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The Birth of Democracy | The Greeks | PBS LearningMedia

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Take a look at ancient Athens, when power was concentrated in aristocratic factions, and intense struggles leads to the birth of the most successful and influential style of society in human history.

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BBC Bitesize The Greeks

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Ancient Greece - KS2 History - BBC Bitesize

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KS2 History Ancient Greece learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.

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Website

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The way children were educated was different in each city state.

In Sparta, reading and writing was unimportant. Boys learned to be good fighters.

In Athens citizens had to be educated to take part in voting in the Assembly. Athenian boys also went to 'wrestling school' each day, to learn many sports, not just wrestling. They had to be fit, to fight in the army.

Schools

Greek schools were small. They had only one teacher and about ten or twenty boys. The schools were not free and so only the rich could really afford to send their children to school.

The children did not need much school equipment as they had to learn everything off by heart. When they needed to, they wrote on wooden boards covered with layers of wax. They used a wooden pen called a stylus with a sharp end for writing and a flat end for 'rubbing out'. The wax was melted and reapplied from time to time.

Boys and Girls

Education was also different for boys and girls. Boys were educated to become good citizens and take part in the public life of the city state. Girls were educated in housekeeping and how to look after the family.

Most Greek children, especially the girls, never went to school. Greek girls were not allowed to go to school and were often educated at home.

The School Day

The boys started school at 7 years old, and stayed until they were about 14. In the mornings they learned to read, write and do simple maths. They worked in one room, which had stools or benches, but no desks. Pupils read aloud and learned poetry by heart. Rich boys also learned about philosophy. Philosophy is thinking and writing about thinking.

In the afternoons they went to wrestling schools.

At the age of 14, children of tradesmen began to learn a trade. The children of rich Athenians went to the Assembly, the market place and the gymnasium to watch, listen to and learn from the older men.

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The way children were educated was different in each city state. In Sparta, reading and writing was unimportant. Boys learned to be good fighters. In Athens citizens had to be educated to take part in voting in the Assembly. Athenian boys also went to 'wrestling school' each day, to learn many sports, not just wrestling.

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Welcome to Active Wild's ultimate guide to rainforests and the animals, plants and people that call them home: rainforest facts for kids, students & adults. Read on to find out all about rainforests and why they're so important...

Other Rainforest Articles at Active Wild

Rainforest Facts For Kids (& Adults): Introduction

When you picture a rainforest in your head, you'll probably be imagining a 'lowland tropical rainforest'; just one of several types of rainforest.

If you picture a typical rainforest in your head then you'll probably see huge green trees with leaves that are dripping with moisture. In their branches will be exotic birds such as toucans and macaws, and troops of monkeys will be filling the air with their cries. Beautiful but deadly predators will be on the prowl-perhaps a stealthy jaguar creeping through the undergrowth, or a magnificent harpy eagle gliding silently between the branches.

The scene above describes a lowland tropical rainforest. Lowland tropical forests are bursting with life of all colors, shapes and sizes; they're among the most biodiverse* of all habitats. There are other types of rainforest; we'll find out about them further down the page. All rainforests provide a home for a vast number of species.

* Biodiversity is the number of different species found in a particular area.

Fact: Rainforests cover around 6% of the Earth Fact: Rainforests are home to at least
half of the Earth's animal and plant species

Even though rainforests only cover around 6 to 7 percent of the world's landmass, they are home to more than half of its animal and plant species.

Many people also live in and around rainforests, and rely on them for food and shelter.

Despite this, rainforests are under threat, and many rainforest species are becoming endangered. The biggest threat to rainforests is deforestation for timber.

In this article we'll begin by finding out exactly what a rainforest actually is. Then we'll find out about the different types of rainforest, where rainforests are found, the animal and plants that live in the rainforest, and the problems that rainforests are facing.

Rainforest Facts For Kids: All About Rainforests

What Is A Rainforest?

'Rainforest' is a term coined by German biologist Andreas Schimper in 1898, after he had studied forests in South America and Asia.

Fact: To be a rainforest, an area needs to have a high yearly rainfall: typically over 200 cm (79 inches) per year.

As the name suggests, rainforests are forests that grow in places in which there is a lot of rainfall.

How much rain? Well, between 200 and 450 centimetres (79 and 177 in) of rain falls annually in a rainforest.
If you can imagine two tall men, with one standing on the other's shoulders, then that's still not quite as high as the amount of rain that could fall in a rainforest in one year.
The moist and hot environment provides an ideal growing environment for trees and plants, which in turn provide food and shelter for a multitude of animal species.

Types Of Rainforest

Fact: There are two main types of rainforest: tropical rainforests and temperate rainforests.

There are two main types of rainforest: tropical rainforests and temperate rainforests.

Tropical rainforests are hot, as well as wet, and are found near the equator all around the world.

Temperate rainforests are found in cooler parts of the world, but where there is still high rainfall.

We'll find out where in the world these two types of forest are found lower down the page.

There are several different types of tropical rainforest. Often, they merge into each other without definite boundaries.

Fact: Types of tropical rainforest include: lowland rainforests, flooded rainforests, swamp rainforests, cloud forests and montane forests.

Lowland rainforests are the 'typical' dense and humid rainforests that people imagine when they think about rainforests. They occur in non-mountainous regions.

, or forests are found where there is poor drainage and / or seasonal flooding. Here, much of the land is submerged for at least part of the year.

Cloud forests and forests are found at high altitudes and are often shrouded in mist. They are cooler than tropical rainforests, and home to a different range of creatures and plants.

Rainforest Layers

Fact: The rainforest environment is divided into 4 layers: emergent, canopy, understorey and forest floor.

Rainforests have a number of different layers. Each layer provides a different habitat for a range of species.

Emergent Layer

The emergent layer is the highest rainforest layer. It is where the tops of the tallest trees break out from the surrounding vegetation. Eagles and other birds survey the forest from the highest perches, and blue morpho butterflies flutter over the trees.

The Canopy

The next highest layer is the canopy. It is the treetop layer, being formed by the branches and leaves of most of the trees that grow in the rainforest. It is around 30 meters (100 feet) high.

The canopy layer receives the most light of all the rainforest layers (up to 99% of the sunlight), and prevents light from reaching the lower layers.

Fact: Most of the species in a rainforest live in the canopy layer.

The canopy layer is home to most of the animals that live in the rainforest. It provides shelter and food for an incredible number of species.

Here you'll find animals as varied as red eyed tree frogs, howler monkeys and toucans.

Plants in the canopy layer tend to have broad, waxy leaves with pointed tips. This encourages rainwater to run straight off, preventing harmful algae and fungi from growing on them.

The Understory

The understory is made up of bushes and shorter trees. It is a dark, hot place. The plants here tend to have large leaves to capture what little sunlight gets through.

Jaguars may laze around in its branches, and boa constrictors lay in wait here, ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey below.

The Forest Floor

Fact: The biggest rainforest animals live on the forest floor.

Covered by a layer of dead leaves, the forest floor is home to the rainforest's biggest animals and also to many insects.

Here tapirs wander between the trees, using their snouts to rummage through the soil. Lines of leafcutter ants form between their huge nests and the trees whose leaves they harvest.

Rivers And Streams

Rivers and streams often run through rainforests, draining excess water away and providing yet another habitat for many kinds of animal. Many animals come to the waterside to drink, and green anacondas slip through the water using their natural camouflage and excellent swimming skills to capture their prey.

Where Are Rainforests Found?

Fact: Tropical rainforests are found near the equator.

Tropical rainforests are found near the equator, which is an imaginary line that circles the middle of the globe.

Most of these rainforests are located between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which are two other imaginary lines that run parallel to the equator above and below it. The area is known as 'The Tropics' - hence tropical rainforest.

