What Kinds of Animal Adaptations Are There in a Rain Forest?

Bird Beak Sizes

• One interesting adaptation among rain forest birds is the size of their beaks. According to an article in New Science, the size of a bird's beak is related to the temperature of the climate, with birds releasing most of their body heat through their beaks. Since rain forests have very hot temperatures, they also are home to birds with some of the largest beaks. The toucan, for example, has a colorful beak that grows to about 7.5 inches long. In addition, the beak is an adaptation that allows toucans to reach for and cut up pieces of fruit.

Camouflage

• Camouflage is an important adaptation for many rain forest animals. The dense arrangement of vegetation offers a place for animals to hide and with the help of camouflage adaptations they can become nearly invisible. One of the larger animals with this adaptation is the sloth. Their slow movements make it difficult for them to outmaneuver predators. However, they have adapted to allow algae to grow on them. This blue-green algae allows them to blend in with the surrounding vegetation. Insects have also adapted to look like sticks and thus blend in to the vegetation as well.

Bright Colors

• Adaptations involving bright colors are used for various reasons. One of these is to attract mates. Many male birds in the rain forest display bright colors to attract females, often using them in conjunction with movements or mating calls. Other animals display bright colors as a warning to other animals, announcing that they are poisonous. The poison dart frog, which comes in bright blue, orange, yellow and other colors, is one example. Another is the coral snake, which has a bright red, yellow and black coloration.

Canopy Life

• Many animals in the rainforest adapt to live in the canopies of trees. Some monkeys, for instance, are equipped with prehensile tails to more easily maneuver through the branches. The sloth has long claws that allow it to hold onto branches, from which they spend most of their life hanging upside down. It is also one of the few mammals adapted to eat only leaves. They have a large stomach and a large body, but still are able to support themselves among the canopy.