u/Prestigious_Prior684

With efforts made in places like Arizona, Colombia, Argentina, and of course the safe haven of Brazil, seems slowly but surely they are regaining a footing of their once vastly wider historic range. The Pantanal has been one of the biggest population success stories all the way to the Jaguars of the Atlantic Forest which have had corridors to traverse despite having around 85% of the population erased with present threats from Poaching and Decrease in prey.

You can bring it to the spectacular story with whats being done in the Ibreá wetlands and the specimens that have been released back into the wild of that part of Argentina after 70 or so years.

It’s not an easy task and there are a plethora of losses teams have taken when reintroducing these large felines back into historic territory, poaching and unlawful hunting, genetic diversity, prey numbers, disease and deforestation, all factors. Yet despite it all, there are many successful missions that have happened and with proper percussions battling the constant pressures and stabilized breeding populations along with good gene flow, they can bounce back.

That brings me to Uruguay, the country that Jaguars are functionally listed as extinct and being popularly known for seemingly wanting nothing to do with them, with the last one being reported in 1901. As of currently there are no known reintroductions going on with most organizations within the country facing hurdles when dealing with large apex predators.

Quote “Organizations focus on smaller native species, such as collared peccaries and crab-eating foxes, rather than large carnivores”

Well turns out unsurprisingly, in order to control these other medium sized predators and large sized herbivores, you need well, large predators and Jaguars along with Cougars, Caimans, Crocodiles, And Spectacled Bears, prey a key role in their environment being keystone predators in were they live. Jaguars would be a great answer to the game thats already present however prey numbers would be another issue as the amount of creatures that once used to live there have since seen a decrease which unfortunately is common. They once called this region home and its only right they make a return to land they claimed long before humans.

Could this be a thing anytime soon? The way Argentina and Arizona have seen to put some effort into preserving the species? Give your thoughts

Also a shout out to a frequent artist whose art I display Hodari with the amazing depiction of a Giant Jaguar hunting a Sea Lion. Interestingly enough this example choice actually was based off information I received from a user who was native to South America. Along with millions of Pampas Deer, Peccaries and Tapirs Jaguars in Uruguay were said based off of anatomical evidence to be really large, probably also because of the fact they had a large array of prey ungulates but also supposedly the largest “Sea Lion colony” in South America which may have even been preyed on by these Cats when their ranges overlapped.

I came across this image from a couple years back a few days ago, and it always shocks me looking at the size of Giant Jaguars how many times people seem to underestimate these predators, placing them in mid tier rankings on the trophic level when like American Lions up North, these animals may have really been top dogs in the Pantherine department during this time.

Just look at the size compared to its larger contemporary and probably main rival Smilodon Populator an essentially Brown Bear sized Machairodont. Seeing them together may have been akin seeing a large Amur Tiger coming across a Brown Bear when I picture it, in terms of size of course as Populator was still a feline aswell and therefore probably more agile than a Bear. We also know as far as Pantherines go Jaguars are probably the closest analogues to Smilodon, both being built very robust and strong, made for dealing with high amounts of pressure and stress to their bodies, both being very Ursid like and if Giant Jaguars were anything similar this would have only been emphasized.

To be able to have lived in the same world as these predators means you yourself would have to be a menace and as far as Jaguars go, just do your research on them and see how they are today. It then would make sense why enthusiasts a say that even the Jaguar species that still lives today that was around back then P.Onca Onca would have been a very dangerous animal if it was still the size of the largest “Pantanal Jaguars”.

If modern day Jaguars are ripping off Water Buffalo Horns and capable of bringing down large Crocodilians just imagine what slightly larger Jaguars were doing.

Then ramp that up with P. Onca Mesembrina a cat that could have very well approached even Cave Lions in size. Discoveries on the Ground Sloth Mylodons skull, an animal already known to weigh over 3,000lbs, bared teeth punctures matching the telltale size of Jaguar teeth and their famous skull killing bite, showing that these giant cats still retained that insane bite force and confirming they were punching high above their weight class as their modern relatives do now. Even Short Faced Bears and Sabertooths, as both Populator and Fatalis were present in SA, would have to be careful if a bite like that somehow got around their skull as modern Jaguars today already bite with the force of a medium size Crocodile at 1500 to allegedly 2,000lbs psi and this Jaguar had 200 plus lbs on them!

