11.

Golden Lion Tamarin

This bizarre animal is actually a monkey that derives its name from the great cats
because of its impressive mane. It is comprised of abundance thick rings of beautiful
golden hair surrounding its respectable and charismatic black face. The Golden Lion
Tamarin can grow 6 to 10 inches long, while its tail can be even longer at 12 to 15
inches! Females often give birth to twins where the male fathers play a critical role in
caring for the babies, carrying their offspring on their back in between feedings. They
sleep in tree holes during the night and is active during day time, living in groups of 2
to 8 which constitutes their families, and make use of scent marks or songs for making
their presence known on their territories.

10. Anaconda

The world's largest and heaviest, most powerful snake, and may be the most famed as
well, the Anaconda can grow as long as 30 feet and weigh up to 550 pounds! They grow
constantly their entire lifetime in this case, eating about 40 pounds of prey every day as
small meals, while larger meals that they swallow whole can satisfy them for a few
weeks. A female anaconda is typically larger and gives birth to live young which count
20 to 40 little anacondas that are each 2 feet long!

9. Peanut Head Bug

Also known as the lantern fly, flying snake, alligator bug, or snake cicada, among many
other names, the peanut head bug is deemed a mysterious creation. Weird as it looks,
this insect has a head that closely resembles an unshelled peanut! It has an enlarged
head with a bulbous protuberance popping on it, which even scientists are uncertain of
what it does. They believe that it can possibly mimic a lizard's head to pave the way
towards escaping predators. It's wings are unique in a way that the spots appear like an
owl's eyes. Some myths say that it's bite can be deadly depending on the mood of
these wings. Truth is, the peanut head bug would be apparently defenseless in itself
and is simply a harmless plant-hopper.

8. Glass Frog

As its name implies, the skin of the glass frog is translucent though it is mostly lime
green. You can actually see its abdomen, heart, liver, and various other organs if you
care to look, as if you have been granted X-Ray vision! These queer creatures
themselves couldn't care less about their young, leaving eggs atop the leaves of trees
overhanging the river, such that the tadpoles freely flow from the trees and directly into
the water upon hatching.

7. Jesus Lizard

This reptile is not really bizarre in terms of performing miracles, but is called Jesus
Lizard for being able to run on water! Catholic explorers found it similar to the Gospel
story of Jesus who walked on the waters of the Sea of Galilee. When fleeing from
predators, it can literally run on the surface of water such as a pond or stream at a
speed of 5 miles per hour, and for up to a distance of 20 meters. This common basilisk
can do this incredible stunt with its toes that possess a special webbing, allowing it to
stand upon its two hind feet.

6. Kinkajou

The kinkajou, a relative of he raccoon, have a furry golden skin and a tail designed to
grip branches. More commonly known as bear-monkey, honey bear or lion monkey, the
Kinkajou is rarely seen due to being a nocturnal creature which clings on the top of
trees, sticking their 5-inch long tongues out for picking hanging ripe fruits. They love to
drink the nectar of flowers and has a diet consisting of 90 percent fruits, but still, they
are considered carnivores. They are sometimes kept as pets even when they can be
dangerous to their owners for potentially carrying the roundworm parasite.

5. Sloth

One of the most unusual animals on earth, the Sloth is known for being the slow animal.
This mammal is lagging in everything, from its movement which entails sleeping for 10
hours a day and bulging only as necessary, to its metabolism which can take their
bodies a month to digest food! Moreover, a sloth's main diet is mostly only leaves
chewed by it's tongue that is around 10 to 12 inches long. It's not surprising that twothirds of their whole body is made up of the contents of their stomach! Their body
temperature is really low at only 86 degrees Fahrenheit (merely 30 degrees Celsius).

4. Poison Dart Frog

The poison dart frog, contrary to its name, may not be deadly at all, as only 3 species
are actually lethal, of which the golden poison arrow frog is the most dangerous. Set
aside this possibility, they look vibrant and attractive arriving in a myriad of colors
including the aforementioned gold, yellow, red, copper, green, black or blue which they
utilize in a tactic to ward off predators called aposematic coloration.

3. Amazon River Dolphin

The most famous inhabitants of the Amazon River is no other than the Amazon River
Dolphin, or Boto, which looks pretty in pink and can grow even bigger than humans!
Their distinct color is said to be due to their blood capillaries located near the surface of
the skin. What's more interesting is that legend tells of these fascinating creatures
transforming themselves into the form of a man at nighttime, to hypnotize their
prospect of young and beautiful woman!

2. Macaw

Native to the jungles of South America, Macaws are social birds usually seen traveling
in flocks in sizes of 10 to 30 of them each, and are loyal to their lifelong mates. They
are beautifully colored birds that hold a vibrant plumage. Their beaks are quite powerful
and can effortlessly crack nuts and seeds, while their scaly tongues are dry and
contains a bone, which is mostly used for tapping into fruits. Some macaws can even
mimic human speech!

1. Jaguar

Thought to be the real king of the jungle, the jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas,
though it ranks third in the entire world, behind only the lion and tiger. Their spots,
which highly resemble roses, render them distinctive from other big cats, A jaguar has
the strongest bite force of all of these predatory felines, with its incredibly powerful
jaws incomparable to those of any other cat. With this bite, the jaguar is found
possessing the capability of piercing a skull and breaking a sea turtle's shell. This
animal is a solitary killer, and will typically scale and climb trees to use as a vantage
point when hunting prey prior to pouncing upon their targets.

here are 10 amazing rainforest plants that will blow your mind and get you
reacquainted with our planet.

