El Cerrado is one of the regions of the planet that encompasses the largest biodiversity of flora and fauna in the world. It is estimated that about 10-15% of the world’s species are found in Brazil.
In this article by Animal Expert, we will present a list of some of the main animals of the Brazilian Cerrado. If you are curious about Brazilian wildlife, read this article.
- “Closed” means “closed” in Spanish.
- Denomination given the appearance of dense and numerous vegetation that it presents.
- El Cerrado is a type of tropical savannah that covers about 25% of the central territory of Brazil.
- Where more than 6000 species of plants live.
- Due to its central location.
- It is influenced by the Amazon rainforest and the biomes of the Atlantic rainforest.
- And is known for its biological richness.
Unfortunately, due to human actions and the consequences of these actions, the landscape and the territory of the Cerrado have increasingly fragmented and destroyed. Habitat destruction for road construction, overexploitation of natural resources, expansion of agricultural land and poaching have led to the extinction of countless species and the decline of ecosystems.
In the following topics, we will talk about some of the animals of the Closed biome and also the endangered animals of the Cerrado.
Although it is very common to associate animals that live in the Cerrado with large animals, invertebrates (including butterflies, bees, ants, spiders, etc.) are a very important group in the Cerrado biome and are often ignored. In addition, insects have important functions in the ecosystem, such as:
Never forget that all living things are important to the cycle. Even the absence of the smallest animal can affect the entire ecosystem and cause irreversible imbalances.
The group of animals living in the Cerrado classified as amphibians are:
They are very sensitive to the physical and chemical changes in the water in which they live and, therefore, of the approximately 150 species that exist in the Cerrado, 52 are seriously threatened with extinction.
Among the animals of the Cerrado are reptiles and the best known are
Alligators play an important role, particularly in regulating the amount of piranhas that exist in aquatic regions. Decreasing the number of alligators or even their extinction can trigger an increase in the piranha population that can lead to the extinction of other fish species and even attacks on humans.
The yellow-crested Jacaré can grow up to 2 meters long and takes this name because of the characteristic yellow color it acquires during the heat season, when it is ready to reproduce. Its snout is wide and short allowing it to feed on small puppies, molluscs, crustaceans and reptiles.
This Cerrado animal looks like a large lizard with a sturdy striped body that alternates between black and white. It can be up to 1.4 m long and weigh up to 5 kg.
The most common fish in the Cerrado are
Freshwater fish that live on the banks of rivers.
Freshwater fish that live in calm water areas.
To continue our list of Closed Animals, it is time to list the mammals of the Brazilian Cerrado. Among them, the best known are:
Também conhecido como jaguar, é o terceiro maior felino do mundo. É um nadador exímio e vive em zonas de perto de rios e lagos. O seu poder de mordida é tão forte que pode quebrar crânios só com uma dentada.
It is threatened with extinction because of the consequences of human action (poaching, habitat destruction, exploitation of resources, etc.).
Também conhecido como gato-do-mato, é mais encontrado na Mata Atlântica. É parecido com a onça-pintada, no entanto é bem menor (25 a 40 cm).
Native to Central and South America, it is found in several locations, the Amazon, the Atlantic Forest and the Pantanal. Similar to the ocelot, but smaller in size.
Orange fur, long legs and large ears are a very characteristic species of the wolf.
Capybars are the largest rodents in the world, they are also excellent swimmers and generally live in groups of 40 or more animals.
The well-known ant has a thick grayish-brown fur with a black diagonal band with white edges. Its long snout and large claws are perfect for digging and ingesting ants and termites through its long tongue. You can ingest 30, 000 ants a day.
Or also known as tapir, it has a flexible trunk (proboscis) and a strong body with short, pig-like limbs. Its diet includes roots, fruits, tree leaves and shrubs.
Giant otters, called jaguars and otters, are carnivorous mammals that feed on fish, small amphibians, mammals and birds. Giant otters are more sociable and live in large groups, but are vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
To learn more about otters, watch our YouTube video
To finish our list of typical Animals of the Cerrado, we present the most popular birds:
The Seriema (Cariama cristata) has long legs and a feathery tail and crest. It feeds on worms, insects and small rodents.
It lives in Cerrado near swamps and wetlands. It is about 20 cm long (including the tail) and due to deforestation is endangered.
Known for its lush and characteristic colors, this red-crested black bird is found in many parts of Brazil.
These are some of the species of animals that live in the Cerrado, we can not forget all the other reptiles, birds, mammals, fish, amphibians and insects that have not been mentioned here but that constitute the biome of the Cerrado, as well as other biomes. Brazil and are essential to the ecosystem.
If you would like to read articles similar to Brazilian Closed Animals, we recommend entering our Endangered Animals section.