LIVING THINGS FOUND IN RAINFOREST

Rainforests are tremendously rich in animal life. Rainforests are

populated with insects (like butterflies and beetles), arachnids
(like spiders and ticks), worms, reptiles (like snakes and lizards),
amphibians (like frogs and toads), birds (like parrots
and toucans) and mammals (like sloths and jaguars).

Different animals live in different strata of the rainforest. For

example, birds live in the canopy (upper leaves of the trees) and
in the emergents (the tops of the tallest trees). Large animals
(like jaguars) generally live on the forest floor, but others
(like howler monkeys and sloths) are arboreal (living in trees).
Insects are found almost everywhere.

Many species of rainforest animals are endangered and many

other have gone extinct as the number of acres of rainforests on
Earth decreases.

As in any food web, there are more plant-eaters than

meat-eaters (and many more plants than plant-eaters).
There are also more small animals than large animals.
Insects are the most numerous animals in rainforests.

Although there is intense competition between

animals, there is also an interdependence. When one
species goes extinct, it can affect an entire chain of
other species and have unpredictable consequences.

Protection from Predators

Animals are always in danger of being eaten and have developed
many methods of protecting themselves from hungry animals.

 Hiding: Some animals simply hide from predators,

concealing themselves in burrows, under rocks or leaves, in
tree hollows, or in other niches where they are hard to find.
 Camouflage: Camouflage is another way of hiding in
which the animal blends into its environment. Many
animals, like the "walking stick" insect and the Indian Leaf
Butterfly (Kallima inachus) are camouflaged so well that
they are virtually invisible when they are standing
still. Sloths are covered with a greenish layer of algae
which camouflages their fur in their arboreal environment.
Sloths also move very slowly, making them ever harder to
spot.
 Scaring predators: Some animals try to convince
predators that they are bigger and more fierce than they
really are. For example, the larva of the lobster moth
(Stauropus fagi), whose larva looks like a scorpion, but is
in fact completely defenseless. Many butterflies have large
"eye" designs on their wings. This makes them look like
the head of a very large animal instead of a harmless
butterfly, and scares many predators away.
 Warning colors: Poisonous animals openly advertise their
defense methods, usually with bright colors and flashy
patterns. When a predator eats one member of the
group, it will get sick. This memory will stay
with the predator, who will avoid that type of
animal in the future. This method sacrifices a few
individuals in order to protect the entire group. Examples of
poisonous animals include the Monarch butterfly. Other
 animals (poisonous or not) have come to mimic poisonous
butterflies, obtaining the benefits of their poisonous
"twins." This is called mimicry.
 A Sampling of Rainforest Animals

ALLIGATOR
Alligators are large reptiles.
Primitive alligators evolved
during the late Triassic
period.
AMPHIBIAN
Amphibians (meaning "double life") are vertebrate animals that
live in the water during their early life (breathing through gills),
but usually live on land as adults (and breathe with lungs). There
are three groups (orders) of amphibians: newts and salamanders;
frogs and toads; and caecilians.

ANT
Ants are social insects.

Anaconda
The biggest snake in the world.

BAT
A bat is a
flying
APES mammal.
Apes are primates that anatomically resemble humans. They
include the gorilla, chimpanzee,
bonobo, orangutan, gibbon and siamang. ASSASSIN BUG
Assassin bugs are
insects that eat other
insects.

BINTURONG
A dark, furry mammal
from rainforests of
southeast Asia.
BIRDS
Many birds live in the canopy of
rainforests. Birds have feathers and
wings. Birds may be the descendants BONOBO
of theropod dinosaurs. Bonobos are closely
related to chimpanzees.
They are very intelligent,
 peaceful primates.

