Tropical forests of Africa. Animals of the tropical zone What animals are in the tropics

Wet rainforests occupy less than 6 percent of the Earth's surface, scientists estimate that at least half of all animal species in the world live there. In fact, there are many millions of species of tropical mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects that scientists have been unable to count. Thousands of species of insects have not yet been discovered. Thus, it will undoubtedly take many decades for science to fully answer the question "what animals live in the rainforest."

photo: Dave Rushen

Of course, science is already familiar with a large number of tropical animals and birds. Tropical forests are covered with dense, tall trees near the Earth's equator, which receive 2000 mm of precipitation per year. Which animals live in the rainforest depends on whether the rainforest is in Central America or in the northern part. South America, V equatorial Africa, in South Asia down through the islands of the southern part Pacific Ocean in northern Australia.

photo: Martien Uiterweerd

The animals of the various rainforests around the world have evolved thousands of miles apart and therefore differ from continent to continent and even from forest to forest. However, all rainforests are similar in many ways, many of the animal species in them are also similar. For example, all rainforests offer a breathtaking array of bird species, as well as birds from the wettest rainforests including parrots.

photo: Nick Johnson

In the countries of Central and South America, the large macaw familiar to us lives; The African rainforests are home to the African Gray Parrot, which is famous for its ability to imitate sounds, including human speech. Cockatoos and a few Australian parrots live in Asia, the South Pacific and the Australian forests.

photo:Debbie Grant

What animals live in tropical forests? Mostly big cats acting as top predators. In the tropical forests of Central and South America, where the ecological niche is occupied by jaguars and cougars. African rainforests are run by leopards. In the South Asian rainforests, tigers and leopards are the top predators.

photo: Thomas Widmann

The rainforests are home to a number of primate species: spider monkeys and howler monkeys in Central and South America. Baboons, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas in Africa. Gibbons and orangutans in South Asia.

photo: Pierson Hill

From the reptile rainforests, the pythons of Africa and Asia are counterparts of the anaconda in the Amazon jungle. Venomous snakes abound in all rainforests, bushmaster and coral snakes in South and Central America and cobras in Africa and Asia, from alligators and caimans in the Americas to many species of crocodiles in Africa and Asia.

List of tropical animals in the Amazon:

Jaguars, Pumas, Ocelots, tapirs, capybaras, bushmasters and caimans (several species; the largest being the black caiman), harpies, macaws, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, capuchins, squirrel monkeys, piranhas, leaf cutters.

photo: Jon Mountjoy

List of tropical animals of Africa:

leopard, okapi, Nile crocodile, mambas (several species poisonous snakes), gray parrot, crowned eagle, chimpanzee, bonobos, gorilla, mandrills, baboons, colobus, tiger fish, termites.

List of tropical animals of Asia:

Tiger, Leopard, Lazy Bear, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Elephant, Buffalo, Cockatoo, Black Eagle, Saltwater Crocodile, burmese python, cobras (several species), orangutan, gibbons, macaques.

photo: Stephen Hampshire

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There are many different animals in the tropical forests, it will not be possible to pay attention to everyone, so we will focus on the most prominent representatives tropical jungle living all over the planet.

Animals of the American tropics

Let's get acquainted with tropical fauna from the forests of South America, here the most powerful predator is the jaguar. A yellow large cat in black spots perfectly climbs trees and inspires fear in all local inhabitants. The plains of Patagonia are rich in lakes, on which reeds grow in abundance, it is here that nutria with koipu marsh beavers live. These animals of the tropics eat the succulent roots of aquatic plants, and equip their nests with reeds and reeds.

Tropical monkeys from around the world

African rainforests are rich in monkeys, these are long-tailed small monkeys with greenish fur. Among them, the fingerless species of colobus stands out. These animals do not have a thumb.

The most beautiful representative of these monkeys is the Gverets living in Ethiopia. Direct relatives African monkeys macaques are considered to live in tropical Asian forests. Characteristic representatives of the African tropics are baboons, which live mainly in the highlands.

Animals living in the tropics of Madagascar have certain characteristics, for example, lemurs, whose body is covered with thick fur, some of them are happy owners of fluffy tails. Their faces resemble animals rather than monkeys, for this reason they are referred to as semi-monkeys.

But not only near the African continent you can find monkeys, for example, the dense forests of Sumatra are a haven for a great ape - an orangutan.

It is covered with red coarse hair, and adult males wear a large beard. The gibbon is very close to orangutans, it reaches more than a meter in length, it is distinguished by long limbs, which serve it for swinging on the branches and allow it to easily jump from one tree to another.

Animals living in the tropics are distinguished by originality and originality, each species is unique.

There's nothing sweeter than good old animal stories. But today I will not talk about pets, but about those that live in tropical forests. The rainforest ecosystem is home to a greater variety of animals than any other ecosystem. One of the reasons for this great diversity is the constant warm climate. Rainforests also provide an almost constant presence of water and a wide variety of food for animals. So here are 10 amazing rainforest animals and some facts about their lives.

toucans

flying dragons

Bengal tigers

South American harpies

Dart frogs

Sloths

spider monkeys

wine snakes

capybaras

Brazilian tapirs

African equatorial forests occupy flat and mountainous areas. Mountain forests are shrouded in clouds that maintain high humidity. Therefore, they are also called cloud forests. In the tropical forests of Africa live the world's largest monkeys - gorillas. There are only two populations of gorillas: the lowland, or land, gorillas that live in the western lowland forests, and the mountain gorillas that inhabit the eastern montane forests. Gorillas belong to the great apes. These are huge animals, the males of which reach 2 m in height and can weigh up to 300 kg. Despite their intimidating appearance, they are peaceful vegetarians. Gorillas live in family groups of 5 to 15 individuals: several females and young ones. The head of the group is an adult male (he can be recognized by his silvery back). The leader takes care of the whole pack, and if for some reason he dies, then the rest of the group may die with him, having lost his protection and care. Gorillas are too heavy to easily climb trees, so they lead a terrestrial lifestyle. Every evening they settle down for the night, building nests on the branches of fairly strong trees or on the ground. Gorillas are not aggressive, but in case of danger they can attack the offender. Most often, they scare off the attacker without engaging in a fight, roar, beat their chests with their fists and break branches with a loud crack. In the same way, young males sort things out among themselves.

The fauna of the African rainforests differs from the savannas in the absence of large predators. (The exception is the leopard). The inhabitants of the rainforests are much smaller than their relatives living in the savannahs. So, for example, duikers are slightly larger than a hare, a pygmy hippopotamus is two times smaller than usual, and okapi, a relative of giraffes, is significantly inferior to them in height.