I seriously hope as the years go on more fossils and data can be uncovered for this species because I truly believe we are looking at one of the top predators of this area that would have filled in that American Lion role as far as Pantherines go down South. With fossil pools shallow it is very likely that exceptional specimens of these already 500 plus lb predators may have hit that 600lb mark, I wouldn’t be surprised if 700lb individuals existed especially with less human interference.

A truly overlooked ice age carnivore that surely needs more median attention.

Whether you’re speaking on the wilds of Africa with its vast herds of ungulates from Eland, Zebra, Kudu or Wildebeest

to

Jim Corbett’s National Park in India with its vast herds Chital Deer, Indian Rhinos, Sambar or Asian Elephants.

Even North America and parts of Europe still retain some rich areas teeming with megafauna whether its Moose, Reindeer, Elk or Bison, these animals still thrive, though in reduced fragmented numbers mere shadows of their former glory.

That brings me to this post….South America was a continent that interest me since I was a kid for some reason. It always seemed like that forgotten continent that rarely was spoken on with the exception of the vast Amazon Jungle, but in terms of other plentiful biomes outside of the Jungle it seemed like most of the landmass was shrouded in mystery let alone the megafauna that used to and still do call the place home

Of all the places round the world with the exception of Antarctica and Australia, Southern America probably took one of the hardest hits in terms of the extinction of its Megafauna, “Megafauna” basically equates for a population of any large animal weighing of 45kg (100lbs).

To most when you think of South America, Sloths, Macaws, Monkeys and Anteaters might come into mind but upon more research you not only see that this place once rivaled Africa in terms of large ungulates but bio diversity too.

I won’t be diving deep into South America during the Pleistocene but rather the large animals that actually call the place home today

Credits to the youtuber @ecology nerd for this video

Check Out! https://youtu.be/FYju6jlymO4?si=Uf6ZGR6jiJibsKK2

This video was a detailed informative presentation of the wilds of the region probably unbeknownst to most of the public. Regarding the video he does get into detail about how Proboscideans of the Ice Age actually helped shape the landscape due to their grazing and trampling habits aswell as their seed dispersing due to recent research.

Wild fires have become more frequent over the years (particularly in Brazil) and the lack of a large number of grazers may possibly be the reason. For more information definitely refer to the video as it is explained in much further detail.

What was interesting was the large amount of creatures albeit some invasive that many never knew actually lived in the continent with some having positive effects because they are substituting the native large ungulates that were around during the last interglacial and some whose effects may be negative.

The following list of animals as mentioned provide a vivid window into the diverse world of this place and how with time, its eco systems may shift in terms of wildlife, reflecting other places like Africa & Asia

•Megafauna South American Herbivores
(Native)

-Guanacos and Vicuna

Two species of South American Camelid who occasionally co exist with each other in parts of the Andes. With Guanacos sometimes reaching well over 200lbs and Vicuna maxing out at around 150lbs both these large animals are key species in each of their respected habitats.

Guanacos are more so common in the Southern regions of the continent but their range does extend further North while Vicuna basically replace them heading further North being more adapted to high altitude areas.

-Peccary

Despite looking alot like them, Peccaries aren’t
Suidae or Pigs, they are in a family of their own but are still close relatives. Different dentition and even the numbers of digits on their hind feet differ from Pigs having 3 toes vs Pigs who have 4. With straighter canines more like sabers than tusk, Peccaries have separated themselves with their aggressive behavior and mobbing behavior. With some herds numbering in the hundreds they are an important species from Arizona down into Argentina. 3 Species currently are known with a controversial 4th being discovered within the last decade. The Chacoan Peccary arguably the most endangered and largest of the three Peccary species, The Collared Peccary the most widespread, and the White Lipped Peccary the most aggressive some of most social animals on the world with numbers recorded in the hundreds and even thousands sometimes. This species in particular being very famous for its relationship with Big Cats having been known to drive off and even kill their predators.

