What animals live in the tropics. African rainforest fauna. Amazon river dolphin

The rainforest is very rich in animals. in the Amazon and Orinoco There are many different kinds of monkeys. In their structure, they differ from the Old World monkeys living in Africa and India. Old world monkeys are called narrow-nosed, American monkeys are called broad-nosed. A long tenacious tail helps the monkeys deftly climb trees. The spider monkey has a particularly long and tenacious tail. Another monkey, the howler monkey, wraps its tail around the bough, holding it like a hand. Howler was named for its powerful, obnoxious voice.

The strongest predator tropical forests - jaguar. This is a large yellow cat with black spots on the skin. She is well climbs trees.

The other big cat in America is the cougar. It is common in North America to Canada, in South America it is found in the steppes to Patagonia. The cougar is colored yellowish gray and somewhat resembles a lion (without a mane); this is probably why it is called the American lion.

Near the reservoirs in the thicket of the forest you can meet an animal that resembles a little horse and even more - a rhinoceros. The animal reaches 2 m in length. His muzzle is elongated, as if elongated in trunk. This is an American tapir. He, like a pig, loves to wallow in puddles.

On the lakes in the reed beds on the plains of Patagonia and on the mountain slopes of the Andes lives nutria - marsh beaver, or koipu - large rodent the size of our river beaver. The life of a nutria is connected with water. Nutria feeds on succulent roots aquatic plants, arranges nests from reeds and reeds. The animal gives valuable moss. The nutria was transferred to Soviet Union and released in the swampy thickets of Transcaucasia. They have acclimatized and breed well. However, they suffer greatly during the cold winters that occur in Azerbaijan and Armenia, when the lakes freeze.

Unadapted to life in freezing reservoirs, nutria, diving under the ice, do not find a way out. At the same time, their habitats become accessible to reed cats and jackals that walk across the ice to nests of nutrias.

Armadillos, sloths and anteaters live in the forests of South America.

Body armadillo is covered with a shell, a bit reminiscent shield . The shell consists of two layers: inside it is bony, outside - horny - and is divided into belts, movably connected to each other.: Guiana and Brazil lives giant armadillo. The largest of the armadillos reach one and a half meters in length. Armadillos live in deep burrows and come out to prey only at night. They feed on termites, ants and various small animals.

Sloths have a monkey-like face. The long limbs of these animals are armed with large sickle-shaped claws. They got their name for slowness and sluggishness. The dull greenish-gray protective coloration of the sloth reliably hides it from the eyes of the enemy in the branches of trees. The color of the sloth is given by green algae that live in its rough and shaggy wool. This is one of the great examples of the cohabitation of animal and plant organisms.

AT In the forests of South America, several species of anteaters are found - The average anteater, tamandua, with a tenacious tail, is very interesting. He is great at running up sloping trunks and climbing trees, looking for ants and other insects.

Marsupials in the forests of Brazil are eared and water opossums. The water opossum, or swimmer, lives near rivers and lakes. It differs from the eared one in color and swimming membranes on the hind legs.

There are many in South America bats various kinds. Among them are blood-sucking leaf-beetles that attack horses and mules, and vampires.

Despite their sinister name, vampires eat exclusively by insects and fruits of plants.

Of the birds of great interest is the hoatzin. This is a motley colored, rather large bird with a large crest on its head. The nest of the hoatzin is placed above the water, in the branches of trees or thickets of shrubs. Chicks are not afraid to fall into the water: they swim and dive well. Hoatzin chicks have long claws on the first and second fingers of the wing,; helping them climb branches and branches. It is curious that the adult hoatzin loses the ability to quickly move through the trees.

Studying the structure and lifestyle of hoatzin chicks, scientists came to the conclusion that the ancestors of birds also climbed trees. After all, the fossil first bird (Archaeopteryx) were long fingers with claws on the wings.

There are over 160 species of parrots in the rainforests of South America. The most famous are green Amazonian parrots. They are learn to speak well.

Only in one country - in America - live the smallest birds - hummingbirds. These are unusually bright and beautifully colored fast-flying pawns, some of them the size of a bumblebee. There are over 450 species of hummingbirds. They, like insects, hover around flowers, sucking flower juice with a thin beak and tongue. In addition, hummingbirds also feed on small insects.

There are many different snakes in the rainforests! and lizards. Among them are boas, or boa, anaconda, reaching I m in length, bushmaster - 4 l I in length. Due to the protective coloration of the skin, many snakes are hardly noticeable among the forest greenery.

