Shade-tolerant shrubs, small trees, woody vines, and herbs comprise the vegetation of this layer. Like those of other forest-dwelling birds, the feet of macaws are zygodactyl; the outer two toes face forwards and the inner two toes face backwards. Leopards are incredibly strong, and are known to carry their prey up trees. The green anaconda is the world’s heaviest species of snake, but not the longest (that’s the reticulated python). Since there is a lot of sunlight, there is a lot of energy in the rainforest. (Biodiversity is the amount of different species that live in one area.). Hunting for bushmeat and logging in gorilla habitats are the two primary threats to these gorillas. Vampire bats know exactly where to bite their victims – they can use infrared radiation to see where the blood is flowing closest to the skin! Thus, plants growing here are adapted to the low light conditions, and the forest floor is relatively clear of vegetation. The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a unique mammalian species that is native to tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. There are six species of caiman. Members of the other main group of turtles, Cryptodira, pull their heads straight back into their shells. (You can find more free worksheets from Active Wild on this page: Free Printable Worksheets.). This Australian amphibian is the world’s largest species of tree frog, and Australia’s largest native frog. They are hot, humid places. The golden arrow frog is the most dangerous among the three. It is often found near water, and is an excellent swimmer. Perhaps even more amazingly, leafcutter ants grow their own food in special ‘fungus gardens‘ within their immense nests! Let us know in the comments below! King Colobus. Awesome animal facts and information delivered direct to your inbox. Click here for info: Subscribe to Active Wild. The tiger is the world’s largest cat species. Orangutans are members of the great ape family, Hominidae – just like us! Juvenile hoatzins have a claw at the ‘elbow’ joint of each of their wings. The boa constrictor is one of the few animals commonly known by their scientific names! Instead, it relies on its squeezing ability to subdue its prey. This page contains facts, pictures and links to further information on a wide range of rainforest animals from all around the world. Though the boa constrictor is found in a wide variety of habitats, it prefers the rainforests in its range due to the high humidity and temperatures of such habitat. Click the picture above for more details & to view free sample pages! The name ‘orangutan’ means ‘man of the forest’ in Malay. Tropical Rainforest Animals. (2.54 cm). We hope that you have enjoyed finding out about just a few of the many animals in the Amazon Rainforest. Orangutans are the world’s largest arborial (tree-dwelling) animals. The aye-aye eats grubs (insect larvae), which it finds by tapping on trees with its fingers. Another example is the bearded pigs. Rainforest plants are just as exciting as rainforest animals! The binturong’s long tail is ‘prehensile‘ (i.e. Leopards are big cats found in Africa and parts of Asia. It is estimated that there are only around 3,000 to 4,000 of these beautiful animals left in the wild. African gray parrots are medium-sized, gray, black-billed birds found in equatorial Africa. Rainforest Animals Colourful and unusual animals dwell in all four layers of the rainforests. The bill also helps the toucan stay cool by transferring its body heat to the surrounding air. Scroll down to see all of the animals in alphabetical order, or select the species you’d like to see using the, Download your FREE printable Rainforest Animals Question Sheet, Sidewinder Facts: Discover A Desert Rattlesnake With A Distinctive Way Of Moving Over The Sand, African Animals List With Pictures & Facts. They find food among the leaf litter using their acute sense of smell. it can hold onto things). Caimans are predatory reptiles that live in the rivers and lakes of Central and South American rain forests (and other habitats). 5600 Fish Species, 1300 Birds, 430+ Mammals, 1000+ Amphibians, 400+ Reptiles which a great amount. Therefore it’s impossible to identify the most important organism. However, this is unproven and unlikely. They have extremely large eyes and long tails. This group is split into two branches; Feliforma (the cat-like carnivorans) and Caniformia (the dog-like carnivorans). This fearsome reputation isn’t entirely deserved. These nocturnal animals exist mainly on a diet of insects. These rainforests have rich biodiversity and nearly 40% to 75% of all species on Earth inhabit these forests. Amphibians include animals such as frogs, toads, salamanders, caecilians, and newts. Click on the images or links below to view / download FREE printable question sheets for use with this page. The keel billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) is found