Eat other fish, small birds, and
insects. At the aquarium, they’re fed
rainbow trout.
 Has no teeth but a bony tongue
 Mouth-brooder - The father guarding
the eggs is known to take them in
his mouth and move them to another location. The young are led by the
male in a group once they are able to swim.
 Is endangered from over-fishing and habitat destruction
Tambaqui
 Very powerful jaws and strong teeth - Has large molar-like teeth used for
crushing food.
 Eats fruits and nuts that fall from the trees, live
off their fat during the dry season
 Largest ones can be 1m and 30kg in body mass
 Young tambaquis have a red belly and resemble
piranhas
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Tambaqui are also a popular food item for people in the Amazon area –
concern of overfishing
Red-Tail Catfish
 Grows as big as 130cm
 Eats fish and crayfish
 Live up to 15 years in captivity
 Often have spines on their fins, in many cases
poisonous
 Has whiskers or barbells for finding its way
around in low visibility and for finding food
 Babies are often sold as pets; people don’t
always know they will grow to such large sizes
when they buy them
Electric Eel
 Not a true eel
 Uses electricity for three main things: deterring predators, immobilizing prey,
detecting its surroundings
 Long eels can kill by discharging between 400 and 600 volts of electricity –
the longer they are the more power they have
 Poor water visibility likely lead to the evolution of electricity for detecting
surroundings
 Has breathing organs in its mouth and breaths air
 Human deaths from electric eels are extremely rare.
However, multiple shocks can cause respiratory or
heart failure and people have been known to drown
in shallow water after a stunning jolt.
Ghost Knife-fish
 Cousin to the electric eel
 Only weak electric superpowers - possess a weakly discharging neurogenic
electric organ and ampullary electro receptors that are distributed from head
to tail… this helps them hunt and to communicate.
 Nocturnal and blind!
 Can regenerate their spinal cord
 Eats insect larvae
Sting Rays
 The only freshwater stingrays in the world are found in the Amazon
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They have a venomous serrated barb on their whip-like tail – do not ‘attack’
people, but can cause serious injury to anyone who steps on them in the
often murky waters of the Amazon
protruding eyes of a freshwater stingray allow them to see what is going on
in the water column above while they are buried in the riverbed
Like sharks, rays can detect bioelectricity, which is useful for finding prey.
Give birth to live young (just like many other types of sharks, rays, and
skates)
Notice holes behind their eyes? These are spiracles and allow them to
breathe more easily while they are hiding in the substrate.
Mammal Background Information:
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Warm Blooded
Fur/Hair
Feed young milk through mammary glands
Give birth to live young
Have lungs to breath air
All mammals have a back bone
Arboreal - Terrestrial – Aquatic
Two-toed Sloth
 Nocturnal
 Only come down to forest floor once a week to
defecate
 Sloths grow algae in their fur, it helps them blend
in
 Generally have 18 teeth
 Sleeps for around 15 hours a day, low rate of
metabolism enables them to live on relatively little
food.
 Eat leaves and buds but also eat twigs, fruits, and small prey.
 Do not have incisors and crop leaves with their hard lips. Teeth grow
continuously, as they are worn down by the grinding of their food.
 Don't drink but get their water from eating juicy leaves & licking dewdrops.
 Main predators are harpy eagles, large snakes, less often large cats
(ocelots/jaguars) or caiman - defend themselves with sharp claws, but their
main form of protection is their camouflage.
 Extremely slowly movers on ground but surprisingly good swimmers
 Do most things upside down: eat, sleep, mate, and give birth. Because of
their upside down life, many of their internal organs (liver, stomach, spleen,
pancreas) are in different positions from other mammals
 Sometimes let out a cry or hissing sound.
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Lifespan is 30-40 years (less in the wild, possibly about 20yrs)
Long gray or brown hair that blends in well with the surrounding
environment, making it difficult for predators, such as the jaguar, to see
them.
Hair curves in the opposite direction of most other mammals: from the
stomach to the back, often covered with a coat of blue-green algae during
the rainy season. This algae provides camouflage.
Their ancestor, the Giant Ground Sloth, lived before the last ice age and
reached the size of the modern elephant.
...Our Two-Toed Sloths
 Each have 2 names, a staff name and a contest winning name chosen by the
public...(staff/official): Sally/Mazo, Hurricane/Sulis, Havoc/Yambya.
