Species Profile Amazonian Tapir (Taprius terestris) Sources Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclo- pedia of Rainforests. Con- necticut: Oryx Press, 2002. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. animaldiversity.ummz. umich.edu/ Club Tapir. www.tapirback. com/ photo © Katherine Davis Anatomy lifestyles, tapirs are difficult to see in the Amazonian tapirs (also known as lowland wild. Although they appear to be seden- or Brazilian tapirs) are one of the largest tary, tapirs are able to cover great dis- mammals found in South America. Weigh- tances in the forest. Adaptable to different ing in at anywhere between 350 and 600 habitats, tapirs may be found in swamp pounds, adult tapirs have rather corpulent and hillside areas, savanna, and in cloud bodies. Unusual in appearance, tapirs forests and rainforests. Preferring moist have thick necks, stumpy tails and large areas, they are often found near water- ears. Short trunks, used for lifting food ways where they can feed, rest and bathe. into their mouths, are also characteristic of the tapir. They are a tan to dark brown Diet color, and have a ridge with a fringe of hair Tapirs are browsing herbivores, feeding running along the backs of their necks. on herbaceous vegetation and fruits, with Baby tapirs are born with spotted and a particular affinity for bananas. As they striped coats for camouflage; this will swim well and can walk on pond bottoms, darken as the tapir ages. The three to four they will also feed on aquatic plants. toes on each foot are spread out to help them navigate on soft, muddy ground. Ta- Threats pirs have sharp senses of smell and hear- Being such a large mammal means also ing that are useful in evading predators. being a great source of protein for people. Tapirs are widely hunted by indigenous Habitat people in the forest. Although they are The Amazonian tapir is found in South rather large, tapirs are quite defenseless, America, from northern Colombia to and it is believed that pumas, jaguars and northern Argentina and southern Brazil on alligators may prey on small tapirs. Low the eastern side of the Andes Mountains. reproductive rates and habitat loss due to Tapirs are generally most active at night, deforestation have also diminished popu- although they are often active during the lations. Amazonian tapirs are considered a day. Known for their reclusive, solitary highly vulnerable species. www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum Species Profile Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) Sources Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclo- pedia of Rainforests. Con- necticut: Oryx Press, 2002. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. animaldiversity.ummz. umich.edu/ photo © Frank Wouters Anatomy Habitat The Amazon River dolphin averages about The Amazon River dolphin can be found in 6.5 feet in length. They come in all shades the Amazon River system and the Orinoco of pink, from a dull gray-pink, to rosy pink, River system, which flow throughout Bra- to a bright pink like that of the flamingo. zil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, This variation is due to water clarity; the Guyana and Peru. darker the water, the pinker the dolphin will be. The sun's rays cause the dolphins Diet to lose their pink pigmentation. Murky Amazon River dolphins eat more than 50 water helps to protect the dolphin's bright types of fish as well as crustaceans found hue. These animals are also know to flush on the river bottom and the occasional to a bright pink when excited. There are turtle. several anatomical differences between the Amazon River dolphin and other types Threats of dolphins. For one, Amazon River dol- Human activity is the main threat to the phins are able to turn their necks from Amazon River dolphin. Although these side to side, while most species of dol- dolphins have long been respected and phins cannot. This trait, coupled with the unharmed because of the local belief that ability to paddle forward with one flipper they have magical powers, these beliefs and backward with the other, helps them are changing. Some humans see them as maneuver when the river floods. These competition and kill them so they will not dolphins will actually swim up over the have to share the river's fish. The dolphins flooded land and their flexibility helps often become tangled in the nets of fisher- them to navigate around trees. Other men and die. Additionally, the building of characteristics that set them apart are hydroelectric dams in South American molar-like teeth that allow them to chew rivers, pollution, the loss of habitat and their prey and bristle-like hairs at the ends decrease in food sources all threaten this of their snouts that help them search for unique species of dolphin. food on the muddy river bottoms. www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum Species Profile Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) Sources