The electric eel Electrophorus voltai can produce 860 volts to navigate, hunt and defend itself. Its electrical biology also helps shape the balance of Amazonian freshwater ecosystems.
The black-eared opossum can survive venom that would kill nearly any other mammal. Its blood may also point toward new treatments while supporting biodiversity across Brazil.
Cryptococcosis may begin as a mild respiratory infection but can reach the central nervous system and cause meningitis. The danger is greater for immunocompromised people exposed to dry bird droppings and contaminated soil.
True coral snakes of the genus Micrurus have small, fixed, grooved fangs rather than large movable ones. To deliver their potent neurotoxin, they must bite, hold on and make chewing movements.
Woodpeckers can strike hard tree trunks up to 20 times per second without suffering brain injuries. Their skull, bill, tongue and neck muscles work together as a natural impact-absorption system.
The Amazonian spider Nephila produces several kinds of silk and builds a web that combines remarkable strength, elasticity and impact absorption.
During the flood season, fish in the Amazonian igapó swim among submerged trunks and treetops, eating fruit and dispersing seeds. Their movement helps sustain the regeneration of the flooded forest.
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 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.
Brazilian researchers are studying how crotoxin, a protein from South American rattlesnake venom, can target tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue in controlled doses.
