The acuri palm (Attalea phalerata) nuts are irresistible to the cattle as well as the hyacinth macaws.

The cattle like the husk surrounding the nut, and their digestive system is unable to process the hard shell and passes undamaged through it all and end up on the ground where the hyacinth macaws pick them up and crack them open to eat the nutritious kernel.

For the macaws this is more convenient than peeling the messy outside of the nut.

Resembles bocaiuva (acrocomia aculeata), but it has a more circular fruit.

The palms are common on the higher ground – appearing like myriads of islands. Higher ground here is a mere 2-3 metres higher than the surroundings and are thus not submerged during the rainy season. In the dry season they still keep the island appearance, as they are dense forests compared to the grasses and brush on the floodplains.

Native range is Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.

Last updated on 8 November 2024