5 Animals That Live In Trees
Both in the forest and in the woods, there are many animals that live in trees… And some of them never come down! Others divide between life in the branches and in the ground. Do you want to know some of the species that use the trunks and crowns of trees as a home? So keep reading this article.
What animals live in trees?
For example, muriqui monkeys have a prehensile tail that allows them to hang from branches. The flying squirrels have folds in the skin to glide from crown to crown. And some reptiles have claws that are too sharp to cling to trunks.
Some birds have also learned to create their nests by taking advantage of the shape of the trees. Insects, in turn, have the ability to stick to branches without falling, thanks to their adapted feet.
Among the animals that live in trees, the following stand out:
1 – Iguana
The iguana (the image that opens this text) is a scaly reptile native to tropical regions of Latin America. There are two species of iguana: green and Caribbean.
It lives in trees more than a meter above the ground and can move easily between branches, thanks to its very sharp claws.
It is a herbivorous animal up to 1.5 meters in length, with a tail almost as long as its body. The neck and back have thorns, and your eyes are able to see shadows, bodies and movements.
2 – Owl
This bird with raised feathers, like ears, is one of the most frequent inhabitants of forests. Owls can live in a variety of habitats, although they prefer places with lots of trees.
Owls feed on almost everything they find, as long as it is smaller than them (insects, mice, geckos, fish, etc).
They have nocturnal habits and can hunt in the dark thanks to their highly developed vision and the fact that they are very silent.
3 – Orangutan
It is a primate – whose scientific name is Pongo – originally from Indonesia and Malaysia. The term “orangutan” means “jungle man” in the Malay language.
It got this name because they walk almost standing on their hind legs, like human beings.
Its front limbs (arms) are longer than the hind limbs (legs), in addition to being stronger. The hands are long and narrow, with five fingers, and allow them to hang from the branches.
Another characteristic inherent to orangutans is the reddish coat, absent on the hands, feet, belly and chest.
An adult male can measure up to 1.5 meters and weigh around 120 kg. Despite its size, it is quite peaceful, except when fighting with others of its kind, as they are very territorial.
They sleep a lot – always on the branches of trees – and build a “bed” of new leaves every day.
4 – Koala
It is one of the most famous tree-dwelling animals and one of the first that comes to mind. It lives in the coastal regions of Australia and is very easy to recognize.
They have a strong body with gray hair, a large head, black nose and round, furry ears. It also has thick claws, which allow it to cling to the trunk without difficulty.
It prefers open regions of eucalyptus forests, as the leaves of this tree are its main source of food.
The koala leads a very sedentary life and sleeps up to 20 hours a day. It only joins with other members of the species during the reproduction and rearing of the offspring by the mother (they are marsupials, not bears, as some believe). The rest of the time, they have solitary habits.
5 – Termites
These insects feed on the cellulose present in the wood. Therefore, they live inside the trees or close to them.
They form nests – known as termite mounds – of millions of termites divided into castes: workers, soldiers, primary and secondary reproducers, just as happens with ants or bees. However, in the case of termites, in addition to a queen, there is also a king.