Smithsonian National Zoological Park. national- zoo.si.edu/Animals/Birds/ Facts/FactSheets/fact- andeancondor.cfm Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. www.clemetzoo.com/rttw/ condor/allabt.htm Vulture Culture. www. vulture-territory.com/an- dean.html photo © Keven Law Anatomy ery two years among boulders or in caves The Andean condor is the national animal or holes. These places are typically harder of Colombia and one of the largest birds of for other predators to reach and offer their prey in the world, weighing as much as 20 eggs and chicks more safety. to 25 pounds. Adults can reach heights of four feet, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet. Diet Males are typically larger than females. Andean condors are scavengers and eat Andean condors are mostly black with a mainly carrion, or dead or decaying flesh. fluffy white collar around their neck and Their excellent eyesight allows them to white patches along their wings. These seek out dead or dying animals while hov- birds have bald grayish-red heads, and the ering high in the sky. They use their sharp, males have a fleshy lump at the front of curved beaks and claws to remove meat their heads called a caruncle. Their beaks from carcasses or weak animals. To clean are large and hooked, and they have large their bald heads after a meal, they scrape feet with sharp claws, allowing them to them along the ground to remove any food easily tear apart their meals. scraps. Baby animals and eggs are also oc- casionally part of the condor's diet. Habitat At one time, the Andean condor could Threats be found along the entire western coast The Andean condor was placed on the of South America from Venezuela to the Endangered Species List in 1973 and is in southern tip of Patagonia. Today, these danger of becoming extinct due primarily majestic birds inhabit only northern to over-hunting. Many farmers shoot these Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Argentina and birds because they mistakenly believe Chile. They spend their time in high moun- the condors kill their livestock. Pesticide tains, lowland deserts, open grasslands, poisoning through the food chain has also along coastlines and in alpine regions. Un- hurt populations. Thanks to the repopu- like many other birds, the condor doesn't lation efforts of many zoos, the Andean build nests, but lays its eggs only once ev- condor is beginning to make a comeback. www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum Species Profile Banana (Musa acuminata) northern Australia, and were brought to Sources South America by the Portuguese in the Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclo- early 16th century. Today, banana plants pedia of Rainforests. Con- grow in the humid, tropical regions of Cen- necticut: Oryx Press, 2002. tral and South America, Africa and South- east Asia, where there are high tempera- California Rare Fruit tures and rainfall. Modern agricultural Growers. www.crfg.org/ technologies also enable people to culti- pubs/ff/banana.html vate banana plants in non-tropical regions such as California in the United States. International Banana Association. Significance to Humans Grown in every humid, tropical region photo © Gemma Longman on Earth, bananas are the fourth larg- est fruit crop in the entire world and the most popular fruit in the United States. In Central and South America, bananas are vital to the economy. Most bananas sold in the United States originated there. Banana leaves are used worldwide as cooking materials, plates, umbrellas, seat pads for benches, fishing lines, clothing fabric and soles for inexpensive shoes. For much of Botany its history, the banana industry was noto- Contrary to popular belief, banana plants rious for environmentally destructive and are not trees but giant herbs, which reach socially irresponsible farming practices. their full height of between 10 and 20 feet As companies attempted to keep produc- after only a year. Every banana blossom tion high and costs low, they tended to develops into a fruit, which is ripe enough cultivate only single crops in their planta- for consumption after about three or four tions. The lack of biodiversity made the months. After producing fruit, the plants' plants susceptible to disease, which farm stems die off and are replaced by new managers controlled using frequent ap- growth. The number of bananas produced plications of pesticides that would leak by each plant varies. However, 10 or more into drinking water, pollute irrigation bananas growing together forms a “hand.” canals and endanger the health of workers, Banana stems have on average 150 “fin- their families and communities. In 1991, gers” and weigh nearly 100 pounds. The the Rainforest Alliance, along with local trunks of banana plants are not woody but nonprofit organizations, scientists and composed of sheets of overlapping leaves farmers, established the first standards for wrapped tightly around one another, a de- responsible