Rainforest vegetation on the Caribbean island of Dominica
Click on image for full size
NBII Digital Image Library - Randolph Femmer, photographer
Tropical Rainforests
Have you ever been to a rainforest? Rainforests have very different trees than the ones you might climb in your yard.
Thousands of species of plants and animals live in the rain forests of the world. But what makes them so different?
Rain forests get 80 inches of rain a year! That is a lot compared to the rest of the world. The temperature
almost never changes. It is always warm and muggy!
You have probably seen a movie where people are walking through the jungle. There are all kinds of plants in the way.
But in the real rainforests, tall trees take up most of the space. They block out the Sun, so other plants can't grow below them.
Now we can explore the tropical rain forest even further. Click on insects, birds, mammals, reptiles and primates.
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There are many species of insect in the rain forest. Some of the prettiest butterflies you will ever see are found here. This image shows a postman butterfly. Isn't it pretty? Tarantulas also live in the
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There are many pretty birds in the tropical rain forest. There are over 300 species of parrot in the rain forest. The scarlet macaw is one of the biggest ones. It can reach 3 feet in length. Toucans are
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The tropical rain forests of the world are full of reptiles. There are many snakes in the jungle. The anaconda is one snake family. They can grow to 30 feet long. Anacondas wrap around their prey and
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Forests cover almost a third of the land surface on Earth. A new report is out about forests and how they impact global climate. Scientists know that forests help lessen global warming, so they are now
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