Rainforest ABC’s

We are KNOWLEDGEABLE

To be KNOWLEDGEABLE means 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.

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 is 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

is for Bromeliad

… 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 cone-shaped 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

is for Epiphyte

… orchid and bromeliad air plants that hang on trees. Epiphyte air plants soak up food and water with their roots and leaves.

Sofia and 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 Angel and Anghy

is for Harpy Eagle

… 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 and Antonio

is for Kapok Tree

… 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

is for Marmoset

… 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 and Michaela

is for Nectar-Eating Bat

… 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

is for Porcupine

… 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

is for Quetzal

… 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 and Carolina

 

Is forRed 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

is for Sloth

… 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 and Samantha

is for Toucan

… 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 and Angela

is for Urania Moth

…. which is out in the daytime like most moths, making it diurnal. Each urania moth’s wings are 5 inches wide!

Michael

is for Eyelash Viper

…that lives in the canopy. It gets its name from the scales above each eye that look like eyelashes.

James

is for Weasel

… 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 and Elaine

is for X-ray Tetra Fish

… 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

is for Yapok

… 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

is for small-eared Zorro

…. that is an omnivore because it eats birds and fruits. The zorro is nocturnal so it has to adapt to seeing in the dark.

Karen and Adrian

HELP US SAVE THE RAINFORESTS OF

THE WORLD!