California Academy of Sciences, Rainforest Gallery

The Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) is a species of passerine bird of uncertain relation. It is tentatively placed in the tanager family, but classified as incertae sedis by other authorities such as the American Ornithologists' Union. Its classification is debated, and it is often placed in its own family: Coerebidae. It has recently been suggested the Bananaquit should be split into three species, but this has yet to receive widespread recognition. This small, active nectarivore is found... less ↑

The Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea) is a small passerine bird in the true finch family. It is a resident breeder from Trinidad, Tobago and eastern Venezuela south to Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. The bird's range in northern Brazil is the lower portion of the Amazon Basin and the adjacent Tocantins River drainage, with its northwestern limits from Brazil and the Guyanas, the eastern banks of the Orinoco River drainage in central Venezuela. less ↑

The Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola) is a tanager from South America that is common in open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin. They have a wide distribution in Colombia, northern Venezuela (where it is called "canario de tejado" or "roof canary"), western Ecuador, western Peru, eastern and southern Brazil (where it is called "canário da terra" or "native canary"), Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, and Trinidad and Tobago. It has also been introduced... less ↑

The Blue-necked Tanager (Tangara cyanicollis) is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest.The Blue-necked Tanager averages 12 cm in length and weighs approximately 17 g. They have a blue hood and throat. The wing coverts, wing edges, and rump are turquoise to a greenish... less ↑

The Turquoise Tanager (Tangara mexicana) is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident bird from Trinidad, Colombia and Venezuela south to Bolivia and much of Brazil (despite its scientific name, it is not found in Mexico). It is restricted to areas with humid forest, with its primary distribution being the Amazon, while a disjunct population occurs in the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil. The latter population is sometimes considered a separate species, the White-bellied... less ↑

The Boa constrictor is a species of large, heavy-bodied snake. It is a member of the family Boidae found in North, Central, and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Ten subspecies are currently recognized, although some of these are controversial. This article focuses on the species Boa constrictor as a whole, but also specifically on the... less ↑

Eunectes murinus (derived from the Greek ευνήκτης meaning "good swimmer" and the Latin murinus meaning "of mice" for being thought to prey on mice), commonly known as the green anaconda, is a non-venomous boa species found in South America. It is the largest, heaviest, and second longest (behind the reticulated python) known extant snake species. The term anaconda (without further qualification) often refers to this species, though the term could also apply to other members of... less ↑

The Mission golden-eyed tree frog or Amazon milk frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix) is a large species of arboreal frog native to the Amazon Rainforest in South America. It is sometimes referred to as the blue milk frog. It was first discovered along the Maracanã River in Brazil. This species was previously within the genus Phrynohyas, which was recently synonymized with Trachycephalus. less ↑

Brycon is a genus of fish from the family Characidae. Despite being unrelated to true trout, they are sometimes called South American trout. They reach a maximum length of 12–80 centimetres (4.7–31 in) depending on the exact species involved, and the largest are among the largest species in the Characidae family. They are found widely in freshwater habitats in the Neotropics, ranging from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Some species play a role in seed dispersal, and... less ↑

Leporinus fasciatus, commonly known as the banded leporinus or the black-banded leporinus, is a species of characin in the family Anostomidae. L. fasciatus is native to the River Amazon and other rivers in South America, but has been introduced into the US states of Florida and Hawaii. It has not been observed from Hawaii as of 2005; the species is thought to have gone extinct in the region. less ↑

The Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) inhabits coastal waters, estuaries, lagoons, and rivers. The tarpon feeds almost exclusively on schooling fish and occasionally crabs. It is capable of filling its swim bladder with air, like a primitive lung. This gives the tarpon a predatory advantage when oxygen levels in the water are low. Tarpons have been recorded at up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in length and weighing up to 161 kg (355 lb). The Atlantic tarpon is also known as... less ↑

The ripsaw catfish (Oxydoras niger) or cuiu cuiu is a species of thorny catfish native to the tropical river basins of South America being found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Venezuela. This species grows to a length of 100.0 centimetres (39.4 in) SL and weights up to 13 kilograms (29 lb). This species is a minor component of local commercial fisheries. Has lateral thorns that can damage a potential predator or handler. It feeds by... less ↑

