Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical rainforests are found around the equator where the climate is very wet and humid. Rainfall can be anywhere from 80 to 400 inches a year with no dry season. The average temperature is between 70 and 85 degrees with an average humidity between 77% and 88%.
Did you know that more than 2/3 of the world's plant species can be found in tropical rain forests? Some of these plants include the Raffle's Pitcher Plant, Liverworts and the Bat-Wing Fern.
The Raffle's Pitcher Plant
The Raffle's Pitcher Plant or Nepenthes rafflesiana is a scrambling vine that can grow up to 15 meters in height and 10 millimeters in thickness. Similar to the Venus fly trap, the pitchers are used to capture and kill insects for nutrients. This plant is an angiosperm, meaning that it is a flowering plant.
Liverworts
The Liverwort or Hepaticae marchantiophyta is a bryophyte related to the moss family. This plant grows on rocks, in soil, and on trees. The Liverwort thrives in damp, shady locations, making the tropical rainforest the perfect place for it.
The Bat-Wing Fern
The Bat-Wing Fern or Histiopteris incisia are found growing in large colonies, located in very moist areas. The ferns are soft and green and can get up to 2 meters long!
The tropical rainforest is also home to hundreds of thousands of animal species. Some of these species include the tarantula, the toucan, the anaconda, the birdwing butterfly, the spider monkey, and the poisonous dart frog.
The Goliath Bird-eater Tarantula
The Goliath Bird-eater Tarantula or the Theraphosa blondi are typically found in the rainforest's of Venezuela, weighing 150 grams with a leg span of up to 30 centimeters.
The Toco Toucan
The Toco Toucan or Ramphastos toco is commonly found in the rainforests of South America. They are poor flyers so must hop from tree to tree making a crowded rainforest the perfect place for them.
The Green Anaconda
The Green Anaconda or Eunectes murinus is a non-venomous boa species found in the South American Rainforests. This snake can reach up to 15 feet long and can range from 60 to 150 pounds. Anacondas use constriction to kill their prey and eat things as small as birds and as big as deer.
Queen Alexandria's Bird-Wing Butterfly
Queen Alexandria's Bird-Wing Butterfly or the Ornithoptera alexandrae is the largest butterfly in the world, the female's wingspan (pictured above) reaching almost 10 inches. This is an endangered species, restricted to rainforests in New Guinea.
The Black Headed Spider Monkey
The Black Headed Spider Monkey or Ateles fusciceps is a monkey typically found in Central and South America. This animal is also an endangered species.
The Blue Poison Dart Frog
The Blue Poison Dart Frog or Dendrobates tinctorius "azureus" is a species of frog native to northern Brazil. Typically 4 centimeters in length, this is your average sized frog with not so average defense. The frog defends itself by secreting a poison through their skin that can paralyze and even kill their victims.