Near the equator there is very little variation in temperature and day length throughout the year. It is hot all year round. However, many places in the tropics have rainy seasons, during which there is even more rainfall than at other times of the year.

There are tropical rainforests near the equator in North America (Mexico), Central America, South America, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.

The Amazon Rainforest

Fact: The Amazon Rainforest is the world's biggest (and most famous) rainforest.

The biggest and most famous tropical rainforest is the Amazon Rainforest in South America. It is almost twice the size of India. Most of the Amazon Rainforest is in Brazil, but it also covers parts of Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

Temperate Rainforests

Temperate rainforests are found further away from the equator, in cooler climates. They are usually located in coastal regions.

The largest temperate rainforest is the Pacific temperate rainforest ecoregion, located along the western coast of northern America from Kodiak Island in Alaska to northern California.

There are also temperate rainforests in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Animals That Live In The Rainforest

The rainforest is an extremely important environment, being home to a vast number of animal and plant species. Mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and invertebrates are all present in great numbers.

Fact: More than 1.5 million species have been discovered living in the rainforest.

Fact: There may be millions more species in the rainforest that are still to be discovered!

More than 1.5 million species (and counting) have been discovered in the rainforest. It is likely that there are many millions of species of plants, insects and microorganisms in the rainforest that are still to be discovered.

Let's take a look at a few of the animal species we do know about.

In South and Central American rainforests, howler and spider monkeys roam the branches, feeding on the abundant fruit growing in the canopy. Harpy eagles hunt in the trees, taking prey as large as sloths and monkeys. Toucans hop from branch to branch, and brightly coloured macaws catch the eye.

On the forest floor, anteaters mop up ants and termites, and predatory mammals such as ocelots and jaguars roam through the trees.

Larger mammals such as deer and tapirs are also present, as are reptiles, including boa constrictors and anacondas.

A similarly large range of animals live in other regions. In the rainforests of India, tigers are apex predators. Large animals such as sambar (a type of deer) and sloth bears live on the forest floor, while birds, including parakeets and the impressive great hornbill share the trees with Macaques, gibbons and lorises.

In African rainforests, you might see gorillas, elephants and okapi.

The rainforests on the islands of Borneo, Sumatra and New Guinea are home to several notable endangered species, such as orangutans, proboscis monkeys, clouded leopards and elephant, rhino and tiger subspecies.

Rainforest Tribes

Fact: native tribes still live in the rainforest.

Native tribes live in rainforests in Brazil, New Guinea and Central Africa. These tribes live deep in the forests, away from modern life. However, their way of life is under threat from outsiders who are gradually encroaching on their traditional home.

Very few native peoples are completely unaffected by modern life. Many now wear modern clothes and use metal items constructed outside of the forest. However, there are still some tribes whose lives are completely unaffected by the modern world.

It's very difficult to know exactly how many indigenous people live in rainforests around the world. It is thought that there are around one million indigenous people living in the Amazon rainforest.

Why We Need Rainforests

Rainforests provide a habitat for a huge number of species, including some of the world's most endangered animals.

Rainforests provide us with ingredients for many medicines.

Provided they are harvested responsibly, rainforests can provide food, timber and other products useful to man.

Rainforests help to regulate the world's climate and rainfall. They also store large amounts of carbon. If the rainforests are destroyed and left to rot, the carbon can be released as carbon dioxide - a harmful greenhouse gas.

Here's a quick question: When you think about being in the rainforest, wandering around under the green canopy and seeing toucans and macaws flying around over your head, do you feel happy and contented, or sad and angry?

Thought so! Just thinking about rainforests improves your mood!

Rainforests are beautiful places, and our quality of life is improved by their presence. Even if we never actually get to walk in a rainforest, we can see pictures of them, and learn about the animals and plants that live in them. Because this benefit cannot be measured, it is often overlooked, but it is another important reason that rainforests - and all wild places - are important.

Deforestation

Fact: Rainforests used to cover 14% of the land on the Earth. Today they cover around 6%

Sadly, rainforests are under threat all over the world. More than half of the world's rainforests have been destroyed since 1945.

Every second, an area of rainforest the size of a football (soccer) pitch is cut down.

Most of the trees are cut down for timber. This is used in building, and also for power production and for paper.

Rainforests are also destroyed to make way for farms. The trees are cut down to make fields, in which crops such as sugar cane and oil palm trees are grown, and livestock kept. Predatory rainforest animals are sometimes hunted by farmers wishing to protect their livestock.

Rainforest Facts For Kids (& Adults): Conclusion

In this article we have found out all about rainforests. We have found out what they are, where they are located, the animals and people that live in them and why we need to protect them. We've also learned about the threat of deforestation.

Spread The Word!

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Rainforest Facts For Kids - The Ultimate Guide

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Rainforest facts for kids. Learn all about rainforests, including what they are, where they are located, types of forest, animals, tribes & much, much more.

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Rainforests play an invaluable role in sustaining life, but every year, large portions of them are cut down for logging, mining, and cattle ranches.

Found on every continent except Antarctica, rainforests are ecosystems filled with mostly evergreen trees that typically receive high amounts of rainfall. Tropical rainforests are found near the equator, with high average temperatures and humidity, while temperate rainforests lie mostly in coastal, mountainous areas within the mid-latitudes.

A rainforest is typically made up of four key layers: emergent, upper canopy, understory, and forest floor. In the top emergent layer, trees as tall as 200 feet (60 meters) grow far apart and tall, their branches reaching above the canopy. The upper canopy, a deep layer of vegetation roughly 20 feet (6 meters) thick, houses most of the rainforest's animal species and forms a roof that blocks most light from reaching below.

Below the canopy, the understory is a low-light layer dominated by shorter plants with broad leaves, such as palms and philodendrons. On the dark forest floor, few plants are able to grow and decaying matter from the upper layers is prevalent, feeding the roots of the trees.

Why "rain" forests?

Rainforests are often partly self-watering. Plants release water into the atmosphere through a process called transpiration. The moisture helps create the thick cloud cover that hangs over most rainforests. Even when it's not raining, these clouds keep the rainforest humid and warm.

Rainforest loss

Deforestation is endangering rainforests worldwide, driven by logging, mining, agriculture, and ranching. About 17 percent of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the past 50 years, and losses recently have been on the rise. Tropical rainforest now covers about six percent of Earth's land surface.

Two countries accounted for 46 percent of the primary (meaning old-growth, undisturbed) tropical rainforest loss in 2018: Brazil, which is home to more than half the Amazon, and Indonesia, where forests are cut down to make way for producing palm oil, which can be found in everything from shampoo to saltines. In other countries, such as Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, loss rates are rising considerably. In many cases, such as logged areas, the soil damage makes it difficult for rainforests to regenerate, and the biodiversity found in them is irreplaceable.

Rainforest benefits

When we lose rainforests, we lose an important natural resource. Tropical rainforests are centers of biodiversity, holding an estimated half of the world's plants and animals, many of which have yet to be catalogued (some scientists estimate that it's two-thirds of the world's plants). Rainforests produce, store, and filter water, protecting against soil erosion, floods, and drought.

Many of the plants found in rainforests are being used to make medicine, including anti-cancer drugs, along with beauty products and foods. One drug under development for treating HIV, Calanolide A, is derived from a tree discovered on Malaysian Borneo. And Brazil nut trees refuse to grow anywhere but in undisturbed sections of the Amazon rainforest. There, the trees are pollinated by bees that also visit orchids, and their seeds are spread by agoutis, small tree mammals. Rainforests are also home to endangered or protected animals such as the Sumatran rhino, orangutans, and jaguars.

