CAPYBARA NATURAL HISTORY

APPEARANCE
The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the world's largest rodent (i.e., it is a member of
the Order Rodentia, which includes rats, mice, squirrels, etc.). According to Animal Planet, it's
South America's "super-rodent," not surprising as it weighs in at 70 to 150 pounds, and measures
about four feet in length, about the same as a medium-sized dog. The scientific name,
"Hydrochaeris," means "water pig." But its resemblance to a pig ends there. Its narrow face
results from the placement of its eyes, ears and nostrils at the top of the head. This arrangement
allows it to rest in the water with most of its body underwater—a useful adaptation to avoiding
predators. Remaining in the water also helps the animal keep an even temperature, presumably
preserving energy that would otherwise be needed to regulate body temperature. The capybara's
body resembles a giant guinea pig, lacking a tail, with raised, wide hindquarters and narrow
shoulders. The reddish fur is rather coarse, presumably this has made its pelt less desirable to
hunters, although it is hunted for food occasionally. The hunter will tan the hide, making it into
soft, smooth leather. Like all rodents, the capybara sports a large pair of front teeth. These give it
a rather goofy appearance when it opens its mouth.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION

The capybara is not a very efficient swimmer, but is perfectly at home in the water. In addition to
the eyes and ears being set high on the head, the adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle is continued
by its feet, which are webbed between the toes. However, it avoids fast streams and big rivers.
Quiet lagoons and small lakes are its preference. It never strays far from water to which it quickly
retreats at the first sign of danger. The capybara lives in a wide range of habitats from lowland
rainforest to dry forests, scrub or grassland. It prefers grassland plains that are seasonally
flooded and have bodies of permanent water. It is found throughout much of northern South
America including the Amazon watershed, to the Orinoco basin, Guianas, and Argentinean
pampas. Being relatively social, the capybara roams around in family groups of six or more,
reaching herd sizes of several dozen in open grassland.

FEEDING AND DIET

The capybara is vegetarian, but feeds on a wide range of plant matter. Mostly it eats aquatic
plants, grass and certain shrubs, although it will eat tree bark and fruit occasionally. Its sharp
incisors (front teeth) are especially adept at cropping off grass at ground level. In areas where it
has been hunted, the capybara feeds primarily at night, but its natural habit is to feed mostly
during the day. This lifestyle occupies a similar niche to that of the African hippopotamus,
although the capybara is much smaller.

BREEDING
Capybaras have a high reproductive rate. Males have a gland on the nose that provides a scent
with which they mark territories to attract females and deter competing males. Mating takes place
in the water and after a gestation period about five to six months, the female gives birth (on land)
to one to six young (average is four). The young accompany her until adulthood, at about 15 to 18
months. The rainy season from April to May marks the peak breeding season. Young are born
ready to move, with their eyes open and fully covered with fur.

CONSERVATION
Predators of the capybara are legion, including jaguar, caiman, ocelot and anaconda. However,
people are the main threat to populations, primarily through habitat destruction comprising
deforestation or draining their wetland habitats. In populated areas, the capybara is rare or absent
as it is widely hunted for meat. Teams of hunters use dogs to hunt the herds, and may kill several
capybaras in a single hunting expedition. They're easy to track along muddy water edges from
their distinctive star-shaped footprints, and oval-shaped droppings. In savanna regions (mostly
outside the Amazon watershed), capybaras are herded and used for meat and leather. The meat
is supposed to taste and look like pork. Such efforts are reassuring for the capybara as a species
but farming it within rainforests has not yet caught on, perhaps putting some subpopulations at
risk.

MYTHOLOGY
It is called carpincho in Spanish and capivara in Portuguese, although the name originally derives
from the Guarani "Kapiÿva," meaning "lord of the grass." Like most large South American
mammals, it has a variety of names, according to country (e.g., capihuara in Ecuador, ronsoco in
Peru, and capivara or cupido in Brazil). According the Yanomami Indians of northwest Brazil,
when a child is born, another soul in the form of a capybara (or tapir) also comes into being. This
animal "doppelganger" shares its life force with the Indian; should the animal be killed, so does
the Indian twin soul.

