The biodiversity in these wet tropical forests is mind-blowing. It is home to the largest collection of living plant and animal species in the world. One in ten known species on this planet lives in the Amazon Rainforest. Amazonia is home to around 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, and more than 2,000 birds and mammals. So far, at least 40,000 plant species, 2,200 fishes, 1,294 birds, 427 mammals, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles have been scientifically classified within this region. One in five of all bird and fish species live here. The Scarlet Macaws above are indigenous to the American tropics. The photographer wrote, “Red-and-Green Macaws DO grow on trees in the Amazon.” Photo #1 by Billtacular

The San Rafael Falls and Quijos River are located at the foot of the highly active Reventador Volcano which rises out of the Amazon jungle east of the Andes. Based on archaeological evidence, it is believed that humans first inhabited this Amazon paradise at least 11,200 years ago. Photo #2 by Imagesunion

Streams of light in the Amazonian mist. Inside this rainforest, you never quite know what you might see . . . Photo #3 by Jon Rawlinson

You might see a Tupi ‘red bird,’ also known as the scarlet ibis, one of the most beautiful Brazilian birds, because of the color of their plumage. Photo #4 by J.Gil Photography

Or you might see an Amazonian ‘Godzilla.’ Photo #5 by Laurent

In Amazonia, you might even stumble upon an Emerald Boa. Eek! Photo #6 by Free Pet Wallpapers

Amazon rainforest jaguar. Bet you won’t bump into one of these beautiful beasties in an urban jungle? Photo #7 by By Land Rover Our Planet

Star of the water – In the rivers of the Amazon. The photographer noted, “The water lily (Victoria regia), an aquatic plant is typical of the Amazon region. Its leaves are large and circular, with folded edges, forming a sort of basin. They can reach 2 meters in diameter. The leaves of the lily pad can withstand the weight of a small child in the water without sinking.” According to an Indian legend about the lilypad, “As its flowers open at night, the Indians liken to the moon and stars. They say that once in the Amazon, there lived an Indian girl that he wanted to become a star. At night, she liked to look at the sky to admire the stars. She thought that the moon could come pick her up on Earth and take it to heaven. One night, a beautiful Indian girl leaned over the side of the river, where the moon was reflected. She was mesmerized by the image of the moon, fell into the river and disappeared into the water. The moon then turned into a lilypad. So the flower of the lily pad is called ‘star of the waters’.” Photo #8 by Miriam C de Souza

A typical house in the Amazon. Photo #9 by Francisco Chaves from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Looking down at the ‘lungs of the planet.’ Photo #10 by Wallpapers Diq

Looking up in Amazon rainforest – Árvore Mogno. Photo #11 by Signey

Monkeys hanging out in the tropical jungle. Photo #12 by Worldwide Happy Media

Brown Woolly Monkey in the Amazon. Photo #13 by Evgenia Kononova

Amazon rainforest – ‘inside of kills’. Photo #14 by Hudson Alves

The photographer wrote of the ‘Wild Boy’, “His eyes reflects the nostalgia of an almost extinct World. Wearing an Amazon Toucan, traditionally used only for the sacred dances and very special moments, this boy is learning from the Shamans the traditional dances of the Kotococha culture, a knowledge which is only transmitted from the shaman to the few chosen by word of mouth. Origin: Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, Kotococha tribe.” Photo #15 by Gustavo Morejón

Comunity Nova Esperança, Baré people. Cuieiras river, tributary of the Rio Negro, Amazonia, Brazil. Photo #16 by Daniel Zanini H.

Folklore of Amazonas is nourished from legends and stories in which mystery and inexplicable things are always present. One example on Wikipedia includes “if you ask people about the lagoon of Cochaconga, they will say that it is enchanted. They say it has the ‘form of a neck’ and that with the smallest noise provoked by an animal or the scream of a person, there will be a tremendous thunderstorm in which an enormous monster will appear in the shape of cow. This monster will become mad with the strangers. That’s why, whoever passes by this remote place, does it with maximum precautions for not altering the local silence.” Photo #17 by NewWorldReview

Aerial roots of Red Mangrove on an Amazonian river. Photo #18 by Cesar Paes Barreto

Amazon Poison Dartfrog, also known as the Reticulated Poison Frog, can be found at the inflows of the Amazon River in Peru live high up in the rainforest. The photographer also noted that these very little beauties are only about 15-20 mm in size. Photo #19 by Dominik Hofer

Iracema Waterfalls. Photo #20 by Hudson Alves

A great of deal of travel along Amazônia is by water. That may be due to the abundance of waterways. Photo #21 by Daniel Zanini H.

