Rain forest report

Rain Forest Rain forests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with annual rainfall between 250 centimeters (98 in) to 450 centimeters (180 in). The monsoon trough, alternatively known as the intertropical convergence zone, plays a significant role in creating the climatic conditions necessary for the Earth's tropical rainforests.

Around 40% to 75% of all biotic species are indigenous to the rainforests. It has been estimated that there may be many millions of species of plants, insects and microorganisms still undiscovered in tropical rainforests. Tropical rainforests have been called the "jewels of the Earth" and the "world's largest pharmacy", because over one quarter of natural medicines have been discovered there. Rainforests are also responsible for 28% of the world's oxygen turnover, sometimes misnamed oxygen production, processing it through photosynthesis from carbon dioxide and consuming it through respiration.

The undergrowth in some areas of a rainforest can be restricted by poor penetration of sunlight to ground level. If the leaf canopy is destroyed or thinned, the ground beneath is soon colonized by a dense, tangled growth of vines, shrubs and small trees, called a jungle. There are two types of rainforest, tropical rainforest and temperate rainforest.

A natural rainforest emits and absorbs vast quantities of carbon dioxide. On a global scale, long-term fluxes are approximately in balance, so that an undisturbed rainforest would have a small net impact on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, though they may have other climatic effects (on cloud formation, for example, by recycling water vapour). No rainforest today can be considered to be undisturbed. Human induced deforestation plays a significant role in causing rainforests to release carbon dioxide, as do other factors, whether human-induced or natural, which result in tree death, such as burning and drought. Some climate models operating with interactive vegetation predict a large loss of Amazonian rainforest around 2050 due to drought, forest dieback and the subsequent release more carbon dioxide. Five million years from now, the Amazon rainforest may long since have dried and transformed itself into savannah, killing itself in the progress (changes such as this may happen even if all human deforestation activity ceases overnight). The descendants of our known animals may adapt to the dry savannah of the former Amazonian rainforest and thrive in the new, warmer temperatures.

Following species are available in our model Rainforest (made in 2013) as part of Project Biodiversity Park: Tapir, Crocodile, Pelican, Elephant, Hippopotamus, Guenon, Leopard and Three oed Sloth.

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Tapir Species Tapirus bairdii Tapirus indicus Tapirus pinchaque Tapirus terrestris A tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. The four species of tapirs are the Brazilian tapir, the Malayan tapir, Baird's tapir and the mountain tapir. All four are classified as endangered or vulnerable.

Their closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, including horses and rhinoceroses.

Size varies between types, but most tapirs are about 2 m (7 ft) long, stand about 1 m (3 ft) high at the shoulder, and weigh between 150 and 300 kg (330 and 700 lb). Their coats are short and range in color from reddish-brown to grey to nearly black, with the notable exceptions of the Malayan tapir, which has a white, saddle-shaped marking on its back, and the mountain tapir, which has longer, woolly fur. All tapirs have oval, white-tipped ears, rounded, protruding rumps with stubby tails, and splayed, hooved toes, with four toes on the front feet and three on the hind feet, which help them to walk on muddy and soft ground.

Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Perissodactyla Superfamily : Tapiroidea Family : Tapiridae, Gray, 1821 Genus : Tapirus, Br端nnich, 1772

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Crocodile Type species Crocodylus Laurenti, 1768

niloticus

Crocodiles (subfamily Crocodylinae) or true crocodiles are large aquatic tetrapods that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Crocodylinae, in which all its members are considered true crocodiles, is classified as a biological subfamily.

Although all crocodiles are anatomically and biologically similar; their size, morphology, behavior and ecology somewhat differs between species. However, they have many similarities in these areas as well.

All crocodiles are semiaquatic and tend to congregate in freshwater habitats such as rivers, lakes, wetlands and sometimes in brackish water and saltwater. They are carnivorous animals, feeding mostly on vertebrates such as fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, and sometimes on invertebrates such as molluscs and crustaceans, depending on species and age. All crocodiles are tropical species that unlike alligators, are very sensitive to cold.

Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus): Found in throughout Southeast Asia, The largest living reptile and most aggressive of all crocodiles. It is a big-headed species and has a relatively broad snout, especially when older. The coloration is pale yellow with black stripes when young but dark greenish-drab colored as adults. Lives in brackish and marine environments as well as lower stretches of rivers. This species has the greatest distribution of all crocodiles. Tagged specimens showed long-distance marine traveling behavior. It is the apex predator throughout its range and preys on virtually any animal within its reach. It is classified as Least Concern with several populations under greater risk Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Clade : Sauropsida Clade : Crocodylomorpha Order : Crocodylia Family : Crocodylidae Subfamily : Crocodylinae, Cuvier, 1807

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Pelican Type species Pelecanus onocrotalus Linnaeus, 1758 Pelicans are a genus of large water birds comprising the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and large throat pouch used in catching prey and draining water from the scooped up contents before swallowing.

The eight living pelican species can be divided into two groups, one containing four ground-nesters with mainly white adult plumage (Australian, Dalmatian, Great White, and American White Pelicans), and one containing four grey or brown plumaged species which nest preferentially either in trees (Pink-backed, Spot-billed and Brown Pelicans), or on sea rocks (Peruvian Pelican).

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus, Temminck, 1824): Length 1.60–1.90 m (5.2–6.2 ft), wingspan 2.5–3.4 m (8.2–11 ft), weight 4–8.2 kg (8.8–18.1 lb).[40] Predominantly white with black along primaries and very large, pale pink bill.

The diet of pelicans usually consists of fish, which can be up to 30 cm (1 ft) long, but amphibians, turtles, crustaceans and occasionally birds are also eaten. Aquatic prey is most commonly taken at or near the water surface. In deep water, white pelicans often fish alone.

Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Aves Order : Pelecaniformes Family : Pelecanidae, Rafinesque, 1815

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Elephant Genera Loxodonta Elephas Elephants are large mammals of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea.

Traditionally, two species are recognised, the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), although some evidence suggests that African bush elephants and African forest elephants are separate species (L. africana and L. cyclotis respectively). Elephants are scattered throughout subSaharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Elephantidae are the only surviving family of the order proboscidea; other, now extinct, families of the order include mammoths and mastodons. The largest living terrestrial animals, male African elephants can reach a height of 4 m (13 ft) and weigh 7,000 kg (15,000 lb). All elephants have several distinctive features the most notable of which is a long proboscis or trunk used for many purposes, particularly for grasping objects. In addition to their trunks, their incisors grow into tusks, which serve as tools for moving objects and digging and as weapons for fighting. The elephant's large ear flaps help to control the temperature of its body. African elephants have larger ears and concave backs while Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or level backs.

The African bush elephant can be found in habitats as diverse as dry savannahs, deserts, marshes, and lake shores, and in elevations from sea level to mountain areas above the snow line. Forest elephants mainly live in equatorial forests, but will enter gallery forests and ecotones between forests and savannahs. Asian elephants prefer areas with a mix of grasses, low woody plants and trees, primarily inhabiting dry thorn-scrub forests in southern India and Sri Lanka and evergreen forests in Malaya. Elephants are herbivorous and will eat leaves, twigs, fruit, bark and roots. African elephants are mostly browsers while Asian elephants are mainly grazers. They can consume as much as 150 kg (330 lb) of food and 40 L (11 US gal) of water in a day. Elephants tend to stay near water sources.

Major feeding bouts take place in the morning, afternoon and night. At midday, elephants rest under trees and may doze off while standing. Sleeping occurs at night while the animal is lying down.

Because of their large size, elephants have a huge impact on their environments and are considered keystone species. Their habit of uprooting trees and undergrowth can transform savannah into grasslands; when they dig for water during drought, they create waterholes that can be used by other animals. They can enlarge waterholes when they bathe and wallow in them.

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Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Subphylum : Vertebrata Class : Mammal Superorder : Afrotheria Order : Proboscidea Family : Elephantidae, Gray, 1821

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Hippopotamus Binomial name Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus, 1758[2] The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse", is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other is the pygmy hippopotamus). After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl.

The hippopotamus is semiaquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of five to 30 females and young. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land.

Hippos are recognizable by their barrel-shaped torsos, enormous mouths and teeth, nearly hairless bodies, stubby legs and tremendous size.

Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Artiodactyla Family : Hippopotamidae Genus : Hippopotamus, Linnaeus, 1758 Species : H. amphibius

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Guenons Type species Simia Linnaeus, 1758

diana

The guenons are the genus Cercopithecus of Old World monkeys. Not all the members of this genus have the word "guenon" in their common names, and because of changes in scientific classification, some monkeys in other genera may have common names that do include the word "guenon".

Nonetheless, the use of the term guenon for monkeys of this genus is widely accepted.

All members of the genus are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, and most are forest monkeys.

Many of the species are quite local in their ranges, and some have even more local subspecies. Many are threatened or endangered because of habitat loss. The species currently placed in the genus Chlorocebus, such as vervet monkeys and green monkeys, were formerly considered as a species in this genus, Cercopithecus aethiops.

These monkeys played a significant role in the movie “Hunger Games: Catching Fire�.

Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Primates Family : Cercopithecidae Subfamily : Cercopithecinae Tribe : Cercopithecini Genus : Cercopithecus, Linnaeus, 1758

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Leopard Binomial name Panthera (Linnaeus, 1758)

pardus

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a member of the Felidae family with a wide range in some parts of Africa and tropical Asia, from Siberia, South and West Asia to across most of sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List because it is declining in large parts of its range due to habitat loss and fragmentation, and hunting for trade and pest control. It is regionally extinct in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuwait, Syrian Arab Republic, Libya and Tunisia.

The species' success in the wild is in part due to its opportunistic hunting behavior, its adaptability to habitats, its ability to run at speeds approaching 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph), its unequaled ability to climb trees even when carrying a heavy carcass, and its notorious ability for stealth. The leopard consumes virtually any animal that it can hunt down and catch. Its habitat ranges from rainforest to desert terrains.

Leopards show a great diversity in coat color and rosettes patterns. In general, the coat color varies from pale yellow to deep gold or tawny, and is patterned with black rosettes. The head, lower limbs and belly are spotted with solid black. Coat color and patterning are broadly associated with habitat type.

Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Carnivora Family : Felidae Genus : Panthera Species : P. pardus

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Three Toed Sloth The three-toed sloths are tree-living mammals from South and Central America. They are the only members of the genus Bradypus and the family Bradypodidae. The four living species of three-toed sloths are the brown-throated sloth, the maned sloth, the palethroated sloth, and the pygmy three-toed sloth.

Three-toed sloths are about the size of a small dog or a large cat, with the head and body having a combined length of around 45 cm (18 in) and a weight of 3.5–4.5 kg (8–10 lb). Unlike the two-toed sloths, they also have short tails of 6–7 cm (2–3 in), and they have three clawed toes on each limb. They are frequently referred to as three-toed sloths, but all sloths have three toes; the difference is found in the number of fingers, meaning they are now more appropriately referred to as three-fingered sloths.

Although they are quite slow in trees, three-toed sloths are agile swimmers. The offspring cling to their mother's bellies for around 9 months or so. They cannot walk on all four limbs, so they must use their front arms and claws to drag themselves across the rain forest floor. The three-toed sloth, unlike most other mammals, does not fully maintain a constant body temperature, and this limits it to warm environments.

The three-toed sloth is arboreal (tree-dwelling), with a body adapted to hang by its limbs. It lives high in the canopy, but descends once a week to defecate on the forest floor. Its long, coarse, grayish-brown fur often appears greenish, not due to pigment, but to algae growing on it. The sloth’s greenish color and its sluggish habits provide an effective camouflage: hanging quietly, the sloth resembles a bundle of leaves. Large curved claws help the sloth to keep a strong grip on tree branches. They move between different trees up to four times a day, although they prefer to keep to a particular type of tree, which varies between individuals, perhaps as a means of allowing multiple sloths to occupy overlapping home ranges without competing with each other.

Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Pilosa Suborder : Folivora Family : Bradypodidae Genus : Bradypus, Linnaeus, 1758

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# Report by: Arnab Basu, Project Leader, Biodiversity modeling project, Team Exploring Nature. # This report is a sole property of Team Exploring Nature a can’t be used partially or fully without Proper prior permission.

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