Forest trees also absorb carbon, an important function needed as human-caused greenhouse gas emissions stoke climate change. Rainforest loss is a double-whammy for the climate: It contributes emissions while removing a future potential source of carbon storage. Human activity has caused tropical rainforests to emit more carbon dioxide than they absorb at this point, according to one study.

Rainforest protection

Organizations and governments around the world are engaged in trying to protect rainforests. In Indonesia, notes Global Forest Watch, primary forest loss in 2017 dropped to its lowest rate since 2003 after the government enacted policies to protect certain areas.

Conservation groups, activists, and indigenous communities also play an important role. National Geographic Explorer Topher White, for example, has come up with a way to use recycled cell phones to monitor for chainsaws, while other groups, including the Rainforest Action Network and Conservation International, are working to monitor forests and create economies that thrive by protecting these ecosystems rather than destroying them, such as local tourism and sustainable products. In Brazil, thousands of indigenous people have staged demonstrations to reinforce their claim to threatened lands, arguing that they are often better stewards of rainforests and the wildlife they contain than national governments. Other efforts focus on reforestation, planting trees and reintroducing wildlife-in the Amazon, for example, a large-scale project announced in 2017 aims to plant 73 million trees.

You can help too. Support conservation efforts, consider ecotourism vacations, and look for sustainable products and meats where possible, using certifications and ratings from nonprofit groups such as the Forest Stewardship Council, the Rainforest Alliance, and the World Wildlife Fund.

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Rainforests play an invaluable role in sustaining life, but every year large portions of them are cut down for logging, mining, and cattle ranches.

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"Rainforest" is a term for a forest of broad-leaved evergreen trees that receives high annual rainfall and is characteristically associated with tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The broadest definition of "rainforest" also encompasses humid forests in some temperate regions. Tropical rainforest habitat is one with generally warm, equable temperatures, with those in equatorial regions typically receiving at least five to eight feet (1.5 to 2.4 meters) of rain each year. Sunlight hardly penetrates the lush growth of the canopy (upper level) and subcanopies in many areas. The natural continental rainforests of Africa, South America, and Asia and those of other large landmasses such as Borneo and New Guinea have a higher diversity of plant and animal species than any other terrestrial habitats in the world. Although the different regions vary in the particular species present, the ecological processes are the same.

Rainforests with thick, tangled plant growth at ground level have historically been referred to as "jungles," especially those where a significant amount of light can promote a dense growth of vines, small trees, and other plants. Jungles occur under natural situations in areas where tall trees have fallen to create open habitat that allows sunlight to enter, or along the margins of large water courses. Jungle habitat can also occur where humans have cleared rainforests of trees.

Most rainforests occur in tropical regions of the world, though temperate rainforest habitat is in certain higher latitude areas of every continent. Tropical rainforests have been defined as occurring in a band around Earth between the Tropic of Capricorn (about 23° S. latitude) and the Tropic of Cancer (about 23° N. latitude), with areas in equatorial regions generally being the most densely vegetated and having the highest biodiversity of both plants and animals.

The three major continental regions with rainforest are 1) in the enormous river basins of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers of South America and extending into Central America, 2) in the central two thirds of Africa including basins of the Congo, Niger, and Zambezi rivers, and 3) in India and Southeast Asia, including Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Malaysia. Islands in the Malay Archipelago, particularly Sumatra, Borneo, New Guinea, and those of the Philippines, have significant rainforest regions, as do parts of northern Australia, most of Madagascar, and islands of the West Indies.

Rainforests have been categorized on the basis of latitude, altitude, and regional environmental conditions. A single most common factor is high annual precipitation. However, rainforests differ in a variety of identifiable traits, and the classification scheme among subcategories has been interpreted differently by climatologists.

Equatorial Forests
The equatorial rainforests of South America, Africa, and the Malaysian region are the densest rainforests. The largest continuous, intact rainforest is in Brazil, in a vast region surrounding the Amazon River. More tropical rainforest has been destroyed in Brazil than in any other country, yet its intact forests account for nearly 40 percent of the tropical rainforest habitat worldwide. The second largest tract of rainforest is in equatorial Africa in the region around the Congo River. Almost half of the tropical rainforests in this tract are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The most extensive natural equatorial rainforests in Asia are in New Guinea and parts of Borneo.

Subtropical Forests
Subtropical rainforests are in areas outside of the strict equatorial region-but either within or bordering the tropical zone-and have more noticeable seasonal changes. Although temperatures may vary only slightly over a year, rainfall may be distributed unevenly so that wet and dry seasons occur. However, the annual rainfall is still high. Subtropical rainforests occur in Central America, the West Indies, India, Madagascar, mainland Southeast Asia, and the Philippines. In the United States, prior to widespread commercial development of southern Florida, small areas in the vicinity of the Everglades could be classed as subtropical rainforest.

Tropical Seasonal Forests, or Monsoon Forests
Tropical seasonal forests receive high amounts of annual rainfall distributed unevenly throughout the year. Monsoons of the Indian Ocean region characteristically create climatic situations of heavy and continual rainfall during spring and summer, followed by a distinct dry season in fall and winter. The canopy of a monsoon rainforest is not as dense as that of an equatorial rainforest, but the lower levels are more heavily vegetated. In some regions, many of the trees are deciduous, losing their leaves during the dry seasons, and this has led to the term "semievergreen seasonal tropical forests." Monsoon forests are most prevalent in mainland Southeast Asia, Java, and northeastern Australia. Some of the rainforests of West Africa and South America are also under the influence of monsoons.

Montane, or High-Altitude, Rainforests
Montane rainforests do not meet the warm and unvarying temperature standards used to define typical rainforests. However, despite lower and wider-ranging temperatures, tropical forests in mountain regions are dense, constantly wet environments that qualify as rainforests. These forests occur in altitudes from about 3,000 feet (900 meters) to more than 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) above sea level. Some of the most notable of them are in Central Africa and the New Guinea highlands.

With increasing altitude, the trees in montane forests become shorter, reaching their smallest sizes at the highest altitudes. Some high-altitude montane forests with cool, humid conditions, are referred to as cloud forests, as they are almost perpetually surrounded by cloudlike mists and fog. These forests have shorter trees and a profusion of mosses, ferns, and epiphytes, or air plants. (Epiphytes are plants that grow on trees as a substrate for support but not for nourishment.) Much of the precipitation is in the form of condensation. Cloud forests are widespread globally but are restricted to high elevation areas with moist conditions and cool temperatures.

Temperate Rainforests
Temperate rainforests are a distinct habitat category consisting of forests with evergreen conifers and broad-leaved trees, including deciduous species. As the name implies, temperate rainforests are outside of the tropics and bordering areas but are associated with high rainfall. The most notable are along western coastlines of large landmasses. The North American temperate rainforests are the largest in the world, ranging from northern California to Alaska and being especially prevalent in Washington and Oregon. Other regions having temperate rainforests as a consequence of oceanic rainfall patterns are parts of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, New Zealand, southern Chile, South Africa, and Japan. Western coastline portions of Turkey and Georgia on the Black Sea have also been classified as temperate rainforests, and, historically, some areas in the British Isles and Norway were placed in the category.

Other Rainforest Habitats
A few special habitat types are considered to be rainforest variants. None of them, however, cover the broad geographic areas of the classical tropical rainforests.

The riverine forest, or gallery forest, is a special designation for tropical rainforests that follow the course of large rivers and their floodplains. Even when regional rainfall is not high, the river corridors and peripheral flooding create humid conditions characteristic of more traditional rainforests.

Another habitat often considered a modified rainforest is that of the tropical and subtropical mangrove forests that grow in the tidal zones along many coastlines and estuaries of the world. While plant species diversity is not high, and the trees are small compared to those in inland rainforests, the closeness of trees and the intertwining of their roots create an impenetrable junglelike habitat in many instances.

