The Amazon rainforest is a vast ecosystem filled with animals big and small; some of which have not even been discovered yet. Today we will be looking at 10 of the most dangerous animals of the Amazon Rainforest. Make sure you stay tuned till number one. If this animal doesn’t scare you, then nothing will.
Number 10 The Common Vampire Bat
Common vampire bats can be found in Mexico, and in Central and South America. They live in colonies in almost completely dark places, such as caves, old wells, hollow trees, and even buildings. Like most other bats, they are nocturnal, and they come out of their roosts at night to search for blood, their only source of food. They feed on blood from sleeping cows, pigs, horses, and birds. Though uncommon, vampire bats occasionally bite humans for blood. But blood-thirsty demons they aren’t. Although vampire bats are known to feed for 30 minutes on end, they never take enough blood to do harm to their prey. But what makes them so dangerous? Their bite is not painful. In fact, their saliva contains enzymes that numb the bite area, and another enzyme to keep the blood from clotting, making sure that it feeds continuously. They are also very agile and nimble, and so light weight that their chosen victim doesn’t even realize when these lightweight bats land on them. The problem is, common vampire bats are known carriers of rabies, a lifelong, debilitating disease that almost always leads to death.
Number 9 The Bullet Ant
No dangerous animal list is complete without a mention of ants. And when it comes to danger, no ant can bring higher levels of it than the bullet ant. Bullet ants can be found all over the Amazon rainforest so encountering them can be pretty common. But be warned, they aren’t called bullet ants for nothing. They are known as the insect with the most painful bite. People have often likened being bitten by one of these creatures to being shot by a bullet. They are also called the 24-hour ant, because the pain that it brings lasts for that long. Despite the excruciating pain that they bring, certain Amazon tribes actively seek them out. They catch the ants and weave them into large mittens made up of woven palm leaves. Adolescent males, eager to prove their manliness, wear the gloves for hours on end, all the while dancing with women, enduring the searing pain the ants give them. When they endure the ritual, the entire tribe will see them as fully grown men and warriors.
Number 8 The Amazonian Giant Centipede
The Amazonian Giant Centipede, or Scolopendra gigantean, is among the largest centipedes of the genus Scolopendra growing up to 12 in or more. It can be found in various places throughout South America, especially the Amazon, and the Caribbean, where it preys on a variety of animals including insects, other sizable amphibians, arthropods, reptiles and mammals. This centipede is nervous and jumpy. It is carnivorous and very aggressive, feeding on almost everything it comes across. It is capable of overpowering not only insects or other invertebrates, but also vertebrates including frogs, lizards, mice, snakes, birds, and even bats. They have a very interesting way to catch bats. They climb cave walls to the ceiling and wait for a passing bat. When the prey is close enough the centipede lunges out while holding onto the cave wall with its rear legs and grabs the bat. Then they hold and manipulate their prey with just a few legs attached to the ceiling. When attacking its prey on the ground the centipede will use all of its body to encoil its prey and will use all of its legs to grasp the body of its victim. On top of that, they have venom that is not only deadly to small animals, but potentially dangerous to humans as well in the right dosage. An attack on a human, normally in self-defense can cause severe pain, chills, swelling, fever and fatigue.
Number 7 The Brazilian Wandering Spider
Number 6 Pit Vipers
Number 5 The Bull Shark
Number 4 The Poisan Dart Frog
Number 3 The Red-Bellied Piranha
Number 2 The Amazonian Monster
Number 1 The Green Anaconda
