Brazil's Pantanal Trivia

Any idea which wild cats prowl the Pantanal? How about what the largest living rodent or the loudest animal on earth is? Can you name the favorite foods of toucans, tapirs and giant river otters? Take our quiz on Brazil's Pantanal to put your knowledge to the test, then share it with your family and friends to see who knows the most about this wildlife-rich wetland! When you're finished, scroll down to reveal the correct answers and explanations.

Answer Explanations:

 

What is the world’s largest tropical wetland? Correct Answer: The Pantanal, Brazil

Explanation: This biological wonder is larger than the entire state of Florida. The freshwater wetland extends over more than 70,000 square miles of land.

Header Credit—Cassiano Zaparoli The Pantanal has the highest concentration of jaguars found anywhere on Earth. Which of the following is untrue about jaguars? Correct Answer: They are the second largest cat in the world

Explanation: Jaguars are the third largest cats after tigers and lions. The jaguars found in the Pantanal can exceed 300 pounds, making them the largest jaguars in the world. This big cat has an incredibly strong bite, using up to 1,500 pounds of force to crush its prey, piercing through bones to the marrow. Jaguars are versatile hunters, skilled tree climbers, ground-stalkers and swimmers. On riverbanks, they scoop out fish with their large paws and stealthily wait for tapirs to come to drink. They have even been known to wrestle caimans out of the water!

As their range becomes ever smaller due to deforestation and human encroachment, jaguars are forced into developed lands. Capable of taking down a full-grown cow, jaguars are frequently killed by ranchers defending their livestock.

Fun fact: There are an estimated 10 million caimans in the Pantanal.

Photo Credit—Gary & Myrna Paige How many ants and termites do giant anteaters eat per day? Correct Answer: More than 30,000

Explanation: Giant anteaters use their 2-foot-long tongues to feed in anthills and termite mounds. While in the Pantanal, you may be lucky enough to see a mother anteater carrying her babies on her back, where the young spend most of the first nine months of their lives.

Photo Credit—Gary & Myrna Paige The Pantanal spreads across the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in central-west Brazil. What is the official language of the people living there? Correct Answer: Portuguese 

Explanation: Brazil may be the only country in South America whose official language is Portuguese, but there are more than 200 million native speakers, making it the sixth most natively spoken language in the world. And little wonder—Brazil has the largest population and area on the South American continent. Brazil is surrounded by Spanish-speaking countries, which has increased the desire of some to learn Spanish, in large part due to the economic advantages. English is often studied in school as a second language. Pirahã is an indigenous language spoken by hunter-gatherers living along a subsect of the Amazon River.

Photo Credit—Gary & Myrna Paige Which of these animals living in the Pantanal is the world’s largest living rodent? Correct Answer: Capybara

Explanation: The capybara is found near bodies of water in many parts of South America. As with other rodents, its teeth continuously grow to account for wear and tear from its grazing habits. Pacas and agoutis are both large rodents related to the guinea pig. The peccary closely resembles a wild pig, foraging for fruits, tubers, bulbs and berries.

Photo Credit—Edward Parker / WWF-Canon In the Pantanal, the rainy season runs from: Correct Answer: December to March

Explanation: 70 percent of the total rainfall in the Pantanal occurs during the rainy season. Tropical rains flood the Pantanal, creating a spectacular nursery for aquatic animals. As the rains recede, large mammals and birds emerge. The dry season (July to September) and intermediary seasons (April to June and October to November) are the best times to visit, when temperatures are cooler and the best wildlife viewing opportunities arise.

Fun Fact: Sleek tayras, a member of the weasel family, hunt for rodents, stalking their prey with a fluid, snake-like motion.
Which cats are not found in the Pantanal? Correct Answer: Fishing cat and jungle cat 

Explanation: Fishing cats and jungle cats live in South and Southeast Asia. Margays, jaguarundis, ocelots, pumas, oncillas, and Pantanal cats (a subspecies of the Pampas cat) are all found in Brazil’s Pantanal.

Photo Credit—Alex Arias What other countries does the Pantanal overlap with? Correct Answer: Bolivia and Paraguay

Explanation: Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Columbia, Venezuela and Guyana all border Brazil. The vast Pantanal overlaps with Bolivia and Paraguay.

Photo Credit—Gary & Myrna Paige Which is incorrect? Wetlands: Correct Answer: Are a sanctuary for the endangered tree octopus

Explanation: The tree octopus is, regrettably, a made-up species.

Wetlands provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Though the Amazon rain forest is viewed as the epicenter of biodiversity, the lesser-known Pantanal contains the highest concentration of wildlife in South America. The Pantanal is home to more than 4,700 species of flora and fauna, including 3,500 plant species, more than 1,100 species of butterflies, 656 birds, 325 fish, 159 mammals, 98 reptiles and 53 amphibians.

