how are the monkeys adapted to live in tropical rainforest
Answers
Answer:
Jungle monkeys have developed long, gangly limbs that allow them to swing quickly from tree to tree. Because of the range and strength of their arms and legs, some species of jungle monkey, such as the spider monkey and the gibbon, do not have to descend to the forest floor to travel at all. This helps them conserve energy, because their food is up in the canopy; climbing down to the ground to move to a new foraging area would be a waste of strength.
Hands, Feet and Tails
Gibbons have long arms and powerful shoulders for swinging.
With long, hooklike hands and flexible feet, jungle monkeys such as orangutans and gibbons can grip branches easily and hold them strongly enough to support their own weight as they swing from tree to tree. Black spider monkeys have evolved without thumbs, because thumbs were an inconvenience instead of a help in gripping branches. They also have prehensile tails, capable of holding onto branches like an extra hand. Spider monkeys use their tails to cling to trees while they forage for food with both their hands.
Voices
Spider monkeys communicate with a variety of yells and barks.
Jungles are dense and offer limited sight-lines, so jungle monkeys have adapted to locate each other by sound. Howler monkeys yell loudly enough to hear each other up to 5 kilometers away, and chimpanzees use their large, flat feet and hands to drum on trees, identifying their whereabouts to other chimpanzees. Spider monkeys also have loud voices that carry particularly well through jungle canopies, where they live. They use different calls, whoops and barks to greet each other, locate each other and frighten predators.
Behavior
Orangutans travel alone so they can find enough food.
Jungle monkeys have adapted to their environments behaviorally as well as physiologically. Orangutan mothers teach their young to be solitary, pulling them away from other orangutans and leaving them alone to acclimate, because if they were to travel in groups they would not find enough food to support all the individuals. Black spider monkeys travel in large groups when food is abundant and break into small groups when food is scarce. Chimpanzees scatter across the canopy, each individual seeking a tree with enough fruit for the entire group. When a monkey finds such a tree, he summons the rest of his community by screaming loudly.
Nose
Anteaters have an acute sense of smell which helps them to locate anthills and even allows them to tell what type of ant is inside it. The wet, black nose is located on the end of the anteater’s long, pointed snout. The position of the nose is useful for locating food and it also helps the anteater to hold its nose above the surface of the water when swimming.
Tongue
The anteater has an extremely long tongue that can reach distances of up to 2 feet beyond the end of its snout. Anteater tongues are covered in tiny barbs and thick, sticky saliva. The barbs and saliva help the anteater to collect as many ants as possible on its tongue. A giant anteater is capable of eating around 30,000 ants in a single day thanks to highly-adapted tongue that can be projected and withdrawn at a rate of around 150 times per minute.
Digestive System
The anteater’s mouth is narrow, tube-like and toothless. This mouth allows its long, thin tongue to flick in and out quickly and efficiently. Anteaters have specialized stomachs that grind up ants with powerful muscles and dissolve them in strong acids. The anteater’s specialized stomach prevents the animal from needing teeth to break down its food and allows large amounts of food to be consumed by swallowing it whole without chewing.
Claws
Sharp, long claws protrude from the three middle toes on each of the anteater’s feet. These strong claws can be used to break open the termite mounds and ant hills that it feeds from. When the anteater is climbing trees, long claws help it to grip onto tree trunks and branches. Anteaters also use their impressive claws to swipe at predators such as big cats when they are threatened. Anteaters prevent their useful claws from being worn down by walking on the outer sides of their feet, holding the claws and the middle parts of their soles above the ground.
Tail
Anteaters have strong, long tails that can measure up to 3 feet in length, depending on species. The tail can be used as an additional limb to help support the anteater when standing on its two back legs. Anteaters can also use their tails to hold onto branches when moving through trees. Part of the tail has no hair, allowing the anteater to achieve a better grip on branches. Most of the tail, however, is covered in long hair. When temperatures drop, anteaters gain extra insulation by bending their hairy tails around to cover their furry bodies.
- With long, hooklike hands and flexible feet, jungle monkeys such as orangutans and gibbons can grip branches easily and hold them strongly enough to support their own weight as they swing from tree to tree. They also have prehensile tails, capable of holding onto branches like an extra hand.