🌴 Rainforest animal reports, grades 5–6
14 sheets, one animal each, so every child in a group gets a different one. Pick another set or one animal.
My report: the tiger
Panthera tigris · Grades 5–6
| Length | 7.2 to 9.8 ft (2.2 to 3 m) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 249 to 375 lb (113 to 170 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 15 years |
Read about it
Tigers usually live alone, each one walking a big home area that it marks with scent. They hunt mostly at night, sneaking close and pouncing rather than chasing far. Wild tigers now live in far fewer places than they once did, so countries in Asia protect the forests they need, and in some places their numbers are growing again.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Register 2010 (tiger delisting petition 90-day finding), federalregister.gov/d/2010-19895, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the three-toed sloth
Bradypus variegatus · Grades 5–6
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | not checked yet: look it up! |
Read about it
Three-toed sloths have long, curved claws that hook over branches, so hanging takes almost no effort; they eat, sleep and even give birth upside down. Their stomachs have several parts and digest leaves very slowly. Surprisingly, sloths are good swimmers. Their fur is home to algae, moths and beetles, a tiny world of its own.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- No checked numbers yet: find them in a library book and write the book here.
My report: the asian elephant
Elephas maximus · Grades 5–6
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 5.9 to 12 ft (1.8 to 3.8 m) |
| Weight | 3 to 6 tons (2.8 to 5.4 tonnes) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 47 years |
Read about it
Asian elephants are a little smaller than African elephants, with rounder backs and two bumps on top of the head. They are endangered: their forests are being cut into pieces by farms and roads, which brings elephants and people into conflict. In parts of Asia, people have worked alongside elephants for a very long time.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/asian-elephant, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the western gorilla
Gorilla gorilla · Grades 5–6
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 5.9 ft (1.8 m) |
| Weight | 300 to 500 lb (136 to 227 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 30 to 40 years |
Read about it
Gorillas are great apes, close cousins of chimpanzees and people. They eat leaves, stems and fruit, and each night they bend branches and leaves into a fresh nest. Every gorilla has its own pattern of wrinkles on its nose, and researchers use these nose prints to tell gorillas apart. Western gorillas are critically endangered because forests are cleared, poachers hunt them and diseases spread among them, so rangers and protected parks work to keep them safe.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Western lowland gorilla, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/western-lowland-gorilla, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the chimpanzee
Pan troglodytes · Grades 5–6
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 3.9 ft (1.2 m) |
| Weight | 130 lb (59 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | not checked yet: look it up! |
Read about it
Chimpanzees are great apes, and along with bonobos they are our closest living relatives. Different chimp communities have different habits, such as which tools they use, and young chimps learn them by watching their mothers. Every night each chimp bends branches into a nest high in a tree. Chimpanzees are endangered because their forests are being cleared and some are taken for the pet trade, so parks, sanctuaries and local people work together to help them.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Register 2015 (Listing All Chimpanzees as Endangered), federalregister.gov/documents/2015/06/16/2015-14232/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-listing-all-chimpanzees-as-endangered-species, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the bornean orangutan
Pongo pygmaeus · Grades 5–6
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 170 to 220 lb (77 to 100 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 27 years |
Read about it
Orangutans are the largest animals that live mostly in trees. They spend most of the day finding fruit, and they scatter the seeds as they go, so they help new trees grow. Bornean orangutans are critically endangered because rainforest is being cleared for farms and palm-oil plantations. Protected forests and rescue centers are working to give them a safe home.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Orangutan, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/orangutan, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the jaguar
Panthera onca · Grades 5–6
| Length | 4.9 to 7.9 ft (1.5 to 2.4 m) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 79 to 348 lb (36 to 158 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 10 to 15 years |
Read about it
Jaguars are the largest cats in the Americas, with a broad head and one of the strongest bites of any big cat. Each jaguar lives alone in its own patch of forest and wetland. Some are born so dark that they look all black, but their spots still show in the sunlight. Jaguars are near threatened because their forests are being cleared and cut into pieces, so people protect wild areas and plant green paths that join them together.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Jaguar species profile, fws.gov/species/jaguar-panthera-onca, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the capybara
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris · Grades 5–6
| Length | 3.9 ft (1.2 m) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 24 in (61 cm) |
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 12 years |
Read about it
