Who lives in the rainforest. Fauna of the equatorial forest. Animals of the American tropics

No ecosystem on Earth's land plays such important role, how rain forests. From 50 to 75 percent of all species of the planet's fauna live in these territories, and millions more animals remain undiscovered. The amazing biodiversity in these habitats has made them home to some of nature's most interesting creatures.

Jaguar

Jaguars are a real thunderstorm of the rain forests of Central and South America, as they represent the top predators in their family. These are the largest feline of those that inhabit the Americas, and the third largest in the world after tigers and lions. While most cats are known to dislike water, jaguars, like tigers, are an exception. They are perfectly adapted to living in rainforests and feel no worse in the water than on land.

Okapi

This creature resembles a cross between a zebra and an antelope, and is sometimes even mistaken for a unicorn. But okapi, with such a unique appearance, are none of the above beings. Their closest relatives are giraffes.
These cute and graceful animals live in rainforests. Central Africa. They spend most of their time in the pastures, eating leaves, buds, grass, ferns, and fruit with an unusually long, mobile, and sticky tongue. This organ is so dexterous that the animal is able to lick its eyelids, as well as to wash its large ears inside and out.

Amazon river dolphin

The Amazonian river dolphin is one of five living species. river dolphins on the planet, as well as the largest of them. These creatures live in muddy waters the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America, and are often seen among the trees of flooded forests. In addition, these dolphins are often called pink, as their skin has a pinkish tint in random places.

glass frog

You are not looking at an x-ray now. The skin of these amazing transparent frogs, which can be seen in the rainforests of Central and South America, is so translucent that organs can be seen through it. It is believed that there are more than 150 species of this amazing family of amphibians in the world.

Cassowary

These multicolored flightless birds, found in the rainforests of New Guinea and northeastern Australia, look like brightly colored ostriches wearing blade-like hats. They are the third largest birds in the world (after ostriches and emus), and unlike many species of birds, females, rather than males, tend to show brighter plumage.

Igrunka

These little monkeys from the rainforests of South America can be considered the most glorious primates in existence. In reality this smallest monkeys in the world. About 22 species are known to exist, and each one exhibits extravagant variations in fluffy attire. Interestingly, they almost always give birth to twins.

Malayan bear

The Malayan bear is the smallest bear species in the world. It inhabits tropical rainforests South-East Asia. This is one of only two types of bears that have adapted to life in the jungle (the second of them is the South American spectacled bear), and the only species found almost exclusively in trees. This creation features a distinctive orange U-shaped collar on the chest.

Anaconda

The anaconda, which lives in the rainforests and floodplains of South America, is the largest, heaviest and second longest snake in the world. This species has earned a secure place in second-rate horror films. Although not venomous, the anaconda is capable of killing an adult male by squeezing, although such attacks are extremely rare. The semi-aquatic lifestyle contributes in part to achieving such enormous size, and this snake is known to be an excellent swimmer.

Siamang

Siamangs are black-furred monkeys native to the forests of Southeast Asia, in fact they are the largest gibbon species in the world. They are distinguished by a spherical throat pouch which they use to make loud calls. These sounds are unmistakable from anything else in the dense jungle, and are meant to mark territorial boundaries between rival groups.

fringed turtle

Probably, it is unlikely that in the world you can find a species of turtles with a more strange appearance. Fringed turtles can be seen in the rainforests of the Amazon and Orinoco basins, they lead a sedentary lifestyle and are characterized by a triangular flattened head and shell. Skin patches hang freely from the neck and head of these reptiles, somewhat reminiscent of wet leaves. In fact, the strange shape of the fringed turtle's shell resembles a piece of tree bark from a distance, which provides the reptile with excellent camouflage.

On Earth, which supports a huge amount of fauna. One of the reasons for such a wide variety is constant heat. Tropical rainforests also contain vast reserves of water (2000 to 7000 mm of precipitation falls annually) and a variety of animal food. Many small animals, including monkeys, birds, snakes, rodents, frogs, lizards and insects, are found in tropical forests never set foot on the ground. They use tall trees and undergrowth to hide from predators and search for food.

