Anne Silva 
The blue Morpho butterfly reflects sunlight through microscopic layers of chitin and air rather than blue pigment. Its structural color is also inspiring sensors, displays and sustainable materials.
The toco toucan spreads large seeds intact and links separated parts of the Amazon through flights between feeding and resting areas. Its quiet work helps renew palm trees and sustain the forest’s diversity.
The green anaconda combines an exceptionally slow metabolism with a water-based ambush strategy. This energy efficiency allows it to go months without eating while remaining a key predator in the Amazon.
The harpy eagle is the heaviest and most powerful bird of prey in the Americas. Its massive talons, agile flight and need for vast intact forests make it a defining predator of the Amazon canopy.
The black caiman is more than the largest predator in Amazonian waters. Its efficient metabolism, territorial behavior and relationship with fish help sustain the health of rivers, lakes and flooded forests.
The lowland tapir swallows whole fruits and carries their large seeds for miles. Its quiet nighttime journeys help renew the rainforest and riverbanks.
The Amazon Basin is estimated to contain 16,000 tree species, a diversity that regulates carbon, water and the forest’s resilience. Protecting each species also protects services essential to life and the economy.
The skin secretion of Phyllomedusa bicolor contains peptides being studied for their possible antidepressant effects. Researchers are seeking to turn Kambô molecules into compounds synthesized in the laboratory.
The loss of natural corridors and abundant food in urban parks are pushing capybaras into Brazil’s metropolitan areas. Their presence also creates new challenges involving spotted fever, public health and city planning.
Brazilian researchers are studying how crotoxin, a protein from South American rattlesnake venom, can target tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue in controlled doses.
