Amazon Rainforest By: Julia Schlough

General Stuff Rainforests once covered 14% of earth’s surface, now they cover only 6% Experts estimate that the last of the rainforests will be consumed in less than 40 years It is estimated that we are losing 137 plant, animal, and insect species every DAY because of rainforest deforestation. That’s 50,000 species a year! 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide use plants to make them Less than 1% of tropical plants and trees have been tested by scientists.

Amazon Rainforest Facts The Amazon Rainforest covers over a billion acres If it were a country, it would be the 9 th largest in the world! The Amazon rainforest spans over Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and the Eastern Andean region of Ecuador and Peru More than half of the world’s (estimated)10 million plant, animal, and insect species live in tropical rainforests Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest.

Amazon Rainforest Facts The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3,000 plants that are active against cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. More than 20% of the world’s oxygen is produced here One single tree in Peru was found to harbor forty-three different species of ants - a total that approximates the entire number of ant species in the British Isles.

Amazon Animals   Ocelot Pink River Dolphins  Ocelots are 3-5 feet long, including their tail. They eat small deer, snakes, rabbits, rodents, reptiles, and fish. They hunt at night, and they love to swim! Pink river dolphins are mammals not fish! They can be over 8 feet long and weigh over 450 lbs! They are carnivores, and eat crustaceans and fish. They are highly endangered, so don’t shoot them!  Piranha Piranhas are a type of fish. (obviously) They are 6-10 inches long and can weigh up to 2 pounds. But that doesn’t mean they’re nice! They are omnivores, so they eat seeds, other fish, insects or wounded animals. They like to eat dead fish, and rarely attack living animals. They usually travel in large schools, and they have very sharp teeth (OMNOMNOM!!!)

The Amazon River The Amazon River is the largest, widest, and second longest river in the world It is 6,280 kilometers long The Amazon River is home to the pink Amazon River dolphin, one of only 5 fresh water species of dolphin The Amazon is responsible for a fifth of the total volume of fresh water entering the oceans worldwide.

Resources on3.html#ocelot on3.html#ocelot tm tm