Or perhaps travel by river may simply be easier than the adventure of trying to travel muddy Amazonia roads? Here you don’t get stuck in traffic, you just get stuck. Photo #22 by J.Gil Photography

Amazon Rainforest, seen from the Alto Madre de Dios river, in Peru. Before 1960, access to the forest’s interior was restricted and the Amazon jungle remained mostly intact. During the 1960s, farms were established based on crop cultivation and the slash and burn method. Deforestation was so considerable that the areas which were cleared of forest were visible to the naked eye from outer space. Photo #23 by Martin St-Amant

Strong drought in the Amazon rainforest. In 2005, parts of the Amazon basin experienced the worst drought in one hundred years. In 2010 the Amazon rainforest experienced another horrific drought, in some ways more extreme than in 2005. In a typical year the Amazon absorbs 1.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide; during 2005 instead 5 gigatons were released and in 2010 8 gigatons were released. Photo #24 by Hudson Alves

Just as there can be droughts, the rivers of Amazon suffer flooding for 4 or 5 months of the year. The photographer said that on a hot day, they went ‘rock jumping.’ Photo #25 by J.Gil Photography

Amazonas floating village, Iquitos in the Amazon Basin. It’s the part of South America drained by the Amazon River; its tributaries drains an area of about 2,670,000 square miles (6,915,000 sq km), or roughly 40% of South America. Photo #26 by Sascha Grabow

An Amazon Chestnut Sunrise. Photo #27 by Vicente Pinheiro via Ana_Cotta

Amazon rainforest, near Manaus, Brazil. Image taken from top of a 50 m tower for meteorological observations, and the top of vegetation canopy is typically 35 m. The image was taken within 30 minutes of a rain event, and a few white ‘clouds’ above the canopy are indicative of rapid evaporation from wet leaves after the rain. Much of the Amazon is still unexplored, many of its indigenous plants and animals are unknown . . . perhaps even plants yet to be discovered that could cure diseases that plague the people on our planet. The leaves and branches of the rainforest are so dense that it creates a “roof” that does not allow the sunlight to reach the ground. The ground remains dark, damp and waiting for discovery. Photo #28 by Phil P Harris

A Yagua (Yahua) tribeman demonstrating the use of blowgun (blow dart), at one of the Amazonian ‘islands’. Photo #29 by JialiangGao www.peace-on-earth.org

Another folklore of Amazona from Peru are attributed to certain animals. For example: The mochuelo that “freezes the soul”, or the “quien-quien” that makes fun of the travelers in the roads. When the singing crickets sounds like bells, it is supposedly foretelling of a “big evil.” Photo #30 by Roosevelt Garcia

Amazonian Forest and Renato River. Photo #31 by Leonardo F. Freitas

Monkey Island, Peru, is a part of Amazonia. Photo #32 by Alex Guerrero from New Haven, United States

Amazonian rainforest, upper Amazon basin, Loreto region, Peru. Photo #33 by Pahpaha

Balbina Dam in Amazon, Brazil. Photo #34 by Seabirds

Stormy clouds cover the Amazonian jungle. Photo #35 by lapidim

The photographer explained, “On the Tambopata River in the Peruivan Amazon Rainforest, a group of kids play football on a tiny sand island in the middle of the river.” Photo #36 by Mike Cooper

Bamboo and ferns in the rainforest. Photo #37 by Tadd and Debbie Ottman

Native village of Chipitiere, in the Cultural Zone of Manu National Park, Peru. Photo #38 by Martin St-Amant

Toucan, the earl of Amazonia. Photo #39 by Tambako the Jaguar

Waterfall flowing from the Andes down in the Amazon Basin. Photo #40 by Worldwide Happy Media

Three-Toed Sloth in the Amazon. The photographer noted a local superstition: ‘don’t look at him if you’re pregnant…or your baby may look like him!’ Photo #41 by Pierre Pouliquin

Walking through paths in the Amazonian rainforest. Photo #42 by CREES-MANU

San Rafael Falls in the Amazon jungle. Photo #44 by Drriss

The photographer wrote, “Yacumana and Chullachaqui are two demons of the local legends. Yacumana is a demon of the water (boa man); Chullachaqui can transform itself to mimic any person…is it your mum coming to you? No, look at his feet, that’s how you recognize him, he always has a big one!” Photo #44 by Pierre Pouliquin

Brazilian Amazon. Photo #45 by Горящий тур

Amazonian Sunset. Photo #46 by New7Wonders of Nature