Rainforest Plants and
Animals
By Magnus
Animals
I've always
wondered what type of animals lived in the rainforest like the
Gorilla, Lemur, Sloth and Macaw.
Let me start with
some big cats. The Tiger and Jaguar are some of the biggest predators
in the rainforest. They are at the top of the food chain so that's
why their population is doing very well. These big cats have very
sharp claws which can help protect them. But they also use their
claws to help kill their prey. Most Tigers have striped fur which
is really good camouflage. Camouflage is very important for them
because it helps them hide from predators and also helps them hunt by
hiding.
The next animal I
am going to tell you about is the Eagle. There are many species of
eagles that live in the rainforests. For example the South American
Harpy Eagle, the Monkey-eating Eagle and the Crowned Eagle. These
Eagles can feed on animals like sloths and moneys. The biggest eagle
in Africa is the Crowned Eagle. Also they're the deadliest. One way
that makes them good hunters is that they have thick legs and long
talons which helps them kill animals up to 4 times their size!
The rainforest
is filled with amphibians and reptiles such as frogs or snakes.
Amphibians and reptiles are cold blooded animals. Most amphibians
have moist skin which is good living in the rainforest because it is
so humid there. Most amphibians such as frogs are hunted by birds and
other predators but some are lucky, like the arrow poison frog. The
poison arrow frog gets their name from the native people because they
put their poison on the tip of the arrow. They are very bright which
warns their predators that they are poisonous. Their poison is so
strong it can even cause death. One millionth of an ounce can kill an
animal as big as a dog and an amount smaller than a grain of salt can
kill a human. Poison arrow frogs have enough poison to kill about 100
people. Even though some amphibians and reptiles seem very small and
helpless they aren't.
Let's talk
snakes. Snakes may not have arms or legs but they do have two very
useful ways to kill their prey. One way is to use poison by biting
their prey and injecting it into them, but not all snakes have poison
so some rap their body around their prey and strangle them. The
python uses the strangling method because they don't have poison.
They will squeeze their prey until they stop breathing. Then they
will eat their prey whole.
Plants and Food
There
are many plants that grow in the rainforest such as the Mango, Cashew
and the Buttress Root.
One of
the most interesting to me is the Mango and other fruit. The fruit
Mango means the apple or peach of the tropics. They are oval/egg
shaped but about 3 times the size of an actual egg. The
Mango
grows in a tree which are usually located in a warm area. The Mango
is used for many things like making fruit bars and other stuff.They
are also very sweet. Mangos also have many good things in them like
vitamins and lots of nutrition. I learned that one of the best ways
to eat a mango is straight off
the
tree.
Another
food of the rain forest that interested me was the Sapodilla. The
Sapodilla is a very tall tree growing up to 100 feet. They are strong
and sturdy against forces like the wind. The Sapodilla fruit is a
brown and once again, shaped like an egg. Their skin is rough when
ripe. The fruit is similar tasting to a pear. The tree is a big fan
of Central Americans and also bats. The bats of the rainforest help
pollinate these plants by dropping them on the forest floor.
Now
here is a type of food a lot of you probably know called the Cashew.
Cashew trees are drought tolerant and fast growing. They grow nuts on
them after three years and can live for about 50.
Cashew
nuts are more expensive than peanuts because they have a big process
including shelling and grilling. They can grow in many habitats but
usually they are in warm weather regions. These nuts are usually
eaten alone as a snack but can be used other ways.
Finally,
the moment you've been waiting for. I present the Buttress Root! This
plant probably seems the most interesting to you because of the
unusual name. Well, lets just see how interesting this plant is. The
Buttress Root has big long roots on all sides of the tree which are
used for collecting nutrients. These trees can be about 30 feet tall
and the roots can be 30 meters long and 30 meters deep in the soil.
The roots keep the tree from falling down while also gathering
nutrients. Where they live in the rainforest the soil is poor with
very little nutrients so thats one reason why they have such big and
long roots.
I'm
glad I studied and wrote about the rainforest because I learned a lot
and added some information to what I know about the foods I eat such
as Mangos and Cashews. I also learned a lot about the rainforests
animals.
Bibliography
world book 2006 vol 16 pg 126-126d
Aldis,
Rodney; Rainforest; New York; Dillon Press; 1991
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