CHAPTER V 

 THE FAUNA OF THE TROPICAL FOREST 



Just as the tropical forest as contrasted with the 

 temperate is remarkable for its wealth of species of 

 trees and for the luxuriance of its undergrowth, so its 

 fauna is remarkable for the number of special t5rpes. 

 Adaptations to life in the tropical forest occur in almost 

 all groups of animals, and some orders, like the Primates 

 among mammals, are, roughly speaking, fitted for this 

 habitat alone, for relatively few of their members occur 

 outside this region. 



We may begin by a few words upon the special con- 

 ditions which reign here. To begin with, food is abun- 

 dant aU the year round, for there is no seasonal check 

 to vegetation such as occurs in temperate climates. 

 The absence of seasons, in the sense in which they 

 occur in higher latitudes, makes possible the occur- 

 rence of many fruit-eating animals, for fruits occur at 

 aU seasons. Thus the anthropoid apes are fruit-eaters ; 

 the fruit-bats have the same diet, as the name indicates ; 

 parrots eat seeds and fruits, and so on. For such 

 forms life in colder climates is impossible. 



The constantly high temperature, at least during the 

 day, makes a warm coat unnecessary, so that animals 

 producing valuable furs are relatively rare. The same 

 condition makes reptihan life abundant, for the heat 

 of the Sim is available to hatch the eggs. The high 

 temperature also results in abundance of insects, which 

 again feed many other animals. 



As the tropical forest is characterized by a very 