Warm, perpetually humid climatic conditions suitable for equatorial and subtropical rainforests have existed on Earth since at least the Carboniferous period (from roughly 358 million to 298 million years ago). Authorities disagree on the extent and distribution of rainforests in such areas during different geologic periods. Most agree that much of the equatorial region remained as a high-temperature, high-rainfall area during the Triassic period (from roughly 252 million to 201 million years ago). Studies suggest that equatorial and subtropical rainforests became less prevalent worldwide during the glacial periods of the numerous Ice Ages of the Pleistocene epoch (from about 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) because conditions of decreased temperatures and increased dryness existed. According to some accounts, some of the equatorial rainforests during the Pleistocene eventually became deserts. Tropical rainforests became reestablished during the interglacial periods. Similar cyclic climatic conditions presumably existed in earlier epochs and geologic periods.

The rainforest environment is characterized by abundant rainfall and relatively constant warm temperatures. The amount of sunlight penetration is determined by the density of canopy vegetation, sometimes resulting in daytime semidarkness at the ground level. The permanently wet conditions, coupled with the warm stable temperatures, have fostered some of the most magnificent plant and animal communities in the world.

Rainfall in a rainforest is usually defined as being more than 60 inches (150 centimeters) a year and may be as high as 400 inches (1,000 centimeters). The relative humidity in a tropical rainforest environment normally remains above 75 percent and is often as high as 100 percent. Near the Equator the rainfall may be continual throughout the year, with little variation in the amount from month to month. In subtropical rainforests, where slight seasonal changes are apparent, rainfall may be consistently higher at certain times of the year than at others. Even in areas where such wet-dry cycles occur, some rainfall occurs during the so-called dry season so that a high humidity is maintained. An additional influence on rainfall levels is topography. Mountainous areas in the path of prevailing winds from adjacent oceans or other large water bodies create conditions of high rainfall as humid air rises and cools.

Temperatures in the rainforest are always warm and are never as hot as those of the desert. Although temperatures may rise a few degrees during the day, the average temperature in a rainforest from one month to the next may vary by only one or two degrees. In many rainforest habitats, temperatures from day to night fluctuate more than those between seasons. Temperatures in tropical rainforests range from about 68°  F (20°  C) to above 90°  F (32°  C). Extreme weather conditions such as high winds, sudden drops in temperature, or prolonged drought are rare occurrences in tropical rainforests. ( See also climate.)

No single type of soil or topographic situation is characteristic of equatorial or subtropical rainforests, but all are affected by the constant wetness. As water drains through the soil, a process known as leaching occurs in which certain minerals and nutrients are carried away.

Thus, most of the nutrients in a rainforest are in the standing vegetation rather than in the soil itself, whereas in temperate forests with relatively lower rainfall, most of the nutrients are stored in the soil. Despite the wealth of vegetation in a rainforest, the soils themselves are nutrient-poor. Rooted plants of a tropical rainforest are dependent on decaying ground debris for most of their nutrients, which are richest in the upper few inches of the soil and in the rich layer that is formed from falling, decaying vegetation. Most nutrient and mineral exchange in a rainforest occurs within these thin layers. The myriad microscopic organisms inhabiting the forest floor decompose vegetation. Resulting nutrients are recycled back into the trees and other plants of the community through their shallow root systems.

The constant passage of water through the upper soil layer results in the selective removal of certain elements. Calcium, magnesium, and silicon compounds are commonly leached out from highly drained tropical soils. Compounds of iron and aluminum often remain in the upper soil layers to form kaolinite, a type of clay. Many tropical soils with heavy concentrations of iron and aluminum compounds are called lateritic. Such soils may have distinct layers, including a surface layer of red loam. Despite continuing research by ecologists and soil scientists, the highly complex soil weathering and erosion processes in tropical rainforests are not totally understood.

The vegetational structure of rainforests has been categorized in numerous ways because of the wide variety of plant community patterns observed in the forests themselves and the different ways in which ecologists have interpreted their observations. Most ecologists agree that the classic tropical rainforest has several identifiable layers composed of trees, shrubs, ferns, and herbaceous ground plants. This stratification has been described in one scheme as having five layers. First, there are a few extraordinarily tall trees, known as emergent trees, whose tops range from 150 to almost 200 feet (45 to 60 meters) high, extending above the tops of other trees and scattered throughout the forest. Second is a layer of evergreen trees that range from 75 to 100 feet (23 to 30 meters) tall and whose tops converge horizontally to form a dense upper canopy, forming a solid vegetational cover. The third layer is an understory stratum, or subcanopy, of trees below the canopy that are typically 45 to 75 feet (14 to 23 meters) high. Fourth is a layer of shrubs and small trees that grow in the dimly lit area below the subcanopy, where most light has been blocked out by the layers of trees above. Finally, there is a so-called ground layer of ferns and herbs.

Another characteristic of tropical rainforests is that many of the trees have shallow root systems and supporting buttresses as well as a network of lianas (large woody vines) that climb up, on, and over them. Many animals live in the canopy and rarely leave, depending on it directly for protection and nourishment. Epiphytic plants, including many species of orchids, ferns, and bromeliads, abound in rainforests.

The diversity of higher plant life in a rainforest is unrivaled by that in any other habitat in the world. The rainforests of the Amazon are believed to have tens of thousands of species of plants, many of them still undescribed. Because rainforests have maintained relatively uniform warm, wet climates for long periods of time, many unique terrestrial species of plants and animals evolved in these rainforests. Often these plants have medicinal properties not found in anything anywhere else in the world. For example, quinine, used to fight malaria, and paclitaxel, used to fight some cancers, were derived from plants indigenous to rainforests. Thus, various organizations strive to preserve these rare communities of plants, because if they were destroyed, potential new medicines could be lost forever.

Many of the plant species in rainforest canopies are not trees. Epiphytes live on tree trunks or branches and never touch the ground during their life cycle. Thousands of epiphytic species have evolved in the rainforests. Each has a complex life cycle adapted to the environmental circumstances peculiar to its particular habitat. The life histories of only a few of the epiphytic species are understood.

Dense rainforests have numerous species of vines, which have adapted in a variety of unusual ways to the minimal levels of sunlight on the forest floor. Many of the trees in a rainforest are almost completely covered by lianas. Some species of vines and other plants have evolved mechanisms to extract nutrients directly from the host tree. One example of the complex life cycles found among rainforest plants is that of the strangler figs whose wind-borne seeds land in the tops of trees. The strangler sends roots toward the ground from a tree, and, as the vine grows, the host tree is eventually killed by the combination of such factors as a loss of light, competition for nutrients, and actual physical pressure of the vine around the tree trunk.

Plants can lose nutrients by leaching when water passes over or accumulates on the surfaces of leaves and stems. In tropical rainforests with low-nutrient soils, many leaf surfaces have a waxy coating and the bark of trees is often thick, both of which reduce nutrient loss from the plant. Leaves with long, down-pointing tips increase the runoff rate from leaf surfaces.

An extraordinary number of animal species exist in the rainforest, and many have complex life cycles. Because of the forest structure, many animals characteristically are associated with either the soil-litter layer, the ground surface on top of the litter, the undergrowth, the upper canopy, or the tops of the giant trees. Many species spend most of their life cycles in only one of these areas, with some species remaining in the upper canopy for their entire lives.

Relationships with Plants
The variety of plant forms creates a vast number of specific living places for animals, which depend on the plants for cover and for food. Through a process called coevolution, however, many rainforest plants have become dependent upon certain animals for pollination, seed dispersal, and protection. For example, some bats routinely obtain nectar from the flowers of certain plants, at the same time pollinating them.

