Unique Organisms Found in Rain Forests

The canopy of the Amazon rain forest, which is the largest in the world, is studied less than the ocean floor, according to the website Blue Planet Biomes. It is believed that the canopy contains half of the entire world's species. This includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and plants. There are new animals, insects and plants often discovered in the world's rain forests.

  1. Aye-Aye

    • The aye-aye is a strange nocturnal creature found only in the Madagascar rain forest. It's a member of the lemur family and has a long skinny middle finger which it uses to knock on wood looking for insect larva. Once it locates the larva then it will chew the wood away and use its middle finger to pull the insect larva out and eat it. The aye-aye is an endangered species because of habitat loss, but the locals also believe it brings bad luck and will kill any aye-aye they see.

    Brookesia Chameleon

    • The Brookesia chameleon is found only in Madagascar. Also known as stump tail or leaf chameleons, they are some of the smallest reptiles in the world. There is one species that reaches a maximum length of just over 1 inch, according to Wild Madagascar. These chameleons eat small insects and will play dead when threatened. It is easiest to find these chameleons at night, when they are asleep on leaves or small shrubs.

    Pink River Dolphin

    • Pink river dolphins, also known as botos, live in the Amazon River. The pink river dolphin is the smartest of the five species of fresh water river dolphins, according to the International Society for the Preservation of Tropical Rainforests. An adult pink river dolphin can grow to be 8 feet long and weigh 330 lbs. According to the website Save Our World, these dolphins eat crabs, fish, and sometimes turtles. They often travel in small groups.

    Giant Water Lilies

    • These water lilies can be found around the world, but it is only in their native Brazil, in the Amazon River, that they grow year round. The lily pads can grow to be 6 feet in diameter and support a lightweight human, while the flower is the size of a soccer ball and blooms only at night. The flowers give off a butterscotch or pineapple scent when they are ready for pollination. The flowers are white and will turn pink purple when pollinated, but they only live three days, according to Tol Web.