Since there is a huge variety of animals (40-75% of the Earth's animal species) competing for food, many species have adapted to eat certain foods that others do not. For example, toucans have a long, large beak. This adaptation allows the bird to reach fruit on branches that are too small to support the weight of the bird. The beak is also used to extract fruit from the tree.

Sloths use behavioral adaptation and camouflage to survive in the rainforest. They move very, very slowly and spend most of their time hanging upside down. Blue-green algae grow on their fur and give sloths their greenish coloration and protect them from predators.

This article examines the structure of the rainforest and some of the animals that live in its layers, from the litter to the top tier.

forest floor

The forest floor is the lowest layer of the rainforest and receives only about 2% of sunlight. Thus, the plants growing here are adapted to low light conditions. So at the bottom level rainforest relatively large animals such as okapis, tapirs, Sumatran rhinos, etc. live in this layer. a large number of reptiles, insects and. Organically, substances (of plant and animal origin) are collected in the forest floor, where they decompose, such as and.

Okapi

Okapi (Okapia johnstoni ) - unique look mammal that is native to the rainforest Democratic Republic Congo in Central Africa. Although okapi have distinctive zebra-like stripes on their limbs, they are more closely related to giraffes. Okapi are diurnal and solitary in nature. These rainforest animals feed on tree leaves and buds, fruits, ferns, and fungi.

Tapir

Tapir ( Tapirus sp.) - pig-like herbivorous mammals with a short, tenacious muzzle. These rainforest animals are found in the forests of South and Central America, as well as in Southeast Asia.

Sumatran rhinoceros

One of five surviving rhino species, ( Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) lives in the tropical forests of Borneo and Sumatra. This is the most small view rhinoceros in the world and has two horns. The Sumatran rhinoceros is on the verge of extinction as poachers actively hunt for its horns, which are used to make traditional medicines in China and Vietnam.

western gorilla

Western gorilla ( gorilla gorilla) is found in the forests of Central Africa. These animals are extremely intelligent and can use tools to obtain large amounts of food. The western gorilla is critically endangered today. Hunting for gorilla meat and cutting them down natural environment habitats are the two main threats to these amazing primates.

Undergrowth

The rainforest undergrowth is between the forest floor and the canopy, and it only receives about 5% of the sunlight. This level is inhabited by a large number small mammals, birds, reptiles and predators such as the jaguar. Small trees, shrubs and herbs grow in the undergrowth. As a rule, plants at this level rarely reach 3 m in height and usually have broad leaves to provide a large surface area for.

Jaguar

(Panthera onca) - most great view in North and South America, and the third largest in the world after and. The jaguar prefers to live in tropical forests and is distributed from Central America to Argentina and Paraguay. It is very similar to a leopard, but more muscular and larger. The jaguar is a solitary superpredator in which it dwells.

Dart frogs

About three species of frogs from the poison dart frog family are deadly. The terrible leaf climber is considered the most dangerous among the three species and one of the most poisonous animals on Earth. These frogs are painted in bright colors including gold, red, green, blue and yellow to protect them from predators. This feature is known as aposematic coloration.

South American nosoha

Also known as coati ( Nasua nasua), this animal lives in the tropical forests of South America. Most of The range is located in the lowlands east of the Andes. It is a diurnal animal that lives both on the ground and in trees. The diet includes fruits, other small animals and bird eggs.

common boa constrictor

common boa constrictor ( Boa constrictor ) - a massive snake that is found in forests throughout America, as well as on the islands caribbean. Although boas live in a wide variety of places, they prefer rainforests due to high humidity and suitable temperature. In addition, rainforests provide ample cover and many food sources for these snakes.

forest canopy

The forest canopy (or canopy) is the most distinctive level of the rainforest, forming a roof over the undergrowth and forest floor. In the canopy are most of the most big trees rainforest, growing up to 30-45 m in height. Broad-leaved evergreen trees dominate the canopy, making it the densest part of the rainforest. It is home to over 20 million species and a large number of birds, as well as mammals, invertebrates and reptiles.