Another well-known relationship is the one between acacia plants and ants. The ants raise their young inside acacia thorns by feeding their young nutritious material harvested from the plant. In return for a constant food supply, the ants patrol the tree and will attack any animal or plant that touches it. Such a relationship, called mutualism, is quite common in tropical rainforests.

Rainforest animals display a remarkable array of behaviors related to living in densely vegetated habitats. Many species that never touch the ground rely on climbing or swinging through the treetops to move around. Tropical flying squirrels spread the skin between front and back legs to glide from tree to tree. Flying frogs (genus Rhacophorus) of Malaysia have expanded toe tips and broadly webbed front and back feet and can glide from the tops of tall trees. The so-called flying snakes, a group of species widespread throughout Asia and Malaysia, can flatten their bodies and glide from tree to tree up to 300 feet (90 meters). The flying dragon ( Draco volans) of Asia is a rainforest lizard that spreads folds of skin alongside the body and can typically glide between trees as much as 25 feet (8 meters) apart.

Because of the wealth of species diversity, prey species must be constantly prepared to escape predation. The countless patterns of vegetational structures of greens and browns offer endless camouflage opportunities for thousands of species of insects, other invertebrates, and even vertebrates. The many species of bizarre chameleon lizards (family Chamaeleontidae) living on trees and other vegetation in the rainforests of Africa and Madagascar represent the paragon of camouflage. These typically slow-moving creatures would be too slow to escape most predators. However, some chameleons conceal themselves from both predators and unsuspecting prey by changing their body color to match either a brown or green background, or both at the same time.

Species Diversity
The numerous specific habitats available in the rainforest have resulted in the great number of species, representing most animal groups. This is most notable among insects, but many groups of vertebrates also reach their highest species numbers in the tropical rainforests. Scientists and researchers describe new species of rainforest animals each year, but details of the life cycles and habits are known for only a relatively few species. Despite the great number of different species, the density of a single species is generally low: a common saying about the rainforest is that it is easier to collect 30 different species of a given group of plants or animals than 30 of the same kind. Social insects such as ants and termites are often the most prevalent animals in a rainforest.

Beetles, butterflies, spiders, centipedes, scorpions, and other insects and arthropods reach their greatest species diversity in the tropics. A dramatic example is that of a well-studied area of only six square miles (16 square kilometers) in Panama that has 20,000 species of insects, which is more than occur in most countries in the temperate zones. More than 40 species of ants were found during a study of a single tree in a rainforest area of Peru.

Among the rainforest vertebrates are such tree-oriented mammals as orangutans, gibbons, and other apes, lemurs, and numerous species of marmosets and other monkeys. Several species of cats also inhabit rainforests. Tropical forests harbor more species of bats than of any other type of mammal.

Bird diversity in the tropics is high, and the numerous species include some of the most colorful in the world, such as the macaws, parrots, and birds of paradise. The rainforests of South America, Africa, and Asia are inhabited by large birds of prey (harpy eagles and African-crowned eagles, for example) that prey on tree-dwelling animals, particularly monkeys that live in the highest treetops.

Rainforests also contain the greatest number of species of terrestrial reptiles, the snakes and lizards, on Earth. The largest snakes, the pythons of the Old World and the anacondas of South America, are characteristic rainforest forms. Among the amphibians, some attain their highest species numbers in the tropical forests. Caecilians, a group of wormlike amphibians, are represented by about 170 species that are found only in the tropical and subtropical rainforest environments. Frog species are numerous. For example, because of its extensive rainforests, the relatively small country of Ecuador has more than 400 species of frogs, compared to only about 100 species in the United States and fewer than 30 species in France. Although tropical salamanders are restricted primarily to the Americas, frogs are common tropical species throughout the world. Reproductive behavior reaches a pinnacle of diversity among frogs in tropical rainforests.

Use in Medicines
Like plants, many rainforest animals have biochemical properties that could offer incalculable medical opportunities. For example, the secretions (batrachotoxin) on the skin of the golden poison frog ( Phyllobates terribilis) from the rainforests of Colombia are deadly toxic to humans. However, medical research has revealed that the biochemical makeup of batrachotoxin lends itself to the production of muscle relaxants and an anesthetic more powerful and effective than morphine.

Human activities have severely disrupted the rainforests of the world. Millions of acres are lost each year to farming, logging (much of it illegal), mining, and other human endeavors. If unchecked, these activities could potentially eliminate the rainforests of most of Asia, Africa, and South America.

The largest continuous rainforest area, the Amazon, is also the largest tract of unexploited, natural rainforest. Most of the South American countries have some undisturbed rainforest left, and some have made efforts to protect part of what remains. In Central America, cattle ranching and cultivation have wiped out an estimated two thirds of the region's rainforests.

Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz

Much of the once vast rainforest region in Africa has been destroyed by lumbering and slash-and-burn agriculture. Slash-and-burn agriculture consists of cutting trees and other vegetation, burning what is left, and then planting crops. Because of poor soil, many such areas can support only two or three agricultural plantings before the small amount of nutrients is exhausted and the land is abandoned.

In Asia and Australia most of the natural rainforests have already disappeared or are severely disrupted. Only a small proportion of the original rainforest remains on the Indian subcontinent, and most of the rainforests of southern China are disturbed. Logging and clearing for rubber plantations, farming, timbering, and palm oil production has eliminated great swaths of native rainforests in Malaysia and Indonesia. Large areas of rainforests in the Philippines also have been removed to make way for agricultural and timber operations.

Most of the timbering and clearing of rainforest habitat throughout the world has occurred during the 20th and early 21st centuries. Such activities continue, yet still without an ecological understanding of the fragile nature of the rainforest ecosystems and their dependence on nutrients, which are often in short supply. Timbering and clearing activities have caused habitat fragmentation and unnatural breaks in the ecological integrity of the rainforest communities. Although reforestation projects have been initiated in several countries, the previous damage to rainforest ecosystems has been extensive, so that decades must pass before full recovery of large areas would be at all possible. Also, continued harvesting of tropical rainforests in many countries is progressing at a rate that far surpasses that at which successful recovery projects are developed. Without government officials cooperating on an international scale, in concert with ecologists, rainforests around the world will continue to disappear faster than they can recover.

A tropical rainforest is a delicate biological network comprising numerous fragile interrelationships among the plants and animals, with species dependencies that have developed and function efficiently if left to themselves. However, the disruption of key species in one part of the system can affect other species and create environmental problems in rainforest ecosystems. In addition, when we lose vast regions of rainforests, we are almost certainly losing biochemical resources and genetic information that could be of great value to society in agricultural production, medicine, and basic scientific understanding. ( See also conservation; deforestation.)

J. Whitfield Gibbons

Eds.

Collins, Mark, ed. The Last Rain Forests (Oxford Univ. Press, 1990). Gay, Kathlyn. Rain Forests of the World (ABC-CLIO, 1993). Newman, Arnold. Tropical Rain Forests (Facts on File, 1990). Twist, Clint. Jungles and Forests: Projects with Geography (Watts, 1993). Uchitel, Sandra, and Michaels, Serge. Endangered Animals of the Rain Forests (Price Stern, 1992).

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"Rainforest" is a term for a forest of broad-leaved evergreen trees that receives high annual rainfall and is characteristically associated with tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The broadest definition of "rainforest" also encompasses humid forests in some temperate regions.

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Research

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Rainforest Animals

Rainforest animals include mammals such as sloths, tapirs, jaguars, tigers, howler monkeys, spider monkeys and orangutans; reptiles such as caimans and the green anaconda; amphibians such as poison dart frogs and the red-eyed tree frog; and birds such as toucans, macaws and the harpy eagle.
On this page is an alphabetical list of rainforest animals with pictures and facts.

