Ra i nfor est ABC’s
To be KNOWLEDGEABLEmeans to have spent time exploring areas which have global significance and importance. In our rainforest Unit of Inquiry we have acquired knowledge about plants and animals and what we should do to care for rainforests as they are considered to be the world’s lungs and many of our plants, animals, and medicines come from the rainforest.
is for Anaconda
… which are the biggest snake in the world when both weight and length are considered. It can stay underwater for as long as 10 minutes without coming to the surface to breathe.
Finn and Kaitlyn
i s for Br omel i a d
…plants that grow in the canopy layer of the rainforest. The bromeliad is home to many rainforest animals such as tree frogs, lizards and tadpoles.
Maico and Macarena
is for Cacao
trees that grow in the canopy layer of the rainforest. Ecuador is one of the largest producers of cacao. Cacao pods contain seeds, often called seeds of gold that will be used to make the chocolate that we all LOVE.
‌
Jose Antonio and Julia
is for Dolphin
… which have coneshaped teeth with sharp points that help them hold their prey. They weigh between 250 and 300 pounds, that’s as heavy as 5 kids!
Gian and Mitchell
i s for Epi phyte
…orchid and bromeliad air plants that hang on trees. Epiphyte air plants soak up food and water with their roots and leaves.
Sofia, Julia
Is for frogs
…whose skin is slimy making it almost impossible for the predators to catch. Did you know there are 100 different species of frogs in the Amazon? My favorite is the Red-Eyed Tree Frog.
Tyler and Vicky
is for Gorilla
… they eat fruit and have incredible eye sight. Gorillas compete with each other to determine who is the best gorilla around.
Miguel, Anghy
i s for H a r py Ea gl e
‌it is among the world’s largest and most powerful birds in the world. It is a carnivore and it eats monkeys and sloths.
Eddie
Is for iguana
…who live on the forest floor and are masters of adaptation changing to survive in their surroundings. Iguana mothers lay their eggs and then leave them to hatch and survive on their own.
Romina and Liam
is for Jaguar
… that have a jaw larger and more powerful than a leopard’s. The word jaguar comes from the Indian word yaguar, which means “he who kills with one leap”.
Isabel, Antonio
i s for Ka pok T r ee
‌that can grow from 45 to 100 feet tall, the strangler fig wraps itself around your trunk, eats your food and slowly squeezes you to death to be able to reach up to the sunlight.
Domenica
Is for Leaf Cutter Ants
‌traveling in long lines across the forest floor carrying leaves, flowers and grasses 10 times their own body weight. These fungus farmers live in an underground colony with a MILLION of their family members.
Laura and Rafael
i s for M a r moset
‌the smallest monkey in the world. It is important for them to be able to climb trees because their favorite food is tree sap.
Juan Esteban, Michaela
i s for N ecta r -Ea ti ng Ba t
‌that comes out at night and feeds on pollen from the blooming Kapok tree and other trees. You use echolocation to help you find things in the dark.
Andres
Is for Ocelot
‌that lives in the canopy layer of the rainforest sleeping during the day and hunting at night. Ocelots have a special vision that lets them see better at night. They also have good sense of smell but not as good as dogs.
Salome and Sebastian
i s for
…which eats bark, leaves, buds, stems, fruit, and sometimes crops, which makes them herbivores. Porcupines are nocturnal, sleeping in the day and playing at night!
Jose David and Renato
i s for Quetza l
‌that eats mostly fruit, but also worms, frog, insects, and snails. It makes its nests in rotten trees and lays 1 to 2 light blue eggs.
Ciaran, Carolina
Is for Red Howler Monkey
…who uses it tail to stay up in the rainforest canopies of Central and South America munching on leaves. Up to 3 miles away you can hear these bearded monkeys howling to warn other animals to stay out of their territory.
Ari and Isabela
i s for Sl oth
‌the slowest mammal on earth; it might take a sloth a month to digest one meal! The sloth has algae on its fur to blend into the trees and hide from its predators.
Mimi, Samantha
i s for T ouca n
‌that eats mostly fruit, but also bird eggs, insects and tree frogs. Its bill is brightly colored and up to one-third of its body length.
Gary, Angela
i s for U r a ni a M oth
‌. which is out in the daytime like most moths, making it diurnal. Each urania moth’s wings are 5 inches wide!
Michael
i s for Eyel a sh Vi per
‌that lives in the canopy. It gets its name from the scales above each eye that look like eyelashes.
James
i s for Wea sel
‌that may kill more than it needs to store it for later. When an animal or human chases the weasel it will chase the black tip of its tail and not be able to catch all of the weasel’s body; this is their defense.
Lydia, Elaine
i s for X-r a y T etr a Fi sh
‌that lives in clear water streams during the dry season. The transparency of its skin helps protect it from its predators since it is hard to spot.
Kelly, Jose Miguel
i s for Ya pok
‌a water possum that spends most of its time in the water. The female carries its baby in its pouch, which has a muscle that contracts to keep water out so her babies don’t drown.
Isabella and Juan Manuel
i s for sma l l -ea r ed Zor r o
‌. that is an omnivor e because it eats bir ds and fr uits. T he zor r o is noctur nal so it has to adapt to seeing in the dar k .
Kar en, Adr ian
H ELP U S SAVE T H E RAI N FOREST S OF TH E WORLD !