Rainforest

Judy and Katherine

We are learning about the rainforest. Rainforests are hot, steamy places were it rains a lot. Rainforests are the wettest areas of land in the world. More than 32 feet of rain may fall during a single year in some rainforests.

Rainforests are located in North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Australia. They are around the middle of the Earth close to the equator.

Many plants are in the rainforest. The kapok tree can be 150-200 feet tall and is a home to many animals. The lianas are woody vines in the rainforest. The bromeliad plant hangs its roots in the air from tree branches.

There are tons of animals in the rainforest! The jaguar lives in the rainforest habitat. He is the top predator in many rain-forests. Some monkeys live there, too. There are slothsthat live there and hang on tree branches. They move very slowly.

The agouti is an animal that has very sharp teeth. The agouti can crack open brazil nuts that are one of the hardest nuts in the world. He eats the nut and if he doesn’t finish it, he will dig a hole and bury the leftovers. Sometimes he forgets where they are and they grow into new trees. So the agouti gets food from the tree and he spreads the tree seeds.

We have learned that you can get medicines from the rainforest. The rainforest has 4 layers-the emergent layer, the canopy layer, the understory layer and the forest floor. The rainforest is an interesting place!