1. BANANA

Youre probably thinking I know all there is to know about bananas; I eat them for
breakfast and can make delicious banana bread. Well, there is more to bananas
then eating them. Even though they grow on trees, bananas are not trees, but giant
herbs. After a year, they reach their full height of anywhere between 10 and 20
feet. The blossoms eventually bloom into a fruit, where they then ripen and are
used for sustenance. Banana stems can weigh nearly 100 pounds and are about
93 percent water.

Habitation: Found in Central America, South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and
non-tropical regions like the United States thanks to modern agricultural
technologies.

2. ORCHID

Known for their beauty, orchids are the largest family of plants in the world. The
species varies greatly in weight and size with some petals getting as long as 30
inches, and flowers growing up to 14 feet long. They also come in every color,
except black. They grow on rocks, in the soil, underground and on other plants and
trees, all while relying on certain insects or birds for pollination.

Habitation: Extremely adaptable and grows in most climates with the majority
being found in Central America, South America and in countries along the Andes
Mountains.

3. COFFEE

What would you do if you couldnt have that cup of coffee in the morning? Ugh, that
would be awful. Well you can thank the coffee plant of the rainforest for your jolt of
caffeine every day. It can grow as tall as 30 feet, but is considered a bush or shrub.
From the picture they look like grapes, but those are berries containing two coffee
beans inside. It takes an amazing six to eight years for the plant to be in full
production and coffee plants can live up to 100 years old.
Habitation: Prefers high altitudes for shade with a wet and dry season. Originated
in Ethiopia and Sudan and now more than two-thirds grow in Latin America.

4. BRAZIL NUT TREE

Towering above all the other trees in the Amazon Rainforest, the Brazil nut tree can
reach over 160 feet. Known for its production of the Brazil nut, these delectable
delights are produced inside fruit the size of a baseball and can weigh up to five
pounds. The exterior layer of the fruit is so hard only the agoutis, a large rodent
with sharp teeth, can break it open. The tree relies on the agoutis, bees and other
rainforest plants for survival. Imagine if these species disappeared!
Habitation: Located in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela,
Ecuador and Peru.

5. POINSETTIA

The poinsettia is mostly seen around Christmastime in the United States. This
beautiful plant actually grows in the rainforest in the form of a bush or tree. Who
knew?! One would think the colorful part of the plant is the petals, but they are
actually the leaves. The flowers are the small, yellow stalks in the middle of the
leaves. The poinsettia comes in red, white, pink and bicolor. Also, to clear up
rumors, they are not poisonous, even though some believe this is so. Thank
goodness its not, since its the number-one flowering potted plant in the US!
Habitation: Native to the tropical forests in Mexico and Central America.

6. CACAO

When we see the word cacao we associate it with chocolate, but its a little more
complicated than that. The cacao tree is an evergreen, which grows a pod
containing 20 to 60 reddish-brown cocoa beans. When harvested, it takes
anywhere from seven to 14 pods to produce one pound of dry cocoa beans, which
is turned into delicious chocolate. Its important for cacao to be harvested
sustainably, since chocolate is in very high demand.
Habitation: Grows below altitudes of 1,000 feet in an area that receives about 4
inches of rain per month, originated in the lowland rainforests of Amazon River
basins and can now be found in southern Mexico.

7. RUBBER TREE

Reaching as high as 130 feet, the rubber tree is recognized for its milky white sap,
or commonly called latex. Yes, the rubber tree is used to make rubber. Who would
have thought? Sometimes called rubberwood, the tree is tapped for latex at sixyears-old and reproduces by scattering its seeds as far as 100 feet from itself.
Habitation: Located in the Amazon region of South America including Brazil,
Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

8. HELICONIA

This colorful plant has 40 different species with paddle-shaped leaves that are part
of the banana family. In addition to being called heliconia, it is also referred to as
lobster claws or parrot flowers. The plant structure has bracts, which is a colorful
leaf that comes in pink, orange, yellow, green, purple or red. Bracts actually hide
the plants flowers tucked inside of them, protecting the nectar so only certain
birds, like the hummingbird, can reach it. Butterflies also enjoy the sweet nectar.
Habitation: Found in the Neotropics including southern Mexico, Central and South
America and the West Indies.

9. SAPODILLA

This strong, wind-resistant tree has an extensive root system and a famous bark
that contains a white, gummy sap called chicle. The egg-shaped fruit contains a
grainy yellow fruit inside that when eaten tastes like a pear. Considered the best
fruit in Central America, even rainforest mammals, like howler monkeys, find the
fruit delicious. The first chewing gum was even created from the sapodilla by the
Mayans and Aztecs!
Habitation: Native to southern Mexico, Belize and northeastern Guatemala.

10. BROMELIAD

Bromeliad seems like a complex word and plant, but its really not. Bromeliads
contain more than 2,700 species that grow on the ground, on rocks and on other
plants and rocks. These beautiful plants have bright colored flowers ranging from
reds to oranges to purples and to blues. One of the most common bromeliad is a
sweet, wondrous fruit. What is it? The pineapple! Bromeliads are even sometimes
homes for tree frogs, snails and salamanders where theyll stay for their entire
lives.
Habitation: Found in the Neotropics including southern Mexico, Central and South
America and the West Indies. One species is also found in western Africa.
Some of our favorite foods and plants come from the rainforest; thats why its so
important to preserve the rainforest in a respectful and sustainable manner.
Imagine living without bananas, chocolate and beautiful orchids and poinsettias.