The Amazon Rainforest is home to an incredible diversity of plants and animal life than any other

terrestrial ecosystem on the planet --

perhaps 30 percent of the world's species
are found there.

The following numbers represent a

sampling of its astounding levels of
biodiversity:

 40,000 plant species

 16,000 tree species
 3,000 fish species
 1,300 birds
 430+ mammals
 1,000+ amphibians
 400+ reptiles

A Giant in the Rainforest: The Kapok Tree

The gigantic Kapok tree is now part of the Caribbean
Garden exhibition.
They can grow as much as 13 feet in a single year. Due to its
extreme height, the kapok, or ceiba tree, towers over the
other rainforest vegetation.
In the wild, the tree is home to dozens of birds, frogs, and
other plants, forming its own ecosystem.
It has white and pink flowers.
The ancient Maya believed that the Kapok tree was the link
between heaven and earth–its branches were pathways for
the soul to ascend to the spiritual world.
Blue moon Butterfly

The Blue moon butterfly or Hypolimnas bolina is a bluish-dark

butterfly. The upper side has dominant black coloration with
three pairs of blue-white spots on the fore and underwings.
Females have brownish-black coloration but share similar
patterns. The Blue moon butterfly’s wings can span up to 3.3
inches. They have a slow yet erratic flight pattern. You can find
this black butterfly with blue flying in their natural habitats
including humid scrublands, green areas, lightly wooded deciduous forests, etc.

Algae and mosses often grow as green patches on the bark of trees.
 Contrary to popular belief, moss does not grow only on the north side of a tree. Algae
and mosses grow in any moist shady site.
 They live on the tree bark without harming it.
 Mosses are non-vascular plants, able to colonize on hard, impervious surfaces such as
bare rock and brick, as well as tree bark.
 Moss and algae are primitive plants that derive nourishment through photosynthesis.
Some algae may have a moist or slimy appearance. While they are both usually green,
colors may range from blue-green to black. No controls are necessary.

CUP SHAPE Nests

These cup shaped nests are used by many different bird

species like the flycatchers, chats, batises, larks, thrushes,
warblers and many others. They consist of a strong outer
shell constructed from grass, rootlets, tendrils and fine
vines. These nests are then lined with soft material like
downy feathers or soft fluffy seeds.