Leopards of the tropics are divided into several species, but all of them have characteristic spots on the skin. By the way, the famous black, a symbol of grace and beauty, is also a leopard, but with black spots on the background. Also interesting is the smoky leopard. He climbs trees like a domestic cat, jumping from branch to branch and terrifying the monkeys.
Tigers are found not only in the tropics, but also in the mountains and in the northern regions.
Such different rainforest monkeys
The funny ones that children like so much are not only mischievous and macaques. In the tropics, there are dozens of species of these animals, very tiny and huge. The smallest one is . Its dimensions are 11-15 cm. The animal looks like a cute fluffy toy and easily fits in the palm of your hand. Marmosets live in trees and feed on tree sap and insects.The largest is the gorilla. Males reach the height of an average person - 1.75 m, and their weight often exceeds 200 kg. Gorillas live on the ground and feed on insects and shoots of green plants.
According to scientists, gorillas are the closest relatives of humans.
Pachyderms of the tropics
The hippopotamus is least of all similar to a slender horse, but meanwhile its name is translated as "river horse". Hippos spend most of the day in a tropical swamp, and even their births take place right in the water. Despite their heaviness and seeming melancholy, hippos are very ferocious if they or their cubs are in danger.Another typical tropical animal is. These animals are among the most dangerous - an angry rhinoceros runs at a speed of 40 km / h, and its sharp horn is able to pierce the thickest skin. The only thing that saves the victim from the fury of the rhinoceros is the pachyderm's poor eyesight. Rhinos usually navigate by smell.
The only animals that do not care about rhino rage are. Some of the largest living mammals are usually led by the oldest female. Elephants are one of the most intelligent animals - they are able to distinguish notes, have their own language and recognize themselves in the mirror.
Advice 2: What are the animals of the humid equatorial forests
The humid equatorial forests of Africa, South America, India are extremely rich and diverse in their flora and fauna. The animal world includes the inhabitants of several tiers - high-rise floors of the forest.
Gilea - humid equatorial forest
Evergreen forests are located along the equator in narrow bands. Here, multi-tiered trees stand as solid walls, under the crowns of which eternal twilight and stupefying humidity reign. The temperature in such forests is constantly extremely high, while the seasons do not change at all. At any moment, a solid wall of heavy rain can collapse. That is why such jungles are also called permanent rain. Alexander Humboldt gave them the name "Gilea" - from the Greek "forest".
Some travelers of the past, having visited such a forest, called it "green hell".
Each of the species of plants and animals found in the hylaea has its own "floor", a place of permanent residence. There can be up to five "floors" in the forest.
Animal world
The lower layer is the least densely populated layer of the equatorial forest. There are insects, various rodents, predators (including, for example, panthers, jaguars, leopards and other wild cats), as well as wild and small ungulates. In India, they live here - they are smaller than African ones and are quite capable of moving under the low cover of trees.
By the way, just such a forest was described by Rudyard Kipling in the book "Mowgli". The boy, raised by wolves, grew up in Hylaea.
In various and numerous reservoirs - lakes and rivers - water snakes, crocodiles and hippos live.
By the way, some rodents also live on higher tiers - they have special membranes between their limbs that allow them to plan between trees.
A variety of birds live on all tiers of the equatorial forest, ranging from tiny bright sunbirds to hornbills and huge turacos. Very beautiful and another feathered inhabitant of the equatorial forest - a toucan with its bright yellow neck and a red stripe on its beak. Birds of paradise with long colored tails and tufts do not lag behind in exoticism.
Most of all in rainforests of all kinds. True, some (usually unusual!) of them are on the verge of extinction - mainly due to the activities of poachers.
In the crowns of trees live and: chimpanzees, gorillas, macaques, gibbons. They usually nest in flocks.
A variety of snakes also live in the equatorial forests. Among them are huge, boas that can weigh up to 100 kilograms. Among them there are both viviparous and oviparous species.
Along the equator are countries with the warmest climates on Earth. These are Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Indonesia, Kiribati, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil.
Ecuador - the pearl of the equator
In Spanish, "Ecuador" means the equator. This South American state is located on a small segment of the prime meridian. Despite its not too impressive size, the state is multinational, cultures and customs of many nationalities are closely intertwined in it.