banana production. Rainfor- sign feature that enables them to conserve est Alliance Certified™ farms are guaran- water. Because banana plants are approxi- teed to meet a rigorous set of standards mately 93 percent water, even moderate that protect wildlands and wildlife, soil winds can knock them down and destroy and water, reduce agrochemical use, and entire plantations. Powerful storms devas- improve the quality of life for farm work- tated banana crops throughout Honduras ers and their families. The environment when Hurricane Mitch swept through the and the communities surrounding Rainfor- country on October 26, 1998. est Alliance Certified banana plantations benefit from both on-farm improvements Habitat and off-farm recognition, setting the pace Bananas are indigenous to the tropical for the rest of the banana sector. portions of India, Southeast Asia and www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum Species Profile Blue Morpho Butterfly (Morpho peleides) Habitat Sources Blue morphos live in the tropical forests Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclo- of Latin America from Mexico to Colombia. pedia of Rainforests. Con- Adults spend most of their time on the necticut: Oryx Press, 2002. forest floor and in the lower shrubs and trees of the understory with their wings Earth's Birthday Project, folded. However, when looking for mates, Rainforest Exploration. the blue morpho will fly through all layers www.earthsbirthday.org/ of the forest. Humans most commonly see explore/teachers/ morphos in clearings and along streams infobluemorpho.htm where their bright blue wings are most visible. Pilots flying over rainforests have Saint Louis Zoo. www.stl even encountered large groups of blue zoo.org/animals/aboutthe morphos above the treetops, warming animals/invertebrates/ themselves in the sun. The blue morpho's insects/butterfliesand entire lifespan lasts only 115 days, which moths/bluemorpho.htm means most of their time is spent eating and reproducing. Diet The blue morpho's diet changes through- out each stage of its lifecycle. As a cater- pillar, it chews leaves of many varieties, Anatomy but prefers to dine on plants in the pea As its common name implies, the blue family. When it becomes a butterfly it can morpho butterfly's wings are bright blue, no longer chew, but drinks its food instead. edged with black. The blue morpho is Adults use a long, protruding mouthpart among the largest butterflies in the world, called a proboscis as a drinking straw to with wings spanning from 5 to 8 inches. sip the juice of rotting fruit, the fluids of Their vivid, iridescent blue coloring is a decomposing animals, tree sap, fungi and result of the microscopic scales on the wet mud. Blue morphos taste fruit with backs of their wings, which reflect light. sensors on their legs, and they "taste- The underside of the morpho's wings, on smell" the air with their antennae, which the other hand, is a dull brown color with serve as a combined tongue and nose. many eyespots, providing camouflage against predators such as birds and in- Threats sects when its wings are closed. When the Blue morphos are severely threatened blue morpho flies, the contrasting bright by deforestation of tropical forests and blue and dull brown colors flash, making it habitat fragmentation. Humans provide a look like the morpho is appearing and dis- direct threat to this spectacular creature appearing. The males' wings are broader because their beauty attracts artists and than those of the females and brighter in collectors from all over the globe who color. Blue morphos, like other butterflies, wish to capture and display them. Aside also have two clubbed antennae, two fore from humans, birds like the jacamar and wings and two hind wings, six legs and flycatcher are the adult butterfly's natural three body segments—the head, thorax predators. and abdomen. www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum Species Profile Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) Sources Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclo- pedia of Rainforests. Con- necticut: Oryx Press, 2002. Bromeliad Society International. www.bsi.org/ photo © Paul Burland Botany Habitat There are more than 2,700 species of Bromeliads are native to the Neotropics. bromeliads. One of the most well-known One species now thrives in western Africa, bromeliads is the pineapple. Bromeliads and is thought to have been introduced typically have bright red, orange, purple accidentally. or blue flowers, and can grow in a number of different ways: they can be terrestrial, Did You Know? growing on the ground; saxicolous, grow- Many bromeliads have stiff, overlapping ing on rocks; or epiphytic, growing on leaves which hold rainfall like buckets. other plants and trees. Epiphytic brome- Leaves and debris fall into these reser- liads have the ability to absorb nutrients voirs and help algae and other single- and moisture from the atmosphere, so