There are especially many lizards in the tropical rainforest. Big broad-toed geckos are sitting on the trees. Among other species of lizards, the most interesting is the iguana, living and | in trees and on the ground. This lizard has a very beautiful emerald green color. She eats plant foods.

Lives in the forests of Brazil and Guiana big frog- Surinamese pipa. It is interesting in a special way of reproduction. delayed female the eggs are distributed by the male on the back of the female. Each egg falls into a separate cell. In the future, the skin grows, and the cells close. The frogs develop on the back of the female; when they grow up they come out from cells. Nutrients necessary for frogs during development are transferred from the mother's body by blood vessels branching in the walls of skin cells.

in the rivers tropical America found big fish- an electric eel with special electrical organs. With electric shocks, the eel stuns its prey and scares away its enemies.

In many rivers of South America lives an unusually predatory fish - piranha, 30 cm long. In her strong jaws sit sharp, knives, teeth. If you lower a piece of meat into the river, piranhas immediately appear from the depths and instantly tear it apart. Piranhas feed on fish, attack ducks and domestic animals that inadvertently entered the river. Even such large animals as tapirs suffer from piranha. Fish damage lips drinking water animals. Piranhas are also dangerous to humans.

AT tropical the forests are diverse world of insects. Very large diurnal butterflies are numerous. They are very beautiful and richly colored, varied in shape and size. In Brazil, there are over 700 species of diurnal butterflies, while in Europe there are no more than 150 species.

Ants are very numerous. Penetrating into human dwellings, they eat his reserves and thereby cause significant harm. Umbelliferae ants live in underground galleries. They feed their larvae with mushroom mold, which is grown on finely chopped foliage. Ants bring pieces of leaves to the anthill, moving along strictly constant paths.

There are many spiders in the tropical belt of South America. Among them, the largest is the tarantula. Its size is more than 5 cm. Lizards, frogs, insects serve as food for it; apparently, it also attacks small birds. The same large earthen spiders are found in New Guinea and Java.

In the rainforests of Africa live elephants, various monkeys, okapi - an animal, related giraffe; in the rivers - hippos and crocodiles. The great apes are of the greatest interest. gorillas and chimpanzees. The gorilla is a very large monkey, the growth of males reaches 2 m, weight - 200 kg. They live in the most deaf, inaccessible parts of the tropical forests and in the mountains. Gorillas make their lair in trees or on the ground in dense thickets. Gorillas have been heavily exterminated by humans and are now preserved only in two areas of the tropical forests of Africa - south of Cameroon before R. Congo and in the country of lakes Victoria and Tanganyika.

Chimpanzees are smaller than gorillas. An adult male is not higher than 1.5 m. They live in families, but sometimes they gather in small herds. Coming down from the trees, chimpanzees walk on the ground, leaning on the hands clenched into fists.

There are many species of monkeys in the tropical forests of Africa. The fur of these long-tailed little monkeys is greenish in color. Fingerless monkeys (colobus) are interesting, they do not have a thumb on their hands. The most beautiful of these monkeys is the Gverets. She lives in Ethiopia and in the forests west of this countries. Macaques, related to African monkeys, live in tropical Asia.

Dog-headed monkeys - baboons - are very characteristic of the African continent. They live in the mountains of Africa.

The fauna of Madagascar has some peculiarities. So, for example, lemurs live on this island. Their body is covered with thick fur. Some have fluffy tails. Lemurs' faces quicker bestial than simian; hence they are called semi-monkeys.

There are many different species in the African rainforests. parrots. The most famous gray parrot is a gray parrot, which imitates the human voice very well.

Crocodiles have been preserved in large numbers in places. They are especially fond of rivers, the banks of which are overgrown with thick tropical forest. Nile crocodile reaches 7 m in length.

In the forests of Africa live large, up to 6 liters in length, boas - pythons.

Among the fish, the lungfish protopterus, which inhabits muddy lakes and swamps, attracts attention. These fish, in addition to gills, have lungs that they breathe during a drought. AT South America lives lungfish lepidosiren, and in Australia - ceratodes.

In the humid dense forests of the islands of Sumatra and Borneo (Kalimantan), the orangutan ape lives. This is a large monkey, covered with coarse red hair. Adult males grow large beards.

Close to the great apes, the gibbon is smaller in size than the orangutan, its body length is 1 m. The gibbon is distinguished by long limbs; with their help, swinging on the branches, he very easily jumps from tree to tree. Gibbons live on the island of Sumatra, on Malacca n-ve and in mountain forests Burma.