The redtail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus, is a pimelodid (long-whiskered) catfish named for its orange-red caudal fin. In Venezuela it is known as cajaro and in Brazil it is known as pirarara. It is the only extant species of the genus Phractocephalus. This fish originates from South America in the Amazon, Orinoco, and Essequibo river basins. Despite reaching 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) in length and 80 kg (180 lb) in weight, this fish is a common aquarium fish.This fish also has... less ↑

The Arrau River turtle, South American river turtle, or Giant South American turtle (Podocnemis expansa), also known as the Charapa turtle, Arrau turtle, Tartaruga-da-amazônia, or Araú, is the largest of the side-neck turtles (Pleurodira). It is found in the Amazon Basin (Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and so on). Adults often reach 1 m in length. Females have wide flattened shells and are larger and more numerous than the males. Adult Arraus feed entirely on plant food. The... less ↑

The danionins are a group of small minnow-type fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. Members of this group are mostly in the genera Danio and Devario. They are native to the fresh waters of southeast Asia. Many species are brightly coloured and are available as aquarium fish worldwide. Danio tend to have horizontal stripes and long barbels, Devario tend to have vertical bars and short rudimentary barbels, if barbels are present at all. All danionins are... less ↑

The glowlight danio (Danio choprai) is a small, schooling fish closely related to the popular zebrafish Danio rerio. This should not be confused with the GloFish , a trademarked brand of fluorescent zebrafish that appear to glow in the dark under ultravilet light. Danio choprai is an active danionin species that spends most of its time on mid-water levels. This species feeds on insects that have fallen into the water, aquatic insect larvae, and other small... less ↑

The cherry barb, Puntius titteya, is a tropical fish belonging to the spotted barb genus of the Cyprinidae family. It is native to Sri Lanka, and introduced populations have become established in Mexico and Colombia. The cherry barb was named Puntius titteya by Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala in 1929. Synonyms include Barbus titteya and Capoeta titteya. less ↑

The harlequin rasbora a small fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae, subfamily Rasborinae, which was originally given the scientific name of Rasbora heteromorpha. The specific name heteromorpha, translating from the Greek as "differently shaped", alludes to the fact that the body shape of this species differs from that of other members of the genus Rasbora, and as a consequence of this and assorted other factors (including the difference in breeding technique), the fish was assigned to... less ↑

The Borneo eared frog, file-eared tree frog or bony-headed flying frog (Polypedates otilophus) is a species of frog in the Rhacophoridae family found in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, intermittent freshwater marshes, and heavily degraded former forest. It is not considered a threatened species by the IUCN. less ↑

Kuhl's Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli) is a species of gecko which has adaptations to its skin, including flaps on either side of its body, webbed feet, and a flattened tail to allow it to glide over short distances. These geckos have a remarkable camouflage. The flaps of skin along their sides help them blend with tree bark. Often, the eyes are the only way to see them. less ↑

Paradise Tree Snake or Paradise Flying Snake Chrysopelea paradisi is a species of snake found in Asia. It can, like all species of its genus Chrysopelea, glide by stretching the body into a flattened strip using its ribs. It is mostly found in moist forests and can cover a horizontal distance of about 100 metres in a glide from the top of a tree. Slow motion photography shows an undulation of the snake's body in flight... less ↑

The Central American Giant Cockroach, Blaberus giganteus, is considered one of the largest cockroaches in the world, with males being able to reach lengths of 7.5 cm and females 10 cm. This cockroach belongs to the family Blaberidae. As typical for all roaches, individuals undergo hemimetabolous metamorphosis, which means the change from juvenile to adult is gradual. It is endemic to Central America and northern South America, and can be found naturally occurring in the rainforests. Habitat preferences... less ↑

The Ranita De Cristal (Cochranella granulosa) is a species of frog in the Centrolenidae family. It is found in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and possibly Colombia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. less ↑