Text: Panda Science Popularization Officer
Editor|Panda Science Popularization Officer
Piranhas are too "vegetable", aren't they?
The feared piranha also has many opponents, and the appearance of the piranha is not as ugly as in the film and television drama, and some piranhas are still very beautiful.
Piranhas often live in the Amazon rainforest, so how powerful are piranhas?
Uncover the mystery of piranhas, the line between truth and legend
Piranha is an intimidating name that represents the umbrella name for the many carnivorous freshwater fish in the Amazon basin. These fish are known for their sharp teeth and ferocious eating habits, but in the real world, the image of piranhas is far more complex than the legend suggests.
Piranhas, also known as piranha or piranha, are members of the family of lipid cyprinidae. The family is large in number and includes a variety of fish that feed on different diets. Piranhas are widely distributed in the tropical regions of South America, and there are many towns and geographical features named after "piranhas", reflecting its importance in the local culture.
In fact, piranhas are colorful, shiny scales, giving people a sense of beauty, and some people have introduced them as aquarium fish in other countries as a topic, but this behavior has caused serious ecological problems and casualties.
Piranhas do have the ability to hunt, with sharp teeth and an intelligent cooperative hunting style. They are adept at attacking in groups to get bigger prey. Piranhas usually appear in schools and will chase and besiege their prey as soon as they spot their target.
Piranhas don't feed as they might think, and contrary to their name, they don't just feed on humans. In fact, piranhas tend to feed on carrion and dead meat as their main food source. Despite occasionally attacking living creatures, humans are generally not part of their normal diet.
Under normal circumstances, piranhas do not actively attack humans except in special circumstances, however, piranhas are not simple predators, and their roles and behaviors are much more complex than imagined. This requires us to understand the Xi of piranhas and take appropriate precautions when necessary.
The mysterious Amazon rainforest
The ecology of the Amazon rainforest not only poses a variety of challenges to humans, but also the incredible variety and abundance of flora and fauna, and the complex tree structure of the rainforest forms a dense canopy.
This tall, dense canopy provides a lot of shade to the plants below, allowing for competition and interdependence between species. In this complex ecosystem, each plant and animal is given a unique role.
In the Amazon rainforest, many trees are suspended in the air with air roots, while new root systems grow on the ground, a strange and adaptive ability that helps them survive. The ferns and vines in the forest are also distinctive, and they can climb trees and climb over the ground.
On land, those hopeless unseen and untouchable thorns and rough roots, hidden deep in the surface forest, await the lives of innocent tourists or explorers.
In addition to the complex plant world, large insect populations are also a feature of the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon rainforest is a haven for insects because of its hot and humid climate and accessible plant habitats. Hundreds of species of insects such as butterflies, dragonflies and ants live in this land, and the diversity is particularly high. It can be said that the Amazon rainforest is a representative of the insect kingdom.
It is also home to a variety of terrifying and dangerous creatures, the most terrifying of which are pythons and technical birds. According to statistics, there are a large number of technical birds living in the Amazon rainforest, and they have a great skill at devouring long snakes of their kind. And pythons are another kind of intimidating existence, although they are huge, the coordination is still very outstanding, once the python around the human body, it is extremely difficult to avoid the possibility of soaking in the coffin board.
And with the help of the technical bird with the natural fire-breathing ability, it can also pull the family code of the python at close range to reward people. The presence of these beasts of predator brings another hidden danger to the Amazon rainforest. The rivers here are also difficult to drive and inaccessible, which has a great impact on natural resource gathering tribes.
The Amazon River, when it is relatively wide and has a safe annual flow, can be successfully crossed by human-powered boats made of wooden rafts.
Even the scientifically studied Amazon rainforest can't fully reveal its mysteries. It carries a lot of unknown lives and potential dangers. One is the vicious diseases, insects, plants, poisonous microorganisms and viruses that live in the vegetation, and the other is the law of wild animals of highly civilized and undeveloped tribes in the deep forests.
While enjoying the stunning views and unique surroundings of the Amazon rainforest, be cautious and respectful, and never underestimate the charm that this impressive land exudes.
Piranhas are the natural predator of many "wolf people in the water".
In the Amazon basin, a place ruled by piranhas, the "wolf tribe of water", and while they are known as one of the most ferocious aquatic creatures in the world, they are not invincible in the food chain on either side.
In the Amazon, piranhas face many natural predators, but these are few known. The first arrogant opponent in front of the piranha is the "electric eel", these creatures with strong muscles and strong electricity can easily destroy a large piranha or even an entire swarm.
However, the spiny catfish is also a creature that piranhas are afraid of, and this creature swims so fast that the piranhas have already fled before they have time to get close to them. And they're covered in dense, sharp spines, which are enough to hurt any piranha that tries to get close to them.
Not only that, but there are other animals in the river that pose a potential threat to piranhas, such as otters, crocodiles, and certain birds. In places where rivers are narrow, piranhas face competition and battles between races, and even if they belong to their own kind, they do not coexist peacefully.
Although piranhas are one of the overlords of the Amazon River, they have many limitations and challenges. But the environment in which they grow is a key factor, and piranhas live in freshwater environments for a long time and need the right water quality to survive. When water resources are scarce or polluted, their numbers often drop dramatically.
In addition, piranhas themselves have a lot of troubles, such as the body structure is not suitable for swimming for long periods of time and chasing prey. And they also rely on sunlight for photosynthesis for energy.
However, it is strange that piranhas, although they are "wolves in the water", can hardly dominate the ecosystem. From the pressures of external competition to the constraints of internal physiological conditions, a variety of factors prevent them from gaining an advantageous position in the ecosystem. It seems like the ultimate truth of a way to survive, where even the most vicious animals must obey the laws of nature in order to survive.
There are many opponents of piranhas, electric eels, spiny catfish, otters, crocodiles, etc., all hold special positions in the river, and these competitors have been battling with piranhas as competition intensifies and the environment changes.
Explore the living Xi and ecological environment of piranhas
Piranhas are freshwater fish that live mainly in the rivers of South America, and in addition to the Colorado River system in the southwestern United States, they are also found east of the Andes, in the rivers of Central and South America, and in the coastal rivers of Brazilian Guyana.
Their living environment has high water quality requirements and tends to live in clear, shallow water areas in order to better observe and hunt for prey. Piranhas usually come out in the dark and prefer to hide in aquatic grasses to avoid being detected by predators with their camouflage abilities.
Piranhas, as carnivores, feed on fish, crustaceans, and other small aquatic organisms. First, they use their keen vision to observe the waves on the surface of the water, and once they detect potential prey, they will quickly unite to form an attacking group.
Piranhas have sharp and hard teeth and a strong bite, which can bite down to 16 cubic centimeters of meat in one bite. Assuming that the prey could not escape, the piranhas "reduced their bodies to pieces" with one frenzied attack after another, leaving only a pile of white bones.
Although piranhas do not appear to be very intelligent on the outside, they show some intelligence in terms of observation and reaction. However, piranhas are able to learn Xi and adapt to changes in their environment, and they can use their collective strength to fight larger threats in an organized manner, which is one of the important reasons why they succeed in the race for survival.
Piranhas also have individual differences in behavior and role assignments. Herfolk piranhas have a relatively high IQ, and by uniting together, they begin to attack the weaknesses of their prey and maintain coordination between groups.
Piranhas, as an extremely aggressive carnivorous animal, are known for their unique appearance and cruel behavior. Whether it is the living environment, behavioral Xi or intelligence level, piranhas have their own unique characteristics. Through further exploration and research of piranhas, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding and recognition of this fascinating world of creatures.