10 Scariest Things Found In The Amazon

10 Scariest Things Found In The Amazon

150M is the #1 place for all your heart warming stories about amazing people that will inspire you everyday. Make sure to subscribe and never miss a single video!

#viralstory #amazingpeople #150M


10 SCARY THINGS FOUND IN THE AMAZON
The Amazon is home to myths and legends that are as vast and mysterious as the jungle itself. Some
have ancient roots, and others are urban legends that evolved after the European conquest. But one
thing is true across the board: The Amazon is filled to the brim with wonder and mystery.
The fast-disappearing Amazon rainforest and river harbors some amazing creatures. Most of us have
heard of vampire bats, piranhas, and the anaconda, but among the inhabitants are weird and wonderful
animals just as bizarre as the more famous ones, if not more so.
In the wilderness of the Amazon forest and in depths of the Amazon River, the largest river in the world,
live creatures so amazing and so terrifying, that they make Jaws look like a nice, relaxing swim in the
ocean. Here are the 10 most scary creatures found in the Amazon. Let’s go.
10. Black Caiman
A black caiman is basically an alligator on steroids. They can grow up to six meters long, with bigger,
heavier skulls than Nile crocodiles, and are the apex predator in the Amazonian waters. That means they
are basically the kings of the river—they eat nearly anything they can get their teeth into, including
piranhas, monkeys, perch, deer, and anaconda.
Some more facts? Well, they are the largest member of the Alligator family and the largest predator in
the whole Amazon river basin. Better watch out the next time you’re planning to go to the Amazon for
some adventure.
Oh, and yes, they totally attack humans. In 2010, a biologist named Deise Nishimura was attacked by a
caiman while cleaning a fish on her houseboat, and while she managed to fight it off, it took one of her
legs with it. This particular caiman had been living under her houseboat for eight months, evidently
waiting for the chance to strike.
9. Green Anaconda
Continuing with the theme of gigantic reptiles, the largest snake in the world makes its home in the
Amazon: the anaconda. While reticulated pythons are actually longer, green anaconda are far heavier;
the females, generally larger than males, can reach 250 kilograms or 550 lbs., grow to nine meters or
over 29 feet long and reach a foot in diameter.
They are not venomous but instead use their immense muscular power to constrict and suffocate their
prey, which includes capybara, deer, caiman, and even jaguars. Preferring shallower waters that allow
them to stealthily sneak up on their prey, they tend to live in offshoots of the Amazon rather than the
river itself.
The Anaconda has been given a bad reputation over the years of being a "man-eater", as a result of
movies and media. Even in Amazonian folklore, the Giant Anaconda snake is called an “Encantado,” a
shapeshifting mythical creature known for kidnapping humans they fall in love with.
While there have been claims and fake photos of Anacondas eating humans, it is unverified, and most
definitely not true. There was some stir recently over a Discovery Channel special called, “Eaten Alive”,
where a naturalist wearing a snake-proof suit was supposed to be eaten by a Green Anaconda. The

Anaconda wasn’t prone to eat the naturalist at all, was frighten and tried to escape. The Anaconda only
attacked him after much provocation.
Many people turned to Social Media to express their outrage of this irresponsible stunt, criticizing
Discovery Channel for airing something so completely out of scientific nature that would cause harm to
the animal.
That being said, while an encounter with an Anaconda snake could be dangerous, it is highly improbable
that the Anaconda would try to hunt or eat you.
8. Arapaima
Arapaima, also known as “pirarucu” or “paiche,” are gigantic carnivorous fish that live in the Amazon
and surrounding lakes. Encased in armored scales, they think nothing of living in piranha-infested
waters—and they are pretty effective predators themselves, feeding on fish and the occasional bird.
Arapaima tend to stay close to the surface, because they need to breathe surface air in addition to
taking in oxygen through their gills and make a distinctive coughing sound when they emerge for air.
They can reach 2.7 meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms, which makes it quite possibly the
largest freshwater fish. These fish are so vicious that even their tongue has teeth.
Arapaima have broad, bony heads, upturned mouths and streamlined bodies with a dorsal fin stretching
along their backs toward their tails, which are massive, yet stumpy in appearance. The head of the
arapaima is copperish-green in color, their bodies are black with a white center and their tails are red.