In the forests of the Greater Sunda Islands - Sumatra and Borneo - and in Eastern India, a variety of macaques live. Lives on the island of Borneo

nosed monkey. Her nose is long, almost proboscis-shaped. In older animals, especially in males, the nose is much longer than in young monkeys.

In the forests of India and on the nearest large islands, it is often found Indian elephant. Since ancient times, it has been tamed by man and used in various jobs.

The common Indian rhinoceros is well known - the most large one-horned rhinoceros.

In Asia, a relative of American tapirs lives - the black-backed tapir. It reaches 2 m in height. Back he is light, and other parts of the body are covered with short black hair.

Among the predators of southern Asia, the most famous Bengal tiger. Most tigers survived in India, Indochina, on the islands of Sumatra and Java.

The tiger is a twilight animal; he hunts for large ungulates. A tiger, in case of injury by an unsuccessful shot of a hunter, illness or old age, or in general, for any reason, has lost the ability to hunt ungulates that make up its main food, attacks people, becomes a "cannibal" Raquo;.

We have tigers in Transcaucasia, Central Asia, Primorye and in the south of the Ussuri Territory.

The leopard is distributed in southern Asia, in the forests of the Greater Sunda Islands and in Japan. It is found in the Caucasus, in the mountains of Central Asia and in Primorye. We call him a bar. Leopard attacks domestic animals; he is cunning, bold, and dangerous to humans. On the Greater Sunda Islands, black leopards are often found; they are called black panthers.

South Asia is home to the sloth bear and the Malay bear, the biruang. Gubach- a large, heavy beast, armed with long claws, allowing it to climb trees well. The color of his fur is black, on the chest there is a large white spot. Its large lips are mobile, they can be pulled out with a tube, and with a long tongue from the cracks of insect trees. Gubach lives in tropical forests on the peninsula of Hindustan and on the island of Ceylon. It feeds on plants, fruits, berries, insects, bird eggs and small animals.

The Malayan bear has short, black fur. It spends most of its life in trees, feeding on fruits and insects.

There are many birds in tropical Asia. One of the most beautiful is considered a peacock living in the wild in Java, Ceylon and Indochina.

In the forests of the Sunda Islands, in Ceylon and in India, Bapkiv or bush chickens live & mdash; wild ancestors domestic chickens, many types of pheasants and other chickens.

The waters of South Asia are inhabited by long-snouted gharial crocodiles. They live in r. Ganges.

On the peninsula Malacca there is a snake reticulated python, reaching 10 m length.

There are many in the forests of India poisonous snakes, from the bites of which a large number of people suffer every year. The most dangerous cobra, or spectacle snake. She got her name from the spots on the back of her head that look like glasses.

The tropics are inhabited by many amphibians, or amphibians. Among them is the Javan flying frog. Strongly developed webs between the toes of the front and hind paws allow it to jump from one tree to another when planning.

Having become acquainted with the distribution of animals on the globe, it is easy to see that on different continents similar animals live under similar living conditions. Some species have adapted to life in the tundra, others in the steppes and deserts, and others in the mountains and forests. Each continent has its own fauna - species of animals that live only on this continent. Especially in this regard, the animal world of Australia is peculiar, which we will consider below.

Studying the past of the Earth from the fossil remains of animals that once inhabited the continents and islands, scientists came to the conclusion that the composition of the fauna, that is, the animal world, has continuously changed in all geological epochs. Connections arose between the continents; so, for example, between Asia and North America there was a connection. Animals that inhabited Asia may have entered the Americas; therefore, in the fauna of America and Asia, we still see a lot of similarities at the present time. Geological history helps to find out some features in the distribution of animals on continents. So, leftovers marsupials are found in the ancient layers of the land of Europe and America. Nowadays, these marsupials live only in Australia and only a few species in America. Consequently, earlier marsupials on the globe were much more widespread. This confirms the opinion of geologists about the connection that existed between these continents.

Having studied the composition of the animal world of individual continents and islands, scientists have divided Earth into areas characterized by species of animals found only in this area.

The main areas are as follows: Australian, Neotropical (South and Central America), Ethiopian (Africa), Eastern, or Indo-Malayan, Holarctic ( North Asia, Europe and North America).

None of the Earth's land ecosystems plays such an important role as 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. Due to the astonishing biodiversity in these habitats, they have become home to several interesting creatures nature.