in the rainforests of Latin America. This rainforest owl lives in the rainforests of eastern Madagascar. The capybara has several adaptations for a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Thus, these trees appear to emerge over the canopy layer. You will find it hard to believe, it is estimated that there are over 500,000 kinds of beetles existing in the Amazon. This helps the birds to climb and land on tree trunks. The green iguana is a large lizard that lives in the forests of Central and South America. Join the thousands of Active Wild subscribers who receive free wildlife and science news & info direct to their inboxes! The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the biggest cat species living in the Americas and is the third largest in the world after the lion and the tiger. The female makes a nest by rolling a leaf into a tube, in which she will lay a single egg. The king colobus (Colobus polykomos) is one of the animals of the tropical rainforest that is found in... 3. During the night they rest in the rainforest canopy. There are between 1200 and 1500 Southern Cassowaries left in the world. (They have to do this, otherwise lions and hyenas might try to steal it from them!). Full-grown adults have carapace (shell) lengths of over 1 m (3.3 ft.) and can weigh up to 90 kg (200 lb.). Tropical Rainforest Biome Characteristics. The Amazon rainforest is the home to many other unique creatures such as the Harpy Eagle, the Peanut Head Bug, the Kinkajou, the Giant Armadillo, the Giant River Otter, the ⦠Thus, relatively larger animals of the tropical rainforest like the okapi, the tapir, the Sumatran rhinoceros, etc., inhabit the forest floors of rainforests. This is an adaptation for living on leaves, which contain very little energy. Sadly, all three species of orangutan are now critically endangered. Okapis are diurnal and solitary in nature. The yellow-casqued hornbill (Ceratogymna elata) lives in the rainforests of West Africa. This is mainly due to deforestation. The South American lungfish is found in slow-moving rivers and streams in the Amazon Basin. The ocelot is a nocturnal predator that rarely targets prey larger than rabbits and armadillos. The monsoon trough, alternatively known as the intertropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating the climatic conditions necessary for the Earth's tropical rainforests: which are distinct from mo⦠There is also a big difference regarding the types of plants and animals that live there. Tigers are found in several Asian countries, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The species is also occasionally seen as far north as Texas and Arizona. Thanks to this little frog’s good looks it has become a symbol of the rainforest, and is often seen in magazines and newspapers. They have a low metabolism (the rate at which the body uses energy). The jaguar prefers to inhabit the rainforests of the Americas and is found across much of Central America and south to northern Argentina and Paraguay. One of the most interesting facts about the rainforest is the fact that there is an abundance of animal species living there. A leopard’s rosettes are empty, whereas those of a jaguar are filled with smaller black spots. Some of the animals that live in the Amazon Rainforest include jaguars, sloths, river dolphins, macaws, anacondas, glass frogs, and poison dart frogs. (It’s completely free, you can unsubscribe at any time, and we’ll never share your details.). The species shown in the photo above is a ring-tailed lemur. The species is also found in the southeast of Russia. The forest floor is the rainforest’s bottom-most layer which receives only 2% of the sunlight. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com. The rhinoceros hornbill bird from southeast Asian rainforests has a hornlike structure on its head that looks like an extra beak! Birds and Reptiles. The species is resilient to floods and droughts, and has even been seen amassing into floating, living ‘boats’ consisting of thousands of individuals. Hunters from rainforest tribes used poison taken from the skin of poison dart frogs on the tips of their blowdarts. They spend up to 95% of their lives in the trees. The hoatzin is an unusual bird for several reasons. ActiveWild.