Unusual animals of the rainforest. Amazing animals of the rainforest. Tropical trees of Central and South America
Large representatives of the cat family live in the tropical zone. The most common of them are leopards and tigers. The tiger is considered the most dangerous predator in the tropics. He is fast and ruthless. Monkeys, gazelles, and even zebras become its prey. However, despite this, tigers are afraid of people and attack them only in the rarest cases.
Leopards of the tropics are divided into several species, but all of them have characteristic spots on the skin. By the way, the famous black, a symbol of grace and beauty, is also a leopard, but with black spots on the background. Also interesting is the smoky leopard. He climbs trees like a domestic cat, jumping from branch to branch and terrifying the monkeys.
Tigers are found not only in the tropics, but also in the mountains and in the northern regions.
Such different rainforest monkeys
The funny ones that children like so much are not only mischievous and macaques. In the tropics, there are dozens of species of these animals, very tiny and huge. The smallest is the pygmy marmoset. Its dimensions are 11-15 cm. The animal looks like a cute fluffy toy and easily fits in the palm of your hand. Marmosets live in trees and feed on tree sap and insects.
The largest monkey is the gorilla. Males reach the height of an average person - 1.75 m, and their weight often exceeds 200 kg. Gorillas live on the ground and feed on insects and shoots of green plants.
According to scientists, gorillas are the closest relatives of humans.
Pachyderms of the tropics
The hippopotamus is least of all similar to a slender horse, but meanwhile its name is translated as "river horse". Hippos spend most of the day in a tropical swamp, and even their births take place right in the water. Despite their heavy weight and seeming melancholy, hippos are very ferocious if they or their cubs are in danger.
Another typical tropical animal is the rhinoceros. These animals are among the most dangerous - an angry rhinoceros runs at a speed of 40 km / h, and its sharp horn is able to pierce the thickest skin. The only thing that saves the victim from the fury of the rhinoceros is the pachyderm's poor eyesight. Rhinos usually navigate by smell.
The only animals that don't care about the rhino's fury are elephants. Some of the largest mammals live in herds, usually led by the oldest female. Elephants are one of the most intelligent animals - they are able to distinguish notes, have their own language and recognize themselves in the mirror.
This material tells about the life of animals in the tropical zone. The article is illustrated with photographs of tropical forest animals.
In the African forest.
Most of the African forests are located between two tropics: the North (Tropic of Cancer) and the South (Tropic of Capricorn). In this part of the earth all the seasons are alike; throughout the year, the average temperature and the amount of rainfall are almost unchanged. Therefore, almost all animals of this zone lead a sedentary lifestyle - because, unlike the inhabitants of the temperate and cold climatic zones, they do not need to make seasonal migrations in search of places suitable for life.
Hippopotamus.
The name of this animal in Greek means "river horse". It weighs over three tons.
Water is the natural habitat of this huge mammal, in which the hippo spends most of its time. However, with such a thick, squat figure, it is not easy to swim, so usually hippos do not go far into the water, but stay in shallow water, where they can reach the bottom with their paws. The sense organs - movable ears, nostrils equipped with closing membranes, and eyes with protruding overeyes - are located on the upper part of the muzzle, so that the hippopotamus can almost completely submerge in water, continuing to breathe air and carefully monitor everything around. In the event of a danger threatening him or his cubs, he becomes very aggressive and, no matter where - in water or on land, he immediately attacks the enemy.
Mothers give birth to cubs either on the shore, or more often right in the water. In the latter case, newborns, barely born, emerge to the surface so as not to suffocate. Childbirth in hippos takes place during the rainy season, at this time the mother's milk is in abundance due to the abundant and varied food. To feed the cubs, the female gets out on land and stretches comfortably on her side.
hippos never live alone; they gather in groups of several dozen individuals. Often, both in water and on land, adult males play with growing cubs. Moving on land. Hippos always follow the same paths they know.
Feeling in danger, the hippo emits a threatening roar, and opens its huge mouth as wide as possible, showing the enemy unusually long lower fangs. This menacing posture usually produces the desired result.
Crocodile.
Only sometimes crocodiles can swim in sea water; usually they settle along the banks of rivers and lakes in areas with a warm and hot climate. Crocodiles are much more comfortable and calmer in the water than on land. They swim with the help of paws and tail; Under water, large individuals can spend about an hour. In the hottest hours of the day, crocodiles lie on land with their mouths wide open: due to the lack of sweat glands, they can get rid of excess heat only in the same way as dogs sticking out their tongues in the heat.
The female crocodile lays her eggs in a hole specially dug on the shore, not far from the water. The cub breaks the shell with the help of a special horn located on the head, which soon falls off.
Young crocodiles feed mainly on fish, but also on birds and insects. Only when they become adults will they be able to cope with larger mammals that need to be caught, dragged from the shore and kept under water for a while.
Crocodile teeth are not needed for chewing food, but only to grab prey and tear off pieces of meat from it.
Even such terrifying reptiles as crocodiles have enemies - animals that hunt for crocodile eggs. The most dangerous of them is the monitor lizard, a large lizard. Having found an egg, he begins to dig the ground near him unusually quickly, distracting the female crocodile, who usually stands guard, and stealing an egg from the nest, takes it to a place inaccessible to crocodiles and eats it.
