Rainforests host a large amount of the world's animal species.
Although significantly reduced in area in the early 21st century, rainforests can still be found in parts of Southeast Asia, South America, Central America, West Africa and Australia. Typically located near the equator and enjoying large amounts of rainfall, rainforests host over half of the world's animal species. A patch of a few square miles of rainforest can have thousands of animals, whether it be birds, reptiles, insects or amphibians.
Mammals -- The Ancient Tapir
Of all the mammals in the rainforests, the tapir is considered to be the most ancient and primitive. Weighing as much as 600 pounds and with an inefficient digestive system, the tapir spends most of its time eating, making it the largest herbivore of the rainforests. It has hoofed feet and a proboscis that looks like a short elephant trunk and functions much the same way. The odd trunk and large size complete the odd look of this unique rainforest creature.
Birds of the Rainforest
The large flightless cassowary of Australia, with its bald head topped with a prominent crest, is the largest bird of the rainforest. Rainforest birds are typically bright colored, making them sought-after pets as well. One of them, the scarlet macaw, can grow up to three feet long from head to tail. With a strong, thick and hooked beak --- an evolutionary feature it shares with all macaw and cockatoo species --- a scarlet macaw eats almost all kinds of fruits, including poisonous ones. Ingesting a special type of clay gets rid of the poison and is the secret to the bird's special ability.
The Green Tree Python and the Emerald Boa
The green tree python in the rainforests of Southeast Asia and Australia and the emerald tree boa of South America share the same distinctive characteristics. The python is born red, yellow or orange and only turns green with small white spots during adulthood. The boa, with white bands instead of spots, also becomes green only in adulthood. Aside from changing colors, these snakes are also set apart from other snakes by their peculiar way of staying in trees. Instead of coiling around branches, both snakes drape their bodies on branches with their weight evenly distributed in a symmetrical arrangement, showing a likely case of "convergent" evolution.
Poison Dart Frogs
Typically growing to less than two inches, more than two hundred species of poison dart frogs live throughout the rainforests --- from the streams to the top of the trees. Their name is derived from the toxic substance secreted through their skin; these frogs come in bright yellow, red, blue and green of spotted, striped or swirling patterns. Generally active during the day, the frogs' bright colors warn predators of their toxic nature. Some species of this group include blueberry poison arrow frogs, yellow poison dart frogs, red poison dart frogs, and yellow banded poison frogs.
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