The understory is hot, damp, and the air is still. This part of the rainforest
is under the leaves but above the ground. The understory is a
tangle of shrubs, young trees, palms and woody plants that can
grown in the shade of the taller trees.
The small amount of light in the understory encourages the plants
to think of smart ways to survive.The leaves of many of the plants
are very large, so that they can absorb or soak in as much sunlight as possible.
The plants in this layer of the forest hardly ever grow higher
than twelve feet. |
Many houseplants are found in
this part of the rainforest (philodendrons, prayer plant, zebra
plants, and peace lily, for example). These plants can live in
your living room as well as the understory because both places
get little sunlight.
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| Philodendren |
Prayer Plant |
Zebra Plant |
Peace Lily |
Many
rainforest animals use camouflage.
They have colors and patterns that help them hide in the rainforest.
A moth may look like a leaf. A monkey may match the color of tree
bark. Big cats may have spots that blend into the shadows. Colorful
animals may hide high up in the forest.
Some
animals don't hide. Their colors warn others away. Poison
dart frogs can be blue, yellow,red or green. One touch of
their skin can kill. |
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The
passion vine butterfly is red, black and yellow. The colors
warn birds not to eat them. |
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