Some people in South America eat capybara regularly because of the church's directive to eat
fish on Friday (originally to help provide fishermen with a market for their produce). Due to a twist
of theological reasoning, the capybara is a fish, according to the Catholic Church. According to
the entry for Capybara on Wikipedia, European missionaries first met capybaras in South
America in the 16th century. They wrote to the Catholic Church in Rome to ask if they could
classify the capybara as a fish because it "is scaly but also hairy, and spends time in the water
but occasionally comes on land." At that time, the Catholic faith did not allow the eating of meat
(other than fish) during Lent, the period of abstinence lasting 40 days before Easter. Having a
second-hand description of the animal, and not wanting the petitioners to turn away from
Catholicism, The Church agreed, as they had not seen the animal directly and wanted the
missionaries and their Indian converts (who ate capybara) to remain within the Church, and
therefore declared the capybara a fish. The decision was never reversed.

Anatomy and morphology of Arapaima

Arapaima can reach lengths of more than 2 m (6.6 ft), in some exceptional cases even more than 2.5 m (8.2
ft) and over 100 kg (220 lbs). The often cited maximum length of 4.5 m (14.8 ft)[2][3] comes from a single
second-hand-report from the first half of the nineteenth century, and is not confirmed.[citation needed] The
maximum-cited weight for the species is 200 kg (440 lbs). As one of the most sought after food fish species
in South America, it is often captured primarily by handheld nets for export, by spearfishing for local
consumption, and, consequently, large arapaima of more than 2 m are seldom found in the wild today.
[edit] Fishing

Commercial fishing of the arapaima has been banned by the Brazilian government due to its commercial
extinction. Fishing is allowed only in certain remote areas of the Amazon basin, and must be catch-and-
release, or harvesting by native peoples for consumption. Because the arapaima produces "large, boneless
fish steaks",[4] it is considered a delicacy; some 7000 tons per year were taken from 1918 to 1924, the
height of its commercial fishing. The demand for the arapaima has led to farming of the fish by the
"ribeirinhos" (as Brazilians call those living on the riverbanks).[5]
[edit] Ecology

The diet of the arapaima consists of fish, crustaceans, and other small animals. The fish is an air-breather,
using its labyrinth organ, which is rich in blood vessels and opens into the fish's mouth,[6] an advantage in
oxygen-deprived water that is often found in the Amazon River. This fish is therefore able to survive in
shallow waters with dissolved oxygen as low as 0.5 ppm.
[edit] Reproduction

Due to the geographic range that arapaima inhabit, the animal's life cycle is greatly affected by the seasonal
flooding that occurs. The arapaima lays its eggs during the months of February, March, and April when the
water levels are low or beginning to rise. They build a nest approximately 50 cm wide and 15 cm deep,
usually in muddy bottomed areas. As the water rises the eggs hatch and the offspring have the flood season
to prosper, during the months of May to August. Therefore, the yearly spawning is regulated seasonally. The
arapaima male is supposed to be a mouthbrooder, like its relative the Osteoglossum., meaning the young
are protected in its mouth until they are older. The female arapaima helps to protect the male and the young
by circling them and fending off potential predators.

In his book The Whispering Land, naturalist Gerald Durrell reports hearing the tale in Argentina that female
arapaima have been seen secreting a white substance from a gland in the head and that their young have
been noted seemingly feeding on the substance.
[edit] Evolutionary history

Fossils of arapaima or a very similar species have been found in the Miocene Villavieja Formation of
Colombia.[7]
[edit] Importance to humans
Arapaima depicted on a 1954 postage stamp of British Guiana.

The arapaima is hunted and utilized in many ways by local human populations. Arapaima are harpooned or
caught in large nets, and the meat is said to be delicious. Since the arapaima needs to swim up to breathe
air, traditional arapaima fishers often catch them by first harpooning them and then clubbing them dead. One
individual can yield as much as 70 kg of meat.

