Plants and animals of the tropics. Where do tropical forests grow? Fauna of the rainforest

Cancer) and South (Capricorn) in Africa there is a vast forest zone. Practically in this climate zone the change of seasons is hardly noticeable, since the air and the amount of precipitation are almost always at the same level. Therefore, the animals of the tropical zone do not have to migrate in search of places suitable for life. They always have enough food and water, so the animal world of this region is extremely diverse.

What are the animals of the tropical zone - hippos! If this name is translated from Greek, they can be called "river horses". This almost three-ton hulk spends most of its life in the water. But it is difficult for a hippopotamus to swim - with such a figure and weight! Therefore, he simply enters the water to such a depth as to reach the bottom with his feet, and sinks almost completely.

These amazing tropical animals have nostrils, which are equipped with closing membranes, and eyes with protruding overeyes. Therefore, even being almost completely under water, this colossus vigilantly ensures that no one dares to offend her dear little ones - children. And just try to get close to them! Gentle parents immediately turn into uncontrollable aggressive killers. But at the same time, hippos are extremely peaceful animals. After all, they do not belong to predators and feed only on plants and their fruits.

And such predatory and cruel animals of the tropical zone as crocodiles can inspire fear in any mammal. These descendants of ancient dinosaurs have not changed much since those distant times. Despite the fact that these reptiles can move quite quickly on land, they still prefer to be in the water most of their time. Adults can stay under water for almost an hour without surfacing.

Crocodiles reproduce by laying eggs on land in a hole dug near a reservoir. And while the embryos are in the shell, the mother vigilantly watches them, guarding the masonry. Indeed, at any time, an evil monitor lizard can appear - a large predatory lizard that simply loves to feast on the eggs of its closest relatives.

When the time comes for the embryo to be born, it breaks the shell with the help of a special device - a horn located on the head. After a while, this growth disappears by itself.

After hatching, the crocodiles rush to the water in a race. However, danger awaits them everywhere. They're not even immune to this. terrible death how to be eaten by their own parent - these cold-blooded predators have absolutely no maternal feelings.

The crocodile's mouth is "decorated" with huge sharp teeth. But the predator does not need them at all for chewing food, but to kill its prey and tear off pieces from it, which it swallows whole.

In order to make the food product softer, the predator often drags the killed victim under water and hides it somewhere under a snag. When he begins to feel hungry, then he takes out a dish from his "repositories".

Other animals of the rainforest are also extremely diverse and amazing: monkeys, lorises, panthers, giraffes, okapis, tapirs and pachyderms: rhinos, as well as elephants.

Monkeys are especially widely represented here. This is a chimpanzee, and a gorilla, and an orangutan, and a proboscis, and a macaque. There are among them such small species, the cubs of which barely reach the size of a thumb. human hand. The weight of a large individual can be 70 grams. And there are real giants among the monkeys, almost under two and a half centners!

Amusing are such animals of the tropical zone, which cannot be found on any other continent, like relatives of giraffes - okapi. These extremely timid herbivores spend most of their lives in the bush. Adult individuals reach two meters in height and gain a body weight of about 250 kilograms. These animals prefer to live alone, with the exception of only mothers raising their cubs.

There's nothing sweeter than good old animal stories. But today I will not talk about pets, but about those that live in tropical forests. In an ecosystem rainforest more diverse animals live than in any other ecosystem. One of the reasons for this great diversity is the constantly warm climate. Rainforests also provide an almost constant presence of water and a wide variety of food for animals. So here are 10 amazing rainforest animals and some facts about their lives.

1. Toucans
Toucans can be found in South and Central America under rainforest canopies. During sleep, toucans turn their heads and place their beaks under their wings and tail. Toucans are very important to the rainforest because they help spread the seeds from the fruits and berries they eat. There are about 40 various kinds toucans, but unfortunately some species are endangered. The two main threats to the existence of toucans are the loss of their habitat and the growing demand in the commercial pet market.
They vary in size from about 15 centimeters to just over two meters. Large, colorful, light beaks - here distinctive features toucans. These are noisy birds with their loud and raspy voices.

