On this page you’ll discover all our Rainforest Animals, but first…
Interesting Facts about Rainforest Animals
Rainforests are near the equator. As a result, they are warm and wet with lots of rainfall (up to 9 inches a day!) and lots of diversity in their plant and animal life. Big trees and lots of animals? What’s not to like? Here’s even more about rainforests to love.
- Rainforests can be so dense that the floor of the forest is nearly shrouded in darkness. Not only that but there are likely many species of plants and animals that have yet to be discovered. Draw and list as many animals that live in rainforests as you can and you still won’t be even close to done. Do you think you can imagine a new species of turtle, jaguar, frog, bird, or snake? If so, then it might just call the rainforest home.
- There are two kinds of rainforests, tropical and temperate. Tropical rainforests are usually closer to the equator and found in Asia, Central America, Africa, and the Pacific Islands, while temperate rainforests are only a few places in North America and Australia/New Zealand.
- At 1.4 billion acres, the biggest tropical rainforest is the Amazon, which by itself is home to 10% of the species on earth.
- To get a sense of how amazingly complex this is, try creating a rainforest diorama or even simply drawing one. You’ll have a hard time squeezing all of that life into one space! You’ll even have a hard time just fitting in all of the top predators from a rainforest-jaguars, tigers, leopards, and cougars.
- Rainforests are the home for many of the things that we use today and might take for granted. Many medicines have been discovered in the rainforest including some that treat illnesses as varied as bronchitis and diabetes. The rainforest is also where a lot of great foods came from! If you like coffee, chocolate, peppers, vanilla, or even just good old-fashioned bananas, then you have the rainforest to thank!
- If only you could travel to the rainforest for a meal! In the meantime, you can settle for dressing up your house like a rainforest complete with animal drawings and vine streamers for a meal of recipes made entirely of rainforest foods!
- And that’s just the beginning! Dive even deeper into the rainforest and its creature inhabitants if you dare!