Okapi, which lives only in forests, does not need long neck, like a giraffe, because he can pluck shoots, leaves and anodes not high from the ground. The color of the okapi also bears little resemblance to its relative, the large ears give it a somewhat comical appearance, but help to better capture forest sounds. Interestingly, the okapi tongue is so long that it can reach the ear.

In the dense thickets along the banks of the rivers live miniature African deer, the size of a domestic cat. They are relatives of deer, cats do not have horns and lead a completely different lifestyle. These animals live near the water and are excellent swimmers. Sensing danger, the deer runs to the water and dives, holding its breath for a long time. He moves along the bottom of the river and emerges in a safe place, thus leaving the pursuer. This unusual creature feeds not only on plants, but also on small fish, crabs, insects, and even small mammals. Deer are active at night, and during the day they climb low on the trees along the vines, like a ladder. Deer are in the trees and hide during the day.

Several species of hyrax live in Africa. These small (body length up to 60 cm) animals are classified as a separate order of mammals. Outwardly, they resemble marmots or pikas, although Scientific research revealed their distant relationship with elephants. Tree hyraxes live in the forests, able to climb trees perfectly, jumping from branch to branch in search of food. Damans feed on plants and insects. Tree hyraxes are solitary, unlike mountain hyraxes, which live in small colonies.

In the rainforests you can meet an animal that looks like fir cone. This mammal from the squad of lizards is called the pangolin. Pangolins have much in common with armadillos, since, according to scientists, they descended from the same ancestors. The body of the pangolin is covered with horny scales that protect it from predators: the pangolin, like the armadillo, can roll into a ball and feeds on insects. Tree pangolins have a strong prehensile tail, which they use to cling to branches while climbing trees.

Geneta is a mobile predator, a relative of the civet, mongoose and meerkat. Flexible and agile, the genet easily climbs trees, hunting for birds and small mammals. But genets spend most of their time on the ground. They live in African forests great apes. They live in groups of 2 to 20 individuals, headed by an important male. The lifestyle of chimpanzees is generally similar to that of gorillas. However, chimpanzees eat not only plant foods, but also insects and small mammals. Sometimes a group of chimpanzees also attack a fairly large animal. These monkeys even have cases of cannibalism: one monkey can steal a cub from another to eat it. Chimpanzees in their development stand on more than high level than other mammals - they are very smart, communicate with each other using more than 30 different sounds. Apes are the closest relatives of humans in the animal kingdom.

In all tiers of the African rainforest, many birds live, some of which are found only here. In Africa, unlike South America, there are not so many parrots, only a few dozen species. The most famous parrot is Jaco, gray color with red undertail. Small nectary birds occupy the same ecological niche as hummingbirds in South America. Tree hoopoes, hornbills, banana-eaters and Congolese peacocks live here. This rare peacock was discovered by scientists relatively recently: before that, its existence could only be judged by a single feather found by chance.

In terms of the brightness of the color of the bird, banana-eaters, or tura ko, are not inferior to South American parrots. Turaka, which are relatives of cuckoos, live in racks, breaking into pores only during the breeding season. When it rains, banana-eaters can “shed”, as their feathers are covered with a multi-colored powdery substance that dissolves in water. After some time, the brightness of the color is restored. Turaka are poor flyers, preferring to climb trees or glide from branch to branch in search of food, fruit, and small creatures.

At night they fly out to hunt the bats small mammals belonging to the order Chiroptera. Spreading their leathery wings, they fly between trees and catch insects. Well-developed hearing, vision, touch, and, in some species, echolocation, help these animals to navigate perfectly in the dark without bumping into obstacles. During the day, bats rest in caves, rock crevices, as well as in hollows or on tree branches. They cling to branches or stones with their hind legs, hanging upside down, and, having folded their wings, sleep. It lives in tree trunks, foliage and forest litter. a large number of a wide variety of insects, spiders, centipedes and mollusks. The most numerous insects are ants, of which there are more than 600 species in the forest of Africa. Insects such as stick insects, praying mantises and beetles live here. The goliath beetle, the largest beetle in the world, lives in these forests and has become very rare due to collecting. The most colorful representatives of insects are butterflies. In the canopy of the forest fat-headed butterflies, pigeons fly, tropical butterflies, as well as African giant sailboats. Centipedes are ancient arthropods that have lived on Earth for over 500 million years. Living in the forest floor, they crawl out during the leader or at night, feeding on the remains of animals.

In the wet litter of the rainforest live legless amphibians - worms. Outwardly, they are similar to earthworms, although they are relatives of frogs, salamanders and newts. The body length of these amphibians can reach 1.1 meters. Worms feed on soil invertebrates: earthworms, centipedes and others.

Tropical forests formed over 100 million years ago in a zone along the equator. It's always warm and humid there. In a word, the most suitable place on earth to live and multiply. These forests occupy only 6% of the earth's land, and are found in them 80% of all known species plants and almost half of all terrestrial animal species. The forest population density is very high. All places are occupied - from the tops of trees to the forest floor. Trees and creepers form the frame of the forest. Epiphytes - flowers, ferns and other plants settle directly on the bark of trees and vines. This is where you can see real biodiversity. These forests are called "the jewel of the Earth", "the lungs of the Earth", "the pharmacy of the world". Imagine, many animals and plants have not yet been studied!

fire salamander

The fire salamander, otherwise known as the spotted or common salamander, is the closest relative of the frog, despite the fact that it resembles a lizard in body shape. It belongs to the order of tailed amphibians, to the genus Salamander.

This is a typical amphibious animal, which during its life cycle lives in two environments at once - water and air. The most important distinguishing feature of this animal is color. No wonder this salamander received a second name - a fiery lizard. After all, the body of this animal is painted in very rich and contrasting colors. Intense black color is combined with equally saturated yellow or orange patterns, which could be called spots and stripes, usually irregularly shaped with blurry edges. On the paws, colored markings are usually symmetrical, and on the body itself, the pattern of placement of spots is not traced.

The lower part of the body is most often painted in uniform dark colors. The abdomen is usually black or brown, but white spots may also be present. The legs of this tailed amphibian, although short, are very strong. There are four toes on the front paws, and five on the hind paws. The limbs are more for walking than for swimming. This is evidenced by the absence of swimming membranes. The head of this salamander is rounded. Visually, it seems to be a continuation of the body.

Every natural phenomenon has its own reason. The color of any animal saves the individual from predators. Salamander is a small, gentle and defenseless creature. She needs to disguise herself as the main shades of the environment. However, the fiery salamander does everything to be noticed. In this she resembles bees, wasps and bumblebees, which have a very noticeable color.

crowned eagle

crowned eagle is the largest and most dangerous predatory bird from the hawk family, living in Africa. It's brave and incredible strong predator, - often the prey of an eagle is 4-5 times larger than itself: large monkeys, antelopes, hyraxes and other animals.

