Edenya

The manatee, sometimes called the “sea cow,” spends 6 to 8 hours a day grazing. Its low-nutrient diet has shaped an extremely slow metabolism, allowing it to live on 25% less energy than mammals of similar size. Semi-social and equipped with an intestine nearly 20 metres long, it continuously replaces molars worn down by the abrasive plants it eats.

Drill monkeys live in groups of 15 to 75 individuals. Males, twice as large as females, ease tensions by “smiling” and showing their teeth. Their lower lip and rump are red due to strong vascularisation, while males often display blue tones on their genital organs.

Brown-headed spider monkeys rarely come down to the ground and live almost entirely in the trees. Capable of 9-metre leaps, they move using their hands, feet and long prehensile tail. They also play an essential role in seed dispersal in the forests where they live.

Unlike many other primates, De Brazza’s monkeys are discreet and rarely vocalise. As excellent swimmers, they can easily cross rivers and thrive in wetland habitats. Males are larger than females and have a blue scrotum. When threatened, they crouch and remain motionless to avoid predators.

The giant otter lives in family groups of 5 to 8 individuals centred around a monogamous pair. Highly social, it communicates through vocalisations and shares grooming, hunting and resting with its group. In water, it adapts its swimming style: slowly, it paddles with its paws; quickly, it undulates its tail to propel itself.

The world’s largest rodent, the capybara can reach 1.35 m and 65 kg. Semi-aquatic, it swims and dives for up to 5 minutes while holding its breath and feeds on aquatic plants, grasses and shrubs. As fast as a horse, it lives in sometimes very large groups organised around a dominant male, with “nurseries” for the young.

The Bolivian squirrel monkey, bright-eyed primate of South America’s tropical forests, plays a crucial role in the ecosystem by contributing to seed dispersal and highlighting the importance of preserving natural habitats.

The giant anteater, with its distinctive silhouette and powerful claws, skilfully breaks into termite mounds in tropical forests, illustrating this specialised insectivore’s adaptation to complex ecosystems.

Kirk’s dik-dik is one of the smallest antelopes. Nocturnal and discreet, it hides in bushes to escape predators. When startled, it runs in a zigzag while making “dik-dik” sounds. Monogamous and faithful, the pair marks its territory during a “defecation ceremony,” with the male remaining the primary defender.