Humanity still has a truly unique corner of the earth located on a continent called South America. Although the concern for the future exclusivity of the enclave is caused by the natural phenomenon itself, which has formed a special flora and fauna, and human activity, which makes its own adjustments to the environment.

Animals and plants of South America are constantly in the struggle for survival, adapting to the ambiguous climate. The continent is under the continuous influence of tropical showers, highlands, savannahs, subequatorial forests, a sharp drop in altitude and human progress. It is entirely possible that all this diversity of climatic zones of the southern part of the New World predetermined the uniqueness of the natural world, which must be preserved and enhanced.

Intervention in human nature

However, a fresh example of human intervention in the natural world that has not overlooked even the inhospitable place remote from civilization in the Atacama Desert (northern Chile), where the largest ground-based observatory arose, is noteworthy. Any traveler, being within the scope of this oasis of human progress, can confuse reality with fiction, since such a fantastic landscape on earth no longer exists.

South America - Territory of Controversy

The territory of the controversial continent, which occupies the fourth place in terms of area on the globe, is literally crammed with contrasting natural zones. After all, through the countries of Uruguay and Argentina, where livestock farming is carried out, the hot steppe of Pampa stretches. But on the island of Tierra del Fuego, which is under the partial jurisdiction of Chile and Argentina, mostly cold weather prevails with constant gale winds from the Atlantic. A completely different matter is the west, where there are fertile valleys with a cool climate that arose in the Andes mountain system. The presence of the most sultry place of the Earth (Atacama Desert) on the continent and at the same time the functioning of one of the most full-flowing river basins of the world (Amazon) with impenetrable jungle adds a picture of contrast.

Fauna of South America

A reasonable question arises: "What animals in South America could appear and survive, given a similar natural habitat?" First of all, the animals are the same inimitable and diverse as the nature of the southern part of America, the humid forest tropics and rare forests, savannahs and, of course, the inhabitants of the real mountain kingdom of the Andes.

It makes no sense to consider the animal world of the southern half of the American continent separately from the longest - about 9,000 km - mountains of the Earth. The Andes have widespread presence in various climatic zones in southern America, covering six zones. The vertical division of the mountain massif identified three zones (terra elada, terra fria and terra calente), which are strictly delimited, and regardless of climate. The unique nature of the Andes has allowed humanity to acquire new cultures and plant species. Potato tubers, tomatoes, tobacco leaf, hindu tree have become valuable and irreplaceable representatives of the flora of the whole Earth.

Animals living in South America, for the most part, came from the Andes themselves or the surrounding mountains. Here you can find a large number (up to 600) species of mammals and even more (900) varieties of amphibians. The nature of the Andes painted many insects with bright colors, especially highlighting the butterfly population, and among the ants tried to create unique samples of large individuals. Colonies of birds in the Andes are 1700 species and deserve special attention. In dense thickets of plants a constant numerous bird's homon is heard.Species of parrots and tiny hummingbirds have been honored with a special presence in the Andes.

Condor - the animal symbol of South America

But the main animal of South America, related to the bird kingdom, is a condor, which did not take pride of place in the International Red Book. Mainly thanks to humans, the condor became an endangered species, as it was considered a dangerous predator, and its habitat was reduced to two relatively small areas of the Andes. Nevertheless, he was honored with honorable attention of a person, becoming the national symbol of several states of South America at once - Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and the Colombian authorities depicted a condor on the national emblem of the country. Recently, programs have begun to appear to protect the true cultural heritage of many Andean peoples.

Condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world. and has a rare graceful coloring, and individuals of males are often much smaller than females. Among the feathered inhabitants of the planet, the condor rightfully belongs to long-livers who can overcome the age threshold of fifty years.

Usually, the last altitude belt of the Andes (3000–5000 meters above sea level) with hard-to-reach spots becomes a permanent condor stay for the nesting period, during which one or two eggs become the norm for a mature feathered parent pair. In general, the Andean condor with shiny black plumage, huge wings in a light edging and a snow-white collar around the neck, moreover, seen in the wild at the top of the peak of a rocky cliff, is a truly bewitching sight.

Exceptional animals of South America

Titicacus Whistler

Unusual animals of South America have become a real landmark of the nature of the whole Earth. In addition to the famous Andes, you can meet them in another no less unique place on the continent and around the world - Lake Titicaca. Such rare animals of South America as the Titicaca whistle (tailless amphibian) and the wingless Chomga, or Greater Grebe, are found mainly on Lake Peruvian Titicaca, where there are also forty unique floating islands of straw. A millennium ago, the inhabitants of such drifting places of permanent residence were the tribes of the Latin American aborigines Uros, who decided to move to artificial islands from the coast of Titicaca.

Therefore, not only interesting animals of South America can surprise travelers, but the lifestyle of the ancient Peruvian tribes can cause them great curiosity.

Pudu deer

Although there is another exceptional animal of South America, which can not leave indifferent many tourists. At present, it can only be found on the Latin American continent, and this rare cattle is called the Pudu deer. With the advent of civilization, Pudu, like the Andean Condor, was not without reason placed in the Red Book. The habitat of a small animal, which is about a meter long and forty centimeters in height, has narrowed from a whole continent to two of its regions: the coastal regions of southern Chile and the island of Chilos.

There is almost no outward resemblance between Pudu and classical deer species. Characteristic features of the appearance of a small deer are: thick hair, short and oval ears, small and weakly marked horns, a dull grayish color with inexpressive light circles, that is, the most unique furry animal from South America. The best and main food for a ten-kilogram Pudu was the fuchsia coastal seaweed, which he devours mostly at night. In the daytime, the Pudu deer is located in dense thickets, hiding from numerous enemies.

The peculiar nature of South America has formed a world of animals with unique representatives that can disappear without a trace. Man is able to withstand this.