Crowned eagles live in the vast Central Africa: from South Africa to the Gulf of Guinea. Nests are built mainly in forests, much less often in semi-deserts and savannahs. With the exception of Zaire and Kenya, where they are very widespread and widespread, they are quite rare.

Crowned, like other eagles, do not tolerate neighborhood with other representatives of their species. The area patrolled by one eagle can reach 50 km2, the bird will consider all this territory as its own and will not tolerate encroachment from other feathered invaders. These birds spend part of their lives in complete seclusion, but after the creation of a family they are never separated from each other.

The color of this bird is unusually beautiful: a dark black back with a graphite tint is in perfect harmony with a light striped belly, bright yellow paws with black claws and a black and yellow beak. In addition, the coloring of the predator allows him to disguise himself well among the half-bald African trees.

home distinguishing feature Stephanoaetus coronatus- this, of course, is a crown of feathers rising at the back of the head. The bird does this when danger or irritation approaches, accompanying discontent with a loud expressive cry. It is also worth noting that the crown of an eagle set up does not bode well - protecting the nest, eagles often violently attack large animals and even people.

coats

Koats are a genus of monkeys whose life takes place on the territory of South America, as well as Central America.

They can be found in French Guiana, Suriname, Brazil, Guyana and Peru. These primates are classified by scientists as spider monkeys. One of the well-known species in this family is the black coat. The body of these arachnid primates grows in length from 38 to 63 centimeters. The length of the tail is slightly longer than the length of the body and reaches from 50 to 90 centimeters.

The physique of these monkeys is slender, the limbs are long with hook-shaped fingers. The coat is long and shiny, slightly longer on the shoulders than on the belly. A long tail in the black coatat, it performs a grasping function, with the help of which it deftly clings to tree branches when it tries to get food.

The head of the animal is small. On the forehead, the hair forms something like a comb. Fur color varies from yellowish-gray to black. hallmark considered to be a golden yellow stripe on the forehead.

This South American monkey chooses to live in tropical forests, as well as forests located in the coastal strip. Koats are diurnal animals. These monkeys spend almost all their time in trees.

If the koata senses the approach of the enemy, it turns to flight with great speed. At night, coats sleep, nestled in the crown of tall trees.

Okapi

Okapi are the only relatives of giraffes, despite the fact that their necks are not long. They look as if they are made up of parts of different animals: legs, like a zebra, with black and white stripes, a head is gray, and a neck, body and round ears are brown. The okapi's tongue is so large that they can even use it to clean their ears. The height of pygmy giraffes at the withers is 150-170 cm, and they weigh about 200 kg.

Okapi live in small areas in the western part of Central Africa, in the humid jungle. They feed mainly on leaves, young branches and various tropical species of spurge plants, and sometimes include berries and herbs in their diet. At the same time, they pinch only the most tender shoots.

Pygmy giraffes are solitary and meet with other individuals only for mating. This can happen at any time of the year. The offspring stay with their mother for several years.

Since the animals are quite large and well protected, natural enemies they have almost none. An okapi can be attacked by a leopard, hyena or crocodile. Main enemy, as always, is a man who cuts down virgin forests, reducing the living space of a small giraffe.

Since these are very shy animals, Europeans noticed them only in the 19th century. The first to report the okapi was the African explorer Henry Stanley, who in 1880 saw a forest giraffe near the Congo River. And only in 1901 they were described in detail and received a scientific name.

Toucan

Toucans can be found in South and Central America under rainforest canopies. During sleep, toucans turn their heads and place their beaks under their wings and tail. Toucans are very important to the rainforest because they help spread the seeds from the fruits and berries they eat. There are about 40 different types of toucans, but unfortunately some species are endangered. The two main threats to the existence of toucans are the loss of their habitat and the growing demand in the commercial pet market.

They vary in size from about 15 centimeters to just over two meters. Large, colorful, light beaks are the hallmarks of toucans. These are noisy birds with their loud and raspy voices.

Porcupine

The entire body of this rodent is covered with long needles that are black, brown or white. Experts who have studied life and habits porcupine, in their reports claim that the number of needles on the animal is approximately 30,000 pieces! Their weight does not press the rodent to the ground only because all the needles covering the body of the porcupine are hollow. When the animal is in the water, the needles serve as a buoy for him. And in a fight with predators - a tiger, a leopard, needles are excellent remedy defense. They dig into the body of the enemy and often cause inflammation in wounds. The porcupine itself does not suffer at all from the loss of needles, since new ones quickly grow in place of the old ones.

The porcupine family is numerous. Some of the species can be found in Asia Minor, South, Central and East. Others are in Africa, South and North America, the Middle East and Europe. Their home can be foothills and plains, shrouds and deserts, tropical forest. Animals in any conditions feel great. They spend the day in cozy burrows and caves. And in the evening they come to the surface for food.

The basis of the diet of rodents is plant food - the green and root parts of plants, tubers and bulbs, melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, the lower part of vegetation and bark. For chewing, their animals have powerful incisors that always grow and remain sharp. If porcupine teeth did not have these properties, the animal would starve to death. In the name of searching for a vegetable diet, the animal already has to make huge routes and move away from the habitat halo by 5-7, more kilometers. And only as the cold weather sets in, the porcupine loses its summer activity. It rarely leaves its burrow and then hibernates until spring.

river dolphin

River dolphins are part of the toothed whale family. The river dolphin family consists of the Amazonian, Chinese, Gangetic and Lapland river dolphins. Unfortunately, Chinese river dolphins could not be saved: in 2012, the animals were given the status of "extinct".

Biologists believe that the reason for their extinction lies in poaching activities, the discharge of substances of chemical origin into water bodies, violations natural ecosystem(construction of dams, dams). Animals could not live in artificial conditions, so science does not know many of the nuances of their existence.

The Amazonian river dolphin is a real record holder among members of the river dolphin family: the body weight of river inhabitants is from 98.5 to 207 kg, and the maximum body length is about 2.5 m. Due to the fact that animals can be painted in light and dark tones of gray, heavenly or even pink color they are also called white river dolphins and pink river dolphins.

River dolphins have very poor eyesight, but, despite this, they are perfectly oriented in the reservoir thanks to their excellent hearing and echolocation abilities. In river dwellers, the cervical vertebrae are not interconnected, which allows them to turn their heads at right angles to their bodies. Dolphins can reach speeds up to 18 km / h, under normal conditions they swim at a speed of 3-4 km / h.