Jaguar

Jaguars are a real thunderstorm in the rainforests 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 creatures. Their closest relatives are giraffes.
These cute and graceful animals live in rainforests. Central Africa. They spend most pastures, eating leaves, buds, grass, ferns and fruits 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.

Amazonian river dolphin

The Amazonian river dolphin is one of the five living species of river dolphins on the planet, and also 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 rain forests of Central and South America, is so translucent that you can see the organs through it. It is believed that there are more than 150 species of this amazing family of amphibians in the world.

Cassowary

Native to the rainforests of New Guinea and Northeast Australia, these colorful flightless birds 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 display 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

Malayan bear - smallest view bears in the world. It inhabits the tropical rainforests of Southeast 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. In part, the achievement of such enormous dimensions is facilitated by semi-aquatic image life, and this snake is known to be an excellent swimmer.

Siamang

Siamangs are black-haired monkeys native to the forests of Southeast Asia, in fact they are largest species gibbons in the world. They are distinguished by a spherical throat pouch which they use to emit loud screams. These sounds are indistinguishable 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.

There are many different animals in the tropical forests, it will not be possible to pay attention to everyone, so we will focus on the most prominent representatives tropical jungle living all over the planet.

Animals of the American tropics

Let's get acquainted with tropical fauna from the forests of South America, here the most strong predator is a jaguar. A yellow large cat in black spots perfectly climbs trees and inspires fear in all local inhabitants. The plains of Patagonia are rich in lakes, on which reeds grow in abundance, it is here that nutria with koipu marsh beavers live. These animals of the tropics eat the succulent roots of aquatic plants, and equip their nests with reeds and reeds.

Tropical monkeys from around the world

African rainforests are rich in monkeys, these are long-tailed small monkeys with greenish fur. Among them, the fingerless species of colobus stands out. These animals do not have a thumb.

The most beautiful representative of these monkeys is the Gverets living in Ethiopia. Direct relatives of African monkeys are macaques that live in tropical Asian forests. characteristic representatives African tropics are also baboons, living mainly in the highlands.

Animals living in the tropics of Madagascar have certain characteristics, for example, lemurs, whose body is covered with thick fur, some of them are happy owners of fluffy tails. Their faces resemble animals rather than monkeys, for this reason they are referred to as semi-monkeys.

But not only near African continent you can find monkeys, for example, the dense forests of Sumatra are a haven for great ape- an orangutan.

It is covered with red coarse hair, and adult males wear a large beard. The gibbon is very close to orangutans, it reaches more than a meter in length, it is distinguished by long limbs, which serve it for swinging on the branches and allow it to easily jump from one tree to another.

Animals living in the tropics are distinguished by originality and originality, each species is unique.

Tropics occupy less than 2% earth's surface. Geographically climate zone goes along the equator. The limit of deviation from it in both directions is considered a latitude of 23.5 degrees. More than half of the world's animals live in this belt.

Plants also apply. But today in the lens of attention animals rainforest . Let's start with the Amazon. The area covers 2,500,000 square kilometers.

These are the largest tropics of the planet and, concurrently, its lungs, the forests of which produce 20% of the oxygen in the atmosphere. There are 1800 species of butterflies alone in the Amazon forests. Reptiles 300 species. Let us dwell on the unique ones that do not live in other areas of the planet.

river dolphin

In addition, they differ in color. The backs of the animals are gray-white, and the bottom is pinkish. The older the dolphin, the lighter its top. Only here in captivity the endemic does not become snow-white.

Amazon dolphins live with humans for no more than 3 years. Puberty occurs at 5. So, zoologists did not wait for offspring in captivity and stopped torturing animals. As you understand, there are no Amazonian endemics in any third-party dolphinarium of the world. In their homeland, by the way, they are called iniya, or bouto.

River dolphin or inia

piranha trombetas

Trombetas is one of the tributaries of the Amazon. What animals are in the rainforest terrify? In a series of names, for sure, there will be . There are cases when they gnawed at people.

A lot of books have been written on this topic, films have been made. However, the new kind piranha prefers flesh grass, algae. On a dietary feed, the fish is eaten up to 4 kilograms. The length of the trambetas piranha reaches half a meter.

Trambetas piranha

Red-bearded (copper) jumper

It is included in interesting rainforest animals only 3 years ago. A new species of monkey was discovered in the Amazon jungle in 2014 during an expedition organized by the World Foundation wildlife.

In the "lungs of the planet" they found 441-in a new species. There is only one mammal among them - the red-bearded jumper. classified as broad. Presumably, there are no more than 250 jumpers in the world.

