Animals In The Tropical Rainforest Zoologist Alexandria Carter March 17, 2015 Science – Ms. Lowery

Leopard – Carnivore (Large Predator – Secondary Consumer) Smallest of the big cats, are excellent climbers and good swimmers. Are “nocturnal” and spend their nights hunting instead of sleeping. Spend a lot of their time in trees. Their spotted coat camouflages them, making them blend in with the leaves of the tree.

Crocodile – Carnivore (Large Predator – Secondary Consumer) Are meat eaters. Grip their food with their strong jaws and rip bits off using body movements or swallow it whole. Rainforest crocodiles do group together if food is plentiful. Dominant individuals swim higher up in the water column and mark their territory by splashing their heads onto the water.

Chimpanzee – Carnivore (Primary Consumer) Live in the tree tops Have very long arms, longer than their legs, making it easier for swinging and climbing. Legs are shorter for making it better for walking, running and standing. Have four long fingers and one thumb letting them be able to grasp on to things and helpful for climbing. Use their knuckles to walk, it helps to support their body. They are very well developed in sight, touch, hearing, smelling, and searching for food.

Forest Deer – Herbivore (Primary Consumer) Forest deer have adapted themselves to a semi-aquatic life Have long legs to be able to go on long migrations.

Elephant – Herbivore (Primary Consumer) Don't sweat to lose body heat, lose it through panting or through large areas of exposed skin, or ears. Are adapted to living in dense forests. Their tusks are straight since curved ones might get caught in the underbrush and vines of the forest. T Are smaller so they can move around the dense forests more easily.

Gorilla – Herbivore (Primary Consumer) Have flat teeth that allow them to be able to grind the plants they eat. Have bacteria that break down cellulose, which is prominent in plants, so that it is digestible. Have stereo-scopic vision which means that they have good eyesight that helps them to detect other animals. Can also see color which helps them to see poachers and other threats. Can ward off danger using their loud roar which intimidates most creatures. Body structure is adapted very well for its lifestyle. Have a strong upper body, long arms, fingered hands, and thumbs which all aid in walking, climbing, and food retrieval.

Peccary “Pig”- Omnivore Smell food with their snout. Their teeth – of prime significance to the observer of the collared peccary – evolved less for food consumption and more as a defense mechanism.

Kinkujou “Honey Bear”- Omnivore The Kinkajou mostly sleeps in the upper canopy, hiding in the holes of the trees during the day napping. The soles of the kinkajou's hind feet provide a firm grip while it climbs. Moves is mostly by climbing and jumping.

Slender Loris “Chipmunk” - Omnivore Has small finger nails on its digits. The second digit on the hand and foot are very short. They move on the same plane as the thumb, which helps them grasp branches and twigs. Spends most of its life in trees. Engage in urine washing, or rubbing urine over their hands, feet and face, which defends against the sting of toxic insects, such as rainforest beetles and roaches.

Decomposers In a tropical rainforest biome, decomposers can be slugs, worms, bacteria and fungi. Fungi include mushrooms that thrive on forest floors and sprout up after a heavy rainfall. They consume organic waste and dead matter, like fallen trees, very quickly in this environment. Decomposers are important in nature because they recycle waste into useful nutrients that are necessary for the soil.