Flora
The smallest orchid is found in South America and has a flower only one half
millimeter in diameter. Orchid Trivia.
Rubber plants from Brazil revolutionized transportation and created other
industries.
Modern petunias of all colors are hybrids from the South American native plant.
Modern forms of marigolds were bred from about six of the 30 wild species
which are native to Arizona, Argentina, and Mexico.
The passion flower received its name from the early Christian missionaries to
South America, who saw in the various parts of the curiously constructed flower
symbols of the Crucifixion -- the three crosses, the crown of thorns, nails and
cords. Smoky Mountain Trivia
Corn, potatoes, tomatoes, peanuts, tobacco, chocolate,
sweet potatoes, tapioca, pumpkins, squash, coconuts, cherimoyas,
plantains, pineapples are native to Latin America.
Potatoes were thought to cause leprosy until Louis XVI of France
had them served at his table.
Tomatoes were thought poisonous because they are a relative of the nightshade
family, but once called Love Apples, became popular as a vegetable, though
they are actually a fruit.
The citrus industry in the US started from a dozen saplings from Brazil.
Food Trivia
Fauna
- Llamas were domesticated from Guanacos in the Andean highlands of Peru 4,000-5,000 years
ago and are among the oldest domestic animals in the world.
LLama Trivia
- The Brazilian tapir
is an excellent swimmer.
- The capybara
(photo top right) is the largest rodent in the world.
- The coypu,
also called nutria, is a semi-aquatic rodent with webbed feet.
- the giant
anteater can weigh up to 86 pounds (39 kg).
- The flightless common Rhea or Nandu
is the largest bird in the Americas.
- The Peruvian guinea pig called cuy was part of
Incan ceremonies. Today it is an Andean delicacy.
Other Wildlife
The anaconda is the largest snake by mass, not length. It can be as big around as an
adult man.
Biggest Snake
The carnivorous piranha is the most Ferocious Fish.
The goliath bird-eating spider, a species of tarantula, eats young birds,
frogs, small snakes, beetles, lizards, and even bats and has been measured as 11 in in diameter.
Biggest Spider
The largest dinosaur discovered to date is Argentina's Santanaraptor.
The Dinosaurs of South America
The longest centipede in the world is the giant scolopenders (Scolopendra sp.) of
South America and Asia, which easily reach a length of 11 inches.
Arthropod Trivia
The largest moths in the world are the Hercules emperor moth (Coscinocera hercules) of
northern Australia and New Guinea (the females reach a wingspan of 10.5 inches with a
surface area of 1002 inches) and the great owlet moth (Thysania agripinna) of South
America (females measure up to 12 inches in wingspan, but lack the large surface area).
Arthropod Trivia
The largest spider in the world is the giant bird-eating spider Theraphosa blondi of
South America; females may achieve a leg-span of 10.5 inches, a body length or 3.5
inches, and a weight of 4.3 ounces. Arthropod Trivia
Some tropical cockroaches (South America and Australia) exceed three inches in
length. Arthropod Trivia
During the building of the Panama Canal a doctor performed an emergency operation
using the light given off by a large luminous click beetle (Pyrophorus notiluca)
because all other sources of light had failed.
Arthropod Trivia
The Pantanal is a huge wetland
area and home to thousands of species of wildlife.
Do you have a bit of trivia to add? Use this
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