Deforestation makes these animals vulnerable to extinction. Their habitat is being removed to create coffee farms and farmers are under pressure to clear the forest for new land.
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# Endangered Species in the Amazon Rainforest | Causes & Examples

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Marian Fuchs, Amanda Robb

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Marian Fuchs
Marian has a Bachelors degree in biology/chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. She has 4 years of experience teaching biology, geology, and ecology, and English language to children ranging from kindergarten to high school seniors, as well as experience caring for and training marine mammals.

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- Instructor

Amanda Robb
Amanda has taught high school science for over 10 years. She has a Master's Degree in Cellular and Molecular Physiology from Tufts Medical School and a Master's of Teaching from Simmons College. She is also certified in secondary special education, biology, and physics in Massachusetts.

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Explore the endangered species in the Amazon rainforest. Learn the definition of an endangered species and see the Amazon rainforest animals that are endangered.

Updated: 11/21/2023

## Table of Contents

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Frequently Asked Questions

#### How many endangered species are in the Amazon Rainforest?

The Amazon Rainforest is home to over 10,000 endangered species. They include both plants and animals. Some include the Giant River Otter, the Golden Poison Dart Frog, and the Brazil Three-Toed Sloth.

#### What are threats to the Amazon Rainforest?

The Amazon Rainforest faces several threats, including deforestation, hunting and poaching, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. Deforestation occurs for the practices of logging, agriculture, and more.

## Table of Contents

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What is an Endangered Species?

Different species of plants or animals that are threatened by possible extinction due to a rapid fall in the population are referred to as endangered species. The cause for endangered species can vary from loss of habitat to the spread of disease. All species are important and play a role in the essential biodiversity of an ecosystem. Biodiversity, the variety of life on earth, is essential for the survival of all organisms on the earth, including humans. From the food we eat to the air we breathe, each plant, animal, and micro-organism plays an essential role in an ecosystem.

There are different levels of concern in regards to endangered species. The seven different levels of conservation are part of the ''Red List.''

1. Least Concern
2. Near Threatened
3. Vulnerable
4. Endangered
5. Critically Endangered
6. Extinct in the Wild
7. Extinct

There are many different species of plants and animals that are considered endangered species. Some of these species are commonly known and can even be seen in a zoo setting. Some species are less commonly known but are still essential to a healthy ecosystem. Some commonly known endangered animals include:

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Causes of Endangered Species

There are several causes that result in endangered species or even species that become extinct. Across the globe, different species face becoming endangered or even extinct. It's important to understand the causes and how they can possibly be counteracted. Two of the main contributing causes are habitat loss and climate change.

- Climate change - Some species, like coral, are highly sensitive to changes in temperature. The melting of glaciers and ice caps is causing a depletion of habitat for arctic animals as well as causing rising sea levels. Climate change is also causing habitat loss due to the changing temperatures. The effects of climate change are far-reaching and detrimental to many species.
- Habitat loss - The destruction of habitats is probably the primary cause of the presence of endangered species. Habitat loss and encroachment are primarily due to agriculture, oil, construction, gas, irrigation, and exploration. With a limited space, species are unable to keep up a large enough population.
- Hunting and poaching - Over-hunting and the illegal act of poaching have led to a devastating plummet in animal populations. When species are heavily hunted, they are unable to maintain a healthy population due to the low numbers. All types of hunting have led to the presence of endangered species.
- Invasive species - Invasive species are detrimental, as they enter foreign habitats and may have no predators and/or the native populations don't have any defense against them. These invasive species can quickly take over habitats and crowd out or destroy native populations. They can also carry disease.
- Pollution - Dangerous pollutants such as plastics and chemicals have a large impact on animal populations.

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Endangered Species in the Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest and is located in South America. It covers approximately forty percent of Brazil and reaches into other countries. It is the world's largest river basin, covering 2,300,000 square miles (6,000,000 square km). There are millions of unique species of plants and animals found here. Endangered species are also found in the Amazon Rainforest and are becoming more common. It is home to the world's most varied and biodiverse reservoir. Many of the species living in the Amazon Rainforest have yet to even be discovered by science.

Although the Amazon Rainforest is home to a vast number of species, it still faces the issues that lend to the presence of numerous endangered species. Endangered species in the Amazon Rainforest are not limited to only animals, such as amphibians and mammals, but also include different species of plants.

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Amazon Rainforest Animals That Are Endangered

There are rare rainforest animals that dwell in the Amazon rainforest. They range from sloths to poison dart frogs. Birds such as the Hyacinth Macaw (Blue Macaw), and water residents like the Amazon River Dolphin, are also endangered Amazon Rainforest animals. In the following sections, we will discuss some more specific endangered tropical rainforest animals in the Amazon.