celled organisms to grow, which in turn they are sometimes called "air plants." feed mosquitoes, insect larvae and other Hundreds of these plants can grow on organisms. The bromeliad is like a small branches of tropical trees, sometimes ecosystem in itself—animals such as tree causing the branches to break under their frogs, snails, flatworms, tiny crabs and weight. salamanders might spend their entire lives inside them. www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum Species Profile Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruviana) Sources Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclo- pedia of Rainforests. Con- necticut: Oryx Press, 2002. Ecology Info. www.ecology. info/cock-of-the-rock.htm Houston Zoo. www.houstonzoo.org/ photo © Panegyrics of Granovetter Anatomy not digest the seeds of their fruity meals. A beautiful orange crest adorns the head Instead, the seeds pass through their di- of the cock-of-the-rock and brilliant or- gestive tracts and are eventually scattered ange, black and white feathers cover its along the ground, making these birds back and wings. As with most birds, the extremely important seed dispersers. In female coloring is subtler. Their strong addition to fruit, cocks-of-the-rock eat claws and legs allow them to grip onto insects and small vertebrates. steep cliffs and rocks. Threats Habitat Many predators are attracted to the cock- Found in the Andes from Venezuela to of-the-rock's beautiful plumage. These Bolivia, the cock-of-the-rock lives only in include birds of prey such as eagles and mountainous regions and builds its nests hawks, puma and jaguars and even boa on the rocky surfaces of cliffs, large boul- constrictors. The loss of habitat, predomi- ders and caves. nantly from forestland being converted to farmland, is a major threat to the survival Diet of this brilliant bird. The cock-of-the-rock's diet consists mainly of fruit. Often, these colorful birds do www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum Species Profile Coffee (Coffea spp.) Sources Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclo- pedia of Rainforests. Con- necticut: Oryx Press, 2002. United States Department of Agriculture: "Coffea Arabica." www.fs.fed.us/ global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/ Coffea%20arabica.pdf Botany year. In every country in the world, people Though it can grow up to 30 feet tall, the are drinking coffee. The two economically coffee plant is considered to be a bush important species of coffee are C. Arabica or shrub. It may grow with a single stem, and C. Robusta. Coffee was traditionally but often it develops multiple stems by grown in the shade of trees. However, in branching at the base. The coffee plant is the 1970s, coffee farmers began planting an evergreen, with light gray bark and five- dwarf shrubs that produced higher yields inch leaves that are dark green and glossy. and required no shade, resulting in the Coffee flowers are small, white and fra- clearing of shade trees. But the dwarf grant, helping to attract pollinating insects. shrubs require fertilizers, pesticides and When the flowers fall off the plant, berries constant care. In addition, many species begin to develop in their place, ripening of migratory birds suffer as their winter from a dark green to a bright crimson. Two tropical habitat is converted from forests small green coffee beans, surrounded by to full-sun coffee farms. skin and pulp, are found inside the berry. It takes six to eight years of growth for a Did You Know? plant to be in full fruit production. Coffee Legend has it that the energizing effects plants can live to be 100 years old. of coffee were first discovered by a goat. Thousands of years ago in what is now Habitat Ethiopia, an Abyssinian herder noticed Coffee is a shade-loving plant that thrives that after his goats ate the bright red ber- in areas of high altitude, where there is a ries of the coffee plant, theybecame quite wet and dry season. Originating in Ethio- energetic. He showed his discovery to pia and Sudan, today more than two-thirds some monks at a nearby monastery, who is grown in Latin America. then brewed the berries into a beverage to keep them awake during evening prayers. Significance to Humans Thus, the first cups of coffee were born. Coffee is the second most valuable com- From Ethiopia, coffee spread across Ara- modity today in international commerce bia, and eventually found its way into cups after oil; $2 billion worth is traded every around the world. www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum Species Profile Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu) defensively, clack their intimidating teeth Sources and then charge. Even large predators University of Michigan such as coyotes may get scared off! Museum of Zoology. animaldiversity.ummz. Habitat umich.edu/ Collared peccaries are found in the south- ern United States (Arizona, Texas and New The Living Desert – Zoo & Mexico) and