Tropical Rainforests - Adaptations

- Tall trees competing for sunlight have big roots called buttress roots to support their trunks

- Plants have thick, waxy leaves with pointed tips (drip tips) so the water runs off to avoid fungi and water damage

- Trees have smooth, thin bark to allow water to run off easily and no insulation needed

- 4 distinct layers of plants with different adaptationns

- Climbing plants, e.g. lianas that use the trunks to climb up to the sunlight

- Plants drop their leaves gradually throughout the year, meaning they can go on growing all year round

- Strong limbs to spend all day climbing and leaping from tree to tree e.g howler monkey

- Flaps of skin that enable them to glide between trees e.g flying squirels

- Suction cups for climbing e.g. red eyed tree frogs

- Short, pointy wings to manoeuvre between dense trees e.g. harpy eagle

- Camouflage to hide from predators e.g leaf tailed gekko

- Nocturnal to feed when its cooler to save energy e.g sloths

- Low light levels to detect predators on the forest floor e.g anteaters

- Swimming to allow them to cross river channels e.g jaguars