What Kinds of Animals Live in a Jungle?
Animals that live in jungles include jaguars, ocelots, bushmasters, howler monkeys, crowned eagles, colobus monkeys, tigers, sloth bears, rhinoceroses, elephants, water buffaloes, black eagles, cobras, langur monkeys and tapirs. Because jungles on different continents vary greatly, the wildlife living in them also varies greatly. Many of the animals most closely associated with jungles or tropical rain forests are endangered.
African jungles are home to endangered species such as the gorilla and chimpanzee, many of whom live in protected environments. Other animals native to African jungles include okapi, gray parrots, termites and rock pythons.
The Sumatran tiger is a critically endangered species that lives only in jungles in Indonesia. About 500 Sumatran tigers are left in the wild, all living in protected jungles on the island of Sumatra. Other Asian jungle animals include sun bears, cockatoos, gibbons, Siamese fighting fish, flying foxes and saltwater crocodiles.
Central and South American jungles, including those surrounding the Amazon River, are home to endangered species including the blue-sided tree frog and the Orinoco crocodile, both of which are threatened by the loss of their native environment. Other jungle animals native to South and Central America include leopards, anacondas, harpy eagles, capuchin monkeys, macaws, piranha, leaf-cutter ants and cougars.
