COME TO THE AMAZON AND ENJOY THE EXOTIC FLORA & FAUNA!
Plants
Dominant Plant Species
Orchids: Since the tropical rainforest is so diverse, there is not really specific dominant species. However, more than 20,000 species of orchids exist in the tropical rainforest. Tropical rainforest orchids grow on the trunks of trees and are found high in the rainforest canopy, these are called epiphytes. Some orchids grow on the forest floor, on rocks or slopes with good drainage or on the banks of a small stream. Other orchid species found in the tropical rainforest include the apricot orchid, fairy bells and jewel orchid.
Bromeliads: The bromeliads found in the rainforest are related to the pineapple family of plants. A bromeliad plant can be considered a little ecosystem because it is inviting to creatures of the forest who sometimes take up residence. The bromeliad has a thick, waxy leaf that forms an urn or bowl to catch rain. Bromeliads can hold gallons of water and can provide a sustaining environment for animals such as frogs, salamanders and the larvae of mosquitoes and flies. Bromeliads can also have colorful leaves.
Strangler figs: Strangler figs are considered “killer trees” and eventually wrap their roots around a host tree and suffocate it until the host dies. The strangler fig starts off as a seed in the high canopy of the tropical rainforest, and then its roots attach to the forest floor. After surrounding its host tree, the fig grows a crown of foliage that overshadows the tree, preventing sunshine from penetrating. The strangler fig tree avoids competition for light, which is a valuable resource in rainforests, by using the host tree. The hollow trunk of the strangler fig is an environment for many animals, including birds, reptiles and rodents. The fig tree also provides fruit, which is eaten by primates and birds as well as humans.
Animals
Herbivores
Howler Monkeys: Howlers live high up in the forest canopy. They eat fruits and nuts. They are eaten by jaguars and other large mammals, snakes, and humans.
Capybara: They are the world’s largest rodent. They live on the forest floor. They eat leaves and plants from the bottom of the water. Sharp teeth are adept to cutting off plants at ground level
Three-toed Sloth: The three-toed sloths eat only leaves. They are mainly eaten by eagles and jaguars. They are the slowest of all land animals—moving through the branches at one hundredth of a mile per hour! They like to hang upside down in cercropia trees and travel from the forest canopy to the forest floor.
Carnivores
Jaguar- The Jaguar is the largest and most powerful member of the Amazon cats, at the top of the food chain. They hunt close to water for large animals on the forest floor like peccary, deer, and capybara. They will also take birds, fish, turtles, and small mammals. They rarely venture into trees. This animal is so rare that it is estimated that there are only 200 total in the Amazon rainforest.
Green Anaconda- The green anaconda is at the top of the food chain and is one of the world’s largest snakes. They live on the banks of the Amazon river and spends time in water. They eat large rodents, small mammals, frogs, fish, and even crocodiles. Their only predator is man.
Black Tarantula- The black tarantula lives mostly in the understory layer. the black tarantula eats insects likes grasshoppers, millipedes, beetles, spiders, frogs, rodents and small birds. Its only real natural enemy is an insect known as the spider wasp.