Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Microchiroptera are distributed worldwide. They are primarily insect eaters, but
also feed on fish, fruit, nectar, and blood.
The tropical rainforests of Australia and New Guinea, and to a lesser extent,
South America, house an additional group of mammals, marsupials. The Austral-
asia marsupials evolved and diversified after this region separated from the rest of
Gondwana. This isolation allowed for vast adaptive diversification found nowhere
else in the world. Marsupials found in the Neotropics are probably of more recent
origin.
Tropical rainforests have the highest diversity of birds of any biome; however,
the families represented and actual species found vary considerably among regions.
The Neotropical Rainforest is by far the richest in bird species, followed by the
Asian-Pacific and African regions. Different taxa (evolutionary groups) have
colonized and diversified in different geographic areas. Greater evolutionary age,
diversity of habitats, abundant resource, and the unique diversification of feeding
specializations have supported this great diversity of species. Because of the numer-
ous canopy layers, year-round availability of flowers, fruits, insects, nectar, and
other food sources, birds in the tropical rainforest show a vast array of forms and
behaviors. Ground-dwelling birds take advantage of the low-growing vegetation,
fallen fruits, insects, and other organisms in the fallen leaves and debris. These
birds include guans, curassows, tinanous, and chachalacas from the Neotropics;
peafowl, guinea fowl in Africa; and doves, peacocks, partridges, bowerbirds, and
cassowaries in the Asian Pacific.
Brightly colored birds such as parrots, macaws, toucans, and hummingbirds of
South America; touracos, starlings, sunbirds of Africa, cockatoos, and the amazing
birds of paradise found on Australia and New Guinea are some of the birds that
are flashes of brilliant colors as they fly through the forests. Other birds, such as
weaver birds of Africa and oropendolas of Central and South America, make their
nests as hanging baskets amid the tropical tree branches. A large number of other
birds, including predators such as eagles, goshawks, hawks, falcons, and owls com-
plete the diverse assemblage of tropical birds.
Reptiles and amphibians of the tropical rainforests, including snakes, lizards,
crocodiles, and frogs and toads, among others are found on the forest floor, as well
as high in the canopy. Tropical snakes include venomous snakes such as pit vipers,
cobras, and coral snakes, and constricting snakes such as pythons and boas
(including the anaconda), as well as reticulated and rock pythons, the largest
snakes in the world. Vine snakes and other tree snakes also travel through forest lit-
ter, tree branches, and among leaves, as well as in waterways. These are important
components of life and death in the rainforest.
Many lizards, including skinks, iguanas, geckos, basilisk lizards, and monitor
lizards (the largest lizards in the world), are found in tropical rainforests. Chame-
leons are found in Africa and Madagascar. Turtles and crocodiles inhabit the riv-
ers, swamps, and flooded forests.
Frogs are the most abundant amphibians in the rainforest. Tropical frogs are
most abundant in the trees, and relatively few are found near bodies of water or the
