Let's find out what makes a rainforest. First, the weather. A rainforest is a forest where a lot of rain falls. A tropical rainforest can get more than 2,000 millimeters of rain in a year. That is 79 inches. It is hot there all year. The temperature stays about the same from month to month.

Let's look at where rainforests grow. Rainforests grow on every continent except Antarctica. Tropical rainforests are found in Central and South America. They are found in Africa too. The largest unbroken stretch is in the Amazon river basin. It is in South America. The Amazon carries more water than any other river on Earth.

Now let's look at the trees. Some rainforest trees grow as tall as 60 meters. That is 200 feet. Most rainforests have four layers. One is the emergent layer. One is the canopy. One is the understory. One is the forest floor. The canopy blocks sunlight. So the layers below are dark. More animals live in the canopy than in any other layer.

Next, let's meet some animals. Poison dart frogs live in the wet forests of Central and South America. They are small. They are brightly colored. Jaguars live in rainforests. They are good swimmers. Gorillas live in groups called troops. They eat mostly plants. They make nests to rest and sleep in. Orangutans build nests to sleep in, too.

Now look up at the plants and animals in the trees. Many rainforest leaves have pointed tips. The tips help water run off. Epiphytes are plants. They grow on other plants. A strangler fig seed often starts growing in the branches of another tree. Sloths live high in the trees. They move very slowly. Algae grow on their fur. As of November 2026, most of the life in a rainforest lives up in the trees.

Words to know

• canopy: forest layer
• epiphytes: plants on plants
• troops: gorilla groups
• emergent: forest layer

The short version

A rainforest is a forest where a lot of rain falls. Tropical rainforests are hot all year, and they grow in Central and South America and in Africa. Most have four layers, and more animals live in the canopy than in any other layer.

Quick facts

• A tropical rainforest can get more than 2,000 millimeters (79 inches) of rain in a year.
• Some rainforest trees grow as tall as 60 meters (200 feet).
• Most rainforests have four layers: the emergent layer, the canopy, the understory and the forest floor.
• The Amazon is the largest river on Earth by the volume of water it carries.