The arapaima has also been introduced for fishing in Thailand and Malaysia. Fishing for this species in
Thailand can be done in several lakes, where one often sees arapaima over 150 kg landed and then
released.

Special care is needed when dealing with these fish as, since they are large, they can be hard to handle.
With catch and release after the fish is landed, it must be held in a shallow pen/bed for about 3 hours. As
this species goes into shock, a careful watch must be kept to make sure that it is coming up for air about
every 15 minutes. If not, then the fish can be gently lifted so that its head comes out of the water. When this
happens, it has a reflex action to breathe. Arapaimas are also known to leap out of the water if they feel
constrained by their environment or harassed.

It is also considered an aquarium fish, although it obviously requires a large tank and ample resources. In
addition, this animal appears in the pet trade, although keeping an arapaima correctly requires a large tank
and can prove quite difficult.

The tongue of this fish is thought to have medicinal qualities in South America. It is dried and combined with
guarana bark, which is grated and mixed into water. Doses of this are given to kill intestinal worms. In
addition, the arapaima's bony tongue is often used to scrape cylinders of dried guarana, an ingredient in
some beverages, and the bony scales are used as nail files.

In July 2009, some villagers who live around Kenyir Lake in Terengganu, Malaysia, reported sighting the
arapaima gigas. The "Kenyir Monster," or "dragon fish" as the locals call it, was claimed to be responsible
for the mysterious drowning of two men on June 17.[8]
[edit] In popular culture

* In the Nintendo videogame Animal Crossing and subsequent sequels, the Arapaima is one of the rarest
catches.

* In the PC game The Amazon Trail II the Arapaima (called Pirarucu in the game) sometimes appears
while spearfishing. It is one of the largest fish in the game, and only appears once in any one fishing
session.

* The Arapaima can also be found in the Nokia NGage title Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep at the
games Thailand resort Top Cats.

* In the Street Fighter II games, a large Arapaima is seen hanging in the background of Blanka's stage in
Brazil, along with an anaconda and the Amazon River. In Super Street Fighter IV, one of Blanka's win
quotes states that he prefers "the taste of a nice pirarucu."

* In the video games Petz: Dogz 2 and Petz: Catz 2 for Wii & PS2, the Arapaima is found in Gongoro
Peak. There is also a Golden Arapaima, which is one of the rarest catches.

* Sri Lanka's Zoological Gardens Located in Dehiwala also has several specimens listed as 'The World's
largest freshwater fish'.
 * This creature is seen in Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep at the Cortica River in the Amazon
Rainforest.

* Fished for in Extreme Fishing with Robson Green with harpoon [Channel Five, 1st November 2010].

* The aripiama was in the River Monsters episode Amazon Assasin.

Electric EEL

Anatomy
Electric eels have an elongated, cylindrical body, typically growing to about 2 m (6 feet)
in length, and 20 kg (45 pounds) in weight, making them the largest species of the
Gymnotiformes.[1] The coloration is dark gray-brown on the back and yellow or orange
on the belly. Mature males have a darker color on the belly. They have no scales. The
mouth is square, and positioned right at the end of the snout. The anal fin extends the
length of the body to the tip of the tail. As in other ostariophysan fishes, the swim bladder
has two chambers. The anterior chamber is connected to the inner ear by a series of
small bones derived from neck vertebrae called the Weberian apparatus which greatly
enhances their hearing capability. The posterior chamber extends along the whole
length of the body and is used in buoyancy. Electrophorus has a well developed sense
of hearing. Electric eels have a vascularized respiratory organ in their oral cavity (Albert,
2001). These fish are obligate air-breathers; rising to the surface every 10 minutes or so,
the animal will gulp air before returning to the bottom. Nearly 80% of the oxygen used by
the fish is taken in this way.[2]

Despite its name, the Electric eel is not closely related to true eels (Anguilliformes) but is
a member of the Neotropical knifefishes (Gymnotiformes), more closely related to
catfishes.