The alleged 4th species the so called Giant Peccary was only recently described 19 years ago in 2007 being highly debated on in terms of is classification as a distinct species. Lacking a “collar” appearance and being much larger traveling in pairs, these changes in ecology lead some to think its a different member in general but until further research entails, this animal may remain in mystery.

-Deer

There are 5 large species of Cervids native to South America

Whitetail Deer

Red Brocket Deer

Taruca or North Andean Deer

Southern Huemul or South Andean Deer

And Marsh Deer

When you think of South America the Deer species isn’t probably the first thing that comes to mind, yet there are just as many Deer here than North America ironically including the worlds smallest Cervid the Pudu Deer. With now invasive species of Deer on the continent now the number has gone up.

They provide both important roles to the environments aswell as predators which we will go over later on.

Whitetail Deer

At 130lbs in the Southern Americas, is probably the species most wouldn’t have expected on this list as it is a common sight in North America throughout nearly the whole landmass, however throughout the land bridge of what its now Central America they made their way down from Mexico all the way to the Northern Andes with the distinct Andean Whitetail Deer or Woolly Whitetail Deer distinguishing itself from others due to its thicker gray coat built for the colder elevated temperatures. Normally these Deer can reach large sizes in North America sometimes over 300lbs but they are noticeably smaller further South than up North and it may make sense in terms of niche partitioning as the next species on the list tends to crack that size.

Marsh Deer

The largest native species of Deer, they’ve been clocked at 330lbs for Bucks matching Mule Deer in size. Their range over the years has declined unfortunately over the decades due to hunting and habitat destruction aswell as livestock outcompeting them sometimes for certain resources. However they have seen an increase recently due to protection in some areas and with that have been able to restore their once widespread impact. Preferring wetland habitats hence the name, they tend to stick to anywhere that has an ample amount of cover and more importantly water, feeding heavily on aquatic plants. Their behavior is very similar to Mule Deer aswell with the fact that they dont form massive herds like Pampas Deer or Key Deer but still may be found in some numbers.

Red Brocket Deer

At around 106lbs Red Brocket Deer are the largest of the Brocket Deer species and another example of large ungulate that calls the jungles home but whom hasn’t see a huge amount of research done them too. For one they prefer the dense jungles and rainforest. Being shorter and more stocky than most other Deer, this helps with them maneuvering through dense and tough terrain. More solitary than the other Deer mentioned so far which might point to why they are hardly studied let alone seen.

Taruca (Northern Andean Deer) & Southern Huemul (South Andean Deer)

Weighing about 176lbs and 198lbs respectively both Northern and Southern Andean Deer are the phantoms of the Cervid Family in my opinion. Endangered but also another rare sight, they are found further South than the previously mentioned 3 species, having adapted to the more mountainous terrain leading to a stocky more robust build and shorter limbs than the more gracile Pampas Deer or Whitetail. Elusive nature means they aren’t easy however the impact on their habitats is evident being relatively social with some herds numbering at 30.

Capybara

With some of the largest females weight 208lbs or heavier than most large dogs people own, the world’s largest rodents call this place home. Capybara are well known for their aquatic nature and social behavior. Sometimes holding their breath for up to 5 minutes, they are essentially furry submarines, being surprisingly fast on land but really broadcasting their talent when they enter the water. Fast, agile and attentive they glide underwater like tiny Hippos, bounding and walking along the bottom when faced with danger. Despite them preferring wetland habitats they have even been witnessed in grasslands from time to time traveling large distances in great numbers during dry seasons.