CAPYBARA
The capybara is the
CAIMAN world's largest
The caiman (Caiman crocodilus) is a
rodent. It has no tail
widely distributed, medium-sized
and partially-webbed
crocodilian. It is about 6.5-8 ft (2-2.5
BUTTERFLIES feet. It lives on river
m) long. The caiman is widely
Butterflies are flying insects with banks.
distributed in Central America and
two pairs of wings, a proboscis, northern South America, ranging from
and clubbed antennae. They southern Mexico to Peru and Brazil.
belong to the Order Lepidoptera The caiman is the most widely
and the Family Rhopalocera. distributed of the New World
Many butterflies thrive in tropical crocodilians; it is found in almost all of
rainforests. the lowland wetlands and riverine
habitats in its range. It prefers still,
fresh water. Juveniles are yellow with
black spots and bands; adults are a dull
olive green with a whitish belly. These
carnivores eat fish (including piranha),
amphibians, reptiles and water birds,
using their 72-78 teeth. Females lay
about 22 eggs in late summer in soil-
and-vegetation nests.

CATERPILLAR
A caterpillar is the larval stage of CHIMPANZEE
butterflies and moths. Caterpillars eat Chimpanzees are very
CASSOWARY almost constantly and molt many intelligent mammals
A huge, flightless bird from times as they grow. (primates).
Australian rainforests. It has a
helmet-like crest on its head.

CROCODILIAN
Crocodilians are the order of
archosaurs that includes
CHLAMYDOSAURUS alligators, crocodiles,
Chlamydosaurus (meaning "caped lizard") is a gavials, etc. They evolved
rare, modern-day frilled lizard native to New during the late Triassic CUCKOO
Guinea and North Australia. Its frill is a 7-14 period and are a type of The cuckoo is a
inch (18-34 cm) flap of skin that completely reptile. bird whose call
circles its head. It opens this brightly-colored sounds like its
frill to frighten enemies. Adults are over 8 name. Many
inches (20 cm) long. These climbing lizards cuckoos live in
live in trees in humid forests and eat cicadas, rainforest canopies
ants, spiders and smaller lizards. It can run throughout the
quadrupedally (on all four legs) and bipedally world.
(with the front legs off the ground). Adult
females lay 8 to 14 eggs per clutch in spring
and summer. Classification: Class Reptilia,
Order: Squamata, Family: Agamidae, Genus
Chlamydosaurus, Species kingii (named by
Gray in 1825).

DRAGONFLY EMERALD TREE BOA

Dragonflies are primitive, flying insects The emerald tree boa, Corallus caninus, is a green
that can hover in the air. They evolved snake with white bands. It grows to be up to 7.25
during the Mississippian Period, about 360- feet (2.2m) long. It lives in trees and shrubs near
325 mya. Huge dragonflies with wingspans water (like swamps and marshes in rain forests) in
up to 27.5 inches (70 cm) existed during the lower Amazon basin (in Brazil) and in Guyana
the Mesozoic Era (when the dinosaurs and Suriname. This snake catches food with its
lived). long teeth then squeezes it. It eats birds and
rodents. This snake is nocturnal (it is most active at
night) and bears live young.

FROG
Frogs are amphibians.
FRILLED LIZARD They start out as gilled,
Chlamydosaurus (meaning "caped lizard") is a rare, modern-day
swimming tadpoles, but
frilled lizard native to New Guinea and North Australia. Its frill is a
grow to be air-breathing
7-14 inch (18-34 cm) flap of skin that completely circles its head. It
adults.
opens this brightly-colored frill to frighten enemies. Adults are over
8 inches (20 cm) long. These climbing lizards live in trees in humid
forests and eat cicadas, ants, spiders and smaller lizards. It can run
quadrupedally (on all four legs) and bipedally (with the front legs off
the ground). Adult females lay 8 to 14 eggs per clutch in spring and
summer. Classification: Class Reptilia, Order: Squamata, Family:
Agamidae, Genus Chlamydosaurus, Species kingii (named by Gray
in 1825).