Like many other land animals living in the water for a long time, the ears, nostrils and eyes of crocodiles are located on the top of the head, so that they remain above the water when the animal swims.
The smallest crocodile: Osborne's caiman, its length is 120 centimeters.
Chimpanzee.
Due to its intelligence and trainability, it is the most famous of all monkeys. Although chimpanzees are great climbers, they spend a lot of time on the ground and even travel on foot. But they still sleep in the trees, where they feel safer. This is one of the few animals that uses various tools: a chimpanzee puts a broken branch into a termite mound, and then licks insects off it. These monkeys are practically omnivores. Communities living in different regions often eat differently.
The "vocabulary" of chimpanzees consists of various sounds, but in communication they also use facial expressions; their faces can take on a variety of expressions, often very human-like.
As a rule, only one cub is born in a chimpanzee, twins are extremely rare. All childhood cubs spend literally in the arms of their mother, firmly clinging to her wool.
Chimpanzees live in fairly numerous societies, but not as closed as other apes, such as gorillas. In contrast, chimpanzees often move from one group to another.
The strongest males, defending their superiority, uproot small trees and brandish this club with a menacing look.
A tender friendship usually reigns between female chimpanzees. It is not uncommon for a mother to temporarily entrust her cub to another female; sometimes such nannies take for a walk, in addition to their own, two or three other people's cubs.
Gorilla.
Despite its intimidating appearance, this large, over two meters tall monkey is very friendly; males from the same flock usually do not compete with each other, and for the leader to obey him, it is enough to goggle his eyes and utter the appropriate cry, hitting his chest with his fingers. This behavior is just staged, it is never followed by an attack. Before a real attack, the gorilla looks into the eyes of the enemy for a long time and silently. Staring straight into the eyes is a challenge not only for gorillas, but for almost all mammals, including dogs, cats, and even humans.
Baby gorillas stay with their mother for nearly four years. When the next one is born, the mother begins to alienate the eldest from herself, but never does it rudely; she, as it were, invites him to try his hand at adulthood.
Waking up, gorillas go in search of food. The rest of the time they devote to rest and play. After the evening meal, a kind of bedding is arranged on the ground, on which they fall asleep.
Okapi.
These are relatives of the giraffe, its height is slightly less than two meters, and its weight is about 250 kilograms. Okapi are extremely timid animals and are distributed in a very narrow geographical area, so they have not been studied enough. It is known that they live in bushes, and their coloration, at first glance very unusual, actually makes them completely invisible in their natural habitat. Okapi live alone, and only mothers are not separated from their cubs for a long time.
With stripes on the back of the body and on the legs, the okapi resembles a zebra; these stripes serve as camouflage for them.
Okapis resemble some types of horses, but the differences are quite noticeable; for example, males have short horns. When playing, okapi lightly hit each other with their muzzles until the defeated one, as a sign of the end of the game, lies on the ground.
When a mother hears a special call made by a cub in case of danger, she becomes very aggressive and resolutely attacks any enemy.
Asian jungle.
Some species of animals that inhabit the Asian jungle, such as elephants, rhinos and leopards, are also found in Africa; however, over thousands of years of evolution, the inhabitants of the jungle have developed many features that distinguish them from their African "brothers".
Monsoons - this is the name of the winds that periodically blow in the tropical zones of Asia. Usually they bring heavy rains, contributing to the rapid growth and renewal of vegetation.
The time of the monsoons is also favorable for animals: during these periods, plant foods are plentiful and varied, which provides the best conditions for their growth and reproduction. Just like the forests of the Amazon, the Asian jungle is very dense and sometimes impassable.
Tapir.
The tapir is said to be a fossil animal; indeed, this species, which inhabits several distant regions one after another, has survived on earth since very ancient times, having survived several geological epochs.
black-backed tapir can walk on the bottom of the lake!
The female tapir is larger than the male. The most noticeable feature in the structure of the body is an elongated upper lip, which forms a small and very mobile trunk, with which tapirs can pick leaves and tufts of grass - their usual food. Black-backed tapirs live in Asia. Their coloration is very expressive: black with white. It may seem that these contrasting colors should make them very noticeable, but in fact, from afar, they are very similar to an ordinary pile of stones, which are many around. In cubs, on the contrary, the skin is pockmarked, with small specks and stripes. In the second year of life, this coloration will gradually change to an even black color with a characteristic white bandage - a saddlecloth.
Most tapirs eat leaves, shoots and stems of aquatic plants. They love the water and are excellent swimmers. They always walk along the same habitual paths, which eventually turn into well-trodden paths, ending, as a rule, in a "gutter" - a convenient descent to the water.
The most terrible enemies of tapirs are various types of cats on land and gharials in the water. Very rarely, a tapir tries to defend itself; he has practically no means for this and always prefers to run away.
The body of the tapir is squat, the paws are short, there is almost no neck. Movable trunk is a very sensitive organ of smell. - with its help, the tapir explores the surface of the earth and surrounding objects. Vision, on the other hand, is very poorly developed. Asian cats.
