Scutigera species can have upto 15 pairs of legs, with the first pair of legs modified into forcipules that inject venom into the prey. Legs – As if to compensate for the limbless snakes in the rainforest, centipedes have an excess of legs. The snake carefully takes its time to assess its prey before swiftly moving in for the kill all the while mimicking a vine in the forest, even moving side to side as if swaying gently in the wind! In fact, the genus of the King Cobra – Ophiophagus – means snake-eater in Latin.ĭeath by Camouflage – The unlucky frog ( Indirana sp.) didn’t realise that it was being carefully stalked by the master of camouflage – the Common Vine Snake ( Ahaetulla nasuta). The longest venomous snake in the world (reaching over 15 feet in length in the Western Ghats) feeds almost exclusively on other snakes, occasionally gobbling up Monitor Lizards. Predatory Strategy – Active Foraging and StalkingĪ Choosy King – Some predators are very specialized in their diet, like the King Cobra ( Ophiophagus hannah). Here, we look at the lesser-noticed, yet ubiquitous predators of these forests. Birds – from the spectacular Great Hornbill to the mighty Black Eagle to the tiny Speckled Piculet – have a wide range of diet preferences. Mammalian predators like tigers, leopards and dholes roam the rainforests of the Western Ghats (typically following a foraging and stalking strategy). Some animals, like ants, hunt in large groups with a third strategy – Legionary Behaviour. “Sit and Wait” for prey to walk in on them.Active Foraging and Stalking prey, using thick cover to their advantage.Most rainforest predators hunt solitarily, possibly due to the difficulty in communicating in the dense forest. As species evolve, their strategies get increasingly intriguing. And predators need to maintain the pace so that they get to their next meal. Prey species continuously adapt to stay one step ahead of the predators. They are an important cog in the circle of life as they control prey populations thereby maintaining an ecological balance. Some of the animals have evolved to hunt and feed on other animals and are called predators. Over half of all plant and animal species are found in these eco-systems that occupy less than 6% of the Earth’s area. According to Michael Blalick, director of the Institute of Economic Botany (part of the New York Botanical Garden), of all the known plant species, “less than 3 percent have been tested for their medical applications.Rainforests can be called the laboratories of life. But there is still so much untapped potential. ![]() This includes treatments for a variety of cancers, malaria, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, high blood pressure and more. It is believed that approximately 25% of all Western medicines on the market today come from plants found only in tropical rain forests. Others, like the strangler fig, will wrap themselves around (and ultimately strangle) large trees to fight for survival.īeyond beauty and interest, tropical rain forest plants contribute to modern medicine. Some plants live on the branches of other plants and use “air roots” to draw nourishment from the air. This abundance is due to the warm, humid environment and includes some of the most beautiful and interesting flora:Īll of the rain forest plants work to provide food and shelter for rain forest animals as well as convert carbon dioxide to oxygen.Ĭompetition at ground level for light and food has led to some unique plant evolution. ![]() Over 200,000 species of plants thrive in rain forests. Many of the songbirds we enjoy in our yards every summer spend their winters in the rain forests of Mexico, Central America and South America-relying on the forest for refuge during the colder months. Some birds-such as hummingbirds, harpy eagles, spectacled owls, toucans, macaws, quetzals, hornbills and finches-make their home in the forests year-round. Rain forests are unequaled in their richness of bird species. You can help protect their winter homes by purchasing Arbor Day Gourmet Coffee. Rufous Hummingbirds have been seen moving into their summer grounds along the West Coast of the U.S. Many migrate, wintering in a rain forest and spending summers in our backyards. Many types of frogs, salamanders, snakes and lizards can be found in almost every layer of the forest.īutterflies and moths are plentiful in the tropics as well. The warm, moist environment is also an ideal habitat for reptiles and amphibians. Other rain forest mammals include sloths, tapirs, jaguars, ocelots, kinkajous, lemurs and agouti. Most of us think of monkeys when we think of rain forests. Throughout all the different layers of a tropical rain forest, you’ll find a wide variety of animals.
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