What kinds of plants and animals live in a rainforest?
Because of the temperate climate and lush habitat, the rainforest is jam-packed with all kinds of plants and animals — some which only exist in the rainforest and nowhere else on Earth. Scientists say that over 15,000 different animal and plant species can exist in a single acre of rainforest. There are over 75,000 types of trees growing in the rainforests today. Even with hardly any sunlight, and poor soil conditions, the forest floor is teeming with a variety of creatures including unusual species of beetles, termites, ants, centipedes, tarantulas and the creatures that eat them such as shrews, jaguars and other larger animals. Right above the forest floor, the understory is alive with activity from more animals and beautiful insects like the rare Saturn Butterfly. But the canopy has the most wildlife action, housing all kinds of animals including several species of chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, snakes, lizards, sloths, loris and more unusual animals like the endangered primate