Humans rely on wetlands as a form of natural flood control. Wetlands also absorb carbon and filter out pollutants, providing communities with clean drinking water. People’s livelihoods depend on wetlands for fishing, farming and ecotourism.

Fun Fact: Brazil has the highest number of plant and amphibian species of anywhere on earth!

Photo Credit—Gary & Myrna Paige

The preferred foods of these birds are nuts and seeds. These birds are capable of cracking open the hard shell of a Brazil nut with their hooked beaks. These affectionate nutcrackers are monogamous, mating for life: Correct Answer: Hyacinth macaw 

Explanation: The hyacinth macaw is the largest of all the parrots, with a wingspan of 4 feet. These birds can crack through the hard shells of Brazil nuts, coconuts and macadamia nuts. Pairs of hyacinth macaws are nearly always seen together, preening each other, cooing to one another or flying side by side in the Pantanal. The jabiru stork is the tallest flying bird in South America. It can be seen plunging its long black beak into the Pantanal’s water to scoop up fish, amphibians, molluscs and crustaceans. The toco toucan is primarily a fruit eater. The largest of the toucans, it is easily seen in the Pantanal. About 30 hummingbird species inhabit the Pantanal. These tiny birds use their delicate beaks to sip nectar from flowers.

Photo Credits—Toco Toucan: Cassiano Zaparoli; Hummingbirds: Alex Arias  Which species found in the Pantanal is the loudest land animal on earth? Correct Answer: Howler Monkey 

Explanation: A howler monkey’s booming call can be heard from up to three miles away. This is due to an enlarged hyoid bone in the throat that produces the resonating sounds.

Photo Credits—Jaguar & Roseate Spoonbill: Gary & Myrna Paige Which animal is a piscivore, commonly preying upon catfish and perch? Correct Answer: Giant river otter

Explanation: The giant river otter floats on its back in the water while it eats its preferred prey, fish. The bare-face curassow eats fruits, insects, flowers and seeds. Coatis, part of the raccoon family, feed on fruit high in the forest canopy, as well as invertebrates and small animals. The tapir is a large, endangered land mammal with a short proboscis, which it uses to pluck leaves.

Photo Credits—Giant River Otter & Curassow: Gary & Myrna Paige Giant rodents and peccaries are a favorite of this Pantanal snake, which is, pound for pound, the largest snake in the world: Correct Answer: Green anaconda

Explanation: The reticulated python may be the world’s longest snake, but the slightly shorter green anaconda is almost twice as heavy, making it the largest. Both green anacondas and boa constrictors are nonvenomous, instead using their powerful muscles to coil themselves around their prey. Coral snakes are poisonous and colorful, with red, black and white bands. The false water cobra is a semi-aquatic species. It is not a true cobra, though it raises its head and forms a cobra-like hood when threatened. How much of all water on earth is freshwater? Correct Answer: 3%

Explanation: Though freshwater accounts for only 3 percent of all water on the planet, freshwater systems are home to 10 percent of all known animal species. Due to climate change, infrastructure development and an increasing human population, there is mounting pressure on our freshwater systems. More than half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900, which puts freshwater species increasingly at risk.

Photo Credit—Gary & Myrna Paige Though it is one of the most well-preserved wetlands in the world, only 2 percent of the Pantanal is under federal protection. Ranchers and farmers have private holdings on a majority of the land, and unsustainable practices pose a risk to this ecologically rich biome. What is World Wildlife Fund doing to protect the Pantanal? Correct Answer: All of the above

Explanation: World Wildlife Fund has been working with local communities around the world to conserve vital wetlands and the wildlife that depends on them. In its effort to preserve freshwater habitats, the WWF has assisted with a landmark decision. In 2018, Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay signed a declaration that calls for sustainable development in the Pantanal.

In the Pantanal region, there are approximately 2,500 farms and 8 million cattle, and proposals of oil pipelines and river dredging highlight the need for protective measures. The World Wildlife Fund is collaborating with South American governments to expand the protected areas in the Pantanal and conserve the Upper Paraguay River watershed that feeds into the wetland. In addition, WWF is training farmers and ranchers on how to implement sustainable agriculture practices that conserve wildlife habitats while improving yield. Natural Habitat Adventures is also the travel partner of WWF. Supporting ecotourism provides an economical alternative to ranching, farming and extractive industries and is an incentive to protect the wildlife of this biodiverse region.

Join Natural Habitat Adventures on a journey into the Pantanal to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve for yourself.

Photo Credit—Gary & Myrna Paige

Know Before You Go