 At the Aquarium, they eat a mixture of steamed root vegetables (carrots,
yams, sweet potato, several potato types) as well as tofu or hard-boiled egg
and fruit (banana/apple/grapes), and mixed "watery" greens like romaine,
green leaf lettuce, and endive
Amazon Giant River Otter
 The largest otter in the world – 1.8m long
 Eat fish and crabs but have been known to eat anacondas and caimans
 Hunted extensively and are now among the rarest otters in the world—only a
few thousand are believed to survive in the wild.
Jamaican Fruit Bats – flying mammals
 Native to central and South America
 Pointier ears than most bats
 Grow to 9cm
 Is known to build a tent for shelter from Araceae and Palmae plants. Also
lives in hollow trees, caves and forest foliage
 Processes food in 15 minutes therefore seeds are passed quickly
Vampire Bat
 Nocturnal.
 Drink the blood of other animals for survival - Do not suck blood, they
make a small cut with their teeth and then lick the blood as it trickles.
 Anti-coagulants in the saliva stop clotting. Feed on blood from cows, pigs,
horses and birds. Blood sucking does not hurt the animal.
 Vampire bats are the only known mammal to survive solely on blood.
 Have fewer teeth than other bat species.
 Wingspan is about 8inches. Body is about the size of a human thumb.
 Locate prey using echolocation.
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Each night they drink about half their body weight in blood.
Jaguar
 Strongest bite of all cats, second strongest mammal bite (Tasmanian devil is
first) - Can bite through animal skulls
 Only enemy is the anaconda
 Jaguars do not avoid water; in fact, they are quite good swimmers. Rivers
provide prey in the form of fish, turtles, or caimans
 Jaguars also eat larger animals such as deer, peccaries, capybaras, and
tapirs. They sometimes climb trees to prepare an ambush
 Size: Head and body 1.5 to 1.8 m; Tail, 70 to 91 cm. Weight: 45 to 113 kg
 Protection status: Endangered
Birds Background Information:
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Double yellow headed parrot
Scarlet Ibis
Hyacinth Macaws
Tinamou
Tanager
Crimson-rumped toucanet
Seedeater
In order to fly…
 Birds need wings, strong muscles, light weight,
many hollow bones
Birds moult once a year to replace lost, old or damaged
feathers
 Primary – long ones on wing’s end used for
propelling forward
 Secondary, and tertiary flight feathers – used for
generating lift
 Underlying feathers for warmth
Brazilian Duck/Teal
 The beak is paddle-shaped
 The feet are placed further back on the body and
are webbed for swimming
Scarlet Ibis
 Related to herons and flamingos (distantly)
 Closely related to spoonbills
 In the wild eat Crabs, shrimp, insects,
amphibians and crabs
 In the aquarium eat krill
 Bright color due to the pigment carotene found in
their food
 Their reason for color? They may need to
maintain visual contact with others of the same
species, Brilliant plumage may help individuals
find breeding partners, Protection
 Coloured leg bands are for aquarists ID of the birds, so we can tell who's
who from a distance (ie. without chasing them down and catching them all
the time)
 Closed metal bands are only put on by a licensed bander and just give the
birds a worldwide official number so that they can be tracked later on
Hyacinth Macaw
 Gus is the slimmer of the two animals, has slightly protruding eyes and a
wider lower mandible. Estimated age of 47 years. He shows signs of being
old (wrinkly eye and cheek skin, more heavily grooved feet)
 Olley is heavier set. He is handfed and 9 yrs old.
 Hyacinth Macaws are the World’s largest Parrot (contrary to some opinion
that it is the Kakapo which is a heavier, 3kg flightless parrot, but not larger)
at 100cm long and 1.7kg
 Native to South America, and is classified as an endangered and protected
species - decline is attributable to illegal trade in exotic animals, hunters
seeking its flesh and plumage, and deforestation, as the large trees where it
nests are disappearing
 Native diet includes nuts, berries and palm fruits
Harpy Eagle
 one of the largest species of eagles: half the length of an averagesized human and up to 9 kgs
 Can reach speeds above 80 kmh in flight.
Double yellow head parrot
 is an endangered Amazon parrot
 prefers to live in mangrove forests or forests near rivers
 popular pet and an excellent talker
Tinamou
 shy and secretive – often heard but not seen
 Most species can fly, but relatively poorly. Find on forest floor
 Eat a variety of food including insects and berries.
Humming Bird
 Smallest: Bee Hummingbird weighs about 2.2 grams
 Largest: Giant Hummingbird weighs about 20 grams
 Can rotate its wings in a circle - can fly both forwards and backwards. They
can also fly up, down, sideways, hover in one spot, or fly upside down for
short distances!
