CHAPTER 1: The Emergent Layer and The Canopy
ANIMALS
THE EMERGENT LAYER The emergent layer is the uppermost layer of the rainforest. Here we find the tops of the tallest trees. These are trees of 40 metres (131 feet) or higher, which are tall enough to break out of the canopy into open sunshine. The tallest of them can reach up to 70 metres (230 feet). Of all the layers, the emergent layer receives the most sunlight, rainfall and wind.
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Animals that inhabit the emergent layer tend to be small and light, so that the slender branches at the top of trees can support them. Some animals live in both the emergent layer and the upper canopy. They include sloths, squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys and spider monkeys, as well as several species of bats, snakes and spiders.
