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Caiman in the Brazilian Pantanal. (Photo by R. Butler)
Riverside wildlife in the rainforest
RIVER VEGETATION
Few riverine (bank) plant species will be found in the forest. These tend to resemble gap-colonizers and edge species
that grow well in the strong sunlight of open areas. There is not a great diversity of riverside plant species,
and rivers are often bordered by walls of vines which cover trees because of the access to bright tropical sunlight.
The presence of this thick vegetation is largely why early explorers in the Amazon referred to the rainforest as
an "impenetrable jungle."
Periodically inundated floodplain forests are quite different from terra firme forests found on well-drained soils. Since floodplain forests have high turnover rates, they are characterized by lower tree diversity and a less-developed canopy. Island forests typically consist of this type of forest. In the Amazon, floodplain forests have high densities of fruiting trees which attract large numbers of mammals.
ANIMAL LIFE
Many terrestrial animals depend on rainforest waters for survival, and some are found almost exclusively along rivers
and lakes.
Reptiles are abundant along rainforest waterways. Lizards, including water dragons (Australia), monitors (Africa, Asia, Australia), iguanas (New World), and other species are especially common.
One of the most interesting is the basilisk lizard of the New World. This lizard, popularly known as the
Jesus Christ lizard, has the ability to run across water for considerable distances by using its long toes and
tail. Any visitor to the rainforest can get countless hours of enjoyment by chasing these lizards off beaches and
watching them use their quick stepping to support their weight as they escape across the water.
The giant snakes of the world, pythons of the Old World and boas and the Anaconda of the New, are found along
waterways where they feed on large prey that comes down to drink at the river. Crocodiles, in various forms, are
found worldwide, but perhaps the most impressive is the saltwater crocodile of Australia and New Guinea, which is
famous for occasional attacks on humans. These giant crocodiles, which are found in marine,
brackish, and freshwater habitats, may exceed 20 feet in length.
Bird life along rivers is prolific because of the availability of foods in the form of fish, insects, and fruits
produced by riverside vine species. One interesting phenomenon is the gathering of macaws along the clay river
banks of the upper Amazon where they lick the mineral-rich clay that binds to and detoxifies the harsh chemical
content of the fruits they consume. River areas are among the best places for rainforest bird watchers, because
they are open and bird life is abundant.
Mammals also are found along rivers. Jaguars are most often seen around rivers where they hunt and fish. Another
predator found along rivers is the giant river otter of South America. This otter, which has no natural predators
and is an efficient hunter, has been rendered rare by over-hunting, and can only found in scattered areas today
where human presence is limited.
Review questions:
How are floodplain forests different from upland forests?
Ecological benefits of REDD boosted by inclusion of private landowners, potentially harmed by plantations
(11/17/2009) Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation [REDD] programs that include landowners will conserve more habitat and ensure greater ecosystem services function than programs that focus solely on protected areas, report researchers from the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC), the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM), and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG).
Forgotten species: Madagascar's water-loving mammal, the aquatic tenrec
(11/12/2009) There are many adjectives one could attach to the aquatic tenrec: rare, mysterious, elusive, one-of-a-kind, even adorable, though one tries to stray from such value-laden titles since it excludes so many other non-adorable inhabitants of the animal kingdom. This small and, yes, cute insectivore, also known as the web-footed tenrec, lives in Eastern Madagascar where at night it spends the majority of its time swimming and diving in fast-moving streams for insects and tadpoles. It sleeps during the day in small streamside burrows. To date that is about the extent of our knowledge of this species.
Will Brazil's blackout drive a new push for more rainforest dams?
(11/12/2009) The power outage that affected nearly a third of Brazil's population Tuesday could be used by development interests to justify a renewed push for hydroelectric dams in the Amazon rainforest.
Amazonian natives say they will defend tribal lands from Hunt Oil with "their lives"
(10/25/2009) Indigenous natives in the Amazon are headed to the town of Salvacion in Peru with a plan to forcibly remove the Texas-based Hunt Oil company from their land as early as today. Peruvian police forces, numbering in the hundreds, are said to be waiting in the town. The crisis has risen over an area known as Lot 76, or the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. The 400,000 hectare reserve was created in 2002 to protect the flora and fauna of the area, as well as to safeguard watersheds of particular importance to indigenous groups in the region.