 During normal flight their wings beat about 60-80 times per second.
Beak Adaptations
 Birds' diets are varied and often include nectar, fruit, plants, seeds, carrion,
and various small animals, including other birds
 Their beaks give us a clue about their diet – see picture.
Plants Background Information:
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Plants recycle carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
Important source of medicinal products (4/5 medicines) and potential source
for undiscovered cures.
Stanley Park contains 8 tree species; the same area in the Amazon could
contain 300 species.
Adaptations
 The soil of the tropical rainforests is thin and very low in nutrients
 Many trees have buttress and prop roots for extra support in the thin
rainforest soil.
 Plant leaves have drip tips and grooves or waxy coatings to shed water. This
allows the water to fall straight down to the plant’s own roots.
 To absorb as much sunlight as possible in the shady understory, most leaves
are very large
 Flexible stems/stalks that allow them to bend and follow the sunlight so they
can carry out photosynthesis all day.
 Some plants – epiphytes - grow in the upper canopy on larger trees. This
helps them get closer to the sunlight eg. Orchids and bromeliads
Wood densities (comparison of Douglas fir to Amazon hardwood)
 Trees that grow in warmer climates usually have “lighter” or less dense wood
 Trees that grow in tropical rainforests do not have growth rings because they
are always growing at the same rate throughout the year due to climate.
 Trees from temperate rainforests such as the Douglas fir have growth rings
due to slow growing rate during cold winter seasons.
Cacao Tree (empty pods) pronounced (ka-kay-oh)
 Chocolate comes from cacao pods
 Scientifically classified as a drupe, not a pod
 Inside the pod there are 20-40 seeds; these seeds are cleaned and
fermented to make cocoa
 Seeds are covered in a white pulp – the pulp must be removed; the seeds
are a pinkish colour, and must be fermented before they have that nice
chocolaty brown colour and deep flavourful aroma which we love so much
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Rubber tree
 Natural rubber is the sap from Rubber trees
 Sap is like blood for a tree
 Cuts are made in the tree, and the sap is collected in buckets
 Harvesting rubber must be done carefully, because if you take too much sap
from a tree, what will happen?
 Only “natural” rubber comes from trees; some types of rubber come from oil
Vanilla Orchid
 Vanilla comes from a flower
 Vanilla bean is actually a capsule
 Most orchids live in the canopy
Medicines and Supplements
 The Amazon rainforest yields a great bounty of plants, herbs and trees used
for medicinal purposes: ‘nature's pharmacy’
 About one-quarter of all the medicines we use come from rainforest plants.
o Curare comes from a tropical vine. It is used as an anaesthetic and to
relax muscles during heart surgery.
o Quinine, from the cinchona tree, is used to treat malaria.
o A person with leukemia has a 99% chance that the disease will go into
remission because of the rosy periwinkle.
o More than 1,400 varieties of tropical plants might be potential cures
for cancer.
Kapok Tree (model)
 Emergent tree species that can grow to a height of 150 feet or more,
towering over other trees in the rainforest.
 Large spines protrude from the trunk to discourage damage to the trunk.
 Thin, plank type buttresses stabilize the giant and can extend to 30 feet.
 Many plants and animals grow and live in the branches of the kapok tree.
Birds nest in it, and mammals use the huge branches as highways. Frogs
breed in the pools of water that collect in the bromeliads.
 In many places the straight trunks of the kapok tree are used to make
dugout canoes. The white, fluffy seed covering is used in pillows and
mattresses. Since it is buoyant and water resistant it is often used in flotation
devices and padding.
