, the Amazonian rain forest in South America has the greatest biodiversity on earth . It is home to more than 40,000 species of plants, 3,000 species of fishes, 1,300 species of birds, 427 species of mammals, 427 species of amphibians, 378 species of reptiles, and more than 125,000 species of invertebrates . While regions like the Himalayas and Western Ghats are identified as high-biodiversity 'hotspots', the Amazonian forest is noted as the most diverse region globally .