Tapir

Enter South America’s largest native land animal. 3 species of Tapir exist in South America with a debatable 4th, The Lowland Tapir, probably the most common, Mountain or Woolly Tapir the smaller of 3 and the most distinctive due to its thicker fur compared to the other 2, and the Barids Tapir a species more confined to the Northern regions of the continent and Central America but also having the title as the largest species in South America as a whole with reports of 800lb individuals being out there. Tapirs are very elusive animals in general with most research coming from camera traps and captive specimens. They know how to stay hidden and enclosed environments are their preference which leads to difficulty in terms of spotting behavior in the wild. Very similar to Capybara when threatened they tend to have a habit of fleeing into the nearest source of water being very good at swimming. They use their short prehensile trunk not only as a great foraging tool but a snorkel to galloping along the bottom of water sources in a similar manner while also being fast on land. They may not have noticeable defenses but Tapirs do have a nasty bite that can be vicious in attacks with one report of a Tapirs attack on a farmer unfortunately resulting in a fatality.

Rhea

The South American equivalent of an Ostrich, Rhea are the largest native bird on the continent. Omnivores, they can reach sizes of 5’ft 11 in height and 88lbs with some exceptional individuals being taller than some full grown humans. Fast social birds they call the vast open grasslands their home like Cerrado and Pampas. Very much like their larger African cousins their grazing habitats are enough important role where they live along with the fact they tend to feed around mixed groups of other large animals line them feeding alongside Cattle or Pampas Deer on occasion. Though docile a kick from these birds could still be dangerous though they rather their speed and agility to evade danger.

(Invasive) South American Megafauna

With most of the native megafauna herbivores out the way now we get into the invasive species. Although the world invasive does normally carry a negative narrative, some of these creatures (though not all) have actually had a neutral or non effecting presence and in some cases even a positive effect on the ecosystem.

Feral/Wild Horses & Donkeys

Started off with Feral Horses because of the debate that these Horses might not actually be (invasive) so to speak. Both Feral Horses and Donkeys live here but they aren’t native, at least these species. When Humans first arrived in South America Horses were already there, in plentiful numbers actually they just weren’t the kind that are currently running wild.

However because of this restorative nature that Horses bring to the continent it’s the reason why most think the term “invasive” should be removed. They do rank as some of the largest animals in South America regularly weighing over half a ton.

Wild Boar/Hogs

When the word invasive comes to mind, Wild Hogs are probably at the top of that list, throughout the globe their explosive and dominating nature has had a negative long term effect on alot of the areas they have invaded. Transferring diseases and out competing native wildlife such as the contemporary Peccary, they pose serious threats towards eco systems. Argentina and Uruguay for example are two countries that have seen nearly complete invasion from them. Between 150-300lbs with some large Boars in places like Patagonia exceeding 350lbs these are Boars on the larger side of the spectrum. Tough, stocky robust and compact, aggressive and social with fast reproduction and nomadic behavior it’s no wonder they’ve been able to essentially spread like wildfire. With the rehabilitation of the local predators though, the story doesn’t come to an end there, controlling the population is key as Wild Boar much like many of the other herbivores on this list spread seeds and maintain flora by eating certain tough vegetation thats inaccessible to others.

Water Buffalo

Enter the 2nd biggest invasive animal in South America and in my opinion one of the most interesting to be introduced to the continent, The Water Buffalo.
Bovines seemed to have never made it down South with the exception of Bison being discovered in Nicaragua, but some Notoungulates filled in this niche. Thousands roam Brazil but some populations are found in Northern South America like Guyana, there is even a island near the mouth of an estuary I believe somewhere also in the Northern region where their populations have also exploded.

On top of the fact they were introduced as livestock, Water Buffalo upon becoming feral seemed to have had a neutral effect, replacing the large ungulates that once were around. A reason predator control is important. Their social herding habits and aggressive nature towards predators actually brings a balance. At over 2,000lbs these Asian descendants may rival even the mighty Cape Buffalo in size allowing them to take over without much to fear.

