Tropical Rainforest Ecology Rainforest Animal Life

Rainforest Mammals: Monkeys  Capuchin – most commonly seen monkey; medium size brown to black body; pale face surrounded by whitish fur; move in troops; eat fruits, leaves, arthropods, & sometimes small mammals

Rainforest Mammals: Monkeys  Spider – large size but very slender brown to black body; pale face surrounded by whitish fur; long prehensile tail; move in troops; eat fruits & leaves; brachiation

Rainforest Mammals: Monkeys  Mantled howler – large robust size; black body w/tan on sides and back; bearded face; prehensile tail; loud dusk & dawn; primarily eat leaves; prefers canopy

Rainforest Mammals: Monkeys  Geoffrey’s tamarin – small and squirrel-like; long tail not prehensile; like forest gaps; eat insects & fruits; red nape & highly patterned body; often have twins

Rainforest Mammals: Monkeys  C.A. Squirrel – endangered species; smaller size w/extremely long black-tipped tail; white mask and ears; very active fruit eater  Night monkeys – entirely nocturnal; tail not prehensile

Rainforest Mammals: Rodents  Agouti – diurnal; large & guinea pig- like; tailless; sit upright to eat seeds

Rainforest Mammals: Rodents  Paca – nocturnal; near water; like large agouti w/white stripes

Rainforest Mammals: Rodents  Capybara – diurnal; largest rodent in the world; aquatic; feeds on aquatic vegetation  Spiny rat – nocturnal; spines in fur; on forest floor  variegated squirrel – arboreal arboreal

Rainforest Mammals: Peccaries  Collared – smaller size and herds; pig-like; collar of hair at shoulder; roots for food  White-lipped – larger size and herd; white hair around mouth; eats larger hardened fruits (e.g. palm fruits)

Rainforest Mammals  Baird’s tapir – odd-toed ungulate; almost hairless; long proboscis; eat only vegetable matter; most active at night

Rainforest Mammals  Anteaters – sharp curved claws; long sticky tongue; long snout Northern tamandua – prehensile tail Northern tamandua – prehensile tail Giant anteater - large size; bushy tail Giant anteater - large size; bushy tail

Rainforest Mammals  Three-toed sloth  two-toed sloth

Rainforest Mammals: Raccoons & Relatives  Northern raccoon – longer pelage; lighter feet and legs  Crab-eating raccoon – shorter pelage; darker feet and legs  White-nosed Coati – highly pointed nose; holds faintly ringed tail straight up; omnivorous

Rainforest Mammals: Raccoons Relatives  Kinkajou – already discussed  Olingo – faintly ringed tail, not prehensile

Rainforest Mammals: Weasel Relatives  Tayra – black bushy tail  Grison – black face w/white stripe across forehead and ears; carnivore

Rainforest Mammals: Cats  Jaguar & Ocelot  Margay – small nocturnal spotted cat; climber; carnivorous  Jaguarundi – diurnal & common; not a climber; not spotted

Rainforest Mammals: Opposums  descent diversity exists in this group of marsupials due to adaptive radiation  Virginia, woolly, mouse, four-eyed, short bare-tailed, & water opposums

Rainforest Reptiles: Pitvipers  All are poisonous  Tend to be secretive and nocturnal  Not frequently encountered  Pits for detecting warm-blooded prey  Retractable fangs to deliver venom  Slit pupils  Many non-poisonous snakes in the neotropics will mimic pitvipers, so always err on the side of caution

Rainforest Reptiles: Pitvipers  Fer-de-lance – large (4-8 ft.); arrowhead-shaped head; tan w/dark brown diamond pattern; tend to night; extremely poisonous

Rainforest Reptiles: Pitvipers  Eyelash palm-pitviper – eye scales; highly variable in color; arboreal; prehensile tail; feeds on tree frogs, anoles & hummingbirds

Rainforest Reptiles: Pitvipers  Jumping pitviper – short & thick; alleged to hurl itself when threatened; venom not as potent as most

Rainforest Reptiles: Pitvipers  Bushmaster – largest pitviper in the world, ft.; often coil at bases of large trees; typically nocturnal

Rainforest Reptiles: Coral Snakes  Poisonous  Brightly colored red, yellow, & black bands  Small fangs to chew in venom  Neurotoxic venom  Round pupils  Active both day & night

Rainforest Reptiles: Boas  Non-poisonous  Constrictors  Elongated heads  Boa constrictor – larger (5-6 ft.)  Rainbow boa – smaller (3 ft.)

Rainforest Reptiles: Other Non-poisonous Snakes  Vine snakes – very thin; feed on lizards  Indigo snake – up to 10 ft. long; gloss black

Rainforest Reptiles: Other Non-poisonous Snakes  Chunk-headed snake – extremely thin w/big head & eyes; arboreal

Rainforest Reptiles: Lizards  Iguanas – large & common (already discussed)  Anoles – small; sharply pointed nose  Basilisk (JC lizard) – common; run fast up on hind legs

Rainforest Reptiles: Lizards  Tegus – some of largest lizards in neotropics; eat small animals (chickens) - common, northern, & red species - common, northern, & red species

Rainforest Reptiles: Lizards  Geckos – small, suction cup toes; extremely common, arthropod eaters

Rainforest Amphibians: Frogs  Tree frogs – small; arboreal; have suction cup toes; some camouflaged, some brightly colored - Gaudy leaf frog – one of most well known species - Gaudy leaf frog – one of most well known species

Rainforest Amphibians: Frogs  Poison dart tree frogs

Rainforest Amphibians: Frogs  Glass tree frog  Giant cane toad  Smokey frog

Rainforest Invertebrates: Insects  Termites – social; form massive colonies on trees; mutualism with protozoa  Army ants – already discussed

Rainforest Invertebrates: Insects  Giant tropical ant (bullet ant) – tend to be solitary; both terrestrial & arboreal; extremely potent sting

Rainforest Invertebrates: Insects  Giant tropical cockroach – very large; nocturnal; common near bat guano

Rainforest Invertebrates: Insects  Harlequin beetle – very large w/long antennae; wood borer

Rainforest Invertebrates: Insects  Rhinoceros beetle – very large; males w/long horn; wood-feeding grub

Rainforest Invertebrates: Insects  Lantern fly – very large; plant sap feeder; multiple defense mechanisms

Rainforest Invertebrates: Insects  Owl butterfly  Black witch moth

Rainforest Invertebrates: Insects  Blue morpho  Butterfly congregations at liquids

Rainforest Invertebrates: Other Arthropods  Forest floor millipede – non-poisonous; herbivore; repugnatorial glands  Peripatus – “velvet worms”; non-poisonous; capture prey w/glue

Rainforest Vertebrates: Birds  Oilbirds – nocturnal; cave dweller  Tinamou

Rainforest Vertebrates: Birds  Chachalaca –  Guan –  Curassow -

Rainforest Vertebrates: Birds  Toucan –