Tropical Rainforest Animals

There are a lot of species of tropical rainforest animals.
Tropical rainforests are ecosystems with lots of heat and rain.
Although plants thrive very well in this biome, animals need to be adapted to the amount of heat and humidity.


Tree Frog. Poster by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy

Frogs and Reptiles
Amphibians and reptiles are ectothermic (so called cool-blooded) animals, and they thrive very well in hot climates. In Australian tropical rainforests, we have Green Tree Frogs (Litoria caerulea), New Guinea Tree Frogs (Litoria genimaculata), many species of common tree snakes (Colubridae sp.), Amethystine Pythons (Morelia amethistina), Eastern Water Dragons (Physignathus lesueurii), Boyd's Forest Dragons (Hypsilurus boydii), freshwater turtles and the large and deadly salt water crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), which don't exactly live in forests, but in waterholes and tidal river mouths in tropical rainforests.


Tree snake. Poster by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy

Tropical Birds
Birds that inhabit this ecosystem include Wompoo Fruit Doves (Ptilinopus magnificus), Pied Imperial Pigeons (Ducula bicolor), Paradise Kingfishers (Tanysiptera sp.), Little Kingfishers (Alcedo pusilla), Papuan Frogmouths (Podargus papuensis), Great Billed Herons (Ardea sumatrana), Black Bitterns (Ixobrychus flavicollis), Metallic Starlings (Aplonis metallica), Orange Footed Scrub Fowls (Megapodius reinwardt) and the endangered Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius).


Cassowary. Poster by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy

Tropical Rainforest Animals: Mammals
Mammals that are found in this biome include Bennett's Tree Kangaroos (Dendrolagus bennettianus), Masked White Tailed Rats (Uromys hadrourus), Fawn Footed Melomys (Melomys cervinipes), Spectacled Flying Foxes (Pteropus conspicillatus), Musky Rat Kangaroos (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus), Striped Possums (Dactylopsila trivirgata), many species of ringtail possums; and the monotremes - echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) and platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus).


Ulysses Butterfly. By AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy

Tropical Rainforest Insects
Insects grow huge in this climate. In Australian tropics, there are many spectacular butterflies, the largest and prettiest ones are Cairns Birdwing (Ornithoptera euphorion) and Ulysses Butterfly (Papilio ulysses) - they can be larger than small birds.