### Red Uakari

The Red Uakari ( Bald Uakari) are found only in the Amazon River Basin and prefer to live near water sources such as rivers and lakes. These primates can be found living in seasonally or permanently flooded parts of the rainforest. The proximity to water increases the chance of human-animal conflicts. The Red Uakari are recognizable by their bald head, red faces, and short tail.

According to the IUCN Red List, the Red Uakari is listed as vulnerable. They face several threats, such as hunting and habitat loss. Habitat loss is typically due to the logging industry.

The Red Uakari is an endangered species in the Amazon Rainforest.

The Red Uakari sitting in tree

### Golden Poison Dart Frog

As the most poisonous animal on earth, the Golden Poison Dart Frog is incredibly dangerous. The amount of poison in one full-grown frog is enough to kill ten grown adults. They are brightly colored to warn predators of the danger. Scientists are unsure of the source of the poison, but it could come from a build-up of poison from plants that they get from their prey. This is supported by the fact that the frogs raised in captivity do not possess any poison and are not eating prey from their native habitat.

The poison from the Golden Poison Dart Frog has been utilized for centuries by native groups in Colombia to coat their darts for protection. Scientists have also been using the poison for different medicinal purposes, such as pain killers.

These frogs are listed as endangered and face different threats in the rainforest. Golden Poison Dart Frogs live in only a small area of the Amazon Rainforest in Colombia. Their population has been heavily impacted by habitat loss due to practices such as logging, mining, and farming.

The Golden Poison Dart Frog is the most poisonous vertebrate.

A Golden Poison Dart Frog on a rock

### Brazilian Three-Toed Sloth

Also known as the Mane Three-Toed Sloth, the Brazilian Three-Toed Sloth spends most of its time in the forest canopy. They are arboreal mammals that spend most of their time sleeping in trees. Their thick claws and strong arms allow them to stay in the trees nearly indefinitely. When they do venture to the forest floor, they are nearly immobile.

Similar to many other animals that live in the Amazon Rainforest, the Brazilian Three-Toed Sloths populations are suffering due to habitat loss. Deforestation has led to only ten percent of their original habitat remaining.

Three-Toed Sloths are endangered due to habitat loss

A Three-Toed Sloth sitting in a tree

### Giant River Otter

As the world's largest species of otter, the Giant River Otter can be as long as 6 feet. It can only be found living in three river systems, which are the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata. They live in family units and will also fish together as a unit. They mainly eat fish, but they will also supplement their diet with crustaceans, snakes, and other animals in the river.

The greatest threat to the Giant River Otter, which is listed as endangered, is hunting. They are hunted mainly for their fur, but also because they pose as competition to fishermen.

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Amazon Rainforest Plants That are Endangered

Animals are not the only living things facing being endangered, or worse, extinct. Plants are also susceptible to being endangered species, and some of them are found in the Amazon Rainforest. One of these endangered plant species is the Pau Brasil.

### Pau Brasil

The Pau Brasil is the national tree of Brazil, but it is also endangered. It is an important part of the ecosystem, as it provides homes for plants that grow on other plants purely for support, such as orchids. These types of plants are epiphytes. The Pau Brasil can also be used to create a red dye, which is why it is endangered. The timber from the Pau Brasil tree is nearly indestructible and has been used to make instrumental bows, constructions, and tools. The continued removal of these trees for use has led to a drastic drop in their population.

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Lesson Summary

Endangered species are considered to be plants, animals, or other organisms whose populations face potential extinction due to a rapid decrease in population. This can be potentially devastating for an ecosystem, as biodiversity is crucial to a healthy ecosystem. There are different threat levels that relate to the severity of the population's numbers. There are also several main reasons behind the presence of endangered species. The main reasons are habitat loss and climate change. Hunting and poaching, invasive species, and pollution can also play a role. Habitat loss is the destruction of habitats due to reasons such as agriculture and logging. Climate change has caused habitat loss and changes in temperatures in sensitive habitats. Hunting can lead to a detrimental dip in population numbers, making it hard to reproduce at a high enough rate to keep a healthy population. Invasive species cause issues by outcompeting native species, as they may have no other predators. Different types of pollution have detrimental side effects on species, such as being poisonous or being mistaken as food.

There are millions of species that live in the Amazon Rainforest. Some of these species are endangered, mainly due to habitat loss. The Giant River Otter is threatened by hunting. The Red Uakari is an endangered species of primates that lives in flooded forests near water sources and faces the threat of habitat loss. The Brazilian Three-Toed Sloth is another endangered animal that depends on the forest canopy for its habitat. It is an arboreal species that spends most of its time sleeping in the trees, and it is threatened by loss of habitat. The Golden Dart Frog is the most deadly animal regarding poison, and it is brightly colored to ward off predators; they also face habitat loss. Endangered species in the Amazon Rainforest also include plants. The Pau Brasil is the national tree of Brazil, but it is an endangered species. It has been used to create red dyes as well as instrumental bows. All of these species are important to their ecosystems, and their endangered statuses can have negative impacts.

