Many forest animals are found among the trees. Butterflies, birds, and bats, the forest pollinators, live in the canopy. Climbing cats, such as the jaguar, hunt in the understory. Their spotted coats are excellent camouflage in the mottled light that filters through the canopy. On the floor acouchis and peccaries browse on plants while 10 inch tarantulas and snakes hunt for small animals.
Rain forests are in danger.
They are being cleared at an alarming rate for lumber and firewood, agriculture and grazing land, and resettlement projects for exploding populations. Rain forests are not well suited for agriculture because the soil is poor in nutrients. Most of the forest's nutrients are in the plants. What remains in the soil is quickly leached out by the rains. After one or two years of farming or grazing the soil is exhausted, and more of the forest must be cleared.