Animals are monogamous, having formed a pair, do not change and live apart with their children. When jumpers are happy with each other, they purr, which makes them stand out from other monkeys.

Pictured is a copper jumper monkey

Possibly lost

In Latin, the name of the species sounds like Alabates amissibilis. This is the smallest one. A view on the verge of extinction. The complexity of its detection is also related to its size. Alabates are frogs about the size of a pinky nail.

They are beige-brown with stripes on the sides. Despite the tiny size of the frog species, they are poisonous, so they are not suitable for French cuisine, even if not for conservation status.

The smallest frog Alabates amissibilis

Herbivore dracula bat

Looks intimidating, but vegan. Dracula is volatile. On her muzzle there is an outgrowth of the skin, called the nasal leaf. In combination with wide-set, slanting eyes, the outgrowth creates an intimidating look.

We add large and pointed ears, compressed lips, a bluish color, bony. It turns out the image of nightmares. Actually, herbivorous devils are active at night. During the day, animals hide in the crowns of trees or caves.

herbivore bat dracula

fire salamander

The names of the species, while, generalized, refer to. It was their relative who was discovered in the tropics near the Amazon. The scientific name of the species is Cercosaura hophoides. The lizard has a red tail.

The body is dark with thin yellowish veins. Scientists have suspected the existence of the species for a long time. On the lands of Colombia, they found a clutch of eggs of an unknown reptile.

However, neither father nor mother could be found. Perhaps, found in 2014 - the parent of the masonry. Zoologists suggest that Cercosaura hophoides is no more than a hundred years old.

Pictured is a fire salamander

Okapi

On the verge of extinction and population. This is a rare species of giraffe. It was shown to Western zoologists by pygmies. It happened in the 1900th year. However, this conversation is already about endemics. African jungle, in particular, the forests of the Congo. Let's go under their shade.

Outwardly, this giraffe looks like a horse with an elongated neck. Compared to the neck of an ordinary giraffe, on the contrary, it is short. But, the okapi has a record-breaking tongue. The length of the organ allows not only to reach the juicy foliage, but also to wash the eyes animals. Rainforest world The okapi was also enriched with the blue color of the tongue.

As for the coat color, it is chocolate. There are transverse white stripes on the legs. In combination with dark brown, they are reminiscent of the colors of zebras.

Okapi are gentle parents. These animals that live in the rainforest they love children passionately, they don’t take their eyes off them, they protect them to the last drop of blood. Given the number of okapi, it cannot be otherwise. The species is listed in the Red Book and each cub is worth its weight in gold. Several giraffes are not born. One pregnancy, one child.

Tetra Congo

This is a fish of the characin family. It has almost 1700 species. Congo is found only in the basin of the river of the same name. The fish has a bright blue-orange coloring. It is expressed in males. Females are “dressed” more modestly.

The fins of the species resemble the finest lace. In length, the Congo reach 8.5 centimeters, they are peaceful. The description is ideal for aquarium fish. Endemic, indeed, is kept at home. Congos love dark soil. One fish needs about 5 liters of soft water.

Fish Tetra Congo

Baleska shrew

Refers to shrews, lives in the east. The range is 500 square kilometers. The minks of the animal are not found throughout their entire length, but only in 5 localities. All of them are destroyed by man.

The animal has a cone-shaped nose, an elongated body, a bare tail, gray short fur. In general, for most, yes a mouse. The problem of its survival is that without food the animal does not last longer than 11 hours. In conditions of danger and hunger, the latter wins. While the shrew is catching the insect, others are catching it.

Baleska white-toothed mouse

African marabou

Refers to storks. For a peculiar gait, the bird was nicknamed the adjutant. He is ranked among the most big birds. Meaning flying species. African grows up to 1.5 meters.

The weight of the animal, at the same time, is about 10 kilograms. A bare head lightens the figure a little. The absence of feathers reveals wrinkled skin with a massive outgrowth on the neck, where the bird, in a sitting state, folds an equally massive beak.

Appearance, as they say, an amateur. No wonder the animal is made the hero of many phantasmagoric books, where the bird inspires, at least, awe. An example is Irwin Welsh's The Nightmares of the Marabou Stork.

Now, let's move on to the Asian tropics. They are also filled with rare animals. The names of some of them are familiar at first glance. On the island of Sumatra, for example, they are proud. The fact that she is unusual is indicated by the prefix to the name of the beast.

