Exotic South American Animals

S outh America is home to          rodents known to man. Living on    the largest rain forest in      the floor of the rain forest the   the world, and this has         agouti eats only plants and is     made it one of the places that        fast to say the least. They have   has been studied and toured by        no tail and will freeze in place   many of the famous researchers in     when they sense a predator in the  the world. The area is known for      area. This is their primary        animals and hosts the homes of        defense mechanism as most of the   some of the most magnificent          predators rely on movement to      specimens that can be currently       track their prey. This rodent has  found on the planet. Many rare        thick and coarse brown hair with   species of animal are also            vertical bands of color running    present and the rain forest is        across the back.                   now a protected area to prevent                                          the destruction of many animals       To come to South America is to     that are on the verge of              know the myths and legends and     extinction.                           the anaconda is the stuff that                                           these legends are made of. Being   For many people the attraction of     the largest snake in the world,    South America is simply the           the anaconda is known to be one    animals and nothing more. Because     of the fiercest as well. Known to  of the vast array of species          be well adept at hiding in         there is more than enough to see.     shallow water despite their size,  There is nothing short of a           the anaconda relies on surprise    thriving population of animals        and sheer power for hunting since  that will bring about a good many     it lacks venom. The largest        photographic opportunities to the     recorded anaconda is nearly forty  people who visit.                     feet in length but larger                                                specimens are believed to be       The Agouti is one of the largest      living in the waters of the rain   forest area. While it is rare,        eat for a month or more. Most      the anaconda has been known to        often they will attack mammals as  attack and eat humans. There have     their main source of food but      been reports of this snake eating     they have been known to attack     humans once they get a taste for      other reptiles if food sources     blood and many of the local           are scarce. Many boa constrictors  tribes worship this species as a      are kept as pets in South America  god.                                  to help control the rodent                                               population despite the fact that   The Boa Constrictor is directly       boa’s are endangered species and   related to the anaconda but not       illegal to own. Attacks on humans  quite as large. In the same           are very rare with this species    family, the Boa will attack prey      and they are known to be rather    and then constrict the body           gentle animals when around         before swallowing the prey whole.     humans, thus the reason they are   In most cases the boa will attack     popular exotic pets in the US.     a large animal because it may not      About the Author: Read more from this author at: pets-mag.com Read more articles by: Naldo Camarones Article Source: www.iSnare.com