Bengal tigers

The Bengal tiger lives in the Sundarbans regions of India, Bangladesh, China, Siberia and Indonesia, and is seriously endangered. Today, about 4,000 individuals remain in the wild, while at the turn of the century in 1900 there were more than 50,000. Poaching and habitat loss are the two main reasons for the declining numbers of Bengal tigers. They have not been able to adapt to harsh conditions, despite their belonging to the dominant species. Tigers, also known as the Royal Bengal Tiger, which is a subspecies of the tiger, can be found in the Indian subcontinent. The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and is considered the second largest tiger in the world.

South American harpies

One of the largest and most powerful of the fifty species of eagles in the world, the South American harpy lives in the tropical lowland forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico south to eastern Bolivia, and southern Brazil to northern Argentina. This is a disappearing view. The main threat to its existence is habitat loss due to constant deforestation, destruction of nesting and hunting grounds.

Tetra Congo

Congo tetra is an amazingly beautiful, active, peaceful, schooling aquarium fish, which is also called rainbow or blue Congo. This fish is a representative of the African Kharacin species, which was described by the biologist Boulanger back in 1899.

Congo tetra is common in Africa. Wild populations are endemic to part of the rivers of the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
These fish keep in flocks in river water. At the same time, in nature they consume mainly representatives of crustaceans, insects and different types zoo- and phytoplankton. Most of the commercially available fish are bred for sale in Asia and Eastern Europe.

The body of the fish is elongated and flat laterally. The fins spread out in lush fans on the sides of the body during movement. Males are also distinguished by long processes, similar to a veil, which are located on the tail, as well as dorsal and anal fins. In addition, the male has a three-lobed tail, in which the middle lobe protrudes slightly forward.

Tetra Congo in the aquarium shows a beautiful color that shimmers beautifully in the water. It is represented by blue, red-orange and golden yellow hues. The fins, on the other hand, have more muted tones, these are translucent, gray-violet shades. Congo is classified as a medium-sized fish. Adults reach a size of 8 cm in length, if we are talking about males. Females are usually slightly smaller - about 6 centimeters.

Jaco

Jaco, or gray parrot, belongs to the parrot family, and today it is the only species from the genus of dumb-tailed parrots. Such a bird has a rather complex character, so before buying, you need to familiarize yourself with the possible upcoming difficulties, as well as the features of the content.

The length of an adult bird is 30-35 cm. The average wingspan is 65 cm with a length of each wing of 22 cm. Long wings have well-developed ends. The length of the tail, as a rule, does not exceed 8 cm.

An adult Jaco has a black curved beak and a yellow iris.. Legs are lead grey. Characteristic are the leathery nostrils and cere, as well as the frenulum and the area around the eyes. Jaco's plumage is represented by two primary colors: ash gray and purplish red.

Jaco is one of the most smart birds, and the level of intelligence is comparable to the development of a child at the age of three or four years. A feature of this type of parrot is the ability not only to reproduce many of the sounds heard, but also to accurately repeat the intonation. According to the researchers, Jaco easily determines the situation, so the spoken words often carry a semantic load.

As an overnight stay, Jaco uses the tallest trees, where the birds settle down after sunset.. In the morning, parrots scatter in search of food. Jaco feeds mainly on the fruits of palm trees, as well as various seeds or foliage, fruits. Often there are "raids" of flocks on banana plantations.

Sloths

Sloths- This is a family of mammals belonging to the order of edentulous. You can meet them in a relatively small area, namely in Brazil and Patagonia.

Sloths were first described by European conquistadors in the sixteenth century. Pedro Cieza de Leon's report contained appearance these animals are "ugly". It was immediately noted that they move extremely slowly and “lazy”, hence their name. They really move very slowly, so they are almost defenseless in front of predators. However, due to their inconspicuous coloration and slow movements, sloths are almost invisible against the background of trees.

The habitat of these animals is the tropical forest. They live in trees and rarely descend to the ground. The cubs cling to their mother's fur until they learn to climb trees on their own. normal temperature in sloths - just above 30 degrees Celsius. They can walk and even swim, but also very slowly. Most of the day - about 15 hours - sloths sleep, which once again justify their name.

These animals are herbivores by nature. They feed on the flowers and leaves of a plant called cecropia. Sometimes they can eat small lizards or insects. It should be noted that sloths often eat enough food for a month, and their huge stomach can hold so much food that the weight of a well-fed sloth becomes double or even triple compared to what it was before.

capybaras

The capybara spends a lot of time in the water and is an excellent swimmer and diver. She has webbed toes on her front and hind feet. When she swims, only her eyes, ears and nostrils are visible above the water. Capybaras feed on plant foods, including aquatic plants, and these animals' molars grow throughout their lives to counteract wear and tear from chewing. Capybaras live in families and are active at dawn and dusk. In areas where they are often disturbed, capybaras may be nocturnal. Males and females look the same, but males have a gland on their nose that is larger than females. They mate in the spring, and after 15-18 weeks of pregnancy, there may be 2 babies in the litter. Babies are well developed at birth.

royal colobus

The king colobus or black and white colobus, as well as the western black and white colobus. Royal colobus - primates - medium in size with a slender body.

Royal colobus are easily distinguished from other species of the genus Colobus by their white spots on their shiny, silky black coat. Monkeys of this species have whiskers, chest, tail white color. Corns are developed on the central rump. Cheek pouches are absent. The thumb of the forelimb is represented by a simple tubercle.

At present, most of I am under rice and other crops. In this case, colobuses settle in massifs of young secondary forests. Old secondary forests make up only 60%.

Royal colobuses form small groups of 5-20 individuals. The family consists of 1-3 males, 3-4 females and young monkeys. They all rest together on the same tree. Often in the forest there are single young males without a family. There are sometimes territorial disputes between different flocks. In this case, the males defend their territory from the invasion of other colobuses, protect the fiefs of the flock when attacked by predators.

Even birds have freedom of choice. Here is the African marabou - a bird, by the way, from the stork family, does not carry children, but prefers to lead the lifestyle of a vulture, which was reflected in its appearance.

The marabou has no plumage on the head and neck, which makes it much easier to keep them clean. And since he often has to rummage through the garbage or tear the carcasses of dead animals apart, feathers would only get in the way, being an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.

For such operations, a strong beak is needed, so the long and thin stork beak has turned into a powerful club, with which the marabou is not averse to beating impudent competitors on occasion.

Even the blows of this bird are afraid large predators, and hyenas, jackals and vultures yield prey to him without a fight at all. However, there is another explanation for such compliance: the marabou can deftly skin a fresh corpse, after which it is much easier for scavengers to cope with its remains. Every day this bird, which weighs 6-9 kg, needs at least a kilogram of food. A hungry marabou scatters rivals in a second and greedily pounces on food.

It's pretty large bird- her height is about one and a half meters, and the wing length is more than 70 cm. Although she does not make a special impression because of her peculiar stoop and an senile cannon on her head.

Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus- large herbivore mammal which spends most of its time in the water. Animals live in fresh water, only occasionally hippos can be in salty sea water.

Another name for the hippopotamus is the hippopotamus. Animals, along with rhinos, are second only to elephants in terms of weight: some individuals can reach 4 tons or more. Currently, hippos live only in Africa: cold or tropical climate hippopotamus can't stand it.

Hippos are one of the largest land animals. Usually their weight is 2-3 tons, but can exceed 4 tons. At the same time, the length of adult hippos can be more than 5 meters! The hippopotamus tail alone is almost 60 cm long. Hippos have a characteristic appearance: a very wide muzzle with small eyes and ears, as well as large nostrils, a barrel-shaped body and very short legs. The skin of hippos is very thick, greyish-brown, without hair.

Usually hippos are kept in groups of 2-3 dozen individuals. Sometimes there are many more animals in the herd. During the day, hippos lie in the water. In this case, only part of the face and back is visible. Hippos can swim or walk along the bottom of a pond. Animals can hold their breath for quite a long time - sometimes up to 10 minutes. Hippos are herbivores, but they do not like water plants and feed on land mainly at night.

A hippopotamus can live for about 40 years, and in captivity, a zoo - more than 50 years. Among hippos, as well as among people, there are centenarians: science knows the case when a female hippo lived for 60 years.

spider monkeys

Spider monkeys are large. An adult monkey can grow to be almost 60 centimeters tall, not counting the tail. The tail is very powerful. Monkeys use it as an extra limb. Spider monkeys like to hang upside down, clinging to branches with their tail and paws, which makes them look like spiders, where they get their name from. Also, these monkeys can jump from branch to branch at high speed. Their coat color can be black, brown, gold, red or bronze. Spider monkeys are the object of close attention of hunters, which is why they are on the verge of extinction.

Gold-helmed kalao

The golden-helmeted kalao is one of the types of helmeted kalao. The species lives in the jungles of West Africa, mainly in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. The golden-helmeted kalao is one of the largest forest birds in Africa, its mass can reach 2 kg. They usually live in small groups, but can also gather in fairly large colonies. The basis of nutrition is ants and termites. The main danger is the crowned eagle. Helmeted kalaos are able to distinguish between the disturbing cries of Dian monkeys, which they emit when a leopard approaches and when a crowned eagle approaches.

herbivore dracula

Herbivore Dracula is a leaf-nosed mammal bats. Despite its terrible name, the creature is completely harmless. It was not noticed in drinking human blood, it feeds exclusively on the juicy pulp of environmentally friendly and ripe fruits. This is very rare view. It was found in the tropical evergreen forests of South America. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Colombia, mainly along the eastern slopes of the Andes.

Small populations are found in the gallery forests of dry regions. They can live both on flat terrain and in mountains up to 2250 m above sea level. Occasionally they settle on farms and in the city. Herbivorous Draculas live in pairs or alone. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. IN daytime animals hide in caves, underground voids or in the dense crowns of ficus trees.

The head and body are about 53-57 mm long, forearms up to 40-42 mm. The color of the fur is light brown above and white-brown below. Single white hairs grow in the middle of the back. Weight does not exceed 15-18 g. The rudimentary remnant of the tail is hardly noticeable.

At the end of the muzzle is a pointed leathery outgrowth called the nasal leaf. In males, it is much more developed than in females. The ears are large and triangular in shape.

Males have a large fold of skin on the nape. During daytime sleep, he closes her eyes in the form of a mask so that bright light does not interfere with proper rest. In females, this fold is absent.

bearded pig

In different sources, the bearded pig species is divided into two or three subspecies. This is a curly bearded pig that lives on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, a Bornean bearded pig and a Palawan bearded pig that live, judging by the name, on the island of Borneo and Palawan, as well as on Java, Kalimantan and the small islands of the Indonesian archipelago in South Africa. East Asia.

Bearded pigs live in tropical forests and mangroves in tribal groups. A feature of the lifestyle of this species is migratory behavior, when thousands of individuals make long journeys hundreds of kilometers in search of food. Often they move along the same beaten paths.

Bearded pigs are omnivores and feed on fruits, roots, young shoots of the sago palm, as well as insects, worms, small invertebrates, and carrion. Being diurnal animals, bearded pigs switch to a nocturnal lifestyle during migration, overcoming long distances and water barriers with almost no feeding. Often herds of pigs raid yams and cassava fields, causing damage to peasant farms, or follow groups of gibbons and macaques, picking up discarded fruit.

Outwardly, bearded pigs are leaner, leaner and longer-legged compared to ordinary wild relatives. They can reach 100-160 cm in length, height at the withers 70-85 cm and weight up to 150 kg. Bearded pigs got their name due to the presence of light bristles covering the muzzle from the corners of the mouth almost to the ears, while the main color of the pig is gray or dark brown.

tarantula spider

tarantula spiders belong to the spider family. Adult individuals reach large sizes, sometimes exceeding 20 cm in paw span. These spiders are often used as pets.

There are tarantulas on every continent except Antarctica. True, in Europe they are rare, but the tropical forest and even hot desert these spiders love it. Strict predators - tarantulas best of all assimilate not meat food, but insects: flies, small spiders and cockroaches. They can eat frogs and small rodents. It is common for tarantulas to lie in wait for their prey in ambush, without spider traps. However, they use their spider remedy to strengthen the dwelling.

These arthropods live in trees, the ground, and in burrows. They are characterized by calm behavior, they do not like to be disturbed, and they can starve for a long time, just not to disturb their peace. Spiders are born from eggs, after surviving two molts, they turn into larvae, and then reach adulthood.

The lifespan of a spider is measured in molts. Dropping the old shell, they increase up to one and a half times. The life span and growth of spiders depend on temperature and food availability. Sometimes, when molting, spiders cannot stretch their legs out of the old “body”. They have to leave their limbs in the old skin and wait for new ones to grow. Usually it takes another 3-4 molts.

Spiny tail squirrels

Spiny-tailed squirrels (spintails) are small-sized rodents. Body length 6.3–43 cm. Tail length 75–46 cm. Weight up to 2 kg. The eyes and ears are large. The appearance is somewhat reminiscent of a squirrel or flying squirrels. Adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. With the exception of representatives of one genus, all spine-tailed animals have a skin flying membrane between the forelimbs and hind limbs, as well as between the hind limbs and the tail and between the forelimbs and the neck. A kind of cartilaginous rod extends from the elbow joint to the side, supporting this flying membrane. The fingers on the limbs are well developed and equipped with sharp and strong claws.

The spike-tailed squirrels inhabit tropical and subtropical forests. Lead tree image life. Activity is nocturnal, and in the spiny-tailed squirrel, it may also be diurnal. The day is spent, as a rule, in hollows.