Physiology

The electric eel has three abdominal pairs of organs that produce electricity: the Main organ, the
Hunter's organ, and the Sachs organ. These organs make up four-fifths of its body, and are what
give the electric eel the ability to generate two types of electric organ discharges (EODs), low
voltage and high voltage. These organs are made of electrocytes, lined up so that the current
flows through them and produces an electrical charge. When the eel locates its prey, the brain
sends a signal through the nervous system to the electric cells. This opens the ion channel,
allowing positively-charged sodium to flow through, reversing the charges momentarily. By
causing a sudden difference in voltage, it generates a current.
The electric eel generates its characteristic electrical pulse in a manner similar to a battery, in
which stacked plates produce an electrical charge. In the electric eel, some 5,000 to 6,000
stacked electroplaques are capable of producing a shock at up to 500 volts and 1 ampere of
current (500 watts). Such a shock could be deadly for an adult human. (Electrocution death is due
to current flow; the level of current that is fatal in humans is roughly 0.75A.)

The Sachs organ is associated with electrolocation.[3] Inside the organ are many muscle-like
cells, called electrocytes. Each cell can only produce 0.15 V, though working together the organ
transmits a signal of about 10 V in amplitude at around 25 Hz. These signals are what is emitted
by the main organ and Hunter's organ that can be emitted at rates of several hundred Hz.[3]

The electric eel is unique among the gymnotiforms in having large electric organs capable of
producing lethal discharges that allows them to stun prey.[4] There are reports of this fish
producing larger voltages, but the typical output is sufficient to stun or deter virtually any other
animal. Juveniles produce smaller voltages (about 100 volts). Electric eels are capable of varying
the intensity of the electrical discharge, using lower discharges for "hunting" and higher intensities
for stunning prey, or defending themselves. When agitated, it is capable of producing these
intermittent electrical shocks over a period of at least an hour without signs of tiring.

The species is of some interest to researchers, who make use of its acetylcholinesterase and
ATP.[5][6]

The electric eel also possesses high-frequency–sensitive tuberous receptors patchily distributed
over the body that seem useful for hunting other Gymnotiformes.[3]

Electric eels have been widely used as a model in the study of bioelectrogenesis.[7]
Bionics

Researchers at Yale University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
applying modern engineering design tools to one of the basic units of life, argue that artificial cells
could be built that not only replicate the electrical behavior of electric eel cells but in fact improve
on them. Artificial versions of the eel's electricity generating cells could be developed as a power
source for medical implants and other tiny devices.[8]
Ecology and life history
Habitat

Electric eels live in fresh waters of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers, the basins in South America,
in river floodplains, swamps, creeks and coastal plains. They often live on muddy bottoms in calm
water and in stagnant rivers. [3]
Feeding ecology

Electric eels feed on invertebrates, although adult eels may also consume fish and small
mammals. First-born hatchlings will even eat other eggs and embryos from later batches.[3] The
juveniles will eat invertebrates such as shrimp or crab.
Reproduction

The electric eel is also known for its unusual breeding behavior. In the dry season, a male eel
makes a nest from his saliva into which the female lays her eggs. As many as 17,000 young will
hatch from the eggs in one nest. [9][10]
In zoos and private collections

These fish have always been high on the list of some animal collectors, but catching one is
difficult; the only option is usually to make the eels tire themselves with continual discharging. The
fish's electric organs will eventually become completely discharged allowing the collector to wade
into the water in comparative safety.[9]
Keeping electric eels in captivity is difficult and mostly limited to zoos and aquariums, although a
few hobbyists have been known to keep them as pets. An electric eel requires an aquarium of at
least 200 gallons. It generally must be kept in the tank by itself, although adult electric eels
generally tolerate one another. Young electric eels will often fight if placed in the same aquarium.
Electric eels cannot be kept with any other fish as they will attack them.[citation needed]
Taxonomic history

The species is so unusual that it has been reclassified several times. Originally it was given its
own family Electrophoridae, and then placed in a genus of Gymnotidae alongside Gymnotus.[4]
See also