throughout Central America Gardens. www.livingdesert. to northern Argentina. They live in tropi- org/desert_animals_new_ cal rainforests except in the United States, sub_animal.html?id=18 where they live in desert habitats. Col- lared peccaries have very close social rela- Smithsonian National tionships and live in hierarchical herds Zoological Park. national of five to 15 members. They cannot with- zoo.si.edu/animals/ stand extremely cold temperatures, so northamerica/facts/ they huddle should to shoulder in caves or fact-peccary.cfm similar enclosures to keep warm. Females give birth to one to three young, avoid- Gilbert, Bil. August 1999. ing the herd for one day afterwards lest "Do Not Take the Javelina another herd member eats their young. Lightly." Smithsonian v30 Attracted by food handouts, some herds i5 p52. have moved to urban areas. photo © Andrew Anatomy Diet Culverston Collared peccaries, also called javelinas, Collared peccaries use their sensitive look a lot like pigs, but are actually part noses to root out food from underground, of a different family of mammals. Their including tubers, bulbs, nuts and fruits. coarse coat is a "salt and pepper" color Their complex stomachs enable them to with a hint of yellow on the cheeks. The eat poorly-chewed food that is rich in cel- white "collar" running around their lulose. Although they are mainly herbivo- shoulds and neck gives them their name. rous, some people believe they also con- Collared peccaries have a large, ovaloid sume insects, snakes and other animals. In head and a flat snot. They have sharp the desert, collared peccaries eat mostly straight tusks that fit tightly together. agave and prickly pear cacti, which have Their legs seem slender under their propo- high water content. tionally large body. Collared pecaries can grow up to 3.3 feet (one meter) long and Threats weigh 66 pounds (30 kg). A very social For centuries, collared peccaries were an species, collared peccaries make a lot of important meat source to people in Cen- noise—barking, grunting, purring, woof- tral and South America. In the southwest- ing and coughing—because they have ern U.S., they are hunted for sport. Wild strong hearing but poor vision and thus felines are their main natural predators. rely on vocalizations to communicate with However, those activities have a minor each other. These smelly creatures are impact on collared peccary populations sometimes called "musk hogs" because of compared to habitat loss to farms, pas- the odor they emit from glands located on tures and human developments. Frus- their rump and near their eyes. They use trated farmers organize collared peccary this scent to recognize other herd mem- extermination programs to protect their bers and to mark their territories. When crops. In the past, commercial sale of their threatened, they run away and scatter. On hid and meat in global markets reduced rare occasions they will stand together their populations significantly. www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum Species Profile Great Curassow (Crax rubra) Sources Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. www.fao.org/ Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclo- pedia of Rainforests. Con- necticut: Oryx Press, 2002. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. animaldiversity.ummz. umich.edu/ SalvaNATURA. April 1, 1999. "National Park: El Imposible National Park, El Salvador." www. salvanatura.org/index. php?option=com_content &task=view&id=51&Itemid =161 Anatomy The male curassow leads his family and photo © RK & Tina The great curassow is a 36-inch tall, whistles when there are signs of danger. hearty bird. All great curassows have a Females lay two eggs at a time. Curassows peak of forward-curling feathers on their are monogamous and travel in pairs or in heads and long tails. The base of the bill small groups. The group can communicate is yellow, decorated with a round yellow by grunting. Like chickens, they tend to bulge. The coloring of the females varies; run rather than fly. they can be black or chestnut-colored with black or white bars; their heads and Diet crests may be barred with black and white. The curassow finds its food by foraging on The males are a lustrous blue or black fallen fruits, berries and seeds. Addition- color and have white bellies. Although ally, they may scrape the ground in search they have low rates of reproduction, they of insects or small animals. are long-lived birds. Threats Habitat Deforestation of tropical forests is the While the range of the great curassow major threat to the survival of the great extends from southern Mexico to western curassow. Humans are a direct threat Ecuador, their habitat is usually limited to to the great curassow because the local parks. They build their nests of leaves and inhabitants hunt them for food. Besides twigs in forks and depressions in trees. humans, snakes are also their predators. www.rainforest-alliance.org/curriculum