Creatures of the Amazon Rainforest

Pit Vipers The green anaconda isn’t the only snake found in the Amazon rainforest. There are several species of dangerous snakes in this part of the world, in fact, and many of them are  pit vipers — venomous snakes that can grow from 1 to 12 feet (0.3 to 3.7 meters) long.

Jaguar Jaguars are the third  largest cats  in the world and the largest in South America. Like most cats, they are solitary, with both males and females hunting, particularly at dawn and dusk, feeding on deer, wild pigs,  sloths ,  monkeys ,  snakes  and livestock. While jaguars are the least likely of the big cats to attack humans — in fact, human attacks are rare — this big cat is still one you should be wary of. Jaguars, after all, have the most powerful bite among cats, and their sharp teeth are able to pierce through the thick armor of their prey, such as armadillos  and  turtles , as well as through skulls, directly piercing the brain. They can also dislocate necks with their strong jaws.

Harpy Eagle The harpy eagle is one of the largest birds of prey, with claws that can grow up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) long. With these claws, it snatches  sloths ,  monkeys , squirrels,  opossums  and smaller birds from the trees, as well as  armadillos ,  anteaters and coatis from the ground. It can even carry off  capybaras and  deer . This means they are capable of snatching children, although there are no reported cases. In fact, they are unlikely to attack humans unless their nests are threatened.