How Do Rainforest Animals Protect Themselves?

Each species has evolved with its own set of unique adaptations, ways of helping them to survive. Every animal has the ability to protect itself from being someone's next meal. The following are just a few of these unique and often bizarre adaptations.

Camouflage

The coloring of some animals acts as protection from their predators. Insects play some of the best hide-and-go-seek in the forest. The "walking stick" is one such insect; it blends in so well with the palm tree it calls its home that no one would notice it unless it moved. Some butterflies, when they close their wings, look exactly like leaves. Camouflage also works in reverse, helping predators, such as boa constrictors, sneak up on unsuspecting animals and surprise them.


Rainforest animals and plants live with a constantdilemma: They must be noticed by the mates, pollinators and dispersers on which they depend, but not by predators, unless they can warn them against eating them, and not by intended prey. The Yellow Eyelashviper uses its vivid coloration to attract animals drawn to bright colors. It perfectly camouflages itself in ripe fruits which attract a range of fruit-eaters including plenty of suitable prey.

Slow As A Snail

The three-toed sloth is born with brown fur, but you would never know this by looking at it. The green algae that makes its home in the sloth's fur helps it to blend in with the tops of the trees, the canopy, where it makes its home. But green algae isn't the only thing living in a sloth's fur; it is literally "bugged" with a variety of insects. 978 beetles were once found living on one sloth!


The sloth has other clever adaptations. Famous for its snail-like pace; it is one of the slowest-moving animals on earth. (It can even take up to a month to digest its food!) Although its tasty meat would make a good meal for jaguars and other predators, most do not notice the sloth as it hangs quietly in the trees, high up in the canopy.

Deadly Creatures

Other animals want to announce their presence to the whole forest. Armed with dangerous poisons used in life-threatening situations, their bright colors warn predators to stay away.


The coral snake of the Amazon, with its brilliant red, yellow, and black coloring, is recognized as one of the most beautiful snakes in the world, But don't admire its beauty too long; its deadly poison can kill within seconds.


The poison arrow frog also stands out with its brightly colored skin. Its skin produces some of the strongest natural poison in the world, which Indigenous people often use for hunting purposes.


Another animal with no friends is the hoatzin. Often called the stinkbird, it produces a horrible smell to scare away potential predators.

Is It True That Dozens Of Animal Species A Day Become Extinct In Tropical Rainforests?

An average of 35 species becomes extinct every day in the world's tropical rainforests. The forces of destruction such as logging, cattle ranching and overpopulation have all contributed to the loss of millions of acres of tropical rainforest. Animals and people alike lose their homes when trees are cut down. These animals are given no warning to move - no time to pack their bags - and most die when the forest is destroyed.


Many large mammals such as leopards and apes need miles and miles of territory to roam and have a tough time surviving in the smaller and fragmented habitats they are forced into by humans. In one day's work a bulldozer could destroy the habitat of the golden toad, whose entire population lives on one mountain in Costa Rica.


These beautiful golden toads are extremely rare. They are endemic to the Monteverde Cloud Forest, and occur only within an area of 550yds by 3 miles. They were first discovered just fifteen years ago, to the disbelief of the biologist, who thought they had been dyed. In the last two years only one individual toad has been sighted. Obviously, such rare species are extremely vulnerable. Populations can probably recover from naturally caused problems, but if their habitat were not protected the toads could be in serious danger of extinction.


When rainforests are destroyed, animals living outside the tropics suffer as well. Songbirds, hummingbirds, warblers and thousands of other North American birds spend their winters in rainforests, returning to the same location year after year. Less return north each spring, as few make it through the winter because their habitat has been destroyed.


The cutting down of trees is not the only reason for species extinction. Thousands of monkeys and other primates are traded illegally on the international market each year, wanted for their fur, as pets, or for scientific research. Parrots and macaws have also become popular pets; buyers will pay up to $10,000 for one bird. Even the king of the jungle, the jaguar, is in danger of becoming extinct. Its fur is highly valued for use on coats and shoes.


Rivers have become both overfished and polluted. Gillnets now allow fishermen to kill huge amounts of fish at a time. They often use only the larger and more profitable fish, dumping the dead smaller fish and other animals such as dolphins back into the rivers.


Pollution from mining has killed fish populations in the mighty Amazon River. Many indigenous people, who have depended on these fish for centuries, have become sick from the poisoned fish.


Extinction happens naturally. Species like the dinosaurs and the saber-toothed tigers have died off from their failure to adapt to the changing environment. But nowadays humans are altering their habitats too quickly for them to adapt. Only in this modern day have so many species become extinct in such a short period of time.


Humans must share the earth with all plants and animals; otherwise our dominance will result in the continued extinction of many species. It would be a sad world indeed without the beauty of the toucan or the grace and power of the jaguar.