Capybaras live in groups near water and spend the day eating grass and water plants, then resting in the shade or in the water. If something scary comes near, they dive in and can stay under for quite a while. Like all rodents, they have front teeth that never stop growing, and chewing tough grass wears them down. Many other animals share their wetlands, from birds to turtles, and jaguars and anacondas hunt capybaras, so staying near the water is their best escape.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- US Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species: capybara profile, nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=2587, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the scarlet macaw
Ara macao · Grades 5–6
| Length | 33 to 35 in (84 to 89 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 2 to 3.3 lb (900 g to 1.5 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | not checked yet: look it up! |
Read about it
A scarlet macaw has two toes pointing forward and two pointing back, so it can grip branches and hold food like a hand. Pairs nest in holes in tall trees and often stay together for life. In some places scarlet macaws have become rare, because forests were cleared and wild birds were taken as pets. People now protect nest trees and raise macaws to release back into the forest.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed rule, Federal Register 6 July 2012, federalregister.gov/documents/2012/07/06/2012-16445/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-listing-the-scarlet-macaw, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the green anaconda
Eunectes murinus · Grades 5–6
| Length | 26 ft (8 m) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 551 lb (250 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 10 years |
Read about it
Green anacondas are the heaviest snakes in the world, though they are not the longest. They live in slow rivers and flooded forests, and their eyes and nostrils sit high on the head so they can stay hidden while almost everything else is under the water. Unlike most snakes, the mother gives birth to live babies instead of laying eggs. Females are much bigger than males.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- US Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species: green anaconda profile, nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=2636, checked 2026-10-30
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Green anaconda, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/green-anaconda, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the golden poison frog
Phyllobates terribilis · Grades 5–6
| Length | 0.59 to 2.4 in (1.5 to 6.2 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 10 years |
Read about it
Bright warning colors work because animals learn to leave a bright frog alone. The golden poison frog is one of the most poisonous animals on Earth, and scientists study its poison to learn how nerves work. It lives on the forest floor in only a small part of Colombia, so it is in danger when the forest is cleared. Protecting that forest is the best way to protect the frog.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- US Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species: poison dart frog (Dendrobates sp.) profile, nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=51, checked 2026-10-30
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Poison frogs, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/poison-frogs, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the goliath frog
Conraua goliath · Grades 5–6
| Length | 13 in (32 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 7.3 lb (3.3 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | not checked yet: look it up! |
Read about it
Goliath frogs are the largest frogs alive. Their tadpoles need clear, fast, oxygen-rich water, so the frogs live only along a few rivers in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. They are endangered because forests are cut down and rivers get muddy, and because some are caught for food. Protected areas and local scientists are helping to keep them safe.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- Federal Register (US Fish and Wildlife Service), federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/1994/12/08/94-30132.txt, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the red-bellied piranha
Pygocentrus nattereri · Grades 5–6
| Length | 12 in (31 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 4 lb (1.8 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 10 years |
Read about it
Red-bellied piranhas eat a mix of foods: fish, insects, seeds and fruit that fall into the water, and the leftovers of dead animals, which helps keep rivers clean. Scientists who study them say they are shy and far less dangerous than the stories claim. Piranhas talk to each other with barks, grunts and croaks, and they replace their teeth one whole side of the jaw at a time. They live in warm rivers and flooded forests in South America, where the water rises every rainy season.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Red-bellied piranha, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/red-bellied-piranha, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the leafcutter ant
Atta cephalotes · Grades 5–6
| Length | 0.079 to 0.47 in (2 mm to 1.2 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | not checked yet: look it up! |
Read about it
A leafcutter nest is like a busy city. Ants of many sizes each have a job: the middle-sized ones cut and carry leaves, the tiny ones tend the fungus garden, and one queen lays all the eggs. The ants even keep their garden healthy by carrying helpful bacteria on their bodies that protect the fungus from harmful molds. Leafcutters farmed fungus long before people ever farmed crops.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Park Science: leafcutter ant Atta mexicana at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, nps.gov/articles/parkscience34-1_32-42_mintzer_3876.htm, checked 2026-10-30