what the amazon fires means for wild animals

In the Amazon, nothing is adapted to fire. 10 percent of Earth’s animal species live there. For the thousands of mammal, reptile, amphibian, and bird species that live in the Amazon, the wildfires’ impact will come in two phases: one immediate, one long-term. Certain traits may be beneficial in the midst of wildfire. Being naturally mobile helps. Large, fast-moving animals like jaguars and pumas, Sullivan says, may be able to escape, as may some birds. But slow-moving animals like sloths and anteaters, as well as smaller creatures like frogs and lizards, may die, unable to move out of the fire’s path quickly enough. “Escape into the canopy but choose the wrong tree,” Sullivan says, and an animal is likely to die.