There are no felines living in groups in Asia, like lions or cheetahs in Africa. All types of Asian cats are loners, each animal is the owner of its own territory and does not allow strangers there. Only tigers sometimes go hunting in small groups. Representatives of the cat family live everywhere in Asia, even in areas with a climate that is not very suitable for them, such as, for example, in the Far East, where the Ussuri tiger reigns. A feature of tigers living in the jungle is their manner of hunting. It consists in sneaking up to the victim as close as possible, remaining unnoticed, and at the last moment rushing at him with one jump from a place or a short run.
The royal, or Bengal, tiger is now quite rare. Found in India and Indochina.
Leopard or black panther.
The panther also has spots characteristic of a leopard, although they are completely invisible against a black background. The black panther is a dark-colored leopard.
Smoky leopard. He jumps from branch to branch like a monkey. These cats are sometimes called tree tigers.
Spotted cat.
I also call her the fishing cat. In fact, she loves to live near the water and swims well. In addition to fish and shellfish, it catches small vertebrates on land. The habits of this animal are little studied.
Tiger.
Tigers adapt to a wide variety of climatic conditions; they live in flat tropical areas, but are also found in the mountains at an altitude of up to 3000 m and in very cold areas; in the latter case, a thick, more than five centimeters, layer of fat forms under the skin, which protects against heat loss.
Almost all the inhabitants of the jungle are at risk of becoming the prey of the tiger. Only large and warlike thick-skinned, and even bulls and buffaloes with strong horns, can feel safe.
Contrary to popular belief, the tiger is not a very dexterous hunter; he is so heavy. That for a successful jump, he needs to start the run from a distance of 10 - 15 meters; if the tiger comes closer to its prey, it runs the risk of missing.
A tiger brood usually consists of two, three or four cubs. For eight weeks, the mother feeds them exclusively with milk; then solid food is gradually added to their milk. Only six months later, the female begins to go hunting, leaving the cubs for more than a day.
Tigers, like all wild animals, are afraid of humans. However, it happens that an old or sick animal, for which ordinary hunting becomes too difficult, overcomes its innate fear and attacks people.
Monkeys.
Among the numerous species of monkeys, there are animals that weigh no more than 70 grams, and there are those whose mass reaches 250 kilograms. In Asian monkeys, the tail does not have a grasping function, i.e. the monkey cannot, having caught it on a branch, support its body so that its arms and legs remain free; this is typical only for monkeys living on the American continent.
Orangutan.
The most common monkey in Asia is the orangutan. This is a large monkey that spends most of its time among the branches and only occasionally descends to the ground.
Female orangutans, perhaps, more than all other monkeys care about the upbringing of their children. Mothers bite their nails, bathe them in rainwater, yell at them if they start acting up. The upbringing received in childhood subsequently determines the character of an adult animal.
Nosach.
This monkey owes its name to a huge ugly nose, which in males sometimes goes down to the very chin. The proboscis not only climbs trees very well, but also swims very well and can sit under water for a long time.
Thin lory.
The pointed muzzle and huge eyes that can see in the dark make this half-monkey very cute. During the day, the lory hides in the branches, and at night it gets its own food.
Indian pachyderms.
The differences between Indian thick-skinned animals and African ones are imperceptible at first glance. The behavior of both of them is also very similar: they do not stay in one place for a long time, but move over fairly long distances in search of suitable food, mostly young foliage. They love water and swim well, sometimes for a long time. They often rest near the water's edge, bathing in silty mud, which is very good for their skin.
Rhinoceros.
He is respected by all other animals who try to avoid meeting him. Only elephants do not fear them and easily put them to flight if they interfere with them. A newborn Indian rhinoceros weighs about 65 kilograms.
Unlike the African rhinoceros, it has only one horn and its body is covered with thick skin shields. Usually he moves slowly, but if necessary, speeds up to 40 kilometers per hour.
Elephant.
Although his skin looks rough, it is actually very sensitive due to a cover of short and flexible bristles that respond to even the lightest touch.
The mother never lets the baby elephant leave her. She watches the cub all the time and begins to call him as soon as she notices that he is a little behind.
The female Indian elephant carries the fetus for about 20 months!
African equatorial forests occupy flat and mountainous areas. Mountain forests are shrouded in clouds that maintain high humidity. Therefore, they are also called cloud forests. In the tropical forests of Africa live the world's largest monkeys - gorillas. There are only two populations of gorillas: the lowland, or land, gorillas that live in the western lowland forests, and the mountain gorillas that inhabit the eastern montane forests. Gorillas belong to the great apes. These are huge animals, the males of which reach 2 m in height and can weigh up to 300 kg. Despite their intimidating appearance, they are peaceful vegetarians. Gorillas live in family groups of 5 to 15 individuals: several females and young ones. The head of the group is an adult male (he can be recognized by his silvery back). The leader takes care of the whole pack, and if for some reason he dies, then the rest of the group may die with him, having lost his protection and care. Gorillas are too heavy to easily climb trees, so they lead a terrestrial lifestyle. Every evening they settle down for the night, building nests on the branches of fairly strong trees or on the ground. Gorillas are not aggressive, but in case of danger they can attack the offender. Most often, they scare off the attacker without engaging in a fight, roar, beat their chests with their fists and break branches with a loud crack. In the same way, young males sort things out among themselves.
