Animals

Even though rainforests cover only 6% of the earth's surface, 50% of the earth's animal species live in the rainforest. The climate is always the same all year round and the animals that live there cannot tolerate a change in temperature, light, or rain. There may be 15,000 different animal and plant species in a single acre of lowland rainforest. Many of the animals of the rainforest are threatened or endangered species because people are cutting down more of the rainforests they live in.

On the forest floor, the lowest layer, live thousands of species of ant, termite, beetle and bug. Butterflies are important rainforest insects. Butterflies feed on nectar, and are important because they pollinate flowers.

Many species of birds live in the canopy layer of the rainforest. The gray parrot is one species of bird that lives in the African rainforest. They can fly very fast and are noisy birds. They can be taught to talk, so they make popular pets. Hornbills are another species of bird in the African rainforest. They eat fruits and insects. The bird in the picture on the left is a hornbill. Both parrots and hornbills make their nests in holes in the trees.

Frogs and toads occupy the rainforest because they like the moist environment. Tree frogs have flat bodies and round toes that help them cling to leaves and branches. Snakes live in the trees and alligators and crocodiles live in rainforest rivers.

Many different apes and monkeys live in the rainforest. Below are just a few.

The Colobus monkey lives in the canopy of the rainforest. They almost never go down to the ground. They live in troops of 7 to 11. Their tails can be longer than their bodies! Colobus monkey babies are all white when they are born.	Gorillas weigh up to 600 pounds and walk on their feet. They use the knuckles of their hands to help them walk, too. They eat plants, and live mainly on the ground. Gorillas live in groups called troops. There are 15 or more gorillas in a troop. Older male gorillas have gray hair on their backs. That is why they are called 'silverbacks'.	Chimpanzees are smaller than gorillas. They can weight up to 150 pounds. They live in the rainforest and sometimes in the area where the grasslands meet the edge of the rainforest. Chimps live in troops of 30 to 80 apes.
The drill only lives on Bioko Island off the west coast of Africa and in a small area of Cameroon. It is the most endangered monkey in the rainforest.	Click on the links below to learn more about apes and monkeys. Chimpanzee Gorilla, Gorilla movie Lowland Gorilla Hear a Gorilla Growl (click the back button when you are done) Mandrill Colobus Monkey More Colobus Monkey The Drill DeBrazza's Monkey	Mandrills are the largest monkey in the rainforest. They can weight up to 55 pounds. Their faces are brightly colored in blue and red to scare away enemies. They travel on the ground and live in large groups. ©Birmingham Zoo

Image courtest of Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo ©Mike Greer - CZS 2001

The okapi is one of the most unusual animals of the rainforest. It is a relative of the giraffe that lives in the savanna. The okapi only lives in a small region of rainforest in the country of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly called Zaire). People did not know the okapi existed until 1901. It is a relative of the giraffe, but it is much smaller. It can be 6 feet tall and weigh 500 pounds. The okapi has stripes on its rear and legs like a zebra. It has a blue tongue that is a foot long! Click on this link to learn more about the Okapi. Okapi

Click on the links below to learn about other animals of the rainforest:

Find information for many African animals here from the African Wildlife Foundation.

Learn about more animals of the rainforest.

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