Insect Background Information:
Insect vs. Arachnid:
The adult body of insects is split into three parts with six legs
1) Head- location of sensory organs
2) Thorax- location of locomotory ability
3) Abdomen- main location of digestive, reproductive and respiratory systems
The adult body of an arachnid (spider) is split into two parts and they have 8 legs
1) Cephalothorax
2) Abdomen
Madagascar hissing cockroaches
 Largest cockroach in the world
 Live around 5 years in captivity
 Eat fallen fruit and decomposing plant and animal matter from forest floor
– Important decomposers in an ecosystem
 Make hissing sounds via forcing air from spiracles (modified breathing holes
on abdomen), when disturbed, during courtship, to determine if familiar male
or stranger, conveys information on size of male
 Food for many animals so the energy in the rainforest continues to remain in
the food chain: predators include mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds
 Nocturnally active, why they like dark places
 Males – larger horns and hairy antennae
 Females – smaller horns, antennae with no hair
 Life span is 2-5 years having 6 molts before maturity
 Bear live young (oviparous) 40-50 young
Vietnamese Stick insect
 Eat leaves, special mouth parts for chewing plant matter
 “Sticky” feet – tiny hairs help it stick to smooth surfaces, small hooks on end
of six feet help it grip branches
 Mimics the movement of branches swaying in the wind, Brown or green color
able to camouflage well in forests
 Have no bones only an outer shell called an exoskeleton – often eat their
moult! Can re-grow lost limbs
 Males – wings, females – no wings
 Asexual
 Grow 4-5 inches
 We feed Raspberry brambles
 Drop 100s of eggs on forest floor which hatch in months with the right
conditions
 Life span 5-7 months to one year, 6molts before sexually maturity
 Predators are birds and mammals
Huntsman spider
 Grow up to 15cm
 Lays up to 200 eggs
 Brown color
 Eats insects and invertebrates
Goliath Bird eater tarantula
 Have venom in their fangs
 Not dangerous to humans but feels like a bee sting
 Can shoot out its bristles (hair) at enemies
 Makes a hissing noise that can be heard from 4.5m away
 Known to eat young birds stolen from nests
Chilean rose tarantula
 Brown body with pink bristles
 Eat insects and mice
 Can grow up to 7.5 cm
Herptiles Background Information:
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Includes reptiles and amphibians
Amphibians: soft eggs (in water)  tadpoles  developed form
Reptiles: hard shelled eggs  developed form
Amphibians breath with their skin and lungs – cutaneous respiration;
sensitive skin
Reptiles just use lungs – allows stronger/thicker skin
Caiman Exhibit
 As babies they eat various invertebrates (snails, insects, crustaceans)
 As adults, their diet switches – they eat more fish, water birds, snakes and
other reptiles
 As big as 3 metres (2m is closer to reality)
 Ambush predators – many people wonder why the caimans don’t move; one
reason is to conserve energy since they don’t eat regularly, the other is to
effectively surprise their prey (many animals can spot movement very easily)
 Caiman are on the endangered list as their skin is sought after for
commercial use.
Q. What's the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? How long can they
hold their breath? And many more! See ‘Crocodilians’ Aqua Facts online at
www.vanaqua.org/education/aquafacts
A & C: Alligator
B & D: Crocodile
Emerald Tree Boa Exhibit
 Nocturnal carnivore
 Mainly hunt small mammals (rodents) also known to eat birds, other reptiles.
 Ambush predator; the boa in the exhibit is normally coiled – this is how they
hunt. It waits coiled with head pointing down – strikes prey from above
 Constrictor
 All boas swallow food whole; jaws unhinge
 Can often go 2-3 months between feedings – slow metabolism
Anaconda - See ‘Anaconda’ Aqua Facts online
 World’s largest and most powerful snake
 Known to grow close to 9 meters
 Average weight is a few hundred lbs; maximums have be up to 550lbs
 Possibly longest (in dispute with the python)
 Eat mammals (rodents, caimans, even jaguars!), caimans, birds
 Attacks on humans are extremely rare – most anacondas reportedly run
away from humans
 Bear live young (gestation period ~6months)
 20-50 babies a litter, ~ 30 cm long, Anacondas will also eat their babies.
 Constrictor
Poison Arrow/Dart Frog exhibit
 Poison secreted from their backs; secretions increase when the frog is hot
 Indigenous people collected the poison by carefully heating the frog (without
killing it) and collecting the poison in kapok cotton
 Frogs make poison chemicals from the ants they eat (red/fire ants) – when
bred/raised in captivity without these ants for food, they lose their poison
 In captivity, they can live as long as 15 years
Red-foot Tortoise
 Tortoises are land-dwelling turtles
 Can live 40-50 years, 10 – 12 inches
 Eat mainly plants (grasses)
 Males will have fights whereby they will try to turn the opponent over
Mata Turtle
 Noses have tube extensions – acts like a snorkel
 Eats fish by sucking them in and swallowing whole
Basilisk Lizard
 Omnivores
 Can grow to approx. 1 m
 If frightened can run on their large hind feet
 Can escape predators by running on water
Tiger Rat Snake
 As big as 3.5 metres
 Hunt mostly rodents, but also birds, lizards, frogs

If threatened, hisses and “puffs” throat
Green iguana
 Green iguana (Iguana iguana)
 Live up to 20 years in captivity
 Eat mainly leaves and fruits, but also known to eat carrion and insects –
younger ones need more protein (growing)
 Largest ones can be over 2 m