The humid equatorial forests of Africa, South America, India are extremely rich and diverse in their flora and fauna. The fauna includes the inhabitants of several tiers - the high-rise floors of the forest.
Gilea - humid equatorial forest
Evergreen forests are located along the equator in narrow stripes. Here, multi-tiered trees stand like solid walls, under the crowns of which eternal twilight and stupefying humidity reign. The temperature in such forests is constantly extremely high, while the seasons here do not change at all. At any moment, a solid wall of torrential rain can collapse. That is why such a jungle is also called constantly rain. Alexander Humboldt gave them the name "gilea" - from the Greek word for "forest".
Some travelers of the past, having visited such a forest, called it "green hell".
Each of the plant and animal species found in the Gilea has its own "floor", a place of permanent habitation. There can be up to five "floors" in the forest.
Animal world
The lower tier is the least densely populated floor of the equatorial forest. It is home to insects, a variety of rodents, predators (including, for example, panthers, jaguars, leopards and other wild felines), as well as wild pigs and small ungulates. In India, elephants live here - they are smaller than African ones and are quite capable of moving under a low cover of trees.
By the way, just such a forest was described by Rudyard Kipling in the book "Mowgli". The boy, raised by wolves, grew up in Gilea.
Water snakes, crocodiles and hippos live in various and numerous bodies of water - lakes and rivers.
By the way, some rodents also live on higher tiers - they have special membranes between their limbs, allowing them to glide between trees.
A variety of birds live on all levels of the equatorial forest, ranging from tiny bright sunbirds to hornbills and huge turaco. Another feathered inhabitant of the equatorial forest is also very beautiful - the toucan with its bright yellow neck and red stripe on its beak. Birds of paradise with long colored tails and tufts do not lag behind in exoticism.
Most of all in the rain forests of all kinds of parrots. True, some (usually the most beautiful and unusual!) Of them are on the verge of extinction - mainly due to the activities of poachers.
Monkeys also live in the crowns of trees: chimpanzees, monkeys, gorillas, macaques, gibbons. They usually settle in flocks.
A variety of snakes also live in the equatorial forests. Among them are huge pythons, boas, anacondas, which can weigh up to 100 kilograms. Among them there are both viviparous and oviparous species.