The fauna of the African rainforests differs from the savannas in the absence of large predators. (The exception is the leopard). The inhabitants of the rainforests are much smaller than their relatives living in the savannahs. So, for example, duikers are slightly larger than a hare, a pygmy hippopotamus is two times smaller than usual, and okapi, a relative of giraffes, is significantly inferior to them in height.
Okapi, which lives only in forests, does not need a long neck like a giraffe, because it can pluck shoots, leaves and anodes not high from the ground. The color of the okapi also bears little resemblance to its relative, the large ears give it a somewhat comical appearance, but help to better capture forest sounds. Interestingly, the okapi tongue is so long that it can reach the ear.
In the dense thickets along the banks of the rivers live miniature African deer, the size of a domestic cat. They are relatives of deer, cats do not have horns and lead a completely different lifestyle. These animals live near the water and are excellent swimmers. Sensing danger, the deer runs to the water and dives, holding its breath for a long time. He moves along the bottom of the river and emerges in a safe place, thus leaving the pursuer. This unusual creature feeds not only on plants, but also on small fish, crabs, insects and even small mammals. Deer are active at night, and during the day they climb low on the trees along the vines, like a ladder. Deer are in the trees and hide during the day.
Several species of hyrax live in Africa. These small (body length up to 60 cm) animals are classified as a separate order of mammals. Outwardly, they resemble marmots or pikas, although scientific studies have revealed their distant relationship with elephants. Tree hyraxes live in the forests, able to climb trees perfectly, jumping from branch to branch in search of food. Damans feed on plants and insects. Tree hyraxes are solitary, unlike mountain hyraxes, which live in small colonies.
In tropical forests, you can meet an animal that looks like a spruce cone. This mammal from the squad of lizards is called the pangolin. Pangolins have much in common with armadillos, since, according to scientists, they descended from the same ancestors. The body of the pangolin is covered with horny scales that protect it from predators: the pangolin, like the armadillo, can roll into a ball and feeds on insects. Tree pangolins have a strong prehensile tail, which they use to cling to branches while climbing trees.
Geneta is a mobile predator, a relative of the civet, mongoose and meerkat. Flexible and agile, the genet easily climbs trees, hunting for birds and small mammals. But most of the time, genets spend on the ground. Apes live in African forests. They live in groups of 2 to 20 individuals, headed by an important male. The lifestyle of chimpanzees is generally similar to that of gorillas. However, chimpanzees eat not only plant foods, but also insects and small mammals. Sometimes a group of chimpanzees also attack a fairly large animal. These monkeys even have cases of cannibalism: one monkey can steal a cub from another to eat it. Chimpanzees in their development are at a higher level than other mammals - they are very smart, communicate with each other using more than 30 different sounds. Apes are the closest relatives of humans in the animal kingdom.
In all tiers of the African rainforest, there are many birds, some of which are found only here. In Africa, unlike South America, there are not so many parrots, only a few dozen species. The most famous parrot is a jaco, gray with a red undertail. Small nectary birds occupy the same ecological niche as hummingbirds in South America. Tree hoopoes, hornbills, banana-eaters and Congolese peacocks live here. This rare peacock was discovered by scientists relatively recently: before that, its existence could only be judged by a single feather found by chance.
In terms of the brightness of the color of the bird, banana-eaters, or tura ko, are not inferior to South American parrots. Turaka, which are relatives of cuckoos, live in racks, breaking into pores only during the breeding season. When it rains, banana-eaters can “shed”, as their feathers are covered with a multi-colored powdery substance that dissolves in water. After some time, the brightness of the color is restored. Turaka are poor flyers, preferring to climb trees or glide from branch to branch in search of food, fruit, and small creatures.
At night, bats fly out to hunt, small mammals belonging to the order of bats. Spreading their leathery wings, they fly between trees and catch insects. Well-developed hearing, vision, touch, and in some species echolocation, help these animals to navigate perfectly in the dark without bumping into obstacles. During the day, bats rest in caves, rock crevices, as well as in hollows or on tree branches. They cling to branches or stones with their hind legs, hanging upside down, and, having folded their wings, sleep. A wide variety of insects, spiders, centipedes and mollusks live in tree trunks, foliage and forest floor. The most numerous insects are ants, of which there are more than 600 species in the forest of Africa. Insects such as stick insects, praying mantises and beetles live here. The goliath beetle, the largest beetle in the world, lives in these forests and has become very rare due to collecting. The most colorful representatives of insects are butterflies. Butterflies fly in the forest canopy, butterflies, bluebirds, tropical butterflies, as well as giant African sailboats. Centipedes are ancient arthropods that have lived on Earth for over 500 million years. Living in the forest floor, they crawl out during the leader or at night, feeding on the remains of animals.
In the wet litter of the rainforest live legless amphibians - worms. Outwardly, they are similar to earthworms, although they are relatives of frogs, salamanders and newts. The body length of these amphibians can reach 1.1 meters. Worms feed on soil invertebrates: earthworms, centipedes and others.
Tropical forests are found in a wide belt that surrounds the Earth at the equator and is torn apart only by oceans and mountains. Their distribution coincides with an area of low pressure that occurs when rising tropical air is replaced by moist air coming in from the north and south, forming an area of intratropical convergence.
