Paraguay is a country in South America that can only be reached by land. It has many different ecosystems, like the Gran Chaco, which is in the west of the country in the Ro de la Plata basin and is made up of grasslands, marshes, forests, and dunes.
Part of the world’s largest wetland, the Pantanal, is in Paraguay. The Atlantic rainforest, which is in the east of the country, is also there. Many different birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles live in these areas. Some of them are talked about below.
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Jaguar
The jaguar, called Panthera onca by scientists, is the third-largest “big cat” after the tiger and the lion. The cat usually weighs between 56 and 96 kg and can get as long as 1.8 m. Jaguars live in dense forests and open plains, and they can also swim.
The jaguar lives alone, except when it’s time to have babies. During this time, males aggressively defend their territory and keep other males away from the females who live there.
Jaguars are carnivores that eat pigs, deer, foxes, fish, frogs, and even anaconda snakes. Most of the time, the animal lives between 11 and 15 years.
Ocelot
The ocelot is a small species of wild cat. Its scientific name is Leopardus partial, but it is also sometimes called the painted leopard. It is the most giant “small cat” and is almost twice as big as a house cat.
The ocelot has short legs, a short tail, and a pinkish nose. Its orange, brown, or white fur is marked with different patterns that make it stand out. Ocelots are nocturnal animals that have their territory. During the day, they sleep in trees and bushes and hunt at night.
They eat frogs, iguanas, rabbits, fish, rodents, crabs, and birds, among other things. Females have one to three kittens, which grow up and leave their mothers when they are about two years old.
Pampas Fox
The pampas fox is an animal that lives in pampas grasslands, ridges, deserts, and hills. Its scientific name is Lycalopex gmnocercus. Even though its name sounds like it, the pampas fox isn’t a real fox. It has a grey body with a pale underside.
Its head and legs are marked with brown spots. Pampas foxes are usually solitary and active at night, but they can sometimes be seen moving around during the day.
The species eats everything, including rabbits, rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, fruits, sugarcane, and livestock humans have raised. Once a year, usually between July and October, they breed, and the females have between 3 and 5 cubs in a den.
The young started hunting with their parents after about three months. About 14 years is about how long a pampas fox lives.
Puma
The scientific name for the puma is Felis concolor, which means cat of one color. It is a big cat that lives in the Americas. Pumas have plain, silver-grey to reddish-brown fur and live in various places, such as forests, deserts, swamps, and prairies.
Their back legs are big and strong, which helps them run and jump better and makes it easier for them to catch prey. Pumas are carnivores with big, strong paws and sharp claws.
They eat elk, moose, deer, pigs, hares, capybaras, and sheep, among other things. A puma’s life span ranges from 8 to 13 years.
Capybara
The capybara is an animal that lives in South America. Its scientific name is Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris. It got its name from a tribe of native people in the Amazon called Kapiyva, which means master of the grasses.
The capybara is thought to be the largest rodent in the world. It has webbed feet and no tail. It weighs between 32 and 79 kg. The species likes water, so it usually lives in places like estuaries, marshes, riverbanks, and savannahs that flood.
Capybaras are herbivores that eat aquatic plants, grasses, grains, melons, and squash. The life span of a capybara is 12 years.
Toucan
Toucans are medium-sized birds in the family Ramphastidae. There are about 40 different species of toucans. Most of the time, the birds live in rainforests and make their homes in the trees.
Toucans have big, colorful bills and black feathers on most of their bodies, except for their throats, which have yellow or white feathers.
Toucans are birds that eat various foods, including fruits, berries, seeds, eggs, insects, and small reptiles. Toucans make loud noises when they are in danger of being eaten by hawks or eagles.
He scares their predators and lets other toucans know what’s going on. In the wild, the birds can live up to 20 years and only have one partner.
Giant Armadillo
The Priodontes Maximus is the scientific name for the giant armadillo. It has strong claws, a shell covered with bony scales, and a head in the shape of a cone. Giant armadillos are primarily solitary and only come out at night.
They eat meat and mainly eat insects like termites, ants, spiders, and worms. After it eats, the armadillo will dig a hole to sleep. They only mate once a year, and females only have one pup. The average life span of a giant armadillo is between 12 and 15 years.
Tapir
A tapir is a big animal about the same size as a donkey and looks like a wild pig. The animal has a clear nose on the front, a round body, short legs, and a short tail.
Tapirs spend a lot of time in the water, but they usually live on land, in places like forests, grasslands, rainforests, and mountains. The species eats plants, like leaves and fruits, and likes to graze in groups called candles. The average life span of a tapir is between 25 and 30 years.
Bush Dog
Speothos venaticus is the scientific name for the bush dog, also called the savanna dog. It has a long, reddish-brown fur coat, webbed feet, a short, round nose, and a short, bushy tail. The bush dog is a good swimmer because it has webbed feet.
It lives in wetlands, lowland forests, and places that flood seasonally. The bush dog is a carnivore that eats tapirs, giant rodents, and birds. It is awake during the day. In the wild, the animal can live for up to 10 years.
Jararaca
The jararaca is a thin, poisonous pit viper that lives on land. Its scientific name is Bothrops jararaca. The snake usually lives in tropical forests with evergreen and deciduous trees and the savanna. Adult jararacas live on land and eat primarily birds and rodents.
The snakes are ovoviviparous, meaning the females can have up to 20 babies at once. The snake’s pregnancy lasts from 3 to 4 months, depending on how easy it is to find food. The jararaca can live up to 15 years in the wild.