GORILLA
GIBBON Gorillas are large
Gibbons are rare, primates from
GOLIATH BIRDWING BUTTERFLY
small, slender, Africa. They are in
The Goliath Birdwing (Ornithoptera goliath) is the
long-armed, tree- danger of
second-largest butterfly in the world. This brightly-
dwelling apes extinction.
colored butterfly is poisonous and has a wingspan up to
from Asia.
11 inches (28 cm) wide. It has black, yellow and green
wings and a yellow and black body. This butterfly in
found in tropical forests in Indonesia. Family
Papilionidae.

GREATER APES
The great apes (family Pongidae)
include the gorillas, chimpanzees,
bonobos, and orangutans.
GREEN IGUANA
Plant-eating lizards
from moist habitats.
HOWLER MONKEY
The loudest monkey and the
largest New World monkey.

INSECTS JAGUAR
Insects have an exoskeleton, a three-part body, and
HUMAN six legs. They evolved during the Silurian Period,
The jaguar is a large,
BEING spotted wild cat from
438 to 408 mya, long before dinosaurs existed.
A human being is South and Central
Insects are the most numerous animals in
a mammal (a type America.
rainforests.
of primate).
 JULIA
The Julia is a yellow-orange tropical
butterfly from the Americas, about 3-4
inches wide. It belongs to the group of LESSER APES
Heliconians, tropical butterflies that The lesser apes (family
have a bad taste and smell, and a large Hylobatidae) include
head. The eggs are round. The pupa is the gibbon and siamang.
angular. The Julia feeds on passion
flowers (Passiflora). Julias are found KEEL BILLED
from South and Central America to the TOUCAN
southern USA. A rainforest bird with a
huge, colorful beak.

MAMMAL
Mammals are warm-blooded MONKEY
animals with hair. They nourish
MONARCH BUTTERFLY There are two types of
The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a monkeys: Old World
their young with milk. Mammals
common poisonous butterfly found monkeys from Asia
evolved during the Triassic
worldwide. It eats milkweed in its and Africa, and New
period. Many mammals live in
larval stage and lays eggs on the World monkeys from
rainforests, including gorillas,
poisonous milkweed plant. Monarchs the Americas.
sloths, jaguars, and people.
have a wingspan of 3 3/8 - 4 7/8
inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm).

Morpho Butterfly MOTH

The Blue Morpho is a brilliant Moths are winged insects that belong to the
blue butterfly from rainforests of Order Lepidoptera. Moths have feathered antennae (not
South and Central America. clubbed antennae, like butterflies), a frenulum or jugum,
and are generally dull colored. There are over 100,000
moth species alive today.
 MOUSE
Mice are tiny mammals with long tails. OCELOT
Ocelots are wild cats from the Americas.

OWL
Owls are nocturnal birds with
ORANGUTAN large eyes and very good
Orangutans are large, tree- eyesight. Some owls live in
dwelling apes from rainforests.
southeast Asia.
Piranha
Piranhas are meat-eating,
freshwater fish that are native
to eastern South America.

PRIMATE
Primates are mammals
that include QUEEN ALEXANDRA'S BIRDWING
monkeys, apes, lemurs Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is the biggest butterfly QUETZAL
(prosimians), and in the world, with a wingspan up to 1 ft (30 cm) A quetzal is a
people. All primates wide. The female is brown with cream spots and beautiful rain
have 5 fingers on each larger than the male. The male is brown with blue forest bird with
hand and 5 toes on each and green markings; it has a bright yellow abdomen. very long tail
foot. They have color The caterpillar is black with red tentacles, and with a feathers.
vision. cream-colored spot in the middle of its body. This
rare butterfly is found in the lowland forests of
northern Papua New Guinea (east of the Owen
Stanley Mountains).