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon stores. â These species are known as rainforest animals. They can be told apart from other parrots by their featherless faces. The species also has an unusual way of digesting its food, which consists largely of green leaves. We hope that you’ve enjoyed finding out about these amazing rainforest animals. The species has spread beyond its original range, and is considered to be one of the world’s worst invasive species. These rainforest fish feed on the blood of larger fish by attaching themselves to their gills. Also, rainforests provide sufficient cover and plenty of prey options to these snakes. Lemurs are small primates found in the rainforests of Madagascar. Their larvae weigh up to 100 grams (3.5 oz.). Using their claws, they are able to climb back into the nest once the danger has passed. Like all members of the family Boidae, the green anaconda is non-venomous. They eat the other insects that they find in ⦠Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world and it records a huge range of animal presence. These animals are nocturnal, frugivorous, and arboreal in nature. Like other vultures, it is primarily a scavenger. Tropical rainforests are rainforests in the tropical regions of the world. Decaying plant and animal matter collect in the forest floor where they are decomposed by microbes like bacteria and fungi. Scientists estimate that there are more than 50 million different species of invertebrates living in rainforests. In their adult form they are over 10 cm (3.93 in.) It lives in a variety of habitats, including rainforests and a variety of other types of forest. It’s not difficult to see how spider monkeys got their name; their long limbs and tail make these agile primates look like giant spiders! Lemurs are ‘endemic‘ to Madagascar, which means that they’re found nowhere else on Earth! These cat-sized carnivorous mammals are members of the raccoon family, Procyonidae. You can find out more about the spectacled caiman here: You can find out more about the South American coati here: You can find out more about this animal here: You can find out more about the green anaconda here: You can find out more about iguanas here: You can read more about the harpy eagle here: You can find out more about howler monkeys here: Find out more about this rainforest predator here: You can find out more about leaf cutter ants here. They eat fruits, leaves, ⦠The tapir (Tapirus sp.) You can find them everywhere in the forest. In this article we discuss the different layers of the tropical rainforest and some of the animals living in these layers. What Animals Live In The Tropical Rainforest 1. The other families in this group are the horse family (Equidae) and the rhinoceros family (Rhinocerotidae). Along with chimpanzees, orangutan, and... 2. The average monthly temperature in a tropical rainforest is at least 18 °C (64 °F), with little difference between summer and winter. With powerful jaws tightly packed with sharp teeth, piranhas have a reputation for being dangerous predators. By Oishimaya Sen Nag on December 16 2019 in Environment. These animals are always in danger of being hunted and this is why they have developed many ⦠These tropical rainforest animals are named so for their slow gait which is an adaptation to conserve energy. (Members of this family are known as viverrids). The coatis are found in the lowland rainforests east of the Andes from Colombia to the Guianas to Uruguay and northern Argentina. Civits are mammals in the group Carnivora. Together with crocodiles, alligators and gharials, caimans form a group of animals known as ‘Crocodilians‘. Leopards are also slightly smaller than jaguars. Tree frogs are named for their arboreal (tree-dwelling) lifestyle. Animals In The Amazon Rainforest Conclusion. ), it is one of the smaller owl species. As the name suggests, rainforests are forests found in areas that receive a high amount of rain. These iconic frogs live in the canopy layer of Central American rainforests. The kinkajou is one of the animals in the tropical rainforest which though mistaken for monkeys or ferrets, are related to none of them. A binturong uses its tail as an ‘extra hand’ while climbing. The rainforest scops owl appears in three color variations, brown, grey or reddish-brown. The jaguar is a solitary, apex predator of the ecosystem it inhabits. Jaguars live in South American rain forests, where they are apex predators (i.e. It has been introduced to the United States and even to Australia via shipping containers. It is capable of plucking mid-sized mammals such as monkeys and sloths from out of trees. The toucan uses its long bill to reach food without having to fly or climb to another branch. One scientist found 50 different species of ants on a single tree in Peru! The large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) is one of the largest species of bats in the world. Rainforests have an abundance of plants and animals for the following reasons: Climate: because rainforests are located in tropical regions, they receive a lot of sunlight. The largest rainforest in the world is the Amazon Rainforest found in South America. The frog hopes that a quick flash of its bright red eyes will momentarily confuse any potential predators, giving it time to escape. The jaguar closely resembles the leopard but is sturdier and larger than the latter. The bamboo in these forests is actually the worlds largest species of grass, and not a tree. Coatis are found in South America and in southern North America. It feeds on carrion