2. Flying dragons.
Tree lizards, so-called flying dragons, actually glide from tree to tree on their skin flaps, which look like wings. On each side of the body, between the fore and hind limbs, there is a large flap of skin supported by expanded movable ribs. Usually these "wings" are folded along the torsos, but they can open up to allow the lizard to glide for many meters in an almost horizontal state. The flying dragon feeds on insects, in particular ants. For reproduction, the flying dragon descends to the ground and lays 1 to 4 eggs in the soil.

3. Bengal tigers
The Bengal tiger lives in the Sundarbans regions of India, Bangladesh, China, Siberia and Indonesia, and is seriously endangered. Today at wild nature about 4000 individuals remained, while at the turn of the century in 1900 there were more than 50 thousand. Poaching and habitat loss are the two main reasons for the declining numbers of Bengal tigers. They have not been able to adapt to harsh conditions, despite their belonging to the dominant species. Tigers, also known as Royal Bengal tiger, which is a subspecies of the tiger, can be found in the Indian subcontinent. The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and is considered the second largest tiger in the world.

4. South American harpies.
One of the largest and most powerful of the fifty species of eagles in the world, South American harpies live in the tropical lowland forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico south to eastern Bolivia, and southern Brazil to northern regions Argentina. This is a disappearing view. The main threat to its existence is habitat loss due to constant deforestation, destruction of nesting and hunting grounds.

5. Dart frogs.
These are frogs found in the Central and South America. They are known for their bright colors that warn other animals that they are poisonous. Frog venom is one of the most powerful poisons known and can cause paralysis or death. It is so powerful that one millionth of 30 grams of poison can kill a dog, and less than a crystal of salt can kill a human. One frog has a supply of poison sufficient to send up to 100 people to the next world. Local hunters used poison for their arrows, from which the frog got its name in English language Poison-Arrow Frog (frog poisoned arrow).

6. Sloths
Sloths are extremely slow mammals that can be found in the rainforests of Central and South America. There are two types of sloths: two-toed and three-toed. Most sloths are about the size of a small dog. They have short, flat heads. Their fur is grey-brown, but sometimes they appear grey-green because they move so slowly that tiny camouflage plants have time to grow all over their fur. Sloths are nocturnal and sleep curled up with their heads between their arms and legs turned close together.

7 Spider Monkeys
Spider monkeys have big sizes. An adult monkey can grow to be almost 60 centimeters tall, not counting the tail. The tail is very powerful. Monkeys use it as an extra limb. Spider monkeys like to hang upside down, clinging to branches with their tail and paws, which makes them look like spiders, where they get their name from. Also, these monkeys can jump from branch to branch to high speed. Their coat color can be black, brown, gold, red or bronze. Spider monkeys are the object of close attention of hunters, which is why they are on the verge of extinction. This photo is probably your only chance to ever see this monkey. Not to mention our species...

8. Wine snakes.
Only about a centimeter in diameter, wine snakes are a surprisingly "slim", elongated species. If the snake lies among the branches forest trees, its proportions and green-brown color make it almost indistinguishable from dense creepers and vines. The head of a snake, just as thin and oblong. A slow-moving predator active during the day and at night, the wine snake feeds mainly on young birds, which it steals from nests, and on lizards. If the snake is threatened, it puffs up the front of its body, revealing the bright coloration that is normally hidden, and opens its mouth wide.

9. Capybaras
The capybara spends a lot of time in the water and is an excellent swimmer and diver. She has webbed toes on her front and hind feet. When she swims, only her eyes, ears and nostrils are visible above the water. Capybaras feed on plant foods, including aquatic plants, and these animals' molars grow throughout their lives to counteract wear and tear from chewing. Capybaras live in families and are active at dawn and dusk. In areas where they are often disturbed, capybaras may be nocturnal. Males and females look the same, but males have a gland on their nose that is larger than females. They mate in the spring, and after 15-18 weeks of pregnancy, there may be 2 babies in the litter. Babies are well developed at birth.

10. Brazilian tapirs.
Brazilian tapirs can almost always be found near bodies of water. These animals are good swimmers and divers, but they also move quickly on the ground, even on rough and highlands. Tapirs are dark brown in color. Their coat is short, and a mane grows down from the back of the neck. Thanks to the mobile snout, the tapir feeds on leaves, buds, shoots and small branches that the tapir cuts off trees, as well as fruits, herbs and aquatic plants. The female gives birth to one spotted-striped baby after a pregnancy that lasts from 390 to 400 days.