Hippos

Heres a curve ball for ya, Hippos are actually indeed residents of South America but in this case thankfully to one country Columbia. Introduced in the 80s by infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, after being released his captive Hippos began breeding and now we see the birth of that very moment as they rapidly began populating the rest of Columbia. Hippos are the largest introduced species in South America weighing well over 2 tons and having a huge temper to match. Hippos and their power and territorial attitude needs no introduction as many can see how they are in Africa. Since then, many efforts have put in place to control them as they destroy the neighboring eco system and outcompete alot of herbivores. Their aggression may even be a threat to the other fauna despite Hippos feeding on plants. Hippos could easily traverse through Brazil upon various other Countries, the Amazon and vast wetlands would provide endless amount of routes to travel and food as well as territory and other resources, however they just simply dont belong there.

Black Buck/Introduced Deer

A native to India these Antelopes were introduced to Argentina and since then have slowly spread throughout Argentina with thousands roaming the open plains and grasslands synonymous with their native range. At up to 126lbs and reaching speeds of 50mph, these midsize Ungulates use their agility to avoid predators which aids in their ability to have been able to expand throughout the Southern regions, however both Uruguay and Brazil have seen some Blackbucks expand into their boarders aswell.
They are normally herd animals which allows them to have multiple eyes yo spot danger, it however also coincides with Pampas Deer having an negative impact on them as they’ve already filled the niche in the Blackbuck would fill.

Along with Blackbuck, Red Deer, Chital Deer ironically another Indian native, Fallow Deer, Sika Deer, Javon Rusa Deer and Wild Goats also invaded, with Red Deer being now the largest Cervid in South America in General approaching Elk in size. Red Deer are more solitary compared to other species but these mostly stem from nomadic males. Otherwise they do form herds and the same could be said for Fallow Deer. Chital Deer form large herds to increase chances of security as back home many predators view them as food. Sika Deer are similar to Fallow Deer in a way and Javan Rusa Deer weighing up to 353lbs are similar to Sambar Deer as they are closely related. In conclusion both species would behave very much in a similar manner being nomadic so solitary but also being social especially with females.

And speaking of predators, this is the next segment…the carnivores

In terms of who would deal with these large and in some cases dangerous animals, we now enter the predators. South America has a surprising amount of mega fauna carnivores just emphasizing how much this place truly is despite being hit the hardest in terms of megafauna extinction vs alot of other places

In order to deal with some of the introduced species, ( that dont seem like they simply have to be removed entirely) you need healthy populations of large specialized predators that can handle them

Bush Dogs/ Ocelots/ Harpy Eagles

We will start off with the smallest of these large megafauna predators. Its kind of crazy because in way you have a small yet very tenacious canid and a large bird of prey so big in some cases it matches or outweighs the canid

The Bush Dog (personally my favorite canid) is one of South Americas last pack hunting canids who once saw many more species like Protocyon tens of the thousands of years ago.

At around 20lbs what they lack in size they surely make up for in tenacity and attitude, very widespread yet hardly seen they prefer forest and cover preferably near water sources. Their hunting strategy includes water sometimes, being some of the most aquatic dogs too, even going as far as having webbing inbetween toes. Social with packs up to 12 they coordinate to raise their pups similar to Wolves and like Wolves can use their numbers to bring down prey much larger than themselves including large Paca, Capybara, Deer, Peccary and allegedly even Rheas and Tapirs which are 10 times their size! Borrowing underground or sometimes using dens and logs abandoned by other animals their elusive nature yet macropredatory habit almost like small Hyenas in a way helps with the balance of the continents megafauna.

Harpy Eagles are some of the largest and strongest Birds Of Prey in the world, its no wonder they’d be on this list and help with the large amounts of Megafauna here already. With 7 plus ft wing spans, 22lb bodies with the largest females and talons as long as Brown Bear claws everything from small game to mid size Deer and Peccary would be on the menu. Monkeys and Sloths already make up a good portion of their diet so large mammal prey isn’t foreign to them. They dont have the longest wingspan of any Eagle but this is a result of the dense enclosed broad leaf kingdom they inhabit, lots of tress and foliage to maneuver and shorter broad but powerful wings helps.

