Strangest Animals In South America

They can grow up to 40cm long and although they look quite disconcerting they are actually completely harmless.

Strangest animals in south america. Andean condors are the largest raptor in the world and the largest bird of flight in South America. To quote the 1997 Encyclopedia of Mammals the sloths top speed is a dismal 12 mph Aside from a lack of speed these animals also have faces that seem to be permanently contorted into a silly grin. Coatis are omnivores who usually eat fruits some vegetation and invertebrates but have been.

Stunning landscapes harbor elusive critters that have evolved to thrive here. To his fortune plenty of eccentric mammals evolved in isolation in South America since the continent broke off from West Antarctica about 30 million years ago and only joined North America when a land bridge formed about 3 million years ago. A cousin of the famous piranha the pacu also sports a serious set of teeth.

Condors scavenge most of what they consume--over 15 pounds in some sittings. Found near freshwater stream and rivers in Mexico and Central and South America this unique animal is locally known as the yapok. Whales suffering from sunburn 24 Awesome Animal Photo Bombs.

South Americas 20 genera of nonhuman primates compares with 6 in Central America 15 in Madagascar 23 in Africa and 19 in Asia. The majority of sloths can be found in Central and South American jungles particularly Ecuador and Costa Rica. Visit the official BBC Earth channel.

Pacas can be found in northern South America in countries like Suriname all the way down Paraguay. To 19th century British naturalist Charles Darwin they were the strangest animals yet discovered one looking like a hybrid of a hippo rhino and rodent and another resembling a humpless. They are nocturnal so during the day they are either digging burrows near river banks in forests or sleeping in their burrows.

Coatimundis also called coatis are related to raccoons and can be found in the southwest US. Rare animals south america strange animals unusual animals. These reclusive cats are unusual looking resembling an animal more weasel-like than cat-like.