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Red-Eyed Tree Frog Label Me! Printout
A rainforest frog with bright red Label the red-eyed tree frog diagram on this
eyes. printout.
Answers
 REPTILE RAT
Reptiles (meaning"to creep") are a
A rat is a
group of animals that have scales (or
rodent with
modified scales), breathe air, and
a long tail.
usually lay eggs. The term reptile is
loosely defined in everyday English to SATURN BUTTERFLY
mean scaly, cold-blooded, egg-laying The Saturn Butterfly (Zeuxidia
animals. In cladistics (a way of amethystus) has a wingspan of about 3.9-
classifying life forms), the reptiles are 4.3 inches (10-11cm) and lives in the
more strictly defined as: all the shady forest understory. The female is
descendants of the most recent paler than the male (above). The Saturn
common ancestor of the turtles, Butterfly is found in Malaysia, Borneo, the
lepidosaurs (lizards, snakes, tuataras), Philippines, Burma, and Sumatra. It was
and archosaurs (crocodilians, named by Butler in 1865. Classification:
dinosaurs, and birds). The maintenance Family Nymphalidae (Subfamily
of body temperature (cold- vs. warm- Morphinae).
blooded) is not a factor in this
classification, but skull and egg
structure are.

SKIPPER
Skippers (family
Hesperiidae) are drab-
colored, moth-like
SIAMANG butterflies that are
SERVAL The siamang is distinguished by the hook at
A long-legged a rare, black, the end of their antennae
African wild cat. long-armed (instead of a club, like other
ape, a type of butterflies have). These
gibbon. antennae are also farther
apart at the base than other
butterflies. There are about
2,000 different species of
Skippers. They fly in a
darting fashion (hence their
name) and hold their wings
in a moth-like fashion when
at rest. The Australian
Skipper also has a humeral
lobe (a frenulum-like
projection on its hind wing
which holds the forewings
and hind wings together
SLOTH
The sloth is a slow-moving
mammal that lives in trees.
Sloths spend most of their lives
hanging upside-down from tree
branches; they eat, sleep, mate,
and give birth upside-down in
the trees. They hold onto tree
branches with strong, curved
claws that are on each of their
four feet. These plant-eaters are
more active at night; they eat
leaves, tender young shoots,
and fruit. Sloths have a thick
brown (and slightly-greenish)
fur coat and are about the size
of a cat (roughly 2 feet = 61 cm
long). Their coloration and
 during flight). their slow actions make them
almost disappear in the forest
canopy. Some sloths have
colonies of green algae
encrusting their fur, both
adding to the camouflage effect
and providing some nutrients to
the sloths, who lick the algae.
These mostly-quiet mammals
live in the tropical rainforests
of South and Central America.
Sloths may live 10-20 years in
the wild. Sloths are hunted by
jaguars, eagles, and man.
Classification: Class
Mammalia, Order Xenarthra,
Family Bradypodidae and
Megalonychidae.

SNAKE
A snake is a reptile
with no legs. Its skin
is scaly. There are TARSIER
many snakes in
SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY Tarsiers are
Swallowtail butterflies (family Papilionidae) are strong small mammals
rainforests.
fliers with three fully developed pairs of legs. Many with enormous
swallowtails have distinctive tailed wings (hence the eyes.
family name). They lay spherical eggs. These butterflies
are found from the tropics to more temperate regions.

TIGER
Tigers are large, fierce Asian cats that
have stripes. They live mostly in forests in TOAD
India, Sumatra, Indochina, and Siberia. Toads are amphibians
Tigers are threatened with extinction due with poison glands.
to loss of habitat. They usually have
warty skin.
TOUCAN
A rainforest bird with a
huge, colorful beak.
 TURTLE
Turtles have a protective shell on their body.
They are anapsids, having no extra holes in the XENOPS
sides of their heads. Turtles evolved during the The Xenops is a
late Triassic period, roughly 220 million years rainforest bird
ago, about the same time the dinosaurs and from the
Toucan mammals evolved. Proganochelys is the oldest Americas.
(Simple version) known turtle.
A rainforest bird with a
huge, colorful beak.