From gliding anacondas to fluttering blue morpho butterflies, the rainforest is teeming with life - in fact, these precious ecosystems are home to 80 percent of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. The Rainforest Alliance is committed to protecting rainforests and biodiversity, including restoring degraded lands, surrounding forests, and protecting waterways. Here are 11 amazing rainforest animals that the Rainforest Alliance is helping to protect.

With its brilliant, iridescent blue wings, the blue Morpho butterfly flutters through the rainforest. The many "eyes" on its inner brown side fool predators into thinking it is a large predator.

These gentle giants of the ocean can be found in warm waters the southern United States, the Caribbean and the northeast coast of Brazil. These manatees can weigh up to 500 kg. and grow up to 3 meters in length.

The striking okapi, the giraffe's closest relative, lives in the dense Ituri rainforest in Central Africa. A master of camouflage, his striped back and brown hide help him stay undetected by predators.

This slow-moving animal lives exclusively in trees and feeds on leaves, branches and fruits. It moves so slowly that its coat takes on a green tint due to the algae that grows on it. And in order to digest one meal, a sloth can take a whole month.

Having a strong resemblance to guinea pig, Capybara is the largest rodent on Earth. It can weigh up to 65 kg and be up to 60 cm tall. It lives in dense vegetation that surrounds water and often jumps into water to hide from predators. The capybara can hold its breath for up to five minutes.

One of the most iconic rainforest animal species, the red macaw is a large parrot with bright red plumage and brilliant blue and yellow feathers. Its powerful beak can open tough nuts and seeds. The red macaw is one of the few species that mates for life.

As one of the brightest animals on the planet, poison frog the arrow uses its color to warn predators of the toxic venom that resides inside its skin. Indigenous cultures often use the frog's venom to coat arrowheads used for hunting.

Black howler monkeys are so nicknamed because of their loud howls that they use to mark territory. These screams that sound like strong wind blowing through the tunnel can be heard up to 3 km away. Black howler monkeys live high in the rainforest, in groups of 4 to 19 individuals.

This is the largest of all anteaters, which can be found in meadows, swamps and moist forests from southern Belize to northern Argentina. Its long sticky tongue can pop up 150 times per minute, allowing it to easily eat 30,000 insects a day.

The green anaconda is one of the largest snakes in the world, reaching over 9 meters in length, 30 cm in diameter and weighing over 220 kg. Due to its size, it is quite bulky on land, but very stealthy in the water.

The praying mantis is a master of camouflage that blends in and mimics the foliage around it. It uses its keen eyesight and powerful forelimbs to catch and devour its prey.

This is a typical amphibious animal, which during its life cycle lives in two environments at once - water and air. The most important hallmark this animal is coloring. No wonder this salamander got the second name - fire lizard. After all, the body of this animal is painted in very rich and contrasting colors. Intense black color is combined with no less saturated yellow or orange patterns, which could be called spots and stripes usually. irregular shape with blurry edges. On the paws, colored markings are usually symmetrical, and on the body itself, the pattern of placement of spots is not traced.

The lower part of the body is most often painted in uniform dark colors. The abdomen is usually black or brown, but white spots may also be present. The legs of this tailed amphibian, although short, are very strong. There are four toes on the front paws, and five on the hind paws. The limbs are more for walking than for swimming. This is evidenced by the absence of swimming membranes. The head of this salamander is rounded. Visually, it seems to be a continuation of the body.

Everyone has it natural phenomenon there is a reason. The color of any animal saves the individual from predators. Salamander is a small, gentle and defenseless creature. She needs to disguise herself as the main shades of the environment. However fire salamander does everything to be noticed. By this she resembles, and bumblebees, which have a very noticeable color.

crowned eagle

The crowned eagle is the largest and most dangerous bird of prey from the hawk family that lives in Africa. It's brave and incredible strong predator, - often the prey of an eagle is 4-5 times larger than itself: large, hyraxes and other animals.

