ANIMALS!

Artigo

ANIMALS!

Tree frog (Phasmahyla jandaia)

Tree frog with bright colors and slow movements, endemic at Espinhaço Range. It spawns in hanging leaves over backwaters of watercourses, where the tadpoles will fall when the eggs hatch.

 

Blacksmith Toad (Boana faber)

A species that inhabits humid tropical forests and their surrounding areas, such as the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado, and can be seen in plantations and secondary forests. The males of this species build clay basins on the banks of water bodies and females use them to spawn.

 

Jararaca (Bothrops jararaca)

A very venomous snake, it has a pattern of dark triangular spots along its body, which provide excellent camouflage over dry leaves. It lives preferentially in humid places and, when threatened, it flattens and beats its tail on the leaves. It plays an important role in controlling the rat population, one of their favorite foods.

 

Buzzard Eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus)

Inhabits open areas, fields and mountainous regions, gliding for a long time on a quest for food. It can also be found flying over urban centers or positioned on fences and roadside posts. It has a powerful and fast flight. It feeds preferentially on other birds and small mammals.

 

Amethyst Woodstar (Calliphlox amethystina)

It lives generally solitary, from the lowest shrub to the treetops, on the edges of forests and in the Cerrado. It feeds on small insects and nectar. It flies like a beetle, beating its wings up to 80 times a second. It is a master of ascending flights.

 

Curl-crested jay (Cyanocorax cristatellus)

A grassland species typical of central Brazil, its wide diet includes fruits, insects, seeds, small reptiles and eggs of other birds. It can exhibit the behavior of “hammering” trunks to cause breaking points in tree bark, allowing the bird to remove them and feed on insects under the bark.

 

Collared crescentchest (Melanopreia torquata)

A typical species from Central Brazil. It lives in the cerrado, savannas rich in termite mounds and grasslands. It is relatively common and is present in several protected areas. In the park, this species was recorded in seven different locations and is the most common endemic species.

 

Blue Manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata)

Males are sky blue with a black tail and a bright red crown; females, more discreet, are dark green and have a longer tail than males. In their pre-nuptial dance, the males line up on the branch and each one shows off to the female and returns to the back of the line to wait their turn to show off again. She finally chooses the male.

 

Pale-throated Serra-finch (Embernagra longicauda)

A bird endemic to the mountain tops of eastern Brazil, it inhabits cerrado or capoeiras, most of the time on the ground or in small bushes. It feeds on insects and fruits. It has an average of 2 litters per season with 3 eggs each. In the reproductive period, they form groups of up to eight individuals, with males wanting to impress females.

 

Black-tufted marmoset (Callithrix penicillata)

Common species in the Cerrado, it lives in groups of up to 13 individuals. It is common to see them along the wires between trees in urbanized regions. Their diet consists of fruits, insects, nectar, leaves and small vertebrates. An important behavior of the species is the scent marking, which helps in the defense of the territory and acts in the stability of the relations between the members of the group.

 

Black-fronted titi (Calicebus nigrifons)

A species of monkey endemic to Brazil, it is resident and native in the states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, living in the Atlantic Forest and in the transition to Cerrado. It can survive in modified areas, as it has a diverse diet, predominantly composed of fruits, complemented by leaves, flowers and small prey.

 

Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

This is the largest canid species in South America, living in naturally more open environments, such as the Cerrado. Its diet is diverse and varies with the availability of food, and may preferably be fruits, small vertebrates, insects and eggs. The Maned Wolf ingests a large amount of fruit and disperses the seeds through its feces.

 

Plank 1

 

Do you know what vibrissae are?

Well... they are the whiskers of some mammals! These whiskers are very easy to spot in felines, but other mammals have them too.

The vibrissae are very important as they work as a kind of radar for the animal. They are like a kind of antenna, through which they perceive, interpret and interact with the environment around them. These are extra sensitive structures, usually located around the muzzle, above the eyes and, in some cases, between the toes.

A feline's vibrissae are able to detect nearby objects just by sensing a subtle change in air currents. Thus, they are an important tool when it comes to hunting, mapping their surroundings, detecting movement and measuring their distance from things.

 

Plank 2

 

The voice of birds

Birds are equipped with a vocal device called a syrinx, through which they emit sounds. These sounds can be just a simple call or even a song with melody and elaborate notes.

Very few birds do not emit sounds and one of them is the black vulture (Coragyps atratus).

The function of calls or songs is quite varied and can be associated with reproduction or everyday activities. Vocalization in birds serves to establish territory, attract the partner, synchronize courtship behaviors, keep the couple together, identify the offspring, keep the group together, intimidate enemies, among other functions.

However, one thing is certain: a bird never sings because it is happy, otherwise it would be attracting predators...