At up to 40lbs Ocelots are mid sized felines that play an important role in maintaining mid sized prey populations. Solitary ground dwelling although sometimes arboreal cats, they feed on a wide range a prey for animals their size including a recent post showing a Ocelot killing what looked to be a adult Marsh Deer which would be twice their weight. Avoiding threats like Bush Dogs but also still being phantoms of the forest floor they range through a variety of habitats and prove to be excellent climbers.

Maned Wolves

The largest Canids in South America as well as the tallest in the world the 66lb Wolf is an anomaly if I’ve ever seen one. Solitary in nature, despite having Wolf in its name its not a Wolf not a Fox on stilts. It is in a family of its own, ironically having the aforementioned Bush Dogs as its closest relative. They inhabit open spaces like savannahs and grasslands contrary to their smaller relative preferring enclosed spaces. They hunt small prey like rodents and birds and also have occasionally been reported going after larger food like Rheas, Pampas Deer, even young Peccary, plant matter however is included in their diet with some cases having 90% made up of the famous “Wolf Apple” which kills parasitic kidney worms in their bodies. Maned Wolves could definitely help with mid size game like Deer or maybe Blackbuck if their range overlapped but the inclusion of this amazing creature just adds further to the true diversity in large animals of this place.

Pumas

Now we start to get into the largest predators South America has to offer and starting off is the Leopard of the Western Hemisphere the Mountain Lion. Ranging from Canada to Patagonia, this cat’s adaptability and distribution is as varied as the names that come with them. Depending on the area Cougars can weigh as little as 75lbs to 220lbs and despite many articles saying Pumas grow smaller further South due to them co existing with another large feline (which we will mention soon) certain parts of Brazil, Venezuela, and especially the Giants of Argentina mainly Patagonia, have massive felines and this leads to why they are important predators. Pumas above most of the carnivores listed are the ones to most likely come into contact with nearly every introduced megafauna listed, having already been preying on most of the creatures named. Solitary and also nomadic aswell as efficient Deer and Guanaco hunters everywhere from Jungles to the open tundra like Pampas may be home to these guys. Seems nowhere is hard for them to live and capitalize.

Jaguars

The 2nd largest land predator on the continent and the largest feline in the western hemisphere, the Jaguar although much more restricted to the southern regions of North America and most of South America, are probably some of the most impactful predators on the continent, a keystone species that helps shape the plants and herbivores around them. Weighing from 85-350lbs aswell as preying on over 85 species of animals this would be the most feared for many of the introduced animals in South America with exceptions of Hippos although young Hippos would need to steer clear. Jaguars strength power and abilities need no introduction, they navigate through their world with a grace, power and intention having been seen climbing like Leopards, swimming effortlessly like Tigers, dominating like Lions and having coalitions line Cheetahs. They truly separate themselves from other felines and being robust stocky hunters that a go for anything from Caimans and Bears to Marsh Deer, Horses and Buffalo, maintaining their numbers would help with them keeping numbers of introduced megafauna in check. They do so now with Wild Hogs and recently sightings of them stalking Chital Deer in the Ibreá wetlands has been circulating. Elusive in nature but inspiring when they are witnessed these apex predators just add to the magnificent dynamic wherever they go.

Spectacled Bear

If I were to tell you that Bears were in South America do you think most would believe? Well that wouldn’t have a choice as the continent does have its very own Bear. The Andean or Spectacled Bear, the largest land predator there. Approaching over 440lbs in weight with some standing over 6’3ft in tall, its funny these are the last of a family that included the likes of some of the largest mammalian land predators to ever have lived the Short Faced Bears, a characteristic of this Bear they are named from the coherent interesting color patterns particularly around their eyes giving off their appearance and their short muzzle which houses a powerful bite. Elusive aswell less than 10% of their diet consist of meat mainly eating plants in tress and ground dwelling plants being excellent climbers to acquire them, yet they are more than capable predators having been known to prey on Cows, Horses, Deer and even fully grown Mountain Tapir. They aren’t typically aggressive to humans but have been known to attack with at least one fatality reported. Even with all of this they are relatively shy animals who tend to avoid people if anything but worth mentioning as their size and power could help them deal with some of other megafauna prey introduced here.