They usually live in pairs, sometimes in small groups. They make long, gliding jumps, like flying squirrels. They feed on fruits, seeds, nuts, leaves, bark of various trees, and insects. Pregnant females were found in Cameroon in June - July, and in the Republic of Zaire - February and June. Apparently, each female has 2 litters per year, with 1 to 4 cubs in each litter. The local population consumes representatives of the family for food.

Chameleon

Chameleons belong to the class of scaly reptiles. The modern classification of chameleons includes 11 genera, which are formed by more than 193 of their species and subspecies. Of these, more than 60 species live in Madagascar.

These amazing animals, along with their other relatives, lead an extremely calm and measured lifestyle. Spending most of his life on trees, descending to the ground only in mating season and for laying eggs.

Their habitat is quite wide: from the African continent and Magadascar, India and Sri Lanka to the Middle East, and even some countries in southern Europe. Most often they can be found in the jungle, savannas and, much less often, in the foothills, steppes and semi-deserts.

by the most amazing property that chameleons possess is their ability to disguise themselves as the surrounding background, namely, to change the color of the body depending on the surface on which they are located. This ability is explained by the presence of chromatophore cells in their skin, in which coloring pigments are located. In addition to using this ability for camouflage purposes, chameleons also change color in other life situations - when frightened, in mating games, and also to adopt an aggressive color to scare off enemies.

Chameleons are skilled hunters. They feed mainly on insects, but large species They also eat small lizards, rodents and snakes. Also, chameleons are not averse to eating the leaves and fruits of some trees. During the extraction of food, they, having accepted the background of the surrounding area, can remain completely motionless for hours. The main tool of their hunting is a long tongue with a kind of sucker at the end. Throwing out the tongue towards a potential victim at a speed of 1/20 of a second, a chameleon can catch up to four insects within three seconds.

If the prey is too heavy and strong, the chameleon can use its mouth to capture it. A very interesting ability of a chameleon is that in a state of rest or sleep, it “stores” its long tongue rolled up into a tube in its own esophagus!!!

kinkajou

Many mammals in the Amazon rainforest are excellent tree climbers and use their tail as a fifth limb to fly from tree to tree. These include chain-tailed monkeys - howler monkeys and coats, as well as kinkajou - representatives of the raccoon family covered with yellowish hair. Like raccoons, kinkajou, whose body length is approximately one meter, are mainly nocturnal. These animals feed on insects and fruits, and also like to eat honey, in which they are helped by a long thin tongue. The kinkajou has a long, 10 cm tongue that grabs fruit and licks nectar from flowers.

sun bear

Biruang or sun bear got its name from the round white or orange spot located on the chest.

The Malayan bear lives in Thailand, Indonesia, southern China and India. The biruang lives on flat surfaces and in the forests of the subtropics and tropics. Also, the sun bear is found in swampy undergrowth and more mountainous terrain. Being adapted to climbing trees, Malay bears can spend all day basking in the sun on the trees, eating succulent leaves along the way. For their convenience, they fold the branches, creating something resembling a nest.

An adult male weighs up to 65 kg, and its body length reaches 1.6 m. Females are on average 10% smaller than males. The tail is short, 3-7 cm, the ears are small, rounded. The maximum length of the skull is 23.2 cm. The female's pregnancy lasts 95 days. Usually 1-2 cubs are born, which stay with their mother until they are three years old. The maximum life span of a sun bear in captivity is 24 years.

A distinctive feature of the sun bear is a long tongue, which makes it easy to get termites, which he enjoys eating. The bear also feeds on small birds, rodents, lizards and carrion. Living close to humans, these bears devastate landfills and plantations. Powerful jaws even allow you to crack open coconuts.

Despite their size, Biruangs are very aggressive, even tigers shy away from them. Interesting fact: there is a lot of loose skin on the biruang's neck, so, being grabbed by the neck, it can turn around and bite the offender.

flying dragons

Tree lizards, so-called flying dragons, actually glide from tree to tree on their skin flaps, which look like wings. On each side of the body, between the fore and hind limbs, there is a large flap of skin supported by expanded movable ribs. Usually these "wings" are folded along the torsos, but they can open up to allow the lizard to glide for many meters in an almost horizontal state. The flying dragon feeds on insects, in particular ants. For reproduction, the flying dragon descends to the ground and lays 1 to 4 eggs in the soil.

South American nosoha

The name coati or coatimundi is borrowed from the language of the Tupian Indians. The prefix "coati" means "belt" and "tim" means "nose.

The head is narrow with a slightly upward elongated and very flexible nose. Ears are small and rounded inside with white rims. The fur is short, thick and fluffy. The tail is long, used for balance when moving. On the tail are light yellowish rings, alternating with rings of black or brown.

The South American nosoha has short and powerful paws. The ankles are very mobile, thanks to which the animals can climb down from the tree, both the front and the back end of the body. The claws on the fingers are long, the soles are bare. Thanks to strong clawed paws, nosuha successfully uses them to dig out insect larvae from under rotten logs.

Nosukh can be found in lowland forests, wooded river areas, dense bushes and rocky areas. Due to human influence, they currently prefer secondary forests and forest edges. On the eastern and western slopes of the Andes mountains, they are found up to 2500 meters above sea level.

Food: South American nosy are primarily omnivores, they usually seek out fruits and invertebrates. They eat eggs, beetle larvae and other insects, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, ants, termites, lizards, small mammals, rodents, and even carrion when available to them.
They can be found in landfills, where they scour human garbage and select everything edible from it. Sometimes South American noses eat chickens from local farmers.

Usually active during the day. Animals spend most of their active time foraging, and at night they sleep on trees, which also serve to equip the den and give birth to offspring. When threatened on the ground, the noses run to the trees; when predators threaten on a tree, they easily run to the end of the branch of one tree, and then jump to the lower branch on the same or even another tree.

Quezal

The quezal is a very rare bird that lives in the dense tropical forests of Central America. The Indians of the Aztec and Mayan tribes considered it sacred. The male quetzal bird, the size of a dove, is adorned with a bright green tail, the length of which reaches 90 cm. This is probably the most luxurious bird of all living in tropical forests, although many birds of these forests have very bright plumage, probably in order to be more easily seen in a dark forest.

electric eel

An electric eel that lives in the muddy river waters of the Amazon can easily kill a person by shocking him. Most often, the victim that this eel strikes drowns due to the fact that he cannot move after the defeat. This predatory fish uses its electrical properties to kill prey and move in poor visibility. Despite the name electric eels are not at all closely related to common eels and belong to a different family - electric eels .

helmeted cassowary

The helmeted cassowary reaches a height of 1.5 m and a weight of about 80 kg. On the head, the cassowary has an outgrowth called a "helmet", which is larger in males than in females. The massive three-toed legs of this New Guinean bird are armed with large claws, the claw of the central toe is especially long. With this weapon, the cassowary is capable of inflicting serious wounds, since, defending itself, it begins to kick with its feet. Cassowaries run fast and jump well.