Jaco

Jaco, or African gray parrots ( Psittacus erithacus) are medium, gray-black birds common in equatorial Africa. Birds are currently classified as Near Threatened and number between 120,100 and 259,000.

rainbow toucan

Rainbow Toucan ( Ramphastos sulfatus) common in tropical forests Latin America. In this environment, it settles in tree holes, often with other toucans. Overcrowded roosting sites force toucans to tuck their beaks and tails under their bodies to save space.

coats

Koats are a genus belonging to the family of spider monkeys. They live in the tropical forests of Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil. All seven coat species are endangered to some extent. These primates live in large groups about 35 individuals and are divided into smaller groups to search for food during the day.

Three-toed sloths

Three-toed sloths are a family of arboreal mammals found in South and Central America. These rainforest animals are so named because of their slow gait, which is an adaptation to conserve energy. Sloths have the body size of a small dog or a large cat, and have three clawed toes on each limb.

Gold-helmed kalao

Golden Helmet Kalao ( Ceratogymna elata) lives in tropical forests West Africa. This is one of largest birds in this environment that lives on forest canopies and rarely feeds on the ground. Birds of this species live in small family groups consisting of an adult pair and several chicks.

kinkajou

The kinkajou is one of the rainforest animals that is mistaken for a monkey or a ferret. The kinkajou is native to the tropical forests of Central and South America. These nocturnal animals are arboreal and have an omnivorous diet. Unfortunately, they are hunted for their valuable wool.

Upper tier

This rainforest level has several giant trees reaching a height of about 45-55 m or even higher. Thus, these trees rise above the canopy. They are well adapted to withstand strong winds and high temperatures over the canopy. When such trees die, holes are formed in the canopy, allowing sunshine reach the lower layers of the rainforest.

crowned eagle

crowned eagle ( Stephanoaetus coronatus) is a massive and fierce predatory predator, common in the upper tier of tropical forests. The eagle primarily feeds on mammals, including small ungulates, small primates, birds, and lizards. It is one of the largest eagles in Africa, but is now classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to large-scale habitat destruction.

royal colobus

Royal Colobus ( Colobus polykomos) is one of the rainforest animals that is found in the African rainforests in countries such as Senegal, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast. The king colobus lives in the upper tier of the forest, but feeds, usually on the ground 3 to 4 females and 1 to 3 males form together one social group.

Giant flying fox

Giant flying fox ( Pteropus vampyrus) is one of largest species bats in the world. It lives in tropical forests, where it feeds exclusively on nectar, fruits and flowers. Although these the bats do not have the ability to echolocation, they use their acute vision to find food sources.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Tropical rainforests cover less than 6 percent of the Earth's surface and scientists estimate that at least half of the world's animal species live there. In fact, there are many millions of species of tropical mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects that scientists have been unable to count. Thousands of species of insects have not yet been discovered. Thus, it will undoubtedly take many decades for science to fully answer the question "what animals live in the rainforest."

photo: Dave Rushen

Of course, science is already familiar with a large number of tropical animals and birds. Tropical forests are covered with dense, tall trees near the Earth's equator, which receive 2000 mm of precipitation per year. Which animals live in rainforests depends on where the rainforests are located, in Central America or in the northern part of South America, in equatorial Africa, in South Asia down through the islands of the southern part Pacific Ocean in northern Australia.

photo: Martien Uiterweerd

The animals of the various rainforests around the world have evolved thousands of miles apart and therefore differ from continent to continent and even from forest to forest. However, all rainforests are similar in many ways, many of the animal species in them are also similar. For example, all rainforests offer a breathtaking array of bird species, as well as birds from the wettest rainforests including parrots.

photo: Nick Johnson

In the countries of Central and South America, the large macaw familiar to us lives; The African rainforests are home to the African Gray Parrot, which is famous for its ability to imitate sounds, including human speech. Cockatoos and a few Australian parrots live in Asia, the South Pacific and the Australian forests.

photo:Debbie Grant

What animals live in tropical forests? Mostly big cats acting as top predators. In the tropical forests of Central and South America, where the ecological niche is occupied by jaguars and cougars. African rainforests are run by leopards. In the South Asian rainforests, tigers and leopards are the top predators.

photo: Thomas Widmann

The rainforests are home to a number of primate species: spider monkeys and howler monkeys in Central and South America. Baboons, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas in Africa. Gibbons and orangutans in South Asia.

photo: Pierson Hill

From the reptile rainforests, the pythons of Africa and Asia are counterparts of the anaconda in the Amazon jungle. Venomous snakes abound in all rainforests, bushmaster and coral snakes in South and Central America and cobras in Africa and Asia, from alligators and caimans in the Americas to many species of crocodiles in Africa and Asia.

