Rainforests Animal Facts

Tropical rainforests can be found throughout the world from the remote Hawaiian Islands to the Amazon Regions of South America. Rainforests provide a habitat for an enormous number of animal species including some not found anywhere else in the world such as the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros found only on the island of Sumatra and the Malay peninsula.

  1. Macaws

    • There are 17 species of this vocal bird. Macaws are social creatures but when it comes to love, they mate for life. The brightly-colored scarlet macaw is one bird species found in the Amazon rain forest of Brazil.

    Capuchin Monkeys

    • Native to South America, Capuchin monkeys live in social groups and can be seen in the rainforests of Costa Rica. Capuchins almost look like little dolls with their adorable white faces. Because they are easy to train, some people have them for pets.

    Orangutans

    • Orangutans are a species facing extinction. Orangutans can be seen swinging through the tree canopies in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Keeping their feet off the ground protects them from tigers which are their primary predators.

    Jaguars

    • The jaguar, although a formidable predatory animal, is endangered and can only be found in remote rainforests of Brazil, Argentina and Mexico--primarily in the Amazon River Basin, according to "National Geographic."

    Red-Eyed Frog

    • The rain forests of Panama are swarming with insects providing the ideal habitat for the tree-dwelling, insect-craving, red-eyed frog. You won't see them leaping about in the daylight; they're nocturnal.

    Leaf Cutter Ants

    • Thirty-five species of leaf cutter ants do their part to protect the ecosystem of their rainforest environment. Leaf cutter ants can be found hard at work aerating the soil in Peru's Manu National Forest. Leaf cutters live in colonies of up to 8 million ants.