In a place like the Amazon rainforest where so many organisms live, it's hard not to find creatures
competing and preying on one another. One predator may become another's prey, and so on- it's crazy
how many animals can rise to meet survival! As a starter, we've gathered a list of some organisms living
in the Amazon, how they might interact, and who eats who. There are thousands of other organisms
living in the same place though, so count on these ones to be the bare minimum of what can really
happen out in the wild world of the Amazon rainforest.

Plants:
The amazon rainforest is a home for many different types of plants, though the two most well know
would have to be the Brazil Nut Tree and Orchids. The Brazil Nut Tree is one of the rainforest's prime
trees in the amazon, it towers above all other trees and produces fruit the size of a baseball during
January and February. The tree is dependent on a certain large rodent called the Agouti- this rodent is
the only known animals capable of breaking open the hard shell of the trees fruit, thanks to their sharp
chisel-like teeth. Without the Agouti to open the fruits, the tree would not be able to have its seeds
spread nearly as much as they do today. As for orchids, these plants, with so many species around the
world, are one of the largest and best known plants globally. Orchids can grow in many different ways; in
the soil, underground, on rocks, but most grow on other plants and trees [meaning they're epiphytes.]
Many orchids rely heavily on certain insects and birds to help pollinate, but the orchids main 'partner' is a
type of fungi called Mycorrhizae Fungi- due to the orchids nature lack of water-retentive roots, at some
point in their life cycle, the fungi will grow somewhat inside the orchids roots, aiding it in absorbing water
and minerals. And later on in the cycle, the orchid will help the fungi by producing the nutrients made
during photosynthesis that the fungi needs to survive! It's a very neat little symbiotic relationship.
Insects:
Many insects call the rainforest their home, from ants, to beetles, to butterflies, and spiders and praying
mantis'.. there are so many insects, and subspecies of those insects, that it's hard to count them all! A
few of the more common ones though, as already named, are spiders, such as common Orb-Weaver
spiders that are generally small and can be found just about anywhere; these spiders are the ones that
build the beautiful orb like webs we often see in our gardens- thus their name. These spiders rely on
small, or larger, insects to get caught in their web, so that they can then proceed to wrap the insect in
their web before slowly devouring its meal. As one might think, most spiders compete with one another,
as well as with any other insect-eating creature such as birds and other insects, lucky for them though,
insects are abundant in the rainforest.
Though Orb-Weaver spiders are generally small, not all the spiders in the Amazon are, some spiders,
such as the Goliath Bird-Eater are not so small. If the name itself doesn't already say much, the Goliath
Bird-Eater is a member of the tarantula family, recorded to be the second largest spider in the world [by
leg-span] by mass, it may be the largest. These ginormous arachnids are certainly large enough to eat
birds, as the name suggests, however, it is rare that they actually do, and instead prefer to feed on
smaller insects and invertebrates. Despite the massive size of these spiders, they are not reported to be
any threat to humans, as they do not posses venom and their bite is no worse than that of a wasp sting.
One of the more predatory insects is the praying mantis', they can grow anywhere from one to ten
inches, and are masters of camouflager and mimicking their surroundings. While they may not look it,
mantis' are strong creatures, and with their amazing eyesight they can spot prey, move without startling
it, and then capture their prey with their powerful forelegs to hold them in place while devouring the prey
with their strong jaws. The mantis' diets can frequently change, depending on what is available to eat;
most of the time they will consume other insects- spiders, butterflies, beetles, sometimes even other
mantis'. Other times, they will eat small invertebrate such as small lizards, mice, frogs, and even
hummingbirds! It's no wonder this interesting insect is so well known.