List of tropical animals in the Amazon:

Jaguars, Pumas, Ocelots, tapirs, capybaras, bushmasters and caimans (several species; the largest being the black caiman), harpies, macaws, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, capuchins, squirrel monkeys, piranhas, leaf cutters.

photo: Jon Mountjoy

List of tropical animals of Africa:

leopard, okapi, Nile crocodile, mambas (several species poisonous snakes), gray parrot, crowned eagle, chimpanzee, bonobos, gorilla, mandrills, baboons, colobus, tiger fish, termites.

List of tropical animals of Asia:

Tiger, Leopard, Lazy Bear, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Elephant, Buffalo, Cockatoo, Black Eagle, saltwater crocodile, burmese python, cobras (several species), orangutan, gibbons, macaques.

photo: Stephen Hampshire

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Tropical forests are home to a huge number of animals. First of all, this. species in India and Africa narrow-nosed monkeys, and in America - broad-nosed. Their tail and limbs allow them to skillfully climb trees, where they get their livelihood.

mammals

Rainforests are home to predators such as leopards and cougars.

interesting view is an American tapir, something resembling a horse and a rhinoceros.

In reservoirs you can find nutria. People are hunting for this species of large rodents, because they have valuable fur.

Nutria

In South American, you can meet sloths that resemble in appearance. They have fairly long and flexible limbs that cling to trees. These are slow animals, they move slowly along the branches.

Armadillos with a powerful shell live in the forests. During the day they sleep in their burrows, and at nightfall they crawl out to the surface and lead night image life.

Anteater is an inhabitant of tropical forests. He moves without problems on the ground, and climbs trees, eats ants and various insects.

Among marsupial species possums can be found here.

opossums

Elephants and which are relatives of giraffes live in the African rainforests.

Elephant

Lemurs live in Madagascar, which are considered semi-monkeys.

Lemurs

Crocodiles live in some reservoirs, among which the most famous nile crocodile. In Asia, long-nosed crocodiles are known, which mainly swim in the Ganges. The length of his body reaches 7 meters.

Rhinos are found in tropical forests, and hippos are found in water bodies.

Rhinoceros

hippo

In Asia, you can meet a tiger, a sloth bear and.

rainforest birds

Many birds fly in the forests. Hoatzins, hummingbirds, and more than 160 species of parrots live in South America.

Africa and America have large populations flamingos. They live near salt lakes and on sea ​​coasts, feed on algae, worms and mollusks, some insects.

There are peacocks in Asia and on nearby islands.

Wild bush chickens are found in India and the Sunda Islands.

bush hens

Insects and reptiles of the forests

There are many snakes (pythons, anacondas) and lizards (iguanas) in the rainforests.

In reservoirs there is a variety of species of amphibians and fish, among them the most famous in South America are piranhas.

Piranha

The most important inhabitants of the rainforest are ants.

Spiders, butterflies, mosquitoes and other insects also live here.

Insect

There's nothing sweeter than good old animal stories. But today I will not talk about pets, but about those that live in tropical forests. The rainforest ecosystem is home to large quantity variety of animals than in any other ecosystem. One of the reasons for this great diversity is the constantly warm climate. Rainforests also provide an almost constant presence of water and a wide variety of food for animals. So here are 10 amazing rainforest animals and some facts about their lives.

toucans

Toucans can be found in South and Central America under rainforest canopies. During sleep, toucans turn their heads and place their beaks under their wings and tail. Toucans are very important to the rainforest because they help spread the seeds from the fruits and berries they eat. There are about 40 various kinds toucans, but unfortunately some species are endangered. The two main threats to the existence of toucans are the loss of their habitat and the growing demand in the commercial pet market. They vary in size from about 15 centimeters to just over two meters. Large, colorful, light beaks - here distinctive features toucans. These are noisy birds with their loud and raspy voices.

flying dragons

Tree lizards, so-called flying dragons, actually glide from tree to tree on their skin flaps, which look like wings. On each side of the body, between the fore and hind limbs, there is a large flap of skin supported by expanded movable ribs. Usually these "wings" are folded along the torsos, but they can open up to allow the lizard to glide for many meters in an almost horizontal state. The flying dragon feeds on insects, in particular ants. For reproduction, the flying dragon descends to the ground and lays 1 to 4 eggs in the soil.

