Most animals that live in the
emergent layer of the rain forest can
jump, fly, or glide. One example is the
pygmy glider. This squirrel-like animal
has a flap of skin that extends
between its front and back legs.
When its legs are stretched out, the
pygmy glider can swoop from treetop
to treetop in search of insects to eat.
2 About half of the world’s species of
animals inhabit the canopy layer.
One species includes the extremely
slow-moving sloth. Sloths hang
upside down in trees and rarely leave
the canopy layer. Some don’t come
down for decades! Although scientists
estimate that fifty percent of the
world’s species of animals currently
live in this layer, they also suspect
that as rain forests have been cleared
for farming and development, some
species may have become extinct
before they were even discovered.
by Shawn Parcell
Animals of the
Rain Forest
Interim Assessment Unit 5
Unit 5 Interim Assessment 373
Emergent Layer
• Few trees, some as tall as 200 feet
• Most trees are hardwood broadleaved evergreens
• Trees get much sunlight; also high heat and strong winds
Canopy Layer
• Trees can be between 50 and 130 feet tall
• Branches spread out and form a canopy, or roof,
over the lower layers
• Gets much sunlight and rainfall
• About 90% of the plants and animals live in this layer
Understory Layer
• Up to 60-foot trees, vines, and shrubs packed in tightly
• Receives little sunlight
• Tangle of plants provides great camouflage for animals
living there
Forest Floor
• Moss, ferns, and a few types of plants live here
• Little to no sunlight gets through; shaded, unless a
large tree falls and opens a gap in the canopy
• Branches, leaves, seeds, and fruits decay on the
forest floor
3 The poison dart frog is a
surprising inhabitant of the
understory layer. Unlike most
understory inhabitants, this
thumbnail-size frog doesn’t depend
on camouflage for protection. Its
brilliant colors warn predators to
stay away. These tiny frogs possess a
powerful poison. An amount smaller
than a grain of salt can kill a person!
4 The largest and the smallest animals of the rain forest live on the
forest floor. Elephants, tigers, and jaguars live there along with millions
of tiny insects. Some insects, such as beetles, keep the forest floor clean
by eating decayed matter. Army ants also live on the floor. Colonies of
up to 700,000 army ants roam the forest floor in search of food. They will
attack and kill anything that moves. Army ants can eat a horse in only a
few hours