Birds:
Just like every other organism, the rainforest holds many species of birds- predatory birds, fruit
eaters, hummingbirds, the list just goes on! One of the more common birds is the Blue-Gray
Tanager, this little bird belongs to a large family of tropical birds- with over 200 species of Tanager
ranging all the way from Canada to Central Argentina! These birds play an important role in seed
dispersal for both trees and shrubs in the rainforest, as their diet consists mainly of a large variety of
fruits, berries, and insects, as well as leaves, flowers and nectar. Like our common sparrow, the Blue-
Gray Tanager is a pretty regular member of the rainforest, and has many predators going after it, like;
predatory birds, snakes, felines, and crocodiles. Though the primary threat to these sweet birds is habitat
destruction.
Possibly one of the most popular and well known birds that resides in the Amazon rainforest is the Scarlet
Macaw, they are the largest parrot in the world and are very distinctive due to their bright red, blue, and
yellow feathers. As one might guess, these parrots just love to live in larger groups, and make lots of
noise. However, unlike a lot of animals, the Scarlet Macaw mates for life, and spends hours with their
mates and offspring, cleaning one another. Though these colourful birds can look intimidating from their
size, they mainly only eat fruits, nuts, leaves, and berries. One thing that has given the Scarlet Macaw an
advantage in their region is that they can eat fruits that are normally deadly toxic to other animals- this is
most likely because these birds eat large amounts of clay, which can neutralize the poison.
Because there are so many birds in the Amazon rainforest, there is much competition for fruits and
insects, and for those that eat smaller rodents and other birds, the competition is just as bad- as they are
competing with every other carnivorous animal. For this reason, most of the amazon birds have adapted
to having a wider variety in their diet, being able to eat many different fruits and insects- and have
gained characteristics to help aid them in getting said food. Like a parrot with their large beak, meant for
breaking open nuts and being able to eat at larger fruits. Or an Osprey, with oily plumage that repel
water as they dive fully into rivers and lakes, large feet to grab and hold onto fish, and even a reversible
toe that allows them to carry a fish more easily while in flight.

Predators:
While any organism that consumes another can be considered a predator, lets face it, when asked the
question: "What are some predators?" The first thing that comes to mind will probably be something
along the lines of; lions, tigers, sharks, constrictors, eagles, etc. Well, taking on that logic, we decided to
use the two deadliest predators in the Amazon rainforest- the reigning kings. Except themselves and
human threats, virtually nothing can take them on, and those that try, usually end up dead. To start off,
we have what is one of the best known, and beautiful animals, the Jaguar.
Big cats everywhere seem to be lethal weapons of mass destruction when put to the test, and while all
are champion predators in their kingdom, the Jaguar is the champion of the rainforest. At five to six feet
in length and weighing 100 to 250 pounds, these big felines are the largest cats of South America. In
some South American traditions the Jaguar God of the Night was the lord of the underworld, and the
name jaguar was even derived from the Native American word yaguar, meaning "he who kills with one
leap." And it's no wonder the Jaguar got its name from that when it's such a powerful creature. One of
the distinctive features of this solitary cat is that unlike many others of its kind, the Jaguar is completely
unafraid of water, and is actually quite the prominent swimmer- making it easy for them to catch fish,
turtles, and even small alligators known as caiman. On land, they will hunt just about anything, but
prefer larger animals such as peccaries, capybaras, tapirs, and deer. What makes the jaguar a great
predator is that it will sometimes even climb into trees and prepare an ambush- killing their prey with
only one powerful bite!
Unfortunately, due to their much-loved coats, hunters will often kill jaguars for their skins. However, the
jaguar has yet to reached the threatened status, and still stands at near-threatened. With any luck, this
king of the rainforest has a long time before they reach endangered.
Our second crowned king, or rather, queen, of the amazon is the distinctive, and terrifyingly large Green
Anaconda. This massive snake can reach impressive length of over 30 feet in length, 12 inches in width,
and weigh more than 550 pounds! And unlike many animals, female anacondas are generally larger than
the males. While this snake is extremely powerful, they do not have venom like many smaller snakes-
who knows, maybe nature didn't think it would be fair to give such a big and strong snake even more of
an advantage. So instead of poisoning their prey, green anacondas, will hold onto their meals with their
strong jaws while wrapping the whole of their muscular bodies around their prey in order to suffocate
them, or drag them underwater- yes you read right. Because green anacondas have their eyes and noses
on the top of their head, they are capable of seeing and smelling their prey even while under water,
much like a crocodile. These massive creatures are beyond even the jaguar, and thanks to their size and
ability to suffocate large land animals, can make just about anything their prey- from birds, to large
rodents, deer, fish, tapirs, peccaries, dogs, sheep, turtles.. they even have the ability to consume jaguars.
It's no secret that snakes swallow their prey whole by unhinging their jaws, but the anaconda just takes
that to a whole new level of scary.
Because of their frightening power and massive size, adult anacondas have no natural predators, and are
sitting steadily at the top of the food chain. As it is, humans are the only threat to them, and much of the
time, humans only kill them in fear that the snake will attack them! That, and their skin is often turned
into leather or used for decoration- deforestation is also a threat to their survival.

