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More Biomes
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All About Rainforests!

Geography
Introduction to Rainforests Layers or Strata Where are Rainforests? Animals of the Rainforest Rainforest Glossary Printables, Worksheets, and Activities

Rainforest Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Click on an underlined word for more information on that subject.
If the rainforest term you are looking for is not in the dictionary, please e-mail us.

A


ABDOMEN

The abdomen is the tail area of an insect. An insect's abdomen contains its heart, Malpighian tubules, reproductive organs, and most of the digestive system (foregut, hindgut and rectum).


ACID RAIN

Acid rain is polluted and harmful to the environment.

ADAPTATION

An adaptation is an alteration in the structure or function of an organism by natural selection, that helps it survive in its environment.

ADAPTIVE RADIATION

Adaptive radiation is the diversification of a species as it adapts to different ecological niches. If successful, the species become specialized for the new environments (the mechanism being natural selection), and they eventually evolve into different species.


AFRICAN GRAY PARROT

The African Gray Parrot is an intelligent, talkative bird from rainforests in Western and Central Africa.


AGOUTI

The agouti is a large, short-tailed rodent from rainforests in the Americas.

AIR PLANT

Air plants (also called epiphytes) are plants that live attached to a plant (or other structure like a telephone pole or a building) and not in the ground). Epiphytes include many orchids and bromeliads. Epiphytes are not parasites; they get water and nutrients from the air (and not from their host).

ALGAE

Algae (singular alga) are plant-like organisms that live in water. They are very simple organisms; they have no roots, no stem, and no leaves.


ALLIGATOR

Alligators are large reptiles. Primitive alligators evolved during the late Triassic period.

AMAZON RAINFOREST

The Amazon rainforest is a huge tropical rainforest located in the vicinity of the Amazon River. The Amazon is located in much of northern South America, mostly in northern Brazil (but also in other northern South American countries).


AMNIOTE

Amniotes are animals whose eggs contain an amnion, a membrane that surrounds the embryo and helps retain fluids. This lets an animal lay eggs other than in the water (without having them dry out). Mammals, birds, dinosaurs, turtles, snakes, crocodilians, and lizards are amniotes.

AMPHIBIAN

(pronounced am-FIB-ee-in) Amphibians (meaning "double life") are vertebrate animals that live in the water during their early life (breathing through gills), but usually live on land as adults (and breathe with lungs). There are three groups (orders) of living amphibians: newts and salamanders (urodeles); frogs and toads (anurans); and caecilians (the worm-like gymnophiones).


ANACONDA

The anaconda is the biggest snake in the world.
caterpillar

ANAL PROLEGS

Anal prolegs are a pair of stumpy legs at the very end of a caterpillar's abdomen (hind region). These legs have crochets (small grasping hooks) on them.


ANAPSID

Anapsids include the turtles and their extinct kin. They are distinguished by having no holes in the sides of their skulls.

ANGIOSPERMS

Angiosperms are flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in fruit. They are the dominant type of plant today; there are over 250,000 species. Their flowers are used in reproduction. Angiosperms evolved 125 million years ago and became the dominant plants about 100 million years ago. Angiosperms are divided into the monocots (like corn) and dicots (like beans).


ANT

Ants are social insects.
Butterfly head

ANTENNAE

Antennae (singular antenna) are sensory appendages attached to the head of some adult insects. Antennae are used for the sense of smell and balance. Butterflies have two segmented antennae with a small club at the end of each. Moths have antennae without the club.

ANTHOPHYTA

Anthophyta are flowering plants, the largest group of plants (which includes the grasses). The flowers are used in reproduction. They evolved during the Cretaceous period.

ANTHROPOLOGIST

An anthropologist is a scientist who studies people and their culture, habits, beliefs, traditions, and origins.


APES

Apes are primates that anatomically resemble humans. They include the gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo, orangutan, gibbon and siamang.

APOGEOTROPIC ROOTS

Apogeotropic roots are roots that grow upwards to the soil surface (other roots grow downwards), emerging from the soil and growing upwards. The sego palm has apogeotropic roots, as do cycads.

AQUACULTURE

Aquaculture is farming plants or fish in water.

AQUATIC

Aquatic means relating to the water. Aquatic animals are adapted to living in the water most of the time (as opposed to living on the land, in the air, or in trees). Fish, dolphins, and river otters are examples of aquatic animals.

ARBOREAL

Arboreal means living in trees.

ARTHROPOD

Arthropods are a group of animals with hard exoskeletons made of chitin, segmented bodies and jointed limbs. Insects, arachnids, uniramians, trilobites, crustaceans, and others are arthropods.


ASSASSIN BUG

Assassin bugs are a type of predatory insect.

AUTOTROPH

An autotroph (or producer) is an organism that makes its own food from light energy or chemical energy without eating. Most green plants, many protists (one-celled organisms like slime molds) and most bacteria are autotrophs. Autotrophs are the base of the food chain.


AYE-AYE

A strange, nocturnal primate from Madagascar.

Zoom Rainforests
Rainforest Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Click on an underlined word for more information on that subject.
If the rainforest term you are looking for is not in the dictionary, please e-mail us.

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