Neotropical Realm (excluding the Amazon)

Central and South America (& Caribbean Islands)

tropical rainforest yeah yeah but also...

-coast -desert -grassland -mangrove -forest (broadleaf, tropical dry, coniferous)

-South America was island for long time after Pangea split up so when North and South America collided, we had the GREAT AMERICAN BIOTIC INTERCHANGE

-more animals went north to south successfully

-only opossum and porcupine went north from south

HOTSPOTS! Caribbean Islands, Atlantic Forest, Tropical Andes, Cerrado

CERRADO! -similar to CA in climatic array (fire and drought adapted)

Brazilian Tapir

Giant Anteater

Giant Armadillo
Maned Wolf -critically endangered -realm's largest canine -not a wolf or a fox so gets own genus
ATLANTIC FOREST! -east Brazil -less than 10 percent remaining -24 critically endangered invertabrates!

Red billed Curassow, Brazilian merganser --> both critically endangered

Amazon parrots brought to U.S. for pet trade (only 9/10 make the transport)

70 endemic mammals! -Brazilian arboreal mouse -thin spined porcupine -muriqui

-woolly spider monkey

Tamarins
Maned Sloth
MESOAMERICA! -Spider Monkey -Van Gelder's Bat -Pocket gopher

-Bang's mountain squirrel -golden toad

Howler Monkeys
Capuchins
Squirrel Monkey
Jaguar
Baird's Tapir

TROPICAL ANDES! -venezuela to argentina and chile

Andean Condor Giant hummingbird -Spatuletail hummingbird

-yellow tailed woolly monkey

Spectacled Bear (only realm's bear)
Camelids!

Vicunya
Llama
Guanaco
Alpaca

Most important amphibian region! Problems: habitat loss, climate change, disease (pathogenic fungus)

Poison Dart Frogs (natural stuff more powerful than morphine)
Harlequin Frogs