A jungle is an area covered in dense forest, usually in a tropical climate. With impenetrable vegetation and teeming with wildlife, we find them along the edges of rainforests.
The floor of the jungle is thick with vines, fungus, shrubbery, and thousands of species of insects. Making it difficult to maneuver through the vegetation.
Jungle Facts for Kids
- Jungles are found on the edges of rainforests.
- The Largest Flower in the world 3.3 feet across grows in the jungle
- Scientists found over 200 species of ants on a single tree
- The jungle provides a home for about 1,300 bird species
- The tropical climate provides an environment for about 40,000 species of plants
- The Devil’s Tongue is a spice that is found in the jungle.
- Many of the plants in the jungle are used by the animals to help them hide from predators.
- One of the prettiest plants in the world are called Fairy Queen plants. These plants are purple and are expensive to buy.
- The Bees Ballroom flower is home to many different jungle insects, including bees.
- The jungle is an important home to so many different animal species.
- The soil of the jungle does not have a lot of nutrients and the plants make the ground look green like grass.
- There are so many ants on the jungle floor that combined they would weigh four times more than all of the mammals in the jungle.
- The Tapir is an animal that lives on the jungle floor. It is a mix between a pig and an anteater. This animal is one of the longest surviving mammals.
What is the difference between a Jungle and a rainforest?
Rainforests are covered with so much vegetation and layers of trees it blocks the amount of sunlight that can reach the ground. We call this “the canopy” most of the activity by animals and insects happen above ground.
However, in a jungle the sunlight reaches the ground, animal and insect activity is at ground level and not in the trees
The sunlight gives the trees and plants so much life that there is so many different trees and plants that it is hard to move around at the bottom of the jungle.
Where are jungles located around the world?
Jungles are found all over the world and many of the jungles are even located right where rainforests are. Some of the jungles are found in:
- South America
- Central America
- Africa
The reason that these jungles are found in areas such as these is because they need to have warm weather and a lot of rain. Most of the jungles are found close to the equator where the weather is warm.
| Name | Country | Type of Jungle |
|---|---|---|
| The Amazon Rainforest | Brazil | Secondary jungle |
| Chembra, Wayanad | India | Secondary jungle |
| Sinharaja Forest Reserve | Sri Lanka | Secondary jungle |
| Tropical Africa | The Congo & Ivory Coast | Secondary jungle |
| Jungles | Papua New Guinea | Secondary jungle |
| Christmas Island | Australian | Secondary jungle |
| Ancient Waipoua Forest | New Zealand | Secondary jungle |
| Cloud Forest | Peru | Secondary jungle |
| Monteverde Cloud Forest | Costa Rica | Biodiversity hotspot |
| Borneo jungle | Malaysia | Secondary jungle |
What is the Weather Like in the Jungle?
The weather is warm and humid during the day. Daytime temperatures can average around 21-25 degrees C and, on some days, will reach 30 degrees C and higher. The nighttime temperature drops quickly to 10-20 degrees causing the morning to be cold and misty.
Because of the warm weather, plants and bacteria grow quickly. Acidophilic Bacteria, Actinomycetes
and fungus-like Mycorrhizae play a major part in soil life.
Different Parts of the Jungle
Even though the jungle just looks like a bunch of trees and leaves growing all around, the jungle actually has different layers, just like the rainforest.
- Emergent layer-the emergent layer is the tall trees. These trees grow so tall that they get a lot of sunlight and they get a lot of wind. This is the area that is home to many different types of birds because they can fly in the sky and land on the top layer.
- Canopy-The canopy is the group of trees that are not as tall, but they are so thick and grow so close together that they take up a lot of the sunlight. In the jungle, the canopy is not nearly as thick as in the rainforest. The trees in the jungle canopy grow a lot of fruit and the fruit helps the animals that live in the trees to have food.
- Understory-The understory is the trees and the bushes that grow close to the ground. This area has a lot of leaves that are big and waxy so that they can get sunlight and rain to be able to grow.
- Forest Floor-The forest floor is the part of the jungle that is on the jungle ground. This is the area of the forest that gets the least amount of light and stays the coolest. In the jungle, the floor is lighter than the rainforest.
What kind of plants are in the jungle?
Since the weather is warm and humid, there are many different plant species and trees that are found in the jungle.
Some of these include:
- Palm trees
- Epiphytes (trees that grow on other trees).
