RAINFOREST MONKEY DRAWINGS (2)

Here are some monkeys that are found in rainforests other than the Amazon. All monkeys in the Amazon have tails, but some in Africa, called primates, do not. Humans are a special kind of primate. These pictures remind us that rainforests all over the world are getting smaller because people are chopping down the trees.

As Krista has shown, gorillas spend all their time on the ground. They are the biggest ape and too big to climb trees. This gorilla looks like it's going to munch on a plant. That's what they eat. Maybe it's just had a drink of water from the stream nearby. Early explorers were afraid of gorillas because they are big and if afraid, they're fierce. But no-one has ever been killed by a gorilla, whereas many gorillas have been killed by people. So many, in fact, that they are almost extinct in the wild. Krista says, "I think the Amazon is neat."

Catie's chimpanzee looks rather glum! Like gorillas, chimpanzees live only in rainforests in Africa. And like gorillas there are not many chimpanzees left in the wild. They were hunted to use in experiments, because they are so much like us. Luckily, scientists have found ways to do experiments so they don't have to use chimps any more. Catie wrote, "The rainforest sounds like a very special place and I'm glad everyone enjoys it."

Nicole's drawing of an ape shows it swinging from a tree. This type of swinging is called "brachiating." (Gosh, scientists sure like long words!) I knew this was an ape because it doesn't have a tail. Several apes commonly move through trees this way, but gibbons are the experts. They have very long arms and short legs. Gibbons live in rainforests in Asia. Nicole says, "I really wish I could go with you to the rainforest."