Pictured African marabou

bearded pig

The animal looks like a cross between a wild boar and an anteater. The elongated nose, resembling a trunk, helps to reach the leaves, pick fruits and fish out fallen fruits from the forest canopy.

He is an excellent swimmer, and also uses his nose during spearfishing. Its main function is also in place. The sense of smell helps to find mating partners and recognize danger.

Tapirs are distinguished by long bearing of cubs. They give birth about 13 months after conception. More than one offspring is not born. At the same time, the life span of tapirs is a maximum of 30 years.

It becomes clear why the species is dying out. Despite their conservation status, tapirs are a desirable prey ... for,. Deforestation also kills the population.

Panda

No list is complete without it. rainforest animal names". Endemic to China lives in bamboo groves and is a symbol of the country. In the West, they learned about it only in the 19th century.

European zoologists argued for a long time whether to refer to raccoons or bears. Genetic tests helped. The animal is recognized as a bear. He leads a secretive life in three provinces of China. These are Tibet, Sichuan, Gansu.

Pandas have 6 toes on their paws. One of them is just an appearance. It's actually a modified carpal bone. The number of teeth grinding plant foods is also off scale.

A person has 7 times less. I mean, pandas have more than 200 teeth. They are active about 12 hours a day. Only 1/5 is absorbed from the eaten leaves. Considering that pandas do not hibernate, rainforests save only fast growth bamboo a couple of meters a day and the small number of bears themselves.

Let's finish the journey. Her tropical belt also affects. The continent is desert. Tropical forests grow only along the coasts. Their eastern part is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will find out for what such curiosities.

helmeted cassowary

This is a bird of the ostrich order, it does not fly. The name of the species is Indonesian, translated as "horned head". The skin outgrowth on it resembles a combbut flesh-colored. There is also a semblance of earrings under the beak. They are scarlet, but thinner and elongated than those of a rooster. Feathers on the neck are colored indigo, and the main color is blue-black.

Colorful appearance is combined with power. Cases have been recorded when a person was killed with a kick. It is because of the cassowaries that a number of Australian parks are closed to the public.

Birds are not aggressive under normal conditions. Protective reflexes make themselves felt. The impact force is predictable at 60 kilos of weight and a height of one and a half meters. Legs are the strongest part of cassowaries, as well as other ostriches.

helmeted cassowary

wallaby

The second name of the species is tree. At first glance, it looks more like a bear. Thick, dense coat covers the entire body. The bag is not immediately noticeable. The cub in it, by the way, can linger for an indefinite time.

In times of danger, they are able to postpone childbirth. Physiologically, they should pass a maximum of a year after conception. It happens that a child dies without waiting in the wings. Then, a new embryo comes to replace it, the first to become stillborn, not obliging to take care of itself.

Scientists pin hopes of saving humanity on tree kangaroos. The endemic stomach is able to process methane. In the event of global warming, this will come in handy not only for wallabies, but also for people.

They also puzzle over the thermoregulation of tree kangaroos. The species manages to maintain a comfortable body temperature in the heat. Not a single individual has yet died from overheating, even without a shade and plentiful drinking.

Tree wallabies are called due to their way of life. Observation of animals has shown that most of them die on the same plant where they were born. Here the wallabies were caught by hunters.

The raid on the endemic was announced because of the legend that one day the beast attacked a child. This is not documented, however, the population is in danger.

The conservation status of the animal helped to stop the extermination. To save humanity, a few tens of thousands of individuals are not enough. Therefore, to begin with, they will save and multiply them.

tree kangaroo wallaby

Koala

Without her, as in Asia without a panda, the list would be incomplete. is the symbol of Australia. The animal belongs to the wombats. These are marsupials with two incisors. The colonialists of the continent mistook koalas for bears. As a result, the scientific name of the species phascolarctos is translated from Greek as "a bear with a bag."

Like bamboo-addicted pandas, koalas only eat eucalyptus. Animals reach 68 centimeters in height and 13 kilograms of weight. Found the remains of an ancestor of koalas, which was almost 30 times larger.

Like modern wombats, the ancients had two thumbs on each paw. Fingers set aside help to grab and peel off branches.

Studying the ancestors of koalas, scientists came to the conclusion that the species is degrading. In the head of modern individuals, 40% of the cerebrospinal fluid. At the same time, the weight of the brain does not exceed 0.2% of total weight marsupials.

The organ does not even fill the cranium. The ancestors of koalas did just that. Zoologists believe that the reason is the choice low calorie diet. Although, many animals that are quick-witted feed on foliage.

