Tropical Rainforests

Rainforest vegetation on the Caribbean island of Dominica Click on image for full size (49K JPG) NBII Digital Image Library - Randolph Femmer, photographer

Have you ever been to a rainforest? Rainforests have very different trees than the ones you might climb in your yard. Thousands of species of plants and animals live in the rain forests of the world. But what makes them so different?

Rain forests get 80 inches of rain a year! That is a lot compared to the rest of the world. The temperature almost never changes. It is always warm and muggy!

You have probably seen a movie where people are walking through the jungle. There are all kinds of plants in the way. But in the real rainforests, tall trees take up most of the space. They block out the Sun, so other plants can't grow below them.

Now we can explore the tropical rain forest even further. Click on insects, birds, mammals, reptiles and primates.