Perhaps more mysterious even than outer space is the unfolding world of the rainforest canopy. Over a hundred feet in the air, the rainforest canopy is where scientists estimate 60-90 percent of the life in the rainforest resides, from primates & sloths to birds & frogs to lizards & snakes, and even some of the smaller jungle cats!
Exploring the Canopy
Until very recently, the biology of the rainforest canopy was almost completely unknown to scientists. New rope bridges and canopy towers now allow biologists to ascend into the canopy and study the animals and plants that coexist in one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.
The Canopy Walk & Kapok Tower
At Sacha Lodge, you can follow in the footsteps of the Amazon’s pioneering scientists and immerse yourself in the canopy in the Kapok Observation Tower and the Canopy Walk.
- The Canopy Walk spans 940 feet (275 meters) across the rainforest canopy, 94 feet above the ground. Three large metal towers support this bridge, allowing guests to track birds, monkeys, and lizards in their natural habitats.
- The Kapok Tower, at 135 feet (43 meters) in height, stands even taller than the Canopy Walk. It’s one of the coolest treehouses you’ll ever be in, offering stunning 360-degree panoramic vistas of the canopy life, including over 500 species of birds.
The Layers of the Rainforest
There are four roughly defined layers of the rainforest – the forest floor, the understory, the canopy, and the emergent layer. The emergent layer is comprised only of those trees that have managed to push taller than the current canopy and is relatively sparse. The canopy is the host of most life in the rainforest and zealously consumes 80% of the sunlight and most of the rainfall. That’s why you’ll notice the ground is much darker under the constant shade of a dense and lush canopy.
Many animals spend their entire lives in the rainforest canopy, never actually descending to the forest floor. Most animals that live here have a diet of fruits or insects, both of which can be found in abundance in the canopy.
Adapting to Life in the Canopy
Scientists hold the canopy to be one of the most fascinating and largely unexplored parts of our planet. The animals that dwell high in the trees have had to make special adaptations to survive. When you visit, you’ll notice:
- A cacophony of sounds at all hours of the day – this rainforest chorus of calls is how animals can locate each other through the dense leaves.
- The shear height of the trees has required that some animals develop the ability to soar from one branch to another, while others have developed a curious ability to fall large distances without getting hurt.
- Camouflage helps the prey to stay off the menu, which has caused the predators to develop sharp eyesight and hearing.
Primates
Life abounds in Ecuador’s Amazon jungle, and for many travelers the most exciting animals to see are the primates. Curious and intelligent, the monkeys of Ecuador are easy to identify with their distinctive calls, and our expert guides will help you spot them too. On a trip to Ecuador, you might encounter howlers, squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, capuchins, tamarins, marmosets, and others.
Epiphytes
Epiphytes, like moss for example, are plants that grow on other plants and are ubiquitous in the Amazon – these plants get their moisture and nutrients from the air or from the rain that accumulates on the branches around them. One study published in 1992 found over 130 species of epiphytes and 3,454 individual strands in just 175 square meters of the Ecuadorian rainforest. These plants grow on the large, broad branches of the tall trees comprising the canopy, but they also host other plants, insects, and animals of their own.