The rainforest is a response of flora to high temperatures and abundant moisture. At any time, the average temperature must be between about 21°C and 32°C, and the annual rainfall must exceed 150 centimeters. Since the sun is approximately at its zenith throughout the year, the climatic conditions are constant, which is not found in any other natural area. The rainforest is often associated with large rivers that carry away excess rainwater. Such rivers are found in the South American island continent, the African subcontinent, and the Australian subcontinent.
Despite the constant fall of dead leaves, the soil in the rainforest is very thin. Conditions for decomposition are so favorable that humus is unable to form. Tropical rain leaches clay minerals out of the soil, preventing important nutrients such as nitrate, phosphate, potassium, sodium, and calcium from accumulating in the soil, as occurs in soils of temperate latitudes. Tropical soils contain only the nutrients found in the decaying plants themselves.
On the basis of the tropical forest, many variants are formed, which are the result of both climatic differences and environmental features. The gallery forest is found where the forest ends abruptly, as on the banks of a wide river. Here the branches and leaves form a dense wall of vegetation that reaches down to the ground to benefit from sunlight coming in from the side. Less lush monsoon forests exist in areas where there is a pronounced dry season. They are distributed along the edges of the continents, where the prevailing winds in some part of the year blow from dry areas, and are typical of the Indian subcontinent and part of the Australian subcontinent. Mangrove forest is found in areas of salty sea marshes along muddy coasts and in estuaries.
The rainforest does not have dominant tree species as in other forest habitats. This is due to the fact that there is no seasonality, and therefore the insect population does not fluctuate; insects that feed on a certain type of tree are always present and destroy the seeds and seedlings of this tree if they are sown nearby. Therefore, success in the struggle for existence awaits only those seeds that have been transferred to some distance from the parent tree and the population of insects constantly existing on it. In this way, an obstacle arises for the formation of thickets of any one type of tree.
Rainforest areas have increased markedly since the Age of Man. In the past, human agricultural activities accounted for a significant share of the damage to tropical forests. Primitive societies cut down a section of forest and exploited the cleared areas for crops for several years until the soil was depleted, forcing them to move to another area. In the cleared areas, the original forest was not restored immediately, and it took several thousand years after the extinction of mankind before the rainforest belt returned to some semblance of its natural state.
TROPICAL FOREST CANOPY
A world of gliding, climbing and clinging creatures
The rainforest is one of the richest habitats on Earth. High rainfall and a stable climate mean that there is a constant growth season, and therefore there are no periods when there is nothing to eat. Abundant vegetation stretching upwards to reach the light, although continuous, is very clearly divided into horizontal levels. Photosynthesis is most active at the very top, at the level of the forest canopy, where the tops of the trees branch and form an almost continuous cover of greenery and flowers. Beneath it, sunlight is highly diffused, and this habitat consists of the trunks of taller trees and the crowns of those trees that have not yet reached the forest canopy. The undergrowth is a gloomy realm of shrubs and grasses that spread in all directions to make the best use of the crumbs of sunlight that make their way here.
Although a huge number of plant species support an equal diversity of animal species, the number of individual individuals of each of them is relatively small. This situation is exactly the opposite of that which develops in such harsh habitats as the tundra, where, due to the fact that few species can adapt to the conditions of the terrain, there are many fewer species of both plants and animals, but incomparably more individuals of each of them. As a result, the population of tropical forest animals remains stable and there are no cyclical fluctuations in the number of both predators and their prey.
Just like in any other habitat, birds of prey, eagles and hawks are important treetop predators. The tree-dwelling animals of these places must be nimble enough to escape from them, and also to elude tree-climbing predators attacking from below. The mammals that do this best are the primates: the monkeys, the great apes, the great apes, and the lemurs. long-armed zidda Araneapithecus manucaudata from the African subcontinent has taken this specialization to the extreme, and has developed long arms, legs and fingers, so that it has become a brachiator, that is, it swings on its hands, throwing its small rounded body among the branches of trees at great speed. It also developed a prehensile tail like its South American relatives in the first half of the Age of Mammals. However, her tail is not used for locomotion, but only for hanging from it while resting or sleeping.
flying monkey Alesimia lapsus, a very small marmoset-like monkey, has adapted to gliding flight. The development of this adaptation paralleled the evolution of many other mammals, which in the course of evolution developed a flying membrane from folds of skin between the limbs and tail. To support the flight membrane and withstand the stresses of flight, the spine and limb bones became unusually strong for an animal of this size. Ruddering with its tail, the flying monkey makes very long gliding jumps between the crowns of the tallest trees to eat fruits and termites there.
Probably the most specialized arboreal reptile species in the African rain forest is the prehensile tail. Flagellanguis viridis- a very long and thin tree snake. Its broad prehensile tail, the most muscular part of its body, is used to latch onto a tree while it lies in ambush, coiled and camouflaged among the foliage in its highest crowns, waiting for an inadvertently passing bird. The snake can "shoot" up to three meters, which is about four-fifths of its body length, and grab prey by holding tightly to a branch with its tail.
