Carnivores: The Top of the Food Chain

By Nick De Haas  
In the rainforest carnivores play an important role.  A carnivore is an animal that eats other animals instead of plants.  They are at the top of the food chain.  If carnivores did not exist the rainforest would be overpopulated with herbivores.  Some carnivores are not true carnivores because they eat some food that they did not kill themselves.

"Jaguar"
Panthera onca
Photo © Tom Brakefield/CORBIS, courtesy

Name: Jaguar
Description: The jaguar is a spotted cat. it can weigh up to 350 pounds and can grow up to a length of six feet
Habitat: This animal lives in the rainforests of South America and in other rainforests around the world.
Diet: This animal is a carnivore and eats other animals in the rainforest. 
Predators: The jaguars only enemies are the human which hunts them for their coats

Name: Bush Dog
Description: They can grow up to one foot and they can weigh up to 15 pounds. They can also swim and dive underwater.
Habitat: The bush dog lives in rainforests in areas of Central and South America.
Diet: The bush dog eats mainly rodents.
Predators: Its predators are humans and big cats such as jaguar and puma.

"Bush Dog"
Speothos venaticus

Photo © Tom Brakefield/CORBIS, Courtesy



"Anaconda"
Eunectes murinus gigas

Photo copyright Erwin and Peggy Bauer/Bruce Coleman, Inc., Courtesys

Name: Anaconda
Description: The anaconda is a snake and it can grow up to 30 feet long and can weigh up 300 pounds they can swallow dear or goats whole. it can grow to be about i foot thick.
Habitat: This animal lives in northern south America and it lives in marshes brushes and swamps.
Diet: This animal eats animals up to the size if deer and goats
Predators: The anacondas predators are crocodile jaguar ocelot caiman and alligator but only when they are young.
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