Central America Scary Stuff

Beware, animals! Scary stuff you may run into.

For some reason, when we looked at what could scare you in Central America, we found quite a lot! We're pretty sure this doesn't mean it's a more dangerous place, but you can judge that for yourself! Caimans, Boas, Jaguars Oh My!

Caimans and Crocodiles
Afraid so! Central America is home to several species of Caimans and Crocodiles. They can be found in grassy swamps and slow moving rivers. They have excellent hearing and fabulous eyesight above water, they can swim up to 20 miles per hour and on land can reach 11 mph - so they make excellent hunters! Scared yet? Don't worry, if you're on land run away - they usually need a rest after about 10 metres. If you're in the water, you should probably not be!

Boa Constrictor
These snakes grab their prey with their teeth then use their bodies to squeeze the life out of them - basically just enough so that the lungs can't function! They then unhinge their jaw and swallow whatever they have headfirst. Sounds bad, but the Boa is not a dangerous snake - they are not venomous and are very quiet and calm.

Flamigos
No it's not about being pecked to death! We just had to include these unusual but beautiful birds. Flamingos are social birds that live in large groups (sometimes thousands!) Could be like a scene from "The Birds", but your more likely to be amazed than scared.

Hummingbird
There are more than 300 kinds of hummingbird. They have specially adapted bills for sucking nectar from flowers and their name comes from the noise made by their beating wings as they hover.

Jaguar
Not the car obviously! Jaguars stalk and ambush their prey at night, preferring the quick silent kill rather than the chase. Their eyes are adapted for night hunting and they don't have much to fear, except for humans!

go back