You can use the Rainforest Animals Index, below, to find information on a specific rainforest species.

Find out how much you know about rainforest animals by downloading the free printable worksheet for use with this page (simply download and print: no sign-up necessary!)

Become a rainforest expert with our Rainforest Workbooks (a fun home or classroom activity!)

Introduction

Despite covering only between 6 and 7% of the world's land surface, rainforests are home to more than half of all the world's animal and plant species.

In addition to the vast number of known rainforest animals, biologists estimate that there are millions of species living in rainforests that are still to be discovered!

On this page you'll find information on a wide range of rainforest animals. What's your favorite? Have you ever seen any of the animals on this page? Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page!

Rainforest Animals List: Index

You can find out more about the animals listed below by clicking on the pictures or on the links provided.

Other rainforest animal pages on ActiveWild:

FREE Rainforest Animals Printable Worksheet - Test your knowledge!

Click on the images or links below to view & download FREE printable question sheets for use with this page.

(You can find more free worksheets from Active Wild on this page: Free Printable Worksheets.)

Worksheet Download Links
The answers to the questions can be found either on this page or on pages linked to from this page.
These question sheets make a great home or classroom activity, and can be used to encourage internet-based research, as well as to improve knowledge of the rainforest biome.

List Of Rainforest Animals

For individual species (i.e. tiger), we've included the animal's scientific name and its IUCN conservation status (if assessed).

For groups of species (i.e. anteaters) we've included the number of species in the group and the group's name.

Amazonian Giant Centipede

Reaching lengths of up to 30 cm (1 ft.), the Amazonian giant centipede is one of the world's largest centipedes. The species is found in the Amazon Basin (the region surrounding the Amazon River) and other tropical parts of northern South America.

The Amazonian giant centipede is a voracious predator. It hunts insects, spiders (including tarantulas), lizards, frogs, snakes and even small mammals. The centipede injects its prey with paralyzing venom. This venom is delivered via 'venom claws' located on the centipede's first segment.
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Anteater

Anteaters belong to a group of animals with the Latin name Vermilingua, which means ' worm tongue '. The name comes from the animals' long, thin tongues, which are used to gather up large quantities of ants and termites.

There are four species of anteater: the giant anteater, silky anteater, southern tamandua and northern tamandua.
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Arrau Turtle

The Arrau turtle is also known as the South American river turtle. It is a large freshwater turtle found in rivers throughout much of northern South America. The species is present in both the Amazon and the Orinoco rivers.

Full-grown adults have carapace (shell) lengths of over 1 m (3.3 ft.) and can weigh up to 90 kg (200 lb.).

The Arrau turtle is the world's largest species of side-necked turtle. Side-necked turtles (Pleurodira) tuck their heads into their shells with a sideways motion. (Members of the other main group of turtles, Cryptodira, draw their heads straight back into their shells.)

Although the Arrau turtle's conservation status is currently 'Lower Risk', its population is thought to be declining rapidly and there are some calls for the species to be considered 'Critically Endangered'.
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Aye-aye

The aye-aye is a species of lemur found in the rainforests of Madagascar (an island country off the east coast of Africa). It is the world's largest nocturnal primate.

(You can find out more about lemurs further down the page.)

The aye-aye eats grubs (insect larvae), which it finds by tapping on trees with its fingers. By listening carefully to the noise produced by the tapping, it can tell if a grub is hidden under the bark.

The aye-aye's elongated middle fingers are specially adapted for hooking grubs out of holes.
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Binturong

Binturongs - otherwise known as ' bearcats' - are the largest members of the animal family Viverridae. (Members of this family are known as viverrids).

The binturong's long tail is ' prehensile ' (i.e. it can hold onto things). A binturong uses its tail as an 'extra hand' while climbing.

The binturong is the only Old World mammal with a prehensile tail. ('Old World' is a collective term for the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa.)

Binturongs live in the forests of South and Southeast Asia.
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Blue Morpho Butterfly

Blue morphos are brilliant blue butterflies. There is more than one species of blue morpho; the name is used for any blue butterfly in the genus morpho. (A genus is a group of closely related species.)

Blue morphos feed (among other things) on rotting fruit, which they find on the floor of rainforests in South and Central America.

Sometimes there are so many blue morphos flying over the rainforest canopy that pilots can see the blue of their wings from the sky!
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Boa Constrictor

The boa constrictor is a large rainforest snake. It ambushes its prey, then constricts (squeezes) it before swallowing it whole.

This fearsome reptile is found in Central and South American rainforests.

The boa constrictor is a member of the family Boidae, a group of large, non-venomous snakes that also contains the green anaconda (see further down the page).

The boa constrictor is one of the few animals commonly known by their scientific names!
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Caiman

Number of species: 6

Family: Alligatoridae; subfamily Caimaninae

Where found: Central & South America

Caimans are predatory reptiles that live in the rivers and lakes of Central and South American rain forests (and other habitats). There are six species of caiman.

The spectacled caiman ( Caiman crocodilus) is one of the most common species of caiman. It gets its name from the bony ridge on its nose, which makes the reptile appear to be wearing glasses.

The largest caiman is the black caiman ( Melanosuchus niger), which grows to lengths in excess of 5 m (16 ft).

Together with crocodiles, alligators and gharials, caimans form a group of animals known as ' Crocodilians '.
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Candiru

The candiru is a small fish found in the Amazon River and several other South American rivers and their tributaries. It has a long, thin, translucent body. Small spines are present on its gill covers.

These rainforest fish feed on the blood of larger fish by attaching themselves to their gills of their victims. It is even rumored that the candiru can enter a human body. However, this is both unproven and unlikely.
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Capybara

The capybara is the world's largest rodent. It lives South and Central American forests.

The capybara has several adaptations for a semi-aquatic lifestyle. and is always found living close to water. It can remain submerged for up to five minutes; a useful skill for an animal whose predators include jaguars and ocelots!

Civet
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Civets are cat-like mammals found in rainforests in Asia and Africa. They produce a strong-smelling substance that is used to make perfume (although most perfume manufacturers are now switching to synthetic alternatives).

Most civets are members of the family Viverridae (the binturong also belongs to this family). The African palm civet, a civet found in African rainforests, is the only species in the family Nandiniidae.

Civets are mammals in the group Carnivora. This group is split into two branches; Feliforma (the cat-like carnivorans) and Caniformia (the dog-like carnivorans). Civits, along with animals such as cats and hyenas, are placed in Feliforma.

Coati
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Coatis are also known as ' coatimundis'. These cat-sized omnivorous mammals are members of the raccoon family, Procyonidae.

Coatis forage on the forest floor by day. They find food among the leaf litter using their acute sense of smell. During the night they rest in the rainforest canopy.

Coatis are found in South America and in southern North America.

Electric Eel
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Despite its name and eel-like appearance, the electric eel is a knifefish rather than a true eel. This long, thin fish has a fin running almost the whole length of the underside of its body. By moving this fin with a wave-like motion the electric eel is able to swim both forwards and backwards.

Like other knifefish, the electric eel is able to produce electrical fields that help it navigate in murky water. The electric eel has greatly developed this ability and is able to produce voltages strong enough both to stun prey and deter predators. A shock from an electric eel can even be life-threatening to humans!

Giraffe Weevil
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This strange-looking rainforest bug is found in the island country of Madagascar. The giraffe weevil's name comes from the species' elongated neck. This is an adaptation for fighting and nest-building.

The neck of the male is over twice as long as that of the female, giving the insect a total body length of almost 1 in. (2.54 cm).

