One of the most recognizable tropical rain forest animals is the toucan, known for its bright colors. Toucans dine on fruit, frogs and insects. Toucans mostly hop from tree to tree and do very little flying. A less well-known bird is the great hornbill, which resides in Asian rain forests. This bird can be recognized by the large, pointy structure on the top of its head. Although at first the great hornbill's horn may look like a weapon, its only purpose is to help the animal make sounds.
Though you may be used to seeing dark green and brown frogs near your own home, the rain forest is home to frogs that are a little more colorful. One unusual animal is the poison dart frog, known for its neon blue coloring. These South American frogs can release poison to ward off predators. Unfortunately, this interesting animal is on the endangered species list. Red-eyed tree frogs are vibrant creatures that live in places such as Panama and Costa Rica. Red-eyed tree frogs feed on insects.
No rain forest would be complete without primates. One popular primate is the orangutan of the Indonesian rain forest. Orangutans can vary in size from as small as 60 pounds or as large as 250 pounds. These creatures are known for their burnt-orange coloring and ability to swing from trees. Another adorable critter is the South American spider monkey. This tiny animal consumes nuts and fruit.
Large cats are major carnivores of the rain forest. The attractive but vicious Bengal tiger lives in the rain forests of Asia. This feline is incredibly good at hunting and can take down elephants, monkeys and antelope. The black jaguar is a large cat of the South American rain forest. This animal is on the endangered species list. Even though black jaguars prey only on other animals as food and have little interest in humans, hunters continue to shoot these animals for recreation.
