Fauna of the Amazon Rainforest

An Amazonian Tree Frog

The National Academy of Sciences has reported that in a normal, four

square mile part of the Amazon rainforest 125 mammal species, 100 species of

reptiles, 60 species of amphibians, and 150 different species of butterflies can

be found. When the math is done, one may see almost one hundred different

species of fauna in less than one square mile of the rainforest. There are 1.4

billion hectares of the Amazon rainforest, and approximately half of the

world’s animal species can be found there. A few different species of animals

one might see are the tapir, the vampire bat, the anaconda, the jaguar, the

black caiman, the toucan, and the giant otter. None of these could live in a

three square foot terrarium. However, there are several animals that could

live in this type of environment such as tree frogs, geckos, crickets, mealworms,

cockroaches, ants, and ladybugs.

A tree frog could live in this three square foot terrarium. Tree frogs

mainly inhabit bushes and trees. They have sticky dots on their feet to allow

them to climb trees. The terrarium is only three feet square, but this wouldn’t

be a problem for a tree frog. Tree frogs range from one to thee inches. They

eat small crickets and small mealworms. Medium and large ones are too much

for tree frogs to take on. However, owners are encouraged to give their tree

frogs mealworms only occasionally. Tree frogs can be found in pet stores for

around ten dollars.

A gecko would also be another good choice for this terrarium.

Geckos are carnivores that eat crickets, cockroaches, and mealworms. The

three feet of space would be enough for a gecko, which ranges in size from

half an inch to fourteen inches. However, geckos are expensive in regards to

funds and other options for the terrarium.

Crickets would be a feasible option to live in this type of environment.

If there was a tree frog, it could eat them. However, dead crickets could not

remain in the habitat because they will make the tree frog sick. If one is

interested in feeding crickets, they eat fruits, nectar, small insects, and some

leaves. Or if one is interested in feeding them pre-made food, twelve ounces

can be purchased for about three dollars. They can be purchased in pet stores

or online for around ten to twelve dollars for two hundred and fifty of them.

Mealworms could also live in this terrarium. Many mealworms live

in the Amazon rainforest. These are nocturnal insects. If they live in the

terrarium, they can be fed bran or oatmeal. Mealworms can be easily bought

at pet and bait shops.

There are many cockroaches in the rainforest. Cockroaches are hardy,

having the ability to be active for a month without food. Some cockroaches can

go for forty-five minutes without breathing. However, cockroaches have an

offensive odor and carry microbes that can be dangerous to humans. Also,

cockroaches can cause people to have allergic reactions. Those reactions have

been traced with asthma. On top of all this, hissing cockroaches are restricted

in Arizona, California, Florida, and Tennessee. One must have a USDA permit

for a live specimen, so cockroaches are not an option for this terrarium.

There are huge colonies of ants in the Amazon rainforest, so it would

be fitting to include them in the terrarium. Many ants gather sugar from plants

and fruits. Other ants eat the remains of other animals, and some even eat

other dead ants. People must be careful with ants because they can carry

salmonella, strep, and staph. Ants can be purchased in groups of twenty-five

for five to seven dollars online.

Ladybugs also live in the Amazon rainforest. They don’t take up much

room and eat aphids. They also eat pollen and mildew. Ladybugs rarely eat

their own kind. They live for about three to six weeks. Ladybugs are

cold-blooded, so they go into diapause when the temperature is below

fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit. They can survive diapause for almost nine

months and come out when the temperature rises. Ladybugs can be

purchased relatively inexpensively online.

Millions and millions of species of fauna reside in the Amazon

rainforest. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and are all very

different from each other. Geckos would be a great addition to the terrarium;

however they’re expensive. A lot more wildlife could be purchased for the

money that would buy one gecko. Cockroaches also live in the rainforest,

however they are restricted in a few states. Therefore, they’re not suitable

for this three square foot terrarium. Tree frogs would be great for the

terrarium because they are small, inexpensive, and would be interesting

to study. Crickets and mealworms would be another good addition

because they are small, inexpensive, and the tree frog would eat them.

Ants and ladybugs would also do well in that type of environment. Overall,

it’s possible to bring species of animals that live in the Amazon rainforest to

a classroom terrarium.