I recall the beginning of the article, where it is said that the tropics are less than 2% of the earth's surface. It seems a little, but how much life. So koalas, although not distinguished by intelligence, inspire entire nations.

And, what the hell is not joking, in the presence of animals it is better not to talk about their mental abilities, suddenly offend. Koalas are blind, and therefore have excellent hearing.

About half of all forests on our planet are tropical forests (hylaea) that grow in Africa, Southeast Asia, South and Central America. Tropical forests are located between 25°N and 30°S, where heavy rainfall is frequent. The rainforest ecosystem covers less than two percent of the Earth's surface, but 50 to 70 percent of all life forms on our planet are found here.

The largest rainforests are in Brazil (South America), Zaire (Africa) and Indonesia ( Southeast Asia). Rainforest is also found in Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean.

Rainforest climate

The climate in the rainforest is very warm, characterized and humid. From 400 to 1000 cm of precipitation falls here annually. The tropics are characterized by a uniform annual distribution of precipitation. The change of seasons is almost non-existent, and average temperature air is 28 degrees Celsius. All these conditions have significantly influenced the formation of the richest ecosystem on our planet.

Soil in the rainforest

The soil of the tropics is poor in minerals and nutrients - there is a lack of potassium, nitrogen and other trace elements. Usually it has a red and red-yellow color. Due to frequent precipitation, nutrients are absorbed by the roots of plants or go deep into the soil. That is why the natives of the rainforests used a slash-and-burn agricultural system: in small areas, all vegetation was cut down, it was subsequently burned, then the soil was cultivated. The ash acts as a nutrient. When the soil begins to turn infertile, usually after 3-5 years, the inhabitants of the tropical settlements moved to new areas for farming. It is a sustainable farming method that ensures that the forest is constantly regenerated.

rainforest plants

Warm humid climate rainforest provides the perfect environment for a vast abundance of amazing plant life. The rainforest is divided into several tiers, which are characterized by their own flora and fauna. The tallest trees in the tropics the largest number sunlight, as they reach a height of over 50 meters. Here, for example, include the cotton tree.

The second tier is the dome. It is home to half of the rainforest's wildlife - birds, snakes and monkeys. This includes trees with a height of less than 50 m with wide leaves, hiding sunlight from the lower floors. These are philodendron, poisonous strychnos and rattan palms. Lianas usually stretch along them towards the sun.

The third tier is inhabited by shrubs, ferns and other shade-tolerant species.

The last tier, the lower one, is usually dark and damp, since the sun's rays hardly penetrate here. It consists of overripe foliage, fungi and lichens, as well as young shoots of plants of higher tiers.

In each of the regions where tropical forests grow, there are different types trees.

Tropical trees of Central and South America:

• Mahogany (Sweitinia spp.)
• Spanish cedar (Cedrella spp.)
• Rosewood and Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)
• Purple Tree (Peltogyne purpurea)
• Kingwood
• Cedro Espina (Pochote spinosa)
• Tulipwood
• Gaiacan (Tabebuia chrysantha)
• Pink tabebuya (Tabebuia rosea)
• Bokote
• Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril)
• Guapinol (Prioria copaifera)

Tropical trees of Africa:

• Bubinga
• Ebony
• Zebrano
• Pink tree

Tropical trees of Asia:

• Malaysian maple

In the rainforest, they are widespread, which feed on caught insects and small animals. Among them, it should be noted nepentes (Pitcher Plants), sundew, oilwort, pemphigus. By the way, plants of the lower level, with their bright flowering, attract insects for pollination, since there is practically no wind in these layers.

Valuable crops are grown in the places of clearing of tropical forests:

• mango;
• bananas;
• papaya;
• coffee;
• cocoa;
• vanilla;
• sesame;
• sugar cane;
• avocado;
• cardamom;
• cinnamon;
• turmeric;
• nutmeg.

These cultures play an important role in cooking and cosmetology. Some tropical plants serve as raw materials for medicines especially anti-cancer.

Adaptation of tropical plants for survival

Any flora needs moisture. There is no lack of water in the rainforest, but often there is too much of it. Rainforest plants must survive in areas where there is constant rainfall and flooding. The leaves of tropical plants help to beat off raindrops, and some species are armed with a drip tip designed to quickly drain rain.

Plants in the tropics need light to live. The dense vegetation of the upper tiers of the forest transmits little sunlight to the lower tiers. Therefore, rainforest plants must either adapt to life in constant twilight or grow rapidly upwards in order to "see" the sun.

