Neotropic ecozone

Neotropics is a term used in biogeography. It is used both in animal geography and the geography of plants ( as one of the floral kingdoms ). It stands for South America ( from a botanical point of view is one of the southernmost Andean region no longer Neotropics, but the Antarctic ), Central America, the West Indies, the southern part of Mexico and the southern tip of Florida. The zoogeographical region of Neotropical includes South America, Central America and the West Indies. This Central America represents a transition area for Nearctic

The Neotropical region was separated from North America for a long time, so was able to develop a very independent animal and plant world, which is more similar to the Gondwanan elements of the Antarctic and Australis there.

Subregions

We distinguish several sub-regions within the Neotropics. These are primarily the West Indies, which has a very independent animal world, and Central America. In South America itself, a distinction is primarily a andin - Patagonian and a guiana -Brazilian fauna. The former includes the Andean region and the cooler Pampas areas and the Patagonian steppes, the latter the tropical lowland forests and savannas. Finally, the Galapagos Islands form a clearly defined unit within the region.

Flora

The main vegetation types include tropical rainforests. These cover a large part of the Amazon lowlands, as well as vast areas of Central America. Isolated of them can be found on the south east coast of the so-called Mata Atlantica, the Atlantic rain forest belt. This is separated by savannas and dry forests ( Cerrado, Chaco ) of the Amazon rain forests. In the north of the Amazon forests is another savannah region, the Llanos. The western edge of South America is dominated by the mighty mountain range of the Andes, on whose slopes in the tropics the mountain rainforests pull up and then go into high steppes. West of the tropical Andes lies the arid Atacama Desert. These drylands go over to the south and Mediterranean bush areas in temperate deciduous forests, extending to Tierra del Fuego. To the east of the southern Andes, the Pampas grasslands and the Patagonian steppes stretch.

Particularly characteristic in the family are plants Cactaceae and Bromeliaceae, but also the Tropaeolaceae; as genera Agave and Yucca as well as several genera of the family as pantropic palms ( Euterpe, Sabal, Jubaea ). More families are Cannaceae, Cyclanthaceae and Marcgraviaceae.

• Ice sheets and glaciers

Fauna

South America was isolated during most of the Cenozoic of the other continents. At that time, unique mammalian forms were out, some of which are still characteristic of South America. These include various marsupials, armadillos, anteaters and sloths. The New World monkeys and guinea pigs relatives arrived very early also as an island hopper to the continent. Today's mammal fauna of the Neotropical region is, however, mostly from groups who immigrated in the wake of the great American Faunenaustauschs in the Pliocene of North America. When was the mittelameikanische land bridge about three million years ago, came Artiodactyla (deer, camels, peccaries ), Perissodactyla ( tapirs ), rabbits, carnivores ( dogs, cats, martens, bears, raccoons ), insectivores and rodents families of the New world and croissant from North America to South America. Back then immigrated also mammoths and horses, but disappeared later.

The marsupials are represented in South America by opossums, Mausopossums and Microbiotheriidae. The Beutler are limited to the Nordopossum, which also occurs in the Nearctic to the Neotropics. In addition to climbing forms ( Didelphis, Marmosa ), there are also semi- aquatic ( Lutreolina, Chironectes ). The Mausopossums are restricted to relict areas of the Andean region.

The variety of armadillos range from the mole -like belt Mullen to giant armadillo. They inhabit forests and drylands alike. A single species, the Nine-banded Armadillo also occurs in the Nearctic. The anteaters are represented with giant anteater, Aardvark and Zwergameisenbär. The Sloths are only represented by tree forms, while to the Pleistocene, there were also large benthic forms. Anteaters and sloths are now restricted to the Neotropical region. Here they come but also in Central America. The same applies to the New World monkeys, which are endemic to the Neotropics, but both South and Central America inhabit. The New World monkeys, in contrast to the Old World monkeys produced no bottom shapes. They can be divided into Capuchin, peg-tail monkeys, owl monkeys, marmosets and Sakiaffen.

The guinea pig relatives of the American continent are almost exclusively confined to the Neotropical region. Only the Porcupines are native to the Urson also in the Nearctic. The capybara, it was until the late Pleistocene, but today are restricted to the Neotropics. Other families of the guinea pig relatives are the mirage -like rats ( Octodontoidea ), the ground-dwelling Cavioidea, Chinchilloidea and Dinomyoidea. The latter are represented only by the Pacarana. In addition, the floating Myocastoridae ( coypu ) occur. The second important rodent group are the New world who inhabit the entire region with the exception of the Amazon basin and are used in large variety of shapes of Tierra del Fuego and the slopes of the Andes to Mexico. Other rodents are the gophers that are found in Central America and especially the pocket mice, which occur to the north of South America. In addition, squirrels occur (Sciurus, Sciurillus and Microsciurus ). Bunnies are represented by two genera ( Lepus and Sylvilagus ) in the Neotropical region.

The shrews are found in Central America and northern South America, as they are represented in the south of opossums. The only genus of shrews which is found in South America itself cryptotis, apparently a very young immigrants. The Solenodon occur in Cuba and Haiti. The Nesophontiden have become extinct during the Holocene on the Greater Antilles. The bats are represented only by bats ( Microchiroptera ). These come in several families.

The Artiodactyla are by camels ( guanaco, vicuna ), various deer ( white-tailed deer, pampas deer, swamp deer, deer fork, Pudus, Mazamas ) and three Pekariarten represented. The collared peccary penetrates into the southern areas of the Nearctic, while White-lipped Peccary and Chaco peccary are restricted to the Neotropics. The whitetail deer is advancing into the Nearctic even to Canada. All other Paarhuferarten are entirely confined to the Neotropics. Here, the vicuña is a typical high mountain inhabitants of the Andes, while the guanaco inhabited the arid regions of the South. The deer are at least represented in most habitats with a species. While the horses in North and South America are extinct at the end of the Pleistocene around 10,000 years ago, survived the tapirs and use the Central American tapir, the largest land animals of the continent represents the other two species are the tapir and the mountain tapir. Tapirs are missing in the Nearctic region.

The predators are represented in the Neotropics by skunks and mustelids, raccoons, large bears, cats and dogs. Among the martens the tayra falls on. Other forms are weasels, otters and Grisons, of which the giant otter is the largest species. Typical of the Neotropics are the small bears. These include coatis, raccoons crab, Makibären and Kinkajous. The Central American Katzenfrett occurs at least in the north of the region. The big bears are now represented only by the Spectacled Bear, which is restricted to the Andes. The spectacled bear is the last representative of Tremarctinae. In the Pleistocene existed in North and South America several representatives of these bears subfamily. Among the dogs, the maned wolf is the largest Art There are also numerous smaller genres such as short-eared foxes, bush dog, and various Maikong Lycalopex species. At least Venezuela reached the otherwise nearktisch common gray fox. The largest cat and after the spectacled bear at the same time the second largest predator of the Neotropics is the Jaguar. He reached naturally the southern areas of the Nearctic. The Puma is slightly smaller and was once widespread across North and South America. He originally inhabited almost the entire Neotropical region. Other smaller cats in the region are Ocelot, Margay, Tiger Cat, Jaguarundi and Andean cat. In the rivers of the region neotropschen manatees and river dolphins live. Living species of seals, such as the Elephant Seal, the mane seal and the Galapagos sea lion on the coasts of the region. The Caribbean monk seal is extinct, however.

Among the birds that are represented particularly diverse in the Neotropical region, the following groups are characteristic: rheas, Tinamou, toucans, Sägeracken, Jacamars, tyrants ( Tyrannidae ), Hokkohühner.