Unusual Rainforest Creatures

The world’s rainforests are filled with special animals you can’t see anywhere else. Or can you? Check out your nearest zoo. Do any of these animals live there?

Do you think an EMPEROR TAMARIN is proud of its white droopy mustache? It’s the first thing you notice about this Amazon rainforest monkey. Weighing about one pound, they crawl out on the very tips of tree branches to reach food. Most animals are too big to do this. Tamarins are smart, playful, and very social. At bedtime, the family curls up together to sleep in a tree.

A kangaroo relative lives in trees. Really! When TREEKANGAROOS are on the ground, they are clumsy and slow moving. It’s a different story up in the branches of New Guinea rainforests. There, they are nimble and quick. They can leap up to 30 feet, jumping from tree to tree. Sharp claws help them climb and cling to limbs, and their long swinging tails help with balance.

The RHINOCEROS HORNBILL looks as if it has two beaks. It doesn’t. That interesting head ornament on its beak is a casque. It is hollow and makes this bird’s calls sound louder. And it’s curved, like a rhino’s horn. That’s how this hornbill got its name. These large birds are found in Southeast Asian rainforests. They spend their lives in the tops of large trees flying from one branch to another. Their wings can spread nearly five feet!

You now know that these exotic creatures live in rainforests. Have you discovered what else they have in common? See if you are right on page 30!