Life at ground level in rainforest

 

The forest floor is the darkest and warmest part of the rainforest. Very little sunlight reaches the ground so few plants grow here. The forest floor is home to many insects and the animals that like to eat them, such as lizards!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This huge rainforest spider is as big as a dinner plate.

The Goliath bird-eating spider is the largest spider in the world. It lives on the rainforest floor and hides in burrows or under logs during the day. At night, it comes out to hunt for lizards, frogs, insects and small birds, which it bites with its poisonous fangs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This jaguar’s spotted coat helps it to hide when hunting.

A jaguar’s excellent sight, hearing and smell, as well as its ability to climb and swim, makes it a great hunter. Jaguars usually hunt at dusk or dawn, when their spotted coat camouflages them in the dappled light. They catch animals such as monkeys, crocodiles, deer and fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This rainforest fish is very dangerous.

Piranhas are small fish with razor sharp teeth that live in the rivers of the Amazon rainforest. They usually eat seeds and fruit that drop into the water, but sometimes they eat meat. In shoals, they hunt for animals that are swimming in the water. When piranhas attack an animal, they will eat everything but its bones in just a few minutes.