It lives in the humid forests of New Guinea, on the Indonesian islands of Seram and Aru, as well as in the northeastern part of Australia. The main food of the helmeted cassowary is fruits that have fallen from the tree, as well as small animals.

The cassowary is a monogamous bird. The main breeding season for cassowaries is in July-August. The cassowary nest is a cleared area on the ground. The nest is built by the male from moss and leaves. Greenish cassowary eggs weigh more than 500 g. A clutch of 3 to 6 eggs is incubated by both the male and the female, while in another representative of the genus of cassowaries, the muruk, only the male incubates. Chicks appear in September, sometimes later.

bullet ant

The world's largest ant can grow to the size of your little finger and can bite like a wasp. Unlike many other ant species, bullet ants are solitary during the day, but prefer to gather in colonies at night. Nests are usually built at the base of trees. These ants are nicknamed "bullets", apparently due to the fact that their bites are very painful and can hurt for several days. The local tribes used these ants to initiate boys, preparing them for adulthood. The teenager was stung by ants, and he should not have uttered a sound.

Ant-eater

Anteaters, or anteaters - this is the name of the family of mammals, which belongs to the order of edentulous. It includes three genera: pygmy, giant and four-toed anteaters.

The anteater has a long muzzle with a tube-shaped nose and a narrow mouth, small eyes and ears. On the front paws there are five fingers, unlike the hind ones, and on the fingers there are long hooked claws. The hind feet are less often five-fingered, more often four-fingered.

Vision and hearing in anteaters are not very developed, in contrast to the sense of smell, which is developed just fine. They smell predators well and in case of danger they can stand up for themselves thanks to their claws. They live alone, only females for some time after the birth of the cub carry it on their backs. They breed once a year.

In full accordance with its name, the anteater really feeds mainly on ants. For this purpose, he, in addition to a narrow long muzzle, has a long flexible tongue. Salivary glands secrete sticky saliva, and the tongue itself has a length comparable to the length of the body. For example, in a giant anteater, it is more than half a meter in length.

These animals do not have teeth lower jaw he is practically undeveloped. However, he doesn't really need it. To find prey, anteaters tear open anthills and termite mounds, after which they catch insects with their long sticky tongue. Occasionally, anteaters also eat bees and other insects. Having no teeth, anteaters grind food with well-developed stomach muscles.

forest nightjar

During the day, these birds rest on dead tree branches, their coloration and body shape imitating their resting place so well that the birds can hardly be seen. They are nocturnal, catching insects, and during the day they skillfully hide, as they say, in the most visible place. From infancy, chicks master the science of disguise and, although they have a different color, ideally hide on the same piece of wood, only in the form of mushrooms.

Dart frogs

These incredibly small amphibians surprise not only with their the brightest color, but also with its strong poisonousness. A special distribution of poison dart frogs is observed in Central and South America, where tropical rainforests predominate. Now experts know about 170 species of poison dart frog.

For all its diminutiveness, this amphibian does not hold cunning. The frog's narrow 3-cm body is kept on the surface by means of sticky discs, which are equipped with its long sticky fingers.

Everyone who sees the poison dart frog live, definitely wants to take a closer look at its unique picturesque outfit. However, this is where the danger lies: it is absolutely forbidden to touch this frog with unprotected hands, because the special glands of its skin cover secrete a deadly poisonous substance. Each animal from the habitats of the poison dart frog knows from birth how dangerous it is to touch this little beauty.

The amphibian is active during the daytime and spends its life catching insects, in particular favorite insects such as ants, termites and crickets. According to scientists, the production of poison in a frog occurs due to the use of formic acid.

Ants leaf cutters

Leaf cutter ants live in the forests of Central and South America. Each of the huge underground colonies of these ants breeds special microscopic fungi that serve as food for them. Ants "comb" the forests in search of suitable foliage, pieces of which they cut and carry to their nests. There, other ants crush them and lay "gardens" in which fungi grow on this plant mass. Ants tend their gardens and pick these fungi when they grow up. The ants themselves do not eat the leaves.

Anaconda

The large anaconda, found in the rivers of South America, is one of the longest snakes in the world. The anaconda has a dark green color with large black spots, which allows it to be well camouflaged in the forest and wait for its victims on the banks of the river, where animals come to quench their thirst. The snake covers the victim with its long body, gradually squeezing the ring.

gibbons

Gibbons live in trees in tropical rainforests. South-East Asia. These are mainly small monkeys, their body length reaches 50 cm. The largest of the gibbons are siamangs, they are 90 cm in length. Gibbons are omnivorous, they feed on fruits, young shoots, as well as small mammals, birds, insects and other invertebrates.

Primates move through trees with their hands. They rarely descend to the ground and move along it in an upright position, under their arms, with one arm stretched forward and the other back.

Gibbons live in small family groups. Each group strictly guards its territory with an area of ​​​​approximately 1000, uttering loud piercing cries and thereby warning its relatives from other groups that the territory is occupied. Gibbons spend most of their lives in trees. They have very Long hands, extremely mobile shoulder joints, long fingers and toes, with which they cling tightly to tree branches. All this allows gibbons to easily fly from branch to branch and hang on trees.

wallaby

In many English-speaking countries, wallabies are called "thin-tailed wallabies" because of their long, thin, pointed tail. The wallaby's tail is slightly longer than its body. Wallabies keep themselves "upright", leaning on their hind legs and tail.

The wallaby feeds on the so-called "kangaroo grass", sometimes eating various ferns. This wallaby often grazes with the gray kangaroo, however, the animals feed on different types of grass and do not compete with each other. Wallaby favors certain types herbs, while others are bypassed. Wallabies graze in small herds of 2-10 animals. When feeding, they keep "upright" and present food to the mouth with their front paws. Even on days when the heat reaches its peak, the animals do not go to the river to drink, because they get all the necessary moisture from food.

Wallabies often graze during the day, while other types of kangaroos are active at dusk or at night. At noon, wallabies rest in the shade. In the evening they again go in search of food. During such searches, the animals move rather slowly, such leisurelyness is the result of the sweltering heat.

Wallabies inhabit hilly plains overgrown with light eucalyptus forests, herds of these animals comb through in search of food. felling large areas forests did not result in much impact on the number of wallabies.

Grassy plains covered with dense vegetation provide food and shelter for animals. Thanks to reserves in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales, wallaby populations are especially numerous.

