From the Poisonous to the Super-Slow, the Rainforest Is Home to All Sorts


The rainforest is filled with many colorful animals and plants. It contains the most species of animals in the world, including chameleons, poison arrow tree frogs, pythons, toucans and sloths.

The chameleon is a tree dwelling lizard. It has a large coiled up tail, big swiveling eyes, and a long, sticky, tongue to catch flies. One interesting and well-known aspect of the chameleon is its color-changing skin. It typically changes color to blend in with its surroundings, but its color can also be affected by its mood. For example, if a chameleon is green it is likely in a rage.

Another fascinating rainforest animal is the poison arrow tree frog. The sweat of this species is extremely deadly to humans. The indigenous people of Central and South America use it on their arrows. For a deadly strike, they would hold one of these frogs over a fire to make it sweat, then they scrape off the sweat into a jar. Their arrows, once dipped in the jar of poison sweat, become lethal weapons.

An additional rainforest dweller is the Python, or the “constrictor” snake. These snakes wrap themselves around their victims and squeeze them until they suffocate. The Reticulated python lives in the rainforests in Asia. It can grow up to 33 feet long. Reticulated pythons can swallow a goat whole and then not eat for a month.

One of the more iconic species of the rainforest is the toucan. Toucans have huge, brightly colored beaks that are bigger than their bodies. These birds do not get off balance, however, because their beaks are full of tiny holes that make them lightweight.

The sloth is the slowest animal in the rainforest. It takes one minute to climb ten feet. On the ground, they can only go six feet in one minute. Some types of algae can grow on a sloth's fur because it moves so slowly. The algae makes the sloth's fur appear green.

Chameleons, poison arrow tree frogs, pythons, toucans, and sloths are just a few of the creatures that makes the rainforest so diverse and amazing.

[Source: The big book of knowledge ]

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