The female makes a nest by rolling a leaf into a tube, in which she will lay a single egg.

Goliath Beetle
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The five species of goliath beetles are the world's largest insects. In their adult form they are over 10 cm (3.93 in.) long. Their larvae weigh up to 100 grams (3.5 oz.)

Despite their large size, Goliath beetles are still able to fly.

Goliath beetles are found in the tropical rainforests of Africa.

Goliath Birdeater
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The goliath birdeater is a member of the tarantula family Theraphosidae. This huge rainforest spider is the heaviest spider in the world (although its leg-span, at 11 inches (28 cm) is only the second largest, after the giant huntsman spider). Its body reaches a length of up to 4.75 in. (12 cm).

The Goliath birdeater lives deep in the rainforests of northern South America, including the Amazon rainforest. It hunts at night, preying on a variety of large invertebrates and small vertebrates, including lizards and frogs. Despite its name, the species only occasionally eats birds.

Green Anaconda
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The green anaconda is the world's heaviest species of snake, but not the longest (that's the reticulated python). However, a green anaconda can still grow to over 16.4 ft. / 5 metres in length!

This huge rainforest snake is an excellent swimmer, and is found in the lakes and rivers of the Amazon Rainforest.

Like all members of the family Boidae, the green anaconda is non-venomous. Instead, it relies on its squeezing ability to subdue its prey.

Green Iguana
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The green iguana is a large lizard that lives in the forests of Central and South America. Although this rainforest reptile looks fierce, it mainly eats plants.

The species is arboreal (tree-dwelling). It is often found near water, and is an excellent swimmer.

The closely-related Lesser Antillean iguana, a species found in the rainforests of the Lesser Antilles islands in the Caribbean, is critically endangered.

You can find out more about iguanas on this page: Iguana Facts

Harpy Eagle
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The harpy eagle is the largest bird of prey found in the rainforest.

Although it is one of the world's biggest eagles, it's wingspan is (relatively) small; this is an adaption for flying through the forest.

The harpy eagle is said to be the world's most powerful bird of prey. It is capable of plucking mid-sized mammals such as monkeys and sloths from out of trees.

Hoatzin
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The hoatzin is a pheasant-shaped bird with a long body, broad tail, and a spiky crest on its head.

The hoatzin is an unusual bird for several reasons. Juvenile hoatzins have a claw at the 'elbow' joint of each of their wings. The species nests above water, and if threatened, the juveniles drop into the water. Using their claws, they are able to climb back into the nest once the danger has passed.

The species also has an unusual way of digesting its food, which consists largely of green leaves. The food is broken down by bacteria in a special area in the bird's crop (the expandable storage area in a bird's throat), in a similar way to that in which cows digest grass.

The fermenting leaves in the hoatzin's crop give off an unpleasant aroma. Because of this, the species has the alternative name of ' stinkbird '.

Howler Monkey
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All fifteen species of howler monkey live in the rainforests of South and Central America. Howler monkeys live in groups known as ' troops '. There can be from 6 to 15 howler monkeys in a troop.

A howler monkey's cry can be heard through 3 miles of rainforest. The monkeys use their loud voices to let rival troops know where they are (this way they don't actually have to fight to keep their territories).

Despite the loud calls, some people keep howler monkeys as pets!

Jaguar
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Jaguars are the world's third-largest cat species - only tigers and lions are bigger. These big cats live in South American rain forests, where they are apex predators (i.e. top of the food chain).

Jaguars have extremely powerful jaws and are excellent swimmers - not even caimans are safe from these fearsome carnivores!

You can find out more about this rainforest predator on this page: Jaguar Facts.

King Vulture
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The king vulture is a large bird that lives in the rainforests of Central and South America. It has black and white plumage and a strikingly-colored head and bill.

Scientific name: Sarcoramphus papa

Conservation status: Least Concern

Where found: Central and South America

Like other vultures, it is primarily a scavenger. It feeds on carrion that it finds on the forest floor. Due to its size and strength it is able to prevent other scavenging birds from feeding on the carrion until it has had its fill.

Leafcutter Ant
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They may be small, but leafcutter ants are some of the most amazing - and important - animals that live in rainforests.

These industrious insects build nests that are up to 30 m (98 ft.) across. These huge nests are home to over 8 million insects!

(There are many countries in the world whose human populations are smaller than the number of leaf cutter ants that live in just one nest!)

Perhaps even more amazingly, leafcutter ants grow their own food in special ' fungus gardens ' within their immense nests!

Long trails of leafcutter ants can often be seen carrying leaves from the rainforest canopy to their nest. The leaves are fed to the fungus, which in turn is fed to the ants' larvae.

Lemur
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Lemurs are small primates found in the rainforests of Madagascar. Lemurs are ' endemic ' to Madagascar, which means that they're found nowhere else on Earth!

There are around 100 species of lemur. The species shown in the photo above is a ring-tailed lemur. Sadly, like many lemurs, the ring-tailed lemur is endangered.

Leopard
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Leopards are big cats found in Africa and parts of Asia. The rainforest is just one habitat in which this versatile animal is able to live; it's equally at home in savannas, woodlands and grasslands.

The spots on a leopard's coat are called ' rosettes'. One way of telling leopards and jaguars apart is by looking at their rosettes. A leopard's rosettes are empty, whereas those of a jaguar are filled with smaller black spots. Leopards are also slightly smaller than jaguars.

Leopards are incredibly strong, and are known to carry their prey up trees. (They have to do this, otherwise lions and hyenas might try to steal it from them!)

Lovely Fairywren
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The lovely fairywren is an Australian rainforest bird found in the northeast of the country. It often lives on the rainforest edge, and is frequently seen high in the rainforest canopy. The species lives in small family groups.

The lovely fairywren lives in the rainforests of northeastern Australia. It is usually found at the edges of rainforests, often high up in the rainforest canopy. The species lives in small family groups.

This colorful Australian bird is one of 11 species of fairywren, all of which are small and brightly-colored.

Macaw
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Macaws are members of the family Psittacidae, one of the three parrot families (not all of the members of this family are macaws). Macaws are large, colorful birds with large bills and long tails. Most species can be told apart from other parrots by their featherless faces.

There are 19 species of macaw. Several of these, including the hyacinth macaw, great green macaw and scarlet macaw, are found in rainforests.

A macaw's feet are " zygodactyl "; the outer two toes face forwards while the inner two toes face backwards. This helps the bird to climb and land on tree trunks. This type of foot is a characteristic of several woodland and forest birds, including parrots, woodpeckers and cuckoos.

Ocelot
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The ocelot is a small wild cat found in South and Central America. The species is also occasionally seen as far north as Texas and Arizona.

Around the size of a bobcat, the ocelot is sometimes referred to as the 'dwarf leopard' on behalf of its spotted coat.

The ocelot is a nocturnal predator that rarely targets prey larger than rabbits and armadillos.

You can find out more about the ocelot on this page: Ocelot Facts

Orangutan
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Orangutans are members of the great ape family, Hominidae - just like us! Orangutans live in rainforests on the Southeast Asian islands Borneo and Sumatra. The name 'orangutan' means 'man of the forest' in Malay.

Orangutans are the world's largest arborial (tree-dwelling) animals. They spend up to 95% of their lives in the trees.

Sadly, all three species of orangutan are now critically endangered. This is mainly due to deforestation. Much of the orangutan's natural habitat has been cleared to make way for palm oil plantations.

Piranha
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Piranhas are freshwater fish found in the lakes and rivers of South America. With powerful jaws tightly packed with sharp teeth, piranhas have a reputation for being dangerous predators.

This fearsome reputation isn't entirely deserved. Piranhas aren't top of the rainforest food chain, and are just as likely to end up as dinner for other animals.

