The emergent layer is the highest level of the forest. It is home to a very specialized group of animals. Few large animals make their home in the canopy, with the exception of the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja). The largest species of eagle in the world, the harpy eagle possesses a wingspan exceeding six feet in width and can weigh as much as twenty seven pounds. Feeding on sloths and various primate species, it is the largest animal species of the emergent layer. Several species of primate are also found in the emergent layer, including the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). Agile and swift, spider monkeys are named for the spidery appearance of their thin limbs and long, slender tails.
Characterized by the presence of thick foliage and dappled sunlight, the canopy layer of the forest has the greatest diversity of animals. Many species of frog dwell there, including the red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas). Small and strikingly colored, it has a bright green body with brilliant turquoise markings and reddish-orange eyes. Another common denizen of Belize's forest canopy is Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni). Known for its slow, deliberate movements and shaggy greenish fur, the sloth is offten the object of predators. The black howler monkey (Alouatta caraya), a large-bodied canopy primate, is known for its piercing call, which can be heard from over three miles away. Brilliantly colored, with a large ornate bill, the keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) is the national bird of Belize. A common sight throughout the country, it is found at altitudes of up to five thousand feet.
Windless and with little sunlight, the forest understory of Belize is home to many of its most iconic animals. The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large-bodied feline known for its spotted coat. Jaguars in Belize prey on a variety of animals, including deer, monkeys and peccaries, a species of wild pig. One of the most unusual animals of the understory is the white-nosed coati (Nasua narica). Related to raccoons, coatis are omnivorous animals that spend much of the day in trees foraging for insects, fruit and eggs. A relative of the coati, kinkajous (Potos flavus) are tree-dwelling mammals. Known for their honey-colored fur and prehensile tail, kinkajous are sometimes kept as pets.
Several remarkable animals dwell on the forest floor, including the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). The largest species of anteater, it can exceed seven feet in length and weigh as much as one hundred and fifty pounds. True to its name, the giant anteater feeds mostly on ants and termites, consuming up to forty thousand insects per day. Its long, shaggy coat helps protect it from angry swarms of biting ants, and its elongated nose is well-adapted to sniffing out ant colonies. Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is a large, piglike mammal. Once hunted for its meat, it is now a protected species on the island.