Black Caiman, American Crocodile, Orinoco Crocodile, Green Anaconda

No not mammals but creatures who without a mention would contradict the whole point of the post. These are the largest predators in South America period

Black Caiman

Being the largest species of Caiman species with reports of 6m existing but 18ft being a documented max length are apex predators where they reside, preying on just about anything they want. Deer, Horses, Tapir, Capybara, even Jaguars know to avoid these behemouths once fully grown. To add to it though in ensuring some of these introduced animals are at least controlled, South America has not only 1 but 2 other massive Crocodilians composing of 3 out of 7 of the massive Crocs world wide others being the Saltwater Croc, The Nile Croc, The Gharial, and the American Alligator

Both American and Orinoco Crocodile call Northern South America home with the latter probably being the biggest as reports from the 19th century had 22ft specimens at their peak. With American Crocs approaching 20ft and each weighing up to 1500lbs respectively, both animals would be the only creatures big enough to pose a threat to Hippos as they would be similar the Crocs Hippos naturally face the Nile Crocodile.

American Crocs although said to be more docile maybe more aggressive here than vs Florida and grow larger too.

The Green Anaconda although battling with Jaguars and Bears in the weight department is longer than any predator mentioned and is the silent assassin slithering into the closing of this post. At 30ft for their max size and over 300lbs they would be the one animal many would have to fear but hardly see. Slow on land but fast in the water anything from Capybara to large Deer would need to steer clear

Honorable mentioned include the various amounts of large Freshwater Fish that call this place home like Arapaima, Piraiba and Redtail Catfish, even Bull Sharks have been known to prowl the rivers which could easily be danger from large herbivores crossing vast bodies of water

All in all this place never seems to be portrayed in a wild light like the likes of a Africa, India or even North America but as you can see with many obviously being introduced by the hands of humans and plenty of native animals named already, South America has more than enough to be included as a truly wild place in terms of megafauna. Those animals weren’t even the sliver of all the creatures here but great and important mentions that broadcast just how vibrate this continent truly is.

For further pictures refer to next post

Andean Bears can actually get pretty big

Despite claims that Andean or Spectacled Bears are modest sized Bears they can actually grow pretty large when their environment is at its healthiest. Places like Chingaza National Park which has open grasslands and plentiful food sources from Bromeliads to Whitetail Deer and Tapirs, when the effects of Humans hasn’t taken a major toll on their habitat, they can reach their normal sizes which can be surprisingly big.

Other places like Peru, Columbia they host healthy biomes that support large Bears outside of the Cloud forest.

S/o to [u/Sebiyas07](u/Sebiyas07) for the post and picture, this right here shows a large male Andean Bear sided with a female of about 1.60m by the same tree, the male in question is estimated at about 1.80m to 1.90m or 5’11 to 6ft 3 inches which easily towers over the average human being at the upper limit of its range, plus knowing really big males have been weighed at over 400lbs or so and allegedly 7ft tall? It makes sense how these Bears could bring down Tapirs 500lbs or Cattle, they themselves can stumble into Black Bear territory

Definitely have some more post on this species coming soon.

Andean Bears along with Moon & Polar Bears are my favorite Bear species, not that very well known with it comes doing the research and providing information to those who don’t know much about them at all.

The Tucuxi River Dolphin

This segment that I’m dedicating 7 days to, is the start of something I want to make a mini series in the future, It will cover underrated and problem very little known species from the world but first we are starting in South America

First is a species of Cetacean most probably never knew about, The Tucuxi River Dolphin.

If you thought the Boto (Pink River Dolphin) was the only freshwater Dolphin in South America, welp enter these guys.

At first glance they look like somebody just shrank a Bottlenose Dolphin and sent it up river being very reminiscent of their marine relatives yet they’re still distinctive.

Found in the Orinoco Basin along the countries of Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil at about 4-5ft, it is smaller than the more well known Pink River Dolphin. This species has captured my attention for a long time and I definitely wanted to shed more light on them.