Among the two rulers of the Amazon, there are also a number of other main predators, though the main
ones are all birds and felines, as well as the occasional reptile. Some of them include the Caiman, Puma,
Jaguarundi, Ocelots, Vultures, Osprey.. the list can go on and on. Among all these predators is the one
common thing: they all eat meat. Therefore, they all compete daily for their food, while at the same time,
trying to avoid becoming the prey of a more powerful predator. For instance, the Jaguarundi is a very
small wild cat, being only slightly larger than a house cat. They mostly feed on smaller birds, but also
prey on small mammals like rodents, as well as fish, frogs, and reptiles. Generally, as an adaptation to
their area, depending on where a Jaguarundi lives, their pelt colours will vary- darker colours are usually
seen on those in denser places like the forest, whereas lighter browns and sandy colours are seen on
those living in more desert-like areas. Fortunately for this small feline, because their pelt is so plain, they
are not hunted for any uses- except maybe by the farmers when these cats get into their poultry farms.
They are also able to adapt rather well to human disturbances- maybe they're more like house cats then
they seem. And in general, the only real threat to them is their loss of habitat. However, one of these
cute felines could easily become the meal of some Caiman, Jaguar, or Anaconda- size does help in the
wild world. That, and powerful weapons.

In the wild world of the Amazon rainforest, it can be a dog

creatures go days without food because they are unable to
themselves, or cannot win over competition. Other organism
for living, and quickly have their life taken by another. Whil
how to fend for themselves, finding new ways to get at foo
monkey's will make tools out of rocks and sticks in order to
at insects in the ground and in trees.
It's survival of the fittest, and the smartest.
Those that cannot compete, lose.

Biotic:

Biotic factors are any living things in an envirnment. The tropical rainforest is full of life
with apoximately 15 million different species of animals. A few examples of the many biotic
feature are the rubber and bamboo trees, sloths, anteaters, poison dart frogs, lemurs,
bromeliads, etc.

Abiotic:

Abiotic factors of the rainforest include soil, water, rocks, light, and climate.The soil is
typically poor in a tropical rainforest because the heavy rainfall washes away nutrients and
it is usually acidic. Because of the soil conditions, many trees rely upon lateral root systems
rather than deep tap roots.

Biotic and Abiotic Factors

Biotic Factors are living organisms that live in and affect an Abiotic Factors are nonliving factors tha
environment. These living things can be anything from fungi to This could be the elements to the ground w
humans. on.

Some examples of biotic factors in the tropical rainforest Some examples of abiotic factors in
are: are:

* Chimpanzees * Forest soil

* Trees * Rain

* Molds * Wind

* Vines * Pebbles and rocks

* Toucans * Feces

* Worms * Rivers and/or ponds

*Scorpions * Heat

* and many more * And many other components

A rainforest is a tropical or temperate area of the globe that receives substantially

more rainfall than other areas. Tropical rainforests are mostly found near the equator,
while temperate rainforests appear in other latitudes closer to the poles. Climate, soil
type, precipitation, temperature and sunlight are all abiotic factors that determine the
composition of a rainforest, including the major differences between rainforests in
tropical and temperate regions of the globe.