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## Additional Info

## What Is an Endangered Species?

Picture a dense, tropical jungle. These warm, wet climates of the tropics are host to the greatest biodiversity, or number of different species, on Earth. From multicolored dart frogs to tall trees and sleepy sloths, the rainforests of the Amazon have some of the most unique species on Earth. In fact, scientists estimate that there are over 100,000 unique species in the Amazon rainforest alone, with more being discovered each year.

Now, picture a new Amazon. One with large patches of trees missing, slashed and burned to make room for livestock. As global temperatures increase and climate change continues, scientists believe another mass extinction could be on the way, wiping out thousands of species, particularly in this lush biome. Currently, many animals are endangered, or in danger of going extinct, in the Amazon rainforest. Today we'll look at examples of both animals and plants, causes of endangerment, and conservation efforts.

## Animals

Although biodiversity of animals is high in the rainforest, the threats of hunting and habitat loss are causing the number of species to decrease or become endangered.

### Red Uakari

One of the rarest animals in the Amazon is the red uakari. This unique primate has a bright red face with a bald head and long fur covering the rest of its body. Although it lacks a long tail like other primates, the uakari uses its long arms and legs to live an arboreal life in the trees. These animals can only be found in the Amazon river basin, preferring heavily flooded areas near water sources.

The main threats to the uakari are habitat loss and hunting. Since the uakari has a unique preference for flooded forests, it is unable to relocate when the forest is clear cut for farm land or timber. In addition, the water sources the uakari enjoys are also enjoyed by humans, increasing the likelihood of human-wildlife conflict.

A male uakari makes his home in the tree tops
uakari

### Golden Poison Dart Frog

Don't be fooled by its small size; although the golden poison dart frog is only about two inches long, it's one of the most poisonous animals on Earth. This brightly colored yellow frog has strong enough poison in its skin to kill ten grown men. The bright colors ward off predators, indicating its toxicity. However, this animal only lives in a small part of the Amazon rainforest in Colombia. Thus, due to habitat destruction, this animal has made it to the endangered species list.

### Brazilian Three Toed Sloth

You might think monkeys and birds are the main residents of the canopy, but another endangered species makes the treetops its home. The Brazilian three toed sloth lives in the coastal rainforest in eastern Brazil and spends most of its life in the trees. The common depiction of sloths as lazy is actually quite accurate. Sloths spend between 15 and 20 hours a day sleeping. When they do finally wake, they mostly remain motionless except to eat, so much so that they even grow algae and fungi on their fur. But, don't confuse slow with weak. These sloths have three large claws and strong muscles to hold themselves in the trees for most of their life.

Deforestation makes these animals vulnerable to extinction. Their habitat is being removed to create coffee farms and farmers are under pressure to clear the forest for new land.

### Giant River Otter

Unfortunately, aquatic animals are also threatened in the Amazon. One of the most iconic animals, and most threatened is the giant river otter. This freshwater otter can grow up to 6 feet in length and weigh up to 75 pounds. With their webbed feet and sharp teeth for hunting fish, these mammals might resemble a sea monster from ocean legends. But, don't be put off by their appearance. Giant river otters are quite sociable, living in families with monogamous parents. Families can frequently be seen frolicking in the river, working together to round up a catch of fish for the day. However, scientists estimate that there are only a few thousand otters left in the wild due to extensive hunting.

Giant river otters are endangered due to poaching
giant river otter

## Plants

The Amazon rainforest is rich with tropical plants. However, due to deforestation and over-harvesting, some plant species are on the endangered list.

### Pau Brasil

Before synthetic dyes were created, the Pau Brasil was an important source of red coloring. Although synthetic dyes are now used, this tree is used to create bows and and strings for instruments. The exportation of the tree strands for this purpose is leading to an endangered status. The government is trying to increase numbers of the Pau Brasil by restricting its export.

Due to economic interests the Pau Brasil is being over-harvested
Pau Brasil

## Lesson Summary

The Amazon rainforest boasts some of the greatest biodiversity on Earth. Yet, due to deforestation, habitat destruction, climate change, and hunting, many species are endangered. The red uakari is an arboreal primate with a bright red face and critically endangered due to hunting and habitat destruction. Poison dart frogs pack a punch with toxic skin, but are also endangered due to habitat loss. The giant river otter has also become endangered due to excessive hunting. Plants also are vulnerable to endangerment. The Pau Brasil is being over-harvested for strings of the tree to make bows and instruments.

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