* Eel
* Electric Ray

References

1. ^ Albert, J.S. (2001). "Species diversity and phylogenetic systematics of American knifefishes
(Gymnotiformes, Teleostei)". Misc. Publ. (Mus. Zool. University of Michigan) (190): 1–127.
http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/56433.
2. ^ Johansen, Kjell (1968). "Gas Exchange and Control of Breathing in the Electric Eel,
Electrophorus electricus". Z. Vergl. Physiologie (Springer Berlin / Heidelberg) (Volume 61,
Number 2 / June, 1968): 137–163. http://www.springerlink.com/content/v4gx677327634826/.
3. ^ a b c d e Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). "Electrophorus electricus" in
FishBase. December 2005 version.
4. ^ a b Nelson, Joseph, S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. ISBN
0471250317.
5. ^ Simon, Stéphanie; Massoulié, J (1997-12-26). "Cloning and Expression of
Acetylcholinesterase from Electrophorus". Journal of Biological Chemistry 272 (52): 33045–
33055. doi:10.1074/jbc.272.52.33045. PMID 9407087.
http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/full/272/52/33045. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
6. ^ Zimmermann, H; CR Denston (1976). "Adenosine triphosphate in cholinergic vesicles
isolated from the electric organ of Electrophorus electricus". Brain Res. 111 (2): 365–76.
doi:10.1016/0006-8993(76)90780-0. PMID 949609.
7. ^ Albert, J.S., H. H. Zakon, P. K. Stoddard, G. A. Unguez, S. K.S. Holmberg, M. R. Sussman
(2008). "The case for sequencing the genome of the electric eel, Electrophorus electricus". J.
Fish Biol. 72 (2): 331–354. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01631.x.
8. ^ Xu, Jian, David A. Lavan (2008). "Designing artificial cells to harness the biological ion
concentration gradient". Nature Nanotechnology 3 (11): 666–670. doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.274.
PMID 18989332.
9. ^ a b Piper, Ross (2007), Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual
Animals, Greenwood Press.
10. ^ Assunção MIS; Schwassmann HO (1995). "Reproduction and larval development of
Electrophorus electricus on Marajó Island (Pará, Brazil)". Ichthyology Exploration of Freshwaters
6 (2): 175–184. ISSN 0936-99

Matamata
Environment: The Matamata Turtle grows large and imported specimens of 17-18"
are not uncommon. Obviously, these large specimens require large enclosures.
Matamatas, however, are not active hunters and like the Alligator Snapping Turtle, they
need less space than a large, active species. Small to medium specimens (6-10") can be
kept successfully in a 40- to 60-gallon aquarium.
Water quality is the key to keeping this species successfully in captivity. The water's
pH should be low (5.0 to 5.5) and the addition of tannins from peat, leaves, and
sphagnum moss in the water adds to the development of a perfect Matamata enclosure.
Water temperature should be warm (78 º to 82 º F) and maintained year round. It is
felt by several long-term Matamata keepers that the surrounding room in which their
enclosure is located should also be maintained in the 80 º to 85 º F range to avoid
having the turtles breathing in cool air and causing potential respiratory problems.
They require moderate to heavy filtration. We do, however, suggest a break in any
falling water. A driftwood stump or rock will keep the water from falling and splashing too
violently into the enclosure, more closely resembling the quiet, slow-flowing inlets of its
natural habitat.
A Matamata enclosure should have a sandy substrate to prevent abrasions to the
turtle's plastron and to act as an anchor for plants. Decorations can include driftwood
and a variety of submerged and floating aquatic plants. As Amazon River dwellers, there
is certainly no shortage of plants from which to choose. (Most tropical fish and plants in
the pet trade are of Amazon River origin.)
Lighting should be provided by UVB-emitting bulbs in shop light fixtures. Even though
these turtles do not bask, offer a 100-watt spotlight over one end of their enclosure to
add some warmth and to provide better viewing.
Picture of a Matamata Turtle, Chelus fimbriatus
Photo Courtesy: Bill Love

Handling: As with all aquatic turtles, we suggest that keepers keep handling to a
minimum. They can be handled when their enclosures are cleaned or when they are
moved from indoor enclosures to outdoor enclosures, but they are definitely not hands-
on pets.
Young Matamata Turtles are very secretive and delicate and seem to be especially
stressed when handled out of water. We do suggest, however, that a keeper pull their
turtles out of their enclosures once a month to check for any signs of health-related
problems.