Bengal tigers

Bengal tiger lives in the Sundarbans regions of India, Bangladesh, China, Siberia and Indonesia, and is under serious threat of extinction. Today at wild nature about 4000 individuals remained, while at the turn of the century in 1900 there were more than 50 thousand. Poaching and habitat loss are the two main reasons for population decline. Bengal tigers. They have not been able to adapt to harsh conditions despite being a dominant species. Tigers, also known as the Royal Bengal Tiger, which is a subspecies of the tiger, can be found in the Indian subcontinent. The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and is considered the second largest tiger in the world.

South American harpies

One of the largest and most powerful of the fifty species of eagles in the world, the South American harpy lives in the tropical lowland forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico south to eastern Bolivia, and southern Brazil to northern Argentina. This is a disappearing view. The main threat to its existence is habitat loss due to constant deforestation, destruction of nesting and hunting grounds.

Dart frogs

These are frogs found in Central and South America. They are known for their bright colors that warn other animals that they are poisonous. Frog venom is one of the most powerful poisons known and can cause paralysis or death. It is so powerful that one millionth of 30 grams of poison can kill a dog, and less than a crystal of salt can kill a human. One frog has a supply of poison sufficient to send up to 100 people to the next world. Local hunters used poison for their arrows, from which the frog got its name in English language Poison-Arrow Frog (frog poisoned arrow).

Sloths

Sloths are extremely slow mammals that can be found in the rainforests of Central and South America. There are two types of sloths: two-toed and three-toed. Most sloths are about the size of a small dog. They have short, flat heads. Their fur is grey-brown, but sometimes they appear grey-green because they move so slowly that tiny camouflage plants have time to grow all over their fur. Sloths are nocturnal and sleep curled up with their heads between their arms and legs turned close together.

spider monkeys

spider monkeys have big sizes. An adult monkey can grow to be almost 60 centimeters tall, not counting the tail. The tail is very powerful. Monkeys use it as an extra limb. Spider monkeys like to hang upside down, clinging to branches with their tail and paws, which makes them look like spiders, where they get their name from. Also, these monkeys can jump from branch to branch to high speed. Their coat color can be black, brown, gold, red or bronze. Spider monkeys are the object of close attention of hunters, which is why they are on the verge of extinction. This photo is probably your only chance to ever see this monkey. Not to mention our species...

wine snakes

Only about a centimeter in diameter, wine snakes are a surprisingly "slim", elongated species. If the snake lies among the branches forest trees, its proportions and green-brown color make it almost indistinguishable from dense creepers and vines. The head of a snake, just as thin and oblong. A slow-moving predator active during the day and at night, the wine snake feeds mainly on young birds, which it steals from nests, and on lizards. If the snake is in danger, it inflates the front of the body, opening bright color, which, as a rule, is usually hidden, and opens its mouth wide.

capybaras

The capybara spends a lot of time in the water and is an excellent swimmer and diver. She has webbed toes on her front and hind feet. When she swims, only her eyes, ears and nostrils are visible above the water. Capybaras eat plant food, including aquatic plants, and the molars in these animals grow throughout life to counteract wear from chewing. Capybaras live in families and are active at dawn and dusk. In areas where they are often disturbed, capybaras may be nocturnal. Males and females look the same, but males have a gland on their nose that is larger than females. They mate in the spring, and after 15-18 weeks of pregnancy, there may be 2 babies in the litter. Babies are well developed at birth.

Brazilian tapirs

Brazilian tapirs can almost always be found near bodies of water. These animals are good swimmers and divers, but they also move quickly on land, even in rough and mountainous terrain. Tapirs are dark brown in color. Their coat is short, and a mane grows down from the back of the neck. Thanks to the mobile snout, the tapir feeds on leaves, buds, shoots and small branches that the tapir cuts off trees, as well as fruits, herbs and aquatic plants. The female gives birth to one spotted-striped baby after a pregnancy that lasts from 390 to 400 days.