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Tropical Rainforest Species

By: Furia Andress The tropical rainforest is home to many animals and plants as well as playing an important role in the Earth's ecology. It's the plants that are found in the tropical rainforest that are responsible for much of the oxygen that is produced on the planet. Many of the plants in the rainforest are also important in the fight against disease due to their healing properties.

Many of the animals that reside in the rainforest can't be found anywhere else on earth. One such creature is the Brazilian Tapir. The Tapir is a mammal that is found in only a few areas in South America, and feeds only on small braches and leaves. This animal is quite harmless to man, it has a fear of anything larger than it. The Tapir lives near the water and spends much of its time diving and swimming in the ponds, lakes and rivers throughout the tropical rainforest.

One of the many birds that can be found in the rainforests on the northern tip of South America is the Crested Guan. This bird lives in the trees of the forest where it finds the seeds and fruits that it eats. It walks along the branches of trees, only emerging to the ground when it is looking for water to drink or when in search for seeds and fruits that have fallen to the floor of the tropical rainforest.

After animals and birds it is the turn of the reptiles. One unusual reptile species is the reptile called "Flying Dragon" found in the forests of Indonesia and the Philippines. It derives its name from the fact that it can fly from one tree to another with its skin flaps. It lives on insects and ants. This forest also has another use for these reptiles. At breeding time, these reptiles bury their eggs in the fertile soil of the rainforest to breed.

Slow Loris adds to the list of select animals found in the tropical rainforest. It lives on tree tops in day and at night comes down to the ground to feed on shoots and leaves, small birds, bird's eggs, and insects. It is basically a lazy animal spending all its time either sleeping on the trees or hanging upside down from his feet. It also moves very slow fashion but doesn't stumble on the way down from the top to the forest floor.

There are many different types of snakes that can only be found in the tropical rainforest. One of these snakes is the Vine Snake, which lives in central and northern South America. This snake eats small birds which it steals from nests, as well as lizards that it finds on the ground and in the trees of the forest. This snake is called a "vine snake' because it very thin, approximately a half inch in diameter. When frightened by a predator the Vine Snake will stop what it is doing and swing gently from side to side, much like a vine in the wind.

Besides the above mentioned species, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of animal species living in the tropical rainforests. Most of these animals have developed unique features that help them survive in this beautiful, but demanding, environment. The tropical rainforest is amazing to see - a wonderful learning opportunity to observe a rare part of the world and the plants and animals that live there.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Furia Andress is the owner and operator of Furia Tropical, the web's premier resource for information about all things tropical, For more articles on all things tropical visit: www.furiatropical.com/articles
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