The Amazon Basin is home to half of the world's tropical forests. These forests are home to an incredible diversity of plant and animal life. From the birds and bees of the forest canopy to the sloths and snakes beneath, the Amazon has a dazzling array of species . . . some of which remain undiscovered.
Visit our MapMaker Interactive geo-tour to uncover the richness of the Amazon rain forest. Be sure to click on the bookmarks for information on each map, and on markers for media and information on specific species. Use our markers and “save” features to customize the map as your own.
10 Animal Species Endemic to the Amazon Basin
These animals are only found in the Amazon River or one of its rain forest ecosystems.
- Caquetá tití monkey (Western Colombia) (critically endangered)
- hoary-throated spinetail bird (Brazil and Guyana) (critically endangered)
- pink-throated brilliant hummingbird (Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) (vulnerable)
- fantastic poison frog (Northern Peru) (near-threatened)
- Amazon river dolphin (Amazon and Orinoco river basins) (insufficient data to assign a conservation status.)
- Amazon bamboo rat (Bolivia, Western Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) (least concern)
- albina Suriname toad (French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname) (least concern)
- southern two-toed sloth (Northern Amazon Basin) (least concern)
- black spider monkey (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana) (vulnerable)
- black bearded saki (Northeastern Brazil) (critically endangered)
brackish water
Noun
salty water, usually a mixture of seawater and freshwater.
buoyant
Adjective
capable of floating.
Noun
tactic that organisms use to disguise their appearance, usually to blend in with their surroundings.
canopy
Noun
one of the top layers of a forest, formed by the thick leaves of very tall trees.
climate
Noun
all weather conditions for a given location over a period of time.
drainage basin
Noun
an entire river system or an area drained by a river and its tributaries. Also called a watershed.
endemic species
Noun
species that naturally occurs in only one area or region.
Noun
environment where an organism lives throughout the year or for shorter periods of time.
liana
Noun
vine that takes root in the soil and winds around trees to the top of a forest canopy.
mammal
Noun
animal with hair that gives birth to live offspring. Female mammals produce milk to feed their offspring.
pollinate
Verb
to transfer pollen from one part of a flower (the anther) to another (the stigma).
species
Noun
group of similar organisms that can reproduce with each other.
topography
Noun
study of the shape of the surface features of an area.
tropical rain forest
Noun
grouping of tall evergreen trees, usually close to the Equator, which receives more than 203 centimeters (80 inches) of rain a year.
understory
Noun
ecosystem between the canopy and floor of a forest.
vegetation
Noun
all the plant life of a specific place.