Animals of the Rainforest
The rainforest is home to more than half of the world's animals. Colorful and unusual animals dwell in all four layers of the forest. All types of creatures are represented, from tiny insects to large mammals.
Anaconda
The anaconda is the biggest snake in the world. Also known as the Water Boa, this giant, semi-aquatic meat-eater lives in swampy areas of tropical (warm) South America. It spends a lot of time in shallow water, hidden from unsuspecting prey. Anacondas are related to boa constrictors. They give birth to live young; 20 to 40 baby snakes are born at one time.Anatomy: Like all snakes, anacondas are cold-blooded; they are the same temperature as the environment. They continue to grow all their lives, getting bigger and bigger each year. The longest anaconda ever found was 37.5 feet (11.4 m) long. Anacondas are a greenish-brown, with a double row of black oval spots on the back and smaller white markings on the sides. Their scaly skin glistens but is dry to the touch. Their nostrils are on top of the snout, letting the snake breathe easily when it is in the water. It smells with its tongue and has no fangs.
Dragonfly
The dragonfly is a flying insect that can hover in mid-air. It eats other insects, catching them while it is flying. There are many different species of dragonflies, and most of them are found near water. The earliest dragonflies appeared over 300 million years ago.Like all insects, the dragonfly has a three-part body: a head, a thorax, and a long, thin, segmented abdomen. The dragonfly has 2 large compound eyes that take up most of the head. On the short thorax there are three pairs of jointed legs and two pairs of long, delicate, membranous wings. The dragonfly breathes through spiracles (tiny holes in the abdomen).
Toucan
The toucan is a South American bird with a huge beak. This social bird lives in small flocks in lowland tropical rainforests. It is a poor flyer, and moves mostly by hopping around trees. Toucans roost in holes in trees and have a croaking call. The toucan is about 20 inches (50 cm) long. The toucan's enormous bill is up to one-third of its length. The bill is brightly colored, light-weight, and edged with toothed margins. It has four toes on each foot; two toes face forwards and two face backwards. Their legs are short but strong, males are slightly larger than females, but their coloration is similar.
Sloth
The sloth is a slow-moving mammal that lives in trees. Sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside-down from tree branches; they eat and sleep upside down in the trees. They hold onto tree branches with strong, curved claws that are on each of their four feet. These plant-eaters are more active at night; they eat leaves, tender young shoots, and fruit. Sloths have a thick brown (and slightly-greenish) fur coat and are about the size of a cat (roughly 2 feet = 61 cm long). Their coloration and their slow actions make them almost disappear in the forest canopy. They live about 10-20 years in the wild. Sloths are hunted by jaguars, eagles, and man.