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abundant. Deer are plentiful in the south,
and monkeys of many species abound in
the rain forests. The country has one of the
world’s most diverse populations of birds
and amphibians, with 1,635 species of
birds and 502 species of amphibians.
Brazil’s great variety of reptiles includes
lizards, snakes, turtles, and alligators. The
number of species of freshwater fish in
Brazil is estimated at more than 1,500, of
which more than 1,000 are found in the
Amazon Basin. In addition, an enormous
number of invertebrates (species that lack a spinal column) inhabit Brazil. The
total is believed to exceed 100,000 species, of which 70,000 are insects.
The Amazon rain forest contains the largest single reserve of biological
organisms—both animal and plant—in the world. No one really knows how
many species there are in the Amazon, but scientists estimate the number
could be as high as 5 million, amounting to 15 to 30 percent of all the species
in the entire world.
Unfortunately, Brazil is also notorious for the destruction of its environment.
All of the country’s major ecosystems—not just the well-known Amazonia—are
threatened. Major threats to Brazil’s rich flora and fauna include the continued
logging of rain forests, draining of wetlands in the northeast, poaching in the
Pantanal region, and coastal pollution.
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Logging of the rainforest is a major
environmental issue in Brazil.