Breeding: There are few reported cases of Matamata Turtles breeding in captivity.
Babies from imported females that have dropped eggs during importation have entered
the hobby occasionally, but most young Matamatas have been smuggled into the
country in shipments of tropical fish. At the time of writing, there are several keepers in
the United States incubating Matamata eggs that were obtained from large, imported
females (probably injected with oxytocin). Time will tell if this controversial method for
obtaining eggs has been successful in increasing the captive population of Matamatas.
Hatchling and small Matamatas are sensitive to their captive conditions. Care must
be taken that their needs are met almost precisely. They require warm, clean water with
a low pH and with plenty of tannins. The addition of live plants to their captive
environment seems to be important as well.
It is also apparent that small Matamatas should be set up in their enclosures and not
handled very much. Many young turtles will refuse to feed for long periods of time after
they are imported, shipped, or disturbed by extensive handling. When established in a
secure enclosure with the proper conditions, young Matamatas will begin feeding on a
variety of live fish. Offer them guppies, assorted livebearers, goldfish, rosy reds, and
others.

Ailments / Health Problems: Poor Water Quality: Most problems with captive
Matamata Turtles are water quality related. Unclean water or water with high pH are
common poor husbandry offerings. Matamatas are often imported with injuries to their
feet or skin, especially the delicate flaps that aid in their astonishing camouflage. If kept
clean, these areas will not regrow, but will heal quickly.
Parasites: Matamatas have proven somewhat difficult to deparasitize as they tend to
eat only live prey. We have had success with injecting a dose of Panacur ® into a dead
minnow or goldfish and wiggling the fish in front of the turtle or allowing it to float down in
front of a turtle that is eager to feed. Though difficult, it is important that imported
specimens are deparasitized and acclimated to be established and bred in captivity.

Availability: A few times a year, dozens of young Matamatas are illegally smuggled
into the country with shipments of tropical fish from South America. These small
Matamatas hit the reptile market and are quickly bought up by unaware turtle fanciers.
Recently, the first shipments of legally farm-raised specimens have entered the U.S.
Matamatas have only been bred in captivity once or twice in the past twenty years.
These animals did not make it into the pet trade as they were zoo breedings or were
bred by individuals who were not interested in placing their baby turtles into the pet
trade.
Hopefully, some of the larger specimens that have been set up for breeding will begin
producing these wonderful leaf-mimicking babies in the near future.

BLACK CAIMAN
Black caiman are big enough to take even the largest Amazon land animals. When an
animal approaches close to the river bank, the caiman will lunge forward and grab the
animal, pulling it under water where it quickly

Caimans are South American alligators, closely related to crocodiles. There are four
species, two of which are rarely seen dwarf caimans. The two common species are
black caiman and spectacled caiman. Caimans eat fish and small animals, such as
frogs, turtles and snakes. They lay eggs in large nests made of gathered grass and
twigs. The sex of the young are determined by the temperature in the nest, rather than
by genetics. Females guard the nest and are dangerously aggressive at this time,
although they are usually wary of humans.

Fish eating bats

rrow poison frog
Frogs are overwhelmingly the most abundant amphibians in the rainforest.

* More than 1000 species of frogs are found in the Amazon Basin.
* Unlike temperate frogs which are mostly limited to habitats near water, tropical frogs
are most abundant in the trees and relatively few are found near bodies of water on the
forest floor. The reason for this occurrence is quite simple: frogs must always keep their
skin moist since almost half of their respiration in carried out through their skin. The high
humidity of the rainforest and frequent rainstorms gives tropical frogs infinitely more
freedom to move into the trees and escape the many predators of rainforest waters. The
differences between temperate and tropical frogs extend beyond their habitat. Whereas
nearly all temperate frogs lay their eggs in water, the majority of rainforest species place
eggs in vegetation or lay them in the ground. By leaving the water, frogs avoid egg-
predators like fish, shrimp, aquatic insects, and insect larvae.
* Among the best known of rainforest amphibians are the tiny, but brilliantly colored
poison dart (arrow) frogs [members of the Dendrobatidae family]. These striking but
slow-moving frogs secrete powerful toxins from glands on their backs and use their color
to advertise their toxic composition to potential predators.