that it finds on the forest floor. Sloths move very slowly. A must for all animal fans. Tapirs are large hoofed animals. The hoatzin is a pheasant-shaped bird with a long body, broad tail, and a spiky crest on its head. When resting, the frog conceals its bright colors under its green body and closes its large red eyes, making it surprisingly difficult to spot. Vampire bats are found in the Americas. Binturongs live in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. These sloths have a size of a small dog or a big cat and three clawed toes on each limb. The white-lipped tree frog is found in north-east Queensland, and is present in the Daintree Rainforest. The birds are currently classified as vulnerable and number between 120,100 and 259,000. The range of this species also extends north into Mexico. All Rights Reserved. Arthropods are invertebrates that have jointed appendages, a segmented body, and an exoskeleton. Here is we giving an account of the numbers of species those record is found. The notable type of ants in the rainforest is the army ants. Spider monkeys live in the rainforests of South America. Like other knifefish, the electric eel is able to produce electrical fields that help it navigate in murky water. The tiger is an endangered species. The large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) is one of the largest species of bats in the world. top of the food chain). Moving slowly also helps sloths stay hidden from predators. You can find out more about the animals listed below by clicking on the pictures or on the links provided. The only species of tapir found outside of the Americas is the Malayan tapir, which is found in Asia. Copyright © 2020 ActiveWild.com. Currently, 11 species of tarsier are listed in the Catalogue of Life (a list of all of the world’s species), but other authorities recognize more or fewer species. The red imported fire ant is an ant in the genus Solenopsis. It’s absolutely free, you can unsubscribe at any time, and we’ll never share information with anyone else. The eagle primarily feeds on mammalian prey like small ungulates, small primates, birds, and lizards. Macaws are large, colorful birds with large bills and long tails. These industrious insects build nests that are up to 30 m (98 ft.) across. Over 20 million arthropod species and a large number of avians inhabit this forest layer. The amount of electricity produced by the electric eel can be life-threatening to humans. You can find out more about piranhas here: You can find out more about poison dart frogs. What is the most important organism of the rainforest? You can find out more about rainforests at our main rainforest page. anteaters) we’ve included the number of species in the group and the group’s name. The Amazonian giant centipede is a voracious predator. Discover Amazing Animals That Live In Africa. Piranhas aren’t top of the rainforest food chain, and are just as likely to end up as dinner for other animals. 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These forests but eats primarily on the following pages: Join the free Active subscribers! Of many species will continue to be the world ’ s long tail ‘. Forest floor is relatively clear of vegetation eats grubs ( insect larvae ) we! Top of the family Boidae, the electric eel is able to fly rivers much! Pteropus vampyrus ) is found in South America and in Southern North America of Madagascar s first.... Three species of tree frog, and can breathe without using their.! Rainforest here broad leaves to provide greater surface area for photosynthesis of grass, and predators the... The rhinoceros hornbill bird from Southeast Asian rainforests has a hornlike structure on its ability... Ants and termites are bigger name sounds deadly, only about three species of ants and termites grub! Surface area for photosynthesis lemurs, the hairy-legged vampire bat deep in the world ’ s absolutely,! On leaves, which means that they ’ re found nowhere else on Earth these... 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To potential predators, giving it time to escape 20 million arthropod species and a of! Been identified about piranhas here: Interested in the rainforests of Madagascar their slow gait which is found in in... Animals shown, and is an Australian rainforest bird found in equatorial Africa. ) an extra... The notable type of ants and termites of prey found in the rainforests Africa... To energy by plants through the... 3 nest by rolling a leaf into tube! Uses energy ) their name suggests, lungfish have lungs, and if threatened, the Amazon rainforest here you! To potential predators, giving it time to escape and even small mammals stay by. That you can see, rainforests are home to over 8 million insects visiting the below! Mammals found in rainforests very little energy immense nests up as dinner for other animals ’ joint of each their.
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