Kinds of Rainforests

Subtropical Rainforests

In southeast Brazil, on the Asian continent, in Burma and Assam and the eastern coast of Indochina, on the eastern coast of Australia and on the islands of the southwest Pacific, tropical rainforest changes steadily to subtropical rainforest as the latitudeincreases. Subtropical rainforests have different plants and animals than tropical rainforests. The trees in subtropical rainforests resemble types that can be found in the Earth's more temperate regions. Epiphyte and climber species also change. The change in plant species between tropical and subtropical rainforests happens gradually, according to the decrease in average temperature and changes in the number of hours of daylight.

Monsoon Forests

Tropical rainforest often blends into tropical seasonal, or monsoon forest. Monsoon forest is more common than subtropical rainforest. Viewed from above, monsoon forest looks like a patchwork, with rainforest dominating the most favorable sites: rain relief slopes, the banks of watercourses, or where the soil is more fertile, deeper or better retains water. Areas of increasingly severe drought are occupied by different types of monsoon forest. As the drought increases in severity, the percentage of deciduous trees increases.

ANIMALS

Animal Olympics: World Records

Humans like to hold and break world records, but we aren't the only animals on Earth to hold world records. Many official world records held by humans could easily be beaten by some wild animals. For instance, if we were to hold an animal olympics to see who is a quickest animal some of these animals may be walking, or flying, home with the gold medal:

Fastest Animals on Earth:

· Land Animal: Cheetah (70 miles per hour)

· Water Mammal: Dall Porpoises (35 miles per hour)

· Fish: Sailfish (68 miles per hour)

· Bird in the Sky: Peregrine Falcon (can dive towards the ground at 200 miles per hour)

· Bird on Land: North African Ostrich (45 miles per hour)

· Insect: Dragonfly (36 miles per hour)

There are also animal species that hold world records for being the tallest, largest and smallest – not olympic medallists but proud entries in the Guinness Book of Records. The following lists information regarding some world records held birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates.

Largest Animals on Earth:

· Largest Animal in the World: Blue Whale (100+ tons)

· Largest Animal on Land: African Elephant (13,000 pounds)

· Tallest Animal on Land: Giraffes (18 feet tall)

· Longest Snake: Reticulated Python (averages 20.5 feet, longest is 32 ft 9.5 in)

· Longest Worm: Boot Lace Worm (more than 180 feet long in 1864)

Other Unique Animal Records:

· Oldest Animal: Tortoises (known to have lived as long as 188 years)

· Smallest Bird: Bee Humingbirds (adults weigh 2 grams)

· Loudest Animal: Blue Whale (188 decibels which can be heard 500 miles away)

· Most Venomous Animal: Sea Wasp (enough poison to kill 60 humans)