Giant Amazon Water Lily

The Giant Amazon Water Lily, Victoria Amazonica, is found growing naturally in the region of
central Brazil known as Amazonia. The immense leaves are the largest of all known aquatic
plants and float on the surface of hidden ponds and lagoons deep in the forest tributaries of the
Amazon River.

Incredibly little was known about the full life-cycle natural history of V. Amazonica until fairly
recently. The leaves can exceed seven feet in diameter. The stems can reach as much as
eighteen feet from the river bottom along the banks, and grow with the rising waters that cover
the lowland floodplains during the rainy season. Between December and March every year the
Amazon River rises as much as 30 feet and covers an area that is the size of California.
V.Amazonica appears to grow not from the deepest water areas but from slightly shallower sites
along the banks of some of the smaller tributaries that branch off of the main river. Plants sprout
from seeds and the stems must grow rapidly to keep up with water that can rise as rapidly as six
or seven inches per day. Eventually each plant will produce five to ten leaves each month

Victoria Amazonica was earliest described by British explorers in 1801 and was named after the
British Queen Victoria. Nearly 50 years later it was first brought to bloom in "captivity" in England,
inspiring a wave of enthusiasm for the size and beauty of the flowers. All Victoria Amazonicas are
night blooming, scenting the afternoon and evening air with their pineapple-like fragrance in
anticipation of the first night flower, huge and white.Photobucket
Freshwater stingrays
Reproductive Aspects of Freshwater
Stingrays
(Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae) in
the
Brazilian Amazon Basin
It took ninety minutes and thirteen men to reel in an astounding specimen
of giant freshwater stingray on the Ban Pakong River in Thailand. At seven
feet wide and weighing an estimated 580 pounds(265 kilograms), the
monstrous fish is thought to be the largest freshwater fish ever caught with
a rod and line, according to Fishsiam, a company that provides fishing tours
in Thailand.

After being brought ashore, the giant freshwater stingray was thoroughly
studied by ichthyologist Dr. Zeb Hogan, who was working with Fishsiam on
a documentary for National Geographic on the species. The giant
freshwater stingray was found to be pregnant, forcing the scientists to
estimate its weight rather than risk weighing it.
The great prize was caught by Ian Welch, a British ichthyologist, who
described reeling it in to the British newspaper, The Daily Telegraph.

"It dragged me across the boat and would have pulled me in had my
colleague not grabbed my trousers - it was like the whole earth had just
moved. I knew it was going to a big one. It buried itself on the bottom and
the main fight was trying to get it off the floor.”

After study, the researchers released the monstrous fish back into the
Maeklong River in the Samut Songkram province of Thailand. Fishsiam
reports that it caught sixteen different stingrays during the time spent with
Hogan and a National Geographic film crew on the Maeklong and the Ban
Pakong River. Directed by Dean Johnson, a partner with production
company Infocus Asia, the special on giant freshwater stingray will be
entitled Monster Fish and air in late summer on the National Geographic
Channel.

"Various groundbreaking research was carried out by Dr. Zeb Hogan and
the Fishsiam team during the production which will be revealed in the
show," Rick Humphreys of Fishsiam told Mongabay.com. "The research is an
on going effort to study populations of Giant freshwater stingray in
Thailand and has official approval from the Dept of Fisheries in Thailand in
addition to Thai veterinary scientists."

In fifteen months the Fishsiam team has captured 74 giant freshwater

stingrays for study, each one was released safely after data was collected.

Little is known about this leviathan. Unchanged for millions of years, they
prey on clams and crabs by detecting the animal’s electric fields with a
specialized sensor. Although it is unknown if the giant freshwater stingray
is endangered, researchers believe their population has declined due to
some portions of their habitat becoming degraded or lost altogether.