- Brazil-nut trees
- Bamboo plants
- Devils Tongue
- Dragons Nest Tree
- Green Wig Bush
- Jungle Bells Plant
- Jungle Maw
- Lizard Tongue Bush
- Fairy Queen
- Bees Ballroom
- Chill Nettle
- Dawn Singer
- Green Fountain Bush
- Jungle Dweller Bush
Other plants in the jungle are called decomposers. Decomposers are plants that help to break down dead animals and plants into nutrients. Some of these include fungus and mushrooms.
There are also over 800 different kinds of figs that grow in the jungle. They grow all year round and they are food for many of the jungle animals.
Trees of the Jungle
Trees in the jungle are very important both to the jungle and to people in the world. The trees help to give oxygen to the animals, and they help to keep the air clean.
Trees and plants help to give animals food and shelter and they help to contribute to the nitrogen cycle. Plants help to take in carbon dioxide and help animals to breathe. The plants also use photosynthesis to help turn the carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Nitrogen Cycle
The Nitrogen Cycle is when nitrogen is in the atmosphere and the nitrogen turns into protein to give the animals protein.
Animals of the Jungle
There are millions of animals that live in the jungle. It is thought that more than half of the animals that live on Earth are found in the jungles and rainforests. These animals include:
- Mammals
- Birds
- Amphibians
- Reptiles
- Insects
Here are some of the animals that can be found in the jungle:
| Anaconda | Nile Crocodile |
| Betta | Ocelots |
| Bush Babies | Okapi |
| Bushmaster | Piranha |
| Butterflies | Poison Dart Frogs |
| Caimans | Python |
| Capuchin Monkeys | Rhinoceros |
| Capybara | Rock Python |
| Chimpanzees | Saltwater crocodile |
| Cobra | Sloth Bear |
| Cougars | Spider Monkey |
| Eagle | Squirrel Monkeys |
| Gorillas | Tapir |
| Howler Monkeys | Termite |
| Jaguars | Tiger |
| Jungle Elephant | Tiger Fish |
| Leaf cutter Ant | Water Buffalo |
| Leopard | |
| Macaque Monkeys | |
| Macaw |
One exciting thing about the animals of the jungle is how they adapt. The Tapir, for example, once lived on every single continent on the Earth, but now there are only four different species of this animal left. They are now only found in Asia, South America, and Central America. These animals have lived for over 20 million years and have adapted to the world around them.
There are also over 54 billion chickens that have come from the jungle. The chickens that still live in the jungle are wild, and the eggs they lay are about half the size of the chickens we see in our area today.
An interesting fact is that lions do not live in the jungle but are found more in grassy or savannah areas. Even though lions are called “King of the Jungle,” this is not true since lions do not live in the jungle.
Jungle Vines
In the jungle, there are many species of plant vines that grow from the trees. These vines are rope-like vines that animals can swing on.
These are called lianas. Lianas is a word that comes from the Latin word “ligare” which means “to bind.” These are said “to bind” because they wrap around the trees and bind them together.
What is the weather like in the jungle?
The temperature in the jungle is hot during the day and cool at night. On average, day conditions will vary from around 21-25 degrees C with the temperature hitting up to mid 30 degrees some days.
When it rains, the mix of sunlight and water is perfect for the vegetation growth in the jungle.
What kind of weather affects the animals in the jungle
Tropical rainforests play an essential function in the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide. Extreme weather affects all wildlife, such as climate change, wildfires, rain, and storms.
The jungle ecosystems have the most exceptional biodiversity on Earth plants and animals rely heavily on each other for survival. If plant growth declines, animals become vulnerable.
What Did You Learn?
- What is a jungle?
A jungle is a warm and humid area where there are a lot of trees, plants, and animals. - How many animals live in the jungle?
It is thought that there are more than half of the animal species in the world that live in the jungle. - Why is a jungle different than a rainforest?
The jungle is different than the rainforest because it allows more light to get to the floor of the jungle. In the rainforest, the canopy is so thick that hardly any lights get to the floor. In the jungle, the trees are still thick, but they light get to the jungle floor. - Where are jungles located?
Jungles are located in areas that are warm and close to the equator. - Why do bacteria grow so fast in the jungle?
Bacteria grow fast in the jungle because there are hardly any cold days and so with the warm weather and the rain bacteria can grow fast.
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