6 Rainforest

RainForests

In the rainforest. Tropical rainforests are thick, leafy jungles. They grow in warm places where it rains a lot. Many different plants, animals and people live in them.

Towering trees. Plants and trees need sunlight to grow. The branches of the tallest trees are spread out so that their leaves get plenty of sunlight. This layer is called the canopy. Some of the biggest trees in rainforests are over 1,000 years old.

Less sunlight reaches this layer. It is called the understorey. The plants here have big leaves to catch as much light as they can. The forest floor is dark, so there aren't many plants.

Canopy climbers. The canopy layer is full of life. Some of the animals that live there never go down to the forest floor. Sloths have long, sharp claws that help them hang from branches. They move very slowly and spend most of their lives asleep.

Howler monkeys gather in groups at the tops of the trees. They hang from their tails, and pick fruit and leaves to eat. They howl loudly to warn other monkeys to keep away. Aye-ayes have long middle fingers that they use to pull bugs out of branches.