This diverse region includes Canada, the United States of America, Central & South America. This region is also home to the vast Amazon Rainforest. The animals of the region are most commonly threatened by human development and deforestation.

Countries such as the USA & Canada however have excellent wildlife protection controls in place, and in many places in these countries they are even reintroducing endangered species into protected habitats.

There are also active reintroduction programs in Brazil for critically endangered species such as the Golden Lion Tamarin, which has been done with the direct help of zoos. Zoo bred Tamarins are now living back in their original rainforest home.

The Americas has extremely diverse climatic areas. With arctic, temperate, desert, subtropical and tropical areas.

RSCC animals of the region

emperor tamarin

saguinus imperator subgriscens

One of the world's smallest primates.

Named after Chinese Emperors of old.

They often gnaw holes in tree trunks to eat the sweet sap.

Status

Threatened

The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans in the north and indigenous tribes in Central & South America. Today the region is an interesting melting pot of people comprising of European, African and Asian descent.

Come and see our American Giant Sequoia Redwood Tree at RSCC, it was planted as a seedling in 2004 and already it is over 12 feet tall! The Giant Sequoia is the world's largest tree and they can grow to over 300 feet tall, and they can live to be over 3,500 years old. They are found naturally growing in the pacific northwest of the U.S.A. Some have grown so large that they even have roads going through them!

This region is where the potato, corn and even chillis originated from (they were later taken to Asia). Even today the whole region depends on corn as a major part of the diet. Whether it be popcorn in the USA or tortillas in Central and South America.