Gorilla

Gorillas- these are the largest great apes, divided into three subspecies: eastern lowlands, eastern mountainous and western lowland.

The growth of males varies from 165 to 190 cm, weight on average 200 kg. The mass of the female is half that. Animals have a powerful physique with highly developed muscles. The coat of the gorilla is dark in color, a silvery stripe gradually forms on the backs of adult males. The hind limbs are short, and the forelimbs are long, the feet are powerful. The head is large with a protruding brow and a low forehead. They move on four limbs, relying on their fists when walking.

Gorillas feed mainly on plant foods, although they sometimes also eat meat. Particularly fond of wild celery, nettle, bamboo shoots and bedstraw.

Females become sexually mature by the age of 10, once every three years they give birth to one cub, which is with the mother until the birth of the next. The life expectancy of gorillas is 30-60 years.

The lowland gorillas are found in the tropical forests of Africa, while the mountain subspecies live on the slopes of volcanic mountains.

According to researchers, gorillas are kept in groups (7-30 individuals), which consist of one male, several females and their children. Gorillas, contrary to a widespread myth, are quite peaceful, they never attack other animals and their own kind for no reason, although they are always ready for protection. When a leader male and a lone male who likes other females meet, it rarely comes to a fight, it all ends in a show of strength.

Crocodile

Crocodile- a semi-aquatic predatory animal belonging to the class "Reptiles". These reptiles are quite dangerous. You can often hear a message about a crocodile attack on a person. Reptiles can reach more than 8 meters in length, and the weight of a crocodile can reach up to one ton!

In the modern world, there are a large number of genera of crocodiles. At the same time, a significant number of reptiles became extinct many millennia ago. According to scientists, crocodiles are the most developed of modern reptile species. And closest in terms of evolutionary process reptiles are found with dinosaurs and birds.

The usual length of crocodiles varies from 2 to 5 meters depending on the species, although very large animals are also found. Basically, crocodiles are in the water, resting or hunting. The lifestyle of reptiles influenced their appearance: a flattened, flat body, flat head, short legs and a powerful, mobile tail, which crocodiles use when moving in water.

A characteristic feature of crocodiles are the strongest jaws in nature in animals and a large number of teeth (60 or more). At the same time, new teeth in reptiles can appear about three thousand times in their entire life. Interestingly, the teeth of crocodiles are hollow, empty inside, and new teeth grow inside the old ones.

Crocodiles are cold-blooded animals, that is, their body temperature is completely dependent on temperature. environment. That is why reptiles prefer a warm climate, and too low (below 20 ° C) and too high (38 ° C) temperatures are deadly for them. In such conditions, the crocodile simply will not survive.

Crocodiles are long-lived, they can live up to 100 years. This is also facilitated by the fact that animals do not have natural enemies in nature. Another feature of crocodiles is that they grow throughout their lives.

Tapir

An unusual animal inhabits the Indochina peninsula and its neighboring islands. This animal from the family of artiodactyls vaguely resembles a panda in color, and in body structure - wild pig boar. Only now, instead of a snout, he has a proboscis growing. They call this miracle tapir.

In total, 4 types of tapir have been preserved in the world, 3 of them live in America, and one - black-backed tapir - in southeast Asia. These are one of the most ancient animals on the planet - they have been living for at least more than 55 million years. And during this long period, he practically did not change.

Habitat - dense tropical forests. They try to stay away from settlements, as they are afraid of people. They are not so easy to see in the wild, because they live in the most remote parts of the forest, where it is very difficult for a person to get to.

The main condition for them is that there is some kind of reservoir nearby. It doesn't matter if it's a river or a lake. At all water bodies play a huge role in the life of tapirs. They not only drink water from it, but also bathe regularly. Yes, swimming is theirs favorite hobby. They also regularly take mud baths. But most importantly, in the reservoirs they find protection from dangerous predators- tigers, leopards, jaguars.

The basis of the nutrition of this animal is grass and tree leaves. The tapir is very shy and nocturnal. During the day, he rests somewhere near the reservoir. At sunset, when the day turns into evening twilight, this animal comes out to feed.

Jaguar

The jaguar is a predatory animal of the cat family, one of the four representatives of the panther genus. The jaguar is the only representative of the genus in the Americas. It is the third largest in the world, and the largest feline in the New World.

Jaguars lead a solitary lifestyle. Jaguars are territorial animals, however, like all predatory cats. The area of ​​the territory of one jaguar can be from 25 to 100 square kilometers. It depends on the landscape and the amount of food on the territory, as well as the gender of the jaguar. Usually the hunting area of ​​the male resembles a triangle in shape. The male hunts for 3-4 days in a certain part of his territory, and then moves on to another. In addition, the animal visits certain "border points" of its territory every 10-15 days. On its territory, the jaguar shows extreme intolerance towards other felines (cougars, ocelots), but, oddly enough, it is quite peaceful towards its fellows and the hunting territories of jaguars often intersect.

The main food of jaguars is capybaras and ungulates, such as peccaries and tapirs. Just as often, birds, monkeys, foxes, snakes and rodents come across to him for dinner. A special delicacy for the jaguar is the turtle - powerful jaws big cats are able to bite through the shell. Just as often, jaguars attack livestock. Unlike others big cats Jaguars are excellent swimmers, so they rarely miss a prey that tries to escape from them in the water. These animals have also been observed digging turtle eggs out of the sand on the ocean coast and fishing in streams and rivers. Jaguars have been seen attacking caimans.

howler monkey

howler monkeys- the largest representatives of the chain-tailed monkey family, otherwise called capuchins. Their main life activities take place in 2 types: feeding and roaring. Monkeys sleep at night. True, sometimes they roar in their sleep.

Seasoned males reach almost a meter in length. Their tail is the same size. He has quite unusual view: in the lower tail part on the inside there is a plot without wool with patterns and scallops on the skin. Thanks to them, howler monkeys make such movements with their tail, as if it were an extra hand. With the help of it, they grab and pluck fruits, leaves, gently and carefully “examine” their relative, caress the kids. The tail is so strong that it supports the weight of the animal's body when it hangs upside down.

The lower and upper limbs of howler monkeys have five tenacious movable fingers with flat nails. Looking at howler monkeys, first of all, you pay attention to the head with a hairless face and a beard. The enlarged laryngeal sac is also noteworthy. Their "clothing" looks like a black, brown, reddish, copper-red dense mane. Powerful fangs and jaws protruding forward make the individual quite scary.

This type of monkey is found in the humid forests of the mountainous parts of Central and Latin America. They live in large herds. Most often they can be seen on tall trees. After all, it is there that there is a huge amount of food in the form of buds, fresh succulent leaves, flowers, seeds, which are the basis of their nutrition.

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