Rain forests have different areas where animals live. These areas are called habitats. Scientists have given names to four main habitats or layers of a rainforest.
Some animals live in the tops of giant trees. The tops of these trees are much higher than the other trees, so this layer is called the emergent layer. Many birds and insects live there.
Under the emergent layer is the canopy. The canopy is the upper part of the trees. It is thick with leaves and vines, and it forms an umbrella over the rainforest. Most of the animals in the rainforest live in the canopy.
The next layer is the understory. The understory is above the ground and under the leaves. In the understory, it is very dark and cool. It gets only 2-5% of the sunlight that the canopy gets. The understory has the most insects of the four layer, and a lot of snakes and frogs also live there.
Finally, there is the forest floor. On the surface of this floor are fallen leaves, branches, and other debris. In general, the largest animals in the rainforest live in this layer. Common animals in this habitat are tigers and gorillas.