Jungles

Jungles are known for their thick forests and their large amounts of plants and vines. While they have a lot in common with rainforests, they are not the same thing. Rainforests have a thick canopy of tall trees that hardly let any light in, and jungle is more bright and sunny, which makes it easier for plants to grow. Jungles are often on the edge of rainforests, so they’re pretty close to each other.

Jungle animals include some of the worlds largest and most unusual creatures. Lions are called ‘The King of the Jungle’ but they don’t live anywhere near the jungle. They live in areas of grassland and savannah, which is a grassy plain with few trees. A number of other big cats call the jungle their home though. Bengal tigers, leopards and jaguars all live in the jungles of three different continents.

All of the great apes are native to African jungles except the orangutan, which is native to jungles in Borneo and Sumatra. The great apes are some of the few animals, along with whales and elephants, that display an understanding of self-similar to our own.

It is believed that forest elephants are the main distributor of seeds for several fruit species and that without an active and healthy forest elephant population, conservationists believe there would be a huge impact on the environments they live in.

Jungles have such a wide mix of plants and animals and they give us beautiful ecosystems to research and study. While they may not be the most ideal places to go on vacation, they still provide amazing environments for animals and plants to grow and live.