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LIVING IN TREES
The evolution of life in danger
For most of the Age of Mammals, apes enjoyed a certain security of life in the tops of trees. Although there were a number of predators there, no one was strictly specialized in hunting them - but this was before the appearance of the striger.
This ferocious little creature Saevitia feliforme, descended from the last of the true cats about 30 million years ago, and settled in the rainforests of Africa and Asia; its success is closely related to the fact that it is just as well adapted as its prey to life in trees. The strieger has even evolved a physique similar to that of the monkeys it feeds on: a long, slender body, forelimbs capable of flapping up to 180°, a prehensile tail, and fingers on the fore and hind limbs that can oppose and grasp branches.
With the advent of the strieger, the arboreal fauna of the rainforest has undergone significant changes. Some slow leaf and fruit-eating animals were completely exterminated. Others, however, were able to evolve when faced with a new threat. Usually, if the environmental factor turns out to be so radical that it seems to be introduced from outside, there is a rapid leap in evolution, because now the advantages give completely different signs.
This principle is demonstrated by the armored tail Testudicaudatus tardus, a lemur-like semi-monkey with a strong, armored tail protected by a series of overlapping horny plates. Before the advent of tree-dwelling predators, such a tail was evolutionarily disadvantageous, reducing the success of foraging. Any trends leading to the evolution of such a cumbersome device could be quickly swept aside by natural selection. But in the face of constant danger, the importance of successful foraging becomes secondary to the ability to defend, and thus creates favorable conditions for the evolution of such an adaptation.
By itself, it is a leaf-eating animal that moves slowly along the branches with its back down. When a strigger attacks, the armored tail unhooks and hangs, hooked on a branch with its tail. Now the armored tail is out of danger - the part of its body accessible to the predator is too well armored to be vulnerable.
Khiffa Armasenex aedificator is an ape whose defense is based on its social organization. She lives in groups of up to twenty individuals and builds defensive fortifications on tree branches. These large hollow nests, woven from twigs and creepers and covered with a waterproof roof of leaves, have multiple entrances, usually located where the main branches of the tree run through the structure. Most of the foraging and building work is done by females and young males. Adult males stay away from it, they protect the fortification and have developed a unique set of features to fulfill their very specialized role: a horny carapace on the face and chest, and terrible claws on the thumb and forefinger.
Females don't know what it's like to taunt a streaker running past and let her be chased all the way to the fortification, rushing to safety while the streaker following her is stopped by a mighty male who can gut him with a single wave of his terrible claws. This seemingly nonsensical behavior, however, provides the colony with fresh meat, a welcome addition to a mostly vegetarian diet of roots and berries. But only young and inexperienced strigers can be caught in this way.
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UNDERGROWTH
The dark zone of forest life
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LIFE IN WATER
Inhabitants of tropical waters
The largest aquatic mammal in the African swamps is the waterglot. Phocapotamus lutuphagus. Although it is descended from an aquatic rodent, it shows adaptations that have evolved in parallel with those of the extinct ungulate, the hippopotamus. It has a broad head, and the eyes, ears and nostrils are located on bulges in its upper part in such a way that they can still work even when the animal is completely submerged in water. The needleglot eats only aquatic plants, which he scoops up with his wide mouth, or pulls out of the mud with his tusks. It has a long body, and the hind legs have merged together and form a fin, giving the animal an external resemblance to seals. Although it is very clumsy out of the water, it spends most of its time on the mudflats, where it breeds and raises its offspring in noisy colonies near the water's edge.
Not so well adapted, but nevertheless, a species successfully living in water is the water monkey. Natopithecus ranapes. Descended from the talapoin, or pygmy marmoset Allenopithecus nigraviridis From the Age of Man, this creature evolved a frog-like body with webbed hind feet, long clawed toes on its front feet for catching fish, and a ridge along its back to keep its balance in the water. Like an ilogloth, her sense organs are shifted up on her head. It lives in trees growing near water, from which it dives to catch fish, which form the basis of its diet.
Terrestrial animals that have switched to an aquatic lifestyle usually did so in order to escape from terrestrial predators. Perhaps that is why water ants began to build their huge nest on rafts in swamps and quiet backwaters. Such a nest is made of twigs and fibrous plant materials, and made watertight with putty made from mud and glandular secretions. It is connected to the coast and floating food stores by a network of bridges and roads. However, with their new lifestyle, the ants are still vulnerable to the water anteater. Myrmevenarius amphibius, which evolved parallel to them. This anteater feeds exclusively on water ants, and in order to get close to them unnoticed, it attacks the nest from below, tearing apart the waterproof shell with its clawed flippers. Since below the water level the nest consists of separate chambers that can immediately become watertight in case of danger, little damage is done to the colony as a whole. Ants that drown during the attack, however, are enough to feed the anteater.
Fish-eating birds, such as the toothed kingfisher Halcyonova aquatica, often found along the water channels of tropical swamps. The beak of the kingfisher is strongly serrate, with tooth-like outgrowths that help to prick the fish. Although it can neither fly like its ancestors, nor hover over water and dive like they did, it has mastered "underwater flight" by stalking its prey in its own habitat. Having caught a fish, the kingfisher floats to the surface of the water and swallows it into the throat pouch before bringing it to the nest.
tree duck Dendrocygna volubaris is an aquatic creature that seems to have changed its mind about its preferred habitat and is in the process of transitioning back to the more arboreal lifestyle of its distant ancestors. Although it still has a duck-like appearance, its webbed feet are reduced, and its rounded beak is more suited to feeding on insects, lizards, and fruits than aquatic animals. The tree duck still survives in the water from predators, and its offspring do not come out onto land until they are almost adults.