Crowned eagles live in the vast Central Africa: from South Africa to the Gulf of Guinea. Nests are built mainly in forests, much less often in semi-deserts and savannahs. With the exception of Zaire and Kenya, where they are very widespread and widespread, they are quite rare.

The rainforest is very rich in animals. in the Amazon and Orinoco There are many different kinds of monkeys. In their structure, they differ from the Old World monkeys living in Africa and India. Old world monkeys are called narrow-nosed, American monkeys are called broad-nosed. A long tenacious tail helps the monkeys deftly climb trees. The spider monkey has a particularly long and tenacious tail. Another monkey, the howler monkey, wraps its tail around the bough, holding it like a hand. Howler was named for its powerful, obnoxious voice.

The strongest predator tropical forests - jaguar. This is a large yellow cat with black spots on the skin. She is Good climbs trees.

The other big cat in America is the cougar. It is common in North America to Canada, in South America it is found in the steppes to Patagonia. The cougar is colored yellowish gray and somewhat resembles a lion (without a mane); this is probably why it is called the American lion.

Near the reservoirs in the thicket of the forest you can meet an animal that resembles a little horse and even more - a rhinoceros. The animal reaches 2 m in length. His muzzle is elongated, as if elongated in trunk. This is an American tapir. He, like a pig, loves to wallow in puddles.

On the lakes in the reed beds on the plains of Patagonia and nutria lives on the mountain slopes of the Andes - swamp beaver, or coipu, - large rodent the size of our river beaver. The life of a nutria is connected with water. Nutria feeds on succulent roots aquatic plants, arranges nests from reeds and reeds. The animal gives valuable moss. The nutria was transferred to Soviet Union and released in the swampy thickets of Transcaucasia. They have acclimatized and breed well. However, they suffer greatly during the cold winters that occur in Azerbaijan and Armenia, when the lakes freeze.

Unadapted to life in freezing reservoirs, nutria, diving under the ice, do not find a way out. At the same time, their habitats become accessible for jungle cats and jackals, which pass through the ice to nests of nutrias.

Armadillos, sloths and anteaters live in the forests of South America.

Body armadillo is covered with a shell, a bit reminiscent shield . The shell consists of two layers: inside it is bony, outside - horny - and is divided into belts, movably connected to each other.: Guiana and Brazil lives giant armadillo. The largest of the armadillos reach one and a half meters in length. Armadillos live in deep burrows and come out to prey only at night. They feed on termites, ants and various small animals.

Sloths have a monkey-like face. The long limbs of these animals are armed with large sickle-shaped claws. They got their name for slowness and sluggishness. The dull greenish-gray protective coloration of the sloth reliably hides it from the eyes of the enemy in the branches of trees. The color of the sloth is given by green algae that live in its rough and shaggy wool. This is one of the great examples of the cohabitation of animal and plant organisms.

AT In the forests of South America, several species of anteaters are found - The average anteater, tamandua, with a tenacious tail, is very interesting. He is great at running up sloping trunks and climbing trees, looking for ants and other insects.

Marsupials in the forests of Brazil are eared and water opossums. The water opossum, or swimmer, lives near rivers and lakes. It differs from the eared one in color and swimming membranes on the hind legs.

There are many in South America bats various types. Among them are blood-sucking leaf-beetles that attack horses and mules, and vampires.

Despite their sinister name, vampires eat exclusively by insects and fruits of plants.

Of the birds of great interest is the hoatzin. This is a motley colored, rather large bird with a large crest on its head. The nest of the hoatzin is placed above the water, in the branches of trees or thickets of shrubs. Chicks are not afraid to fall into the water: they swim and dive well. Hoatzin chicks have long claws on the first and second fingers of the wing,; helping them climb branches and branches. It is curious that the adult hoatzin loses the ability to quickly move through the trees.

Studying the structure and lifestyle of hoatzin chicks, scientists came to the conclusion that the ancestors of birds also climbed trees. After all, the fossil first bird (Archaeopteryx) were long fingers with claws on the wings.

There are over 160 species of parrots in the rainforests of South America. The most famous are green Amazonian parrots. They are learn to speak well.

Only in one country - in America - live the smallest birds - hummingbirds. These are unusually bright and beautifully colored fast-flying pawns, some of them the size of a bumblebee. There are over 450 species of hummingbirds. They, