HOT humid and incredibly green Towering trees line the banks of a narrow river They form dark green walls on either side of the muddy water Insects buzz and hum The bright sun is hot The air feels sticky A howler monkey sits on a branch that hangs over the river Below him two bulging eyes and a long snout bob to the surface It's a crocodile Tipping back his head the monkey howls Aaaarrrroo000-000-0000 gaaahhhh His howl warns of danger here in the tropical rain forest 5
Tropical rain forests are steamy shadowy and packed with living things The rain forest is full of strange shadows smells and sounds It is warm and wet and incredibly green A dense tangle of trees and other plants fills every space Hidden among all the leaves and branches are all sorts of animals Tropical rain forests overflow with life 6
Where can you find tropical rain forests Near the equator where it is always warm and it rains nearly every day The largest rain forests are in South America Africa and Asia In North America rain forests stretch from Mexico to Panama Some Caribbean islands are covered by rain forests too 7