Many piranhas, rather than being purely carnivorous, are actually omnivores who feed on plant matter as well as on meat.

Piranha attacks on humans are rare, and seldom result in serious injury.

There may be over 60 species of piranha (scientists are unsure of the exact number). The largest piranha species is the red-bellied piranha, which grows up to 50 cm (20 in) in length.

You can find out more about piranhas on this page: Piranha Facts.

Poison Dart Frog
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Most of the 170 or so species of poison dart frog have brightly-coloured skin. This acts as a warning to potential predators that the frogs are poisonous.

Hunters from rainforest tribes used poison taken from the skin of poison dart frogs on the tips of their blowdarts.

The golden poison frog ( Phyllobates terribilis) is one of the world's most poisonous animals.

Poison dart frogs are found in Central and South American rainforests.

Rainforest Scops Owl
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This rainforest owl lives in the rainforests of eastern Madagascar. With a wingspan of up to 54 cm (21 in.), it is one of the smaller owl species.

The rainforest scops owl appears in three color variations, brown, grey or reddish-brown. When threatened it raises the two ear-like crests on its head.

Red Eyed Tree Frog
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Thanks to its eye-catching good looks the red-eyed tree frog has become one of the world's best-known amphibians.

When resting, the frog conceals its bright colors under its green body and closes its large red eyes, making it surprisingly difficult to spot.

These iconic frogs live in the canopy layer of Central American rainforests.

The red eyed tree frog's bright colors are part of a defense mechanism called ' startle coloration '. The frog hopes that a quick flash of its bright red eyes will momentarily confuse a potential predator, giving it time to escape!

Red Imported Fire Ant
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The red imported fire ant is an ant in the genus Solenopsis. It is found in tropical areas of South America. The species is found in a number of habitats, including rainforests.

The species has spread beyond its original range, and is considered to be one of the world's worst invasive species. It has been introduced to the United States and even to Australia via shipping containers.

Like all fire ants, the red imported fire ant can deliver a painful sting. The species is resilient to floods and droughts, and has even been seen amassing into floating, living 'boats' consisting of thousands of individuals.

Sloth
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Sloths are medium-sized rainforest mammals found in South and Central America. These tree-dwelling animals spend nearly all of their lives hanging upside-down from branches in the rainforest canopy.

Sloths move very slowly and have a low metabolism (the rate at which the body uses energy). This is an adaptation for living on leaves, which contain very little energy. Moving slowly also helps sloths stay hidden from predators such as the harpy eagle.

Because sloths are such slow movers, algae often begins to grow in their fur, giving them a green color. This is actually beneficial to the sloths, as it camouflages them among the leaves.

You can find out more about sloths on this page: Sloth Facts

South American Lungfish
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The South American lungfish is one of six species of lungfish alive today. Lungfish are fish that have retained their ancestors' ability to breathe air. As the name suggests, lungfish have lungs, and can breathe without using their gills.

The South American lungfish is found in slow-moving rivers and streams in the Amazon Basin. It is a long, thin fish that can grow to over 1 meter (3.3 ft.) in length.

During the dry season, the South American lungfish is able to surround its body in mucous and can survive buried in the mud, even if the river dries up.

Spider Monkey
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Spider monkeys get their name from their long limbs and tail; these agile primates actually look like giant spiders! Spider monkeys live in the rainforests of South America.

All seven species of Spider Monkey are now threatened; one is rated Vulnerable, four are Endangered, and two are Critically Endangered.

Tapir
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Tapirs are large hoofed animals in the family Tapiridae. They have long, prehensile snouts which they use to grasp and manipulate foliage while foraging for food. (Prehensile means 'adapted for grasping or holding'.)

Tapiridae, the family to which all 5 species of tapir belong, is one of three animal families that make up the group of animals known as odd-toed ungulates.

The other families in this group are the horse family (Equidae) and the rhinoceros family (Rhinocerotidae).

The only species of tapir found outside of the Americas is the Malayan tapir, which is found in Asia.

You can find out more about these rainforest animals on this page: Tapir Facts

Tarsier
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Tarsiers are small primates that live in rainforests on Southeast Asian islands. They have extremely large eyes and long tails. (The eyes of some tarsier species are larger than their brains!) Tarsiers are adapted for jumping, and move around by leaping through the trees.

These nocturnal animals exist mainly on a diet of insects.

There is some confusion over the exact number of tarsier species. 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. All tarsiers are in the family Tarsiidae.

Tiger
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The tiger is the world's largest cat species. It lives in a variety of habitats, including rainforests and a variety of other types of forest.

Tigers are found in several Asian countries, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The species is also found in southeast Russia.

The tiger is an endangered species. It is estimated that there are only around 3,000 to 4,000 of these beautiful animals left in the wild. The main threats to tigers are habitat loss and poaching.

Toucan

You can find out more about tigers on this page: Tiger Facts.

Toucans are a family of around 43 crow-sized birds found in Central and South America.
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These distinctive birds are known for their large, colorful bills.

A toucan uses its long bill to reach food without having to fly or climb to another branch. The bill also helps the toucan stay cool by transferring body heat to the surrounding air.

The keel-billed toucan, pictured above, lives in the canopy of Central American rainforests. It is primarily a frugivore (fruit-eater), although it will also eat a variety of animals, including snakes and the nestlings of other birds.

Vampire Bat

You can find out more about toucans on this page: Toucan Facts.

Bats are mammals whose arms have evolved into wings, allowing them to fly. There are 3 species of vampire bat: the common vampire bat, the hairy-legged vampire bat, and the white-winged vampire bat.
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All vampire bats feed on the blood of other animals. Vampire bats know exactly where to bite their victims by using infrared radiation to see where the blood is flowing closest to the skin!

Vampire bats are found in the Americas. As well as being found in rainforests, they also live in woodlands and grasslands.

White-Lipped Treefrog
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This Australian amphibian is the world's largest species of tree frog, and Australia's largest native frog. The species is also found in Papua New Guinea.

Tree frogs are amphibians in the family Hylidae. Tree frogs are named for their arboreal (tree-dwelling) lifestyle.

The white-lipped tree frog is found in north-east Queensland, and is present in the Daintree Rainforest. The species is also found in urban areas, and occasionally gets transported hundreds of miles to other states in banana boxes.

You can find out more about the white-lipped tree frog on this page: White-Lipped Tree Frog Facts

What Is A Rainforest?

As the name suggests, rainforests are forests found in areas that receive a high amount of rain. All rainforests receive at least 1.8 m (70 in.) of rain in a year; some rainforests receive over 3 m (118 in.).

Tropical rainforests are rainforests that are located near the Equator. They are hot, humid places. The average monthly temperature in a tropical rainforest is at least 18 °C (64 °F), with little difference between summer and winter.
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A tropical rainforest's unique mix of high rainfall and constant high temperature provides plants and animals with an ideal environment in which to live.

Because of their high biodiversity, tropical rainforests are among the world's most important habitats. (Biodiversity is the amount of different species that live in one area.)

Rainforest Animals List: Discover More with Active Wild!

We hope that you've enjoyed discovering the amazing rainforest animals on this page. Rainforests are home to a wide and varied range of species and this ancient habitat is vitally important for sustaining a large proportion of the world's biodiversity.

What's your favorite rainforest animal? Are there any animals we've missed? Let us know in the comments below!

The animals on this list represent only a fraction of the species that live in the world's rainforests; you can discover more animals on the pages listed below:

You can find out more about rainforests on the following pages:

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Rainforest Animals List With Pictures & Facts, Free Printable Worksheet

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Huge rainforest animals list with pictures & facts for kids & adults. Includes free printable worksheets & links to further information.