The main treasure of Ecuador is its flora and fauna. 4.5 thousand different species of butterflies, about 1600 species of birds, 350 species of reptiles, at least 260 species, 350 species of amphibians were found permanently here. Tourism, the oil and gas industry, the export of coffee, cocoa, timber, bananas, shrimp, tuna, and flowers are well developed in Ecuador.
natural conditions
The climate in Ecuador is largely determined by the Andes. The southern part of the coast is washed by the cold waters of the Pacific Humboldt Current. Almost all types of climate are present in the country - from hot and humid to harsh and cold. In the middle part of the mountains, the average annual temperature is kept within 20-23 degrees. Plus 25-30 degrees is the average temperature of the coast.
Flora of Ecuador
None of the countries of South America has such a variety of plant communities as in Ecuador. The Andes, from Pasado Point to the area below the Equator, is covered by a dense rainforest. Further, rainforests give way to the territory of xerophytic shrubs, turning into desert areas. Sparse thorny trees are interspersed with xerophytic, crotons and cacti.
The most famous tree is palo de balsa, found both in the valley of the Guayas River and in northern Peru. The tree is valued for its world-famous lightweight wood, which is used to build sea vessels. In these areas, there is a plant similar to a palm tree, palmate karludovika, from the fibers of the leaves of which the "Panama hats" known to almost everyone are made. The high Andes are covered with grassy vegetation, over which the espeletia rise. This plant reaches a height of 1.5 - 6, the leaves are spear-shaped, blooms in clusters. The local flora has largely been replaced by cultivated plants. Behind the eastern Condillera, a zone of tropical forests opens up.
Fauna of Ecuador
The jungles of Ecuador are home to a huge number of rare animals and birds. Hummingbirds are one of the most interesting species. In paramos there are spectacled bears, mountain bears, small reindeer pudu. The owners of the jungle can be called wild, which spend most of their existence in dense shrubs and marshy reed beds. Aggressive small leopards, monkeys, toucans, parrots, caimans, kuchuchi live here.
The rarest animals can be seen on the Galapagos Islands, similar to a closed world that has escaped the rapid processes of evolution. Rare specimens of animals that have long disappeared from other parts of the globe have been preserved here. These are ground finches, marine and terrestrial iguana. The islands serve as a haven for giant terrestrial tortoises, which are found only in the Indian Ocean in the Mascarene Islands.
In the waters surrounding the Galapagos, there are many dolphins and whales, marine pinnipeds, the rarest Galapagos marine. The existence of penguins here is a complete paradox - along with iguanas and birds, they form an amazing sight.
amphibians, rodents and birds. There are also large predators here - (in Africa), jaguars (in South America), as well as hippos and crocodiles. Rivers and lakes are inhabited by about a third of the freshwater fauna of the entire planet.Four levels in the equatorial forest and their fauna
Tropical forests are divided into four main levels, each of them has its own characteristics, as well as its own characteristic fauna. The uppermost level, which consists of a small number of very tall trees, is home to bats, eagles, and some. There are several hundred species of bats in the Congo and Amazon valleys.
The crown level is located at 30-45 meters from the surface of the earth, it is the densest and is known for its biological diversity. Crown level fauna is similar to that found on the topmost level, but more varied. The middle level is called the sub-ceiling, many birds live here, as well as lizards and snakes. The lower tier is a habitat for rodents and insects.
The most interesting animals of the equatorial forests
The jaguar is one of the largest representatives of the cat family, it lives in North and South America. The jaguar goes hunting at dusk, monkeys, ungulates, birds and even turtles become its prey. The powerful jaws of this animal are able to easily bite through their shell. Sometimes it attacks alligators, it is an excellent swimmer and can miss prey only in very rare cases.
Some species of monkeys live in forest crowns at a height of about 50 m above the ground. The equatorial forests are densely populated by marmosets, gorillas, narrow-nosed monkeys and gibbons. Gorillas are the largest representatives of this class, their height reaches 1 m 50 cm, and their weight can exceed 250 kg. Predators are afraid to attack them, because adult gorillas have great strength.
In gibbons, the length of the forelimbs exceeds the length of the hind ones; they are perfectly adapted to move in the crowns of trees by brachiation. Swinging on their hands, gibbons quickly move from one branch to another. Po they move on two legs, and their long arms are raised up to maintain balance.