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AUSTRALIAN FORESTS
Marsupial dart frogs and marsupial predators
His tongue has a bristly tip.
The undergrowth of the vast rainforest of the Australian subcontinent is home to numerous marsupial mammals. One of their most common and successful species is the omnivorous marsupial pig. Thylasus virgatus, a marsupial analogue of the tapir. Like its placental prototype, it roams the gloomy undergrowth in small herds, sniffing and digging for food in a thin layer of soil with the help of a flexible, sensitive snout and protruding tusks. Protective coloration helps her hide from predators.
The largest animal in the Australian forest, and in fact the largest animal in the rainforests of the world, is the gigantala. Silfrangerus giganteus. This animal is descended from plains-dwelling kangaroos and wallabies, which were quite common when much of the continent was arid savannah, and its upright posture and characteristic hopping mode of locomotion betray its origins. The gigantala is so large that at first glance it seems ill-adapted to life in the cramped conditions of the undergrowth of the rainforest. However, her large stature gives her the advantage that she can feed on leaves and shoots that are out of reach for other forest dwellers, and her massive build means that shrubs and small trees don't impede her movement. As the gigantala cuts its way through the thicket, it leaves behind a well-marked trail, which, until it disappears due to the natural growth of the forest, is used as a road by smaller animals like the marsupial pig.
The convergent evolution taking place on the Australian subcontinent is not unique to marsupials. Fatsnake Pingophis viperaforme, descended from one of the many species of snakes that have always been a feature of the Australian fauna, acquired many features of forest ground vipers, such as the Gaboon viper and the noisy viper from a long-lived genus Bitis, which are found elsewhere in the Northern Continent. They include a thick, slow-moving body, and a coloration that makes it completely invisible in the undergrowth leaf litter. The neck of the fatsnake is very long and flexible, and allows the head to obtain food almost independently of the body. His main method of hunting is to inflict a poisonous bite on her from an ambush where he hides. Only later, when the poison finally kills the prey and begins its digestive action, does the fat snake pick it up and eat it.
Australian bowerbirds have always been famous for their fantastic buildings, which were built by males to court females. hawkbill Dimorphoptilornis iniquitus here is no exception. In itself, his building is a rather modest structure, containing a simple nest and a small altar-like structure in front of it. While the female is incubating the eggs, the male, a bird rather like a hawk, catches a small animal or reptile and places it on the altar. This offering is not eaten, but serves as bait to attract flies, which the female then catches and feeds to the male to ensure that his cares continue during the long period of incubation. When the chicks hatch, the chicks are fed by fly larvae that develop on rotting carrion.
Another curious bird is the ground termitor. Neopardalotus subterrestris. This mole-like bird lives permanently underground in termite nests, where it digs nest chambers with its large paws and feeds on termites with its long, sticky tongue.
Tropical forests are the “lungs” of our planet, the most precious treasure, the “big pharmacy of the Earth”. For many years it was believed that they produce enormous amounts of oxygen, but this turned out not to be the case, but the humid climate contributes to flawless air filtration and purification from pollution. A lot of medicinal plants grow in this zone, which have been used in folk and official medicine. Where a huge number of birds, predators, artiodactyls, amphibians live, they all somehow get along on the same territory, surprising travelers with their large numbers.
Distribution of tropical forests
It will immediately become clear where tropical forests grow, if you explain that they kind of “encircle” the planet along the Equator. They are located in the humid equatorial, dry tropical, temperate, representing a clear line, interrupted only by mountains and oceans. Vegetation changes depending on air temperature and rainfall. Rainy areas are covered with evergreen flora, drier regions are characterized by deciduous plants, and then there are savannah forests. In both South America and Africa, monsoon forests are located in the west, savannah forests in the east, and equatorial forests in the middle.
Forest levels
The description of the rainforest will be more understandable if it is divided into tiers. There are four main levels. The uppermost one is evergreen trees up to 70 m tall, their green caps are mostly only on top, but below they are bare trunks. These giants can easily withstand hurricanes, temperature extremes, sheltering the rest of the tiers from bad weather. The main hosts here are eagles, butterflies, bats. Next comes the canopy of the forest, consisting of 45-meter trees. The level of crowns is considered the most diverse, about 25% of all insect species live here. Scientists agree that 40% of the species of all plants on the planet are located on this tier, although it has not been fully studied.
This is followed by the middle level, called the undergrowth, snakes, birds, lizards live here, the number of insects is also huge. The forest floor layer contains animal remains and decaying plants. Such stratification is more characteristic of the humid tropics. For example, the selva - the forests of South America - is divided into only three levels. The first is grass, low plants, ferns, the second is reeds, low shrubs, young trees, the third is 40-meter trees.
