Forests

A forest is a land habitat dominated by the growth of trees, although other kinds of plants also thrive in it. There are forests in almost all parts of Earth, such that about six percent of the planet is made up of forested areas. Because of the rich sources of food, water, and shelter that are found in a forest, this habitat is home to various species of animals and plants.

As its name implies, a rainforest is a kind of forest characterized by the high amounts of rainfall that it receives. Because of the generous moisture in a rainforest, a diverse collection of plant and animal life is found in it. This accounts for about 50 percent of the animal and plant species on Earth.

The Greater Mekong rainforest in Asia, for one, is home to animals that range in size from huge rhinoceroses and elephants to tigers and gibbons to tiny millipedes. The Amazon River rainforest in South America boasts of a rich animal life that includes jaguars, elephants, giant anteaters, eagles, poisonous frogs, and toucans. To this day, new animal species are being discovered in rainforests.