It is worth noting that in the tropics trees grow with thin and smooth bark, which is able to accumulate moisture. Some types of plants in the lower part of the crown have leaves wider than at the top. This helps to let more sunlight through to the soil.

As for the epiphytes themselves, or air plants that grow in the rainforest, they get their nutrients from plant debris and bird droppings that land on their roots and do not depend on the poor soil of the forest. In tropical forests, there are such air plants as orchids, bromeliads, ferns, large-flowered selenicereus and others.

As mentioned, the soil in most rainforests is very poor and lacks nutrients. To capture nutrients at the top of the soil, most rainforest trees have shallow roots. Others are wide and powerful, as they must hold a massive tree.

rainforest animals

Animals of the rainforest amaze the eye with their diversity. It is in this natural area that you can meet the largest number of representatives of the fauna of our planet. Most of them are in the Amazon rainforest. For example, there are 1800 species of butterflies alone.

In general, the tropical forest is the habitat of most amphibians (lizards, snakes, crocodiles, salamanders), predators (jaguars, tigers, leopards, cougars). All animals of the tropics are brightly colored, as the spots and stripes are the best camouflage in the dense thicket of the jungle. The sounds of the rainforest are provided by the polyphony of songbirds. In the forests of the tropics, the world's largest population of parrots, among others interesting birds meet South American harpies, belonging to one of the fifty species of eagles and on the verge of extinction. No less bright birds are peacocks, the beauty of which has long been legendary.

also lives in the tropics more quantity monkeys: arachnids, orangutans, chimpanzees, monkeys, baboons, gibbons, red-bearded jumpers, gorillas. In addition, there are sloths, lemurs, Malay and sun bears, rhinos, hippos, tarantulas, ants, piranhas and other animals.

Tropical forest loss

Tropical timber has long been synonymous with exploitation and plunder. giant trees are the goal of entrepreneurs who use them for commercial purposes. How are forests exploited? The most obvious use of rainforest trees is in the furniture industry.

According to the European Commission, about one-fifth of EU wood imports come from illegal sources. Every day, thousands of products from the international wood mafia pass through store shelves. Tropical wood products are often labeled as "luxury wood", "hardwood", "natural wood" and "solid wood". Usually these terms are used to disguise tropical wood from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The main tropical tree exporting countries are Cameroon, Brazil, Indonesia and Cambodia. The most popular and expensive types of tropical wood that goes on sale are mahogany, teak and rosewood.

To inexpensive breeds tropical tree include meranti, ramin, gabun.

The consequences of deforestation in the rainforest

In most tropical rainforest countries, illegal logging is common and a serious problem. Economic losses reach billions of dollars, and environmental and social damage is incalculable.

Deforestation results in deforestation and profound ecological changes. Tropical forests contain the largest in the world. As a result of poaching, millions of species of animals and plants are losing their habitat and, as a result, disappear.

According to the Red List International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than 41,000 plant and animal species are threatened, including big monkeys such as gorillas and orangutans. Scientific estimates of lost species vary widely, ranging from 50 to 500 species per day.

In addition, logging equipment used to remove timber destroys sensitive topsoil and damages the roots and bark of other trees.

Mining iron ore, bauxite, gold, oil and other minerals also destroy large areas of tropical forests, for example, in the Amazon.

Importance of the rainforest

Tropical rainforests play an important role in the ecosystem of our planet. The cutting of this natural area leads to the formation of the greenhouse effect and, subsequently, to global warming. The largest tropical forest in the world, the Amazon forest, plays the most important role in this process. 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to deforestation. The Amazon rainforest alone stores 120 billion tons of carbon.

Tropical forests also contain vast amounts of water. Therefore, another consequence of deforestation is a disturbed water cycle. This, in turn, can lead to droughts on regional level and changes in global weather conditions— with potentially devastating consequences.

The rainforest is home to unique representatives flora and fauna.

How to protect tropical forests?

To prevent Negative consequences deforestation, it is necessary to expand forest areas, strengthen control over forests at the state and international levels. It is also important to raise people's awareness of the role forests play on this planet. Ecologists say it is also worth encouraging the reduction, recycling and reuse forest products. Switching to alternative energy sources such as fossil gas can in turn reduce the need to exploit forests for heating.

Deforestation, including tropical deforestation, can be carried out without harming this ecosystem. In Central and South America and Africa, trees are cut down selectively. Only trees that have reached a certain age and thickness of the trunk are cut down, and the young ones remain untouched. This method causes minimal damage to the forest, because it allows it to recover quickly.