Where tropical forests grow depends on the species of flora and fauna that prevail in them. For example, mangroves are common in equatorial and tropical latitudes in the tidal zones of sea coasts. Plants grow here that are accustomed to do without oxygen and feel great in salty soil. Their roots create an excellent habitat for oysters, crustaceans, commercial fish species. On the slopes of the mountains in the area of fog condensation grow moss or fog forests, characterized by low night temperatures.
Arid regions are dominated by savannah and rainforest, but dry. The plants here are evergreen, but xeromorphic and stunted. In the regions of the equatorial and tropical zones with a variable climate, variable-moist forests grow, characterized by deciduous crowns and a small number of lianas and epiphytes. They are found in South America, Africa, Sri Lanka, India and Indochina.
Rainforest climate
In humid tropical forests, the air temperature ranges from 20 ° C to 35 ° C, it rains here almost daily, so the humidity is kept at 80%, and in some regions it reaches 100%. In the subtropics, there is no pronounced seasonality, the temperature is characterized by stability. On the slopes of the mountains, where fogs are observed, it is warm during the day, and at night a sharp drop to 0 ° C is possible. The climate of tropical forests varies depending on the belt. In the tropics, high temperatures and low humidity, at the equator there is a lot of moisture and very hot, and in the subequatorial zone, the weather depends on the monsoons.
tropical trees
Rainforest trees are very different from temperate trees. The peculiarity of their development is influenced by weather conditions, because there is no seasonality at the equator, it rains almost daily, and the air temperature is 25-35 ° C. If in Russia giants grow over several centuries, then 10-15 years are enough there. Each type of tree sheds leaves at a strictly defined time, it can be once every six months, once every 2-3 years. They also bloom when they want, many representatives of the flora delight with flowers once a decade. The trees mostly have large, leathery leaves that are tough enough to withstand heavy torrents of rain. More than 600 types of bamboo, chocolate cola, marang, jackfruit, mango, etc. grow in the tropics.
exotic shrubs
The question of whether a shrub layer exists in tropical forests remains rather controversial. It exists in the subtropical and temperate zones, but not in the equatorial zone. Of course, there are representatives of shrubs there, but there are very few of them and they will not create their own level. Together with them, herbaceous phanerophytes grow, keeping the trunk from one to several years, and undersized trees. This includes representatives of the families of scitamine, marat, and bananas. Most of the shrubs belong to the dicotyledons, their leaves are large, but tender.
Rainforest grasses
Incredibly beautiful, bright birds with an unusual appearance live in virgin forests. Each separate part of the world boasts some kind of its own kind of birds. For example, francolins live in the tropics of Asia, in appearance they resemble partridges, only slightly larger. They run fast, so in case of danger they do not take off, but fly away with all their might. Bush chickens, pheasants, royal peacocks also live in the forests. In the American tropics, you can meet tinama - a poorly flying bird with short but very strong legs. Well, how can one not remember the bright, cheerful and talkative parrots, without which the tropics are not tropics. In addition, motley pigeons, trogons, woodpeckers, flycatchers, and hornbills live on the equator. Hummingbirds, tanagers, rock cockerels, cotingas and many others are found in the Amazon forests.
Animals
The fauna of the tropical forests is striking in its diversity and richness of species. The greatest number is represented by a group of monkeys that live high in trees and in impenetrable thickets. The most interesting of them are cebids, marmosets and arachnids of the family. Marmosets are characterized by a very small size, they reach no more than 15 cm in length, cebids boast a long tail with which they hook on branches, and spider monkeys have flexible and long limbs.
But the fauna of the tropical forests is not limited to monkeys alone; anteaters, sloths, and porcupines also live here. Predators are dominated by felines - jaguars, jaguarundi, ocelots, panthers, and from the canine family - bush dogs. There are also ungulates - tapirs, sharp-horned deer. Tropical forests are also rich in rodents - opossums, marsupial rats, bats, agoutis.
Amphibians of the tropics
Large and reptiles are also characteristic of the rainforest. Photos of exotic snakes, frogs, crocodiles, chameleons, lizards are no longer considered a rarity. Amphibians are found in all parts of the world, but tropical rainforests are the most abundant because they are attracted to warmth and moisture. At the equator, they live not only in water, but also on trees, in leaf axils, in hollows. Salamanders live in the tropics, many poisonous snakes, water anacondas and land boa constrictors are widespread.
Insects
Looking at what animals live in the rainforest, we can assume that the insects here are no less bright, unusual and dangerous. The tropics attract these small creatures with warmth, high humidity and a wide variety of food - animal remains, numerous plants. At the equator, you can find bees and wasps that are familiar to us, only here they differ in larger sizes and bright, shiny colors. Among them there are representatives with long legs, blue wings and a large body, they are able to tame large beetles and spiders. On many shrubs there are swollen trunks - these are ant nests. Ants in the tropics protect plants by eating leaf-eating insects.
Beetles do not play a significant role in the life of tropical forests, but every traveler will be fascinated by their diversity and diversity. These insects are a natural decoration of this godforsaken area. Of course, one cannot but recall tropical butterflies, only in South America there are more than 700 species of these beautiful creatures. Animals and plants of tropical forests represent a special world unknown to people. Researchers annually make their way deep into the thickets to lift the veil of secrets that this area keeps, to find new representatives of flora and fauna.