South America as a whole is such an underrated Continent and even more their rivers and the Fauna that call it home, with Bull Sharks, Black Caimans, Massive Freshwater Fish, Electric Eels, Amazonian Manatees and 2 species of Dolphins showing just how distinctive this place is.

Tucuxi River Dolphins live in tight nit groups up to 15 and primary feed on the various groups of fish that also frequent the rivers, at least 30 different types. Ironically enough they have even been witnessed feeding alongside River Dolphins.

The Guiana Dolphin has been known to inhabit estuaries and even come upstream but they are classified as Marine Dolphins, sharing a similar appearance to the Tucuxi but while one hovers round brackish waters, estuaries and the occasional freshwater the other is exclusively inland.

Just a highlight on this amazing species of Dolphin. I hope that it gains more attention in the media soon but not too much, we need these protected more than anything else.

I think we can all agree that when it comes to crocodilians, they are top tier predators no matter where they live or what species they are.

With that being said it seems for the longest time during the last 100,000 years there seems to have been a predator they can’t shake even to this day, Felines… And not just any feline. Jaguars

Jaguars seem to have an age old relationship with Crocs and today they share their world with two species. The Crocodile and Caiman both being predators and prey to the cat.

But it seems throughout time there was another.

These cats thrived in North America during the Pleistocene and im sure this relationship was prevalent then, but during the Holocene up to the 1880s is where I think these two must have peaked

The scene is set in Louisiana, the time, 1800, now here is where Jaguars defied present day knowledge, having being present in LA up until the 1880s and most certainly a top land predator competing with Pumas Wolves and Bears at the time.

Despite this, another predator was here, one that still persist into modern day, a predator that at this time was probably even bigger than it is today, one of the largest carnivores prowling the continent along with its other American cousin, with the legendary account of alleged 19ft individuals coming from this place around this time.

Im talking about Jaguars living alongside no not Caimans but American Alligators.

Would the bayous and wetlands of Pleistocene/Holocene Louisiana and even Texas have been like The Pantanal Of South America?

Were Jaguars launching themselves into the mangled swamps after Alligators 200 years ago as they do Caimans hundreds of miles South?

9 times out of 10 if you look up Jaguars x American Alligators pictures and pieces, Caiman (an Alligator relative) shows up.

Thats not what is being referred to though.

Jaguar relationships with Crocodilians seems to be a pretty important one, throughout their range and history they seemed to have kept their taste for these reptiles having lived along 3 species throughout time.

It is not known how large South Eastern Ameican Jaguars would have gotten, some Texas specimens were recorded at 200lbs other’s slightly larger same for Louisiana, though I don’t know if they cracked that 300 plus lb mark like their siblings down the equator.

It is very possible Jaguars would have been big if not bigger here just like Gators due to the large abundance of prey at least before settlers arrived.

It is known certain species of Crocodiles and Caimans fall victim to Jaguars even some modest sized ones. What most probably didn’t know is that Jaguars might have been doing the same thing their doing today in places like Brazil and Columbia hunting vast amounts of Caimans back in the Holocene hundreds of years ago in places with similar biomes like Louisiana and Texas with American Alligators.

Being that both would have been apex predators respectively akin to modern day Tigers and Saltwater Crocs, Lions and Nile Crocs and even present day relationship with Black Caimans, I wonder how they would have competed back then since they targeted alot of similar food.

Deer, Hogs, and other large ungulates would have kept both these larger predators out each others way for the most part along with a huge array of medium and small sized animals, but if one came across the other a clash might have ensued.

Jaguars most likely would have viewed large gatherings of small Gators just as they view large gatherings of Yacare Caiman, food, but just as a 5m long Black Caiman could view Jaguars as food or least competition that needed to be exterminated the same could have been said for a 5m long Gator.

Knowing both Jaguars and Alligators were bigger back in the Holocene with both knocking on the doors of their larger more popular relatives, makes you wonder what a time it would have been to see those two predators, carving out a living in the unforgiving regions of the swamps and wetlands that dotted the South East, a wild exotic relationship that was a mere remnant of the very wild past that use to frequent these now mostly urban based states right here in the US!