Every Day is a Rainy Day

Precipitation in a rainforest environment is substantial, ranging from 50 to 300 inches
of rainfall per year. This incredible amount of moisture leads to many unique
adaptations in plant species, since capturing nutrients before they get washed away
by heavy rainfall is essential to survival. Many regions have a "wet season," in which
monsoons or heavier rainfall become more common. In temperate rainforests, some
precipitation falls as snow at higher elevations. Humidity in rainforests varies, on
average, from 77 to 88 percent, allowing the growth of epiphytes or "air plants," which
grow on surfaces like tree branches, without soil.

Poor Foundations
Because nutrient uptake from soil is rapid, the soil in mature rainforests is often loose,
sandy and devoid of nutrients. Trees use above-ground root systems to capture
nutrients that filter downward in the form of decomposing organic matter before heavy
rainfall can wash them away. This creates an incredibly nutrient-rich topsoil. Because
the deeper soil in the rainforest is so heavily leached, large trees receive little
nutritional support. This leads to adaptations like buttress roots, which extend up to 15
feet above the forest floor to provide support to large trees.

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Hot and Cold

Temperatures in rainforests vary by region. On average, temperatures rarely get
higher than 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit), or lower than 20 degrees
Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit). Temperate rainforests, however, can exist at
substantially colder temperatures. Like their tropical cousins, these rainforests have
heavy rainfall and similar soil profiles. Their biology, however, is completely unique,
consisting of a mix of deciduous trees and evergreens accustomed to cooler
temperatures. These temperate environments occur in the American Northwest and
regions like New Zealand and Chile.

Made in the Shade

The layers of vegetation in a rainforest can filter out all but 6 percent of the light from
the sun before it reaches the forest floor, limiting the growth of any vegetation
underneath the canopy. Some younger trees may languish in the shade for decades
until a hole is created in the canopy by a fallen tree. When this occurs, growth is
immediate and the canopy is restored in just a few years. Vines and lianas, or woody
vines, often compete with trees for sunlight by climbing to the canopy along their
trunks, occasionally strangling their hosts in the process by denying them the precious
sunlight they need to photosynthesize.

The extremely rich biodiversity (and not yet discovered entirely) makes it tough to
pinpoint a set of animals. However, certain animals are world-famous for their unique
features and characteristic nature.

Gorilla
 Jaguar

Orangutan

Macaws
Amazon rainforest, alone, is home to 427 different species of mammals till date.
Among the mammals, the largest predators include jaguar and cougar.

Gorillas live in the tropical forests of Africa (on either side of Congo river), while
orangutans are restricted to the forests of Borneo and Sumatra.

Other primates include the orangutan, spider monkey, squirrel monkey, black and red
howler monkey, various species of lemurs, and many more.

Macaws, hornbills, kingfishers, toucans, and eagles comprise most of the bird
population in the tropics.
 Blue Morpho Butterfly

Piranha

Black Caiman
Out of more than 2.5 million insect species that inhabit the tropical rainforests,
cicadas, the bullet ant, and walking sticks are fairly common.

One of the largest butterflies, morpho butterfly, make the rainforests of Latin America
their home.

Frogs dominate the amphibian population of the tropics mainly because the damp
conditions are suitable for their survival.
Poison dart frogs
Poison dart frogs (group of frogs belonging to the family Dendrobatidae) are
considered one of the most poisonous species on Earth, and are widely distributed in
tropical rainforests.
The number of reptiles aren't left behind with several species of snakes, lizards, and
chameleons leading the lot.

Black caiman and anaconda make for the largest predatory species in the tropics.
Electric eels and piranhas have been reported to stun (eel) or bite (piranha) humans.
The way in which the tropical rainforests function is truly fascinating. Always
bustling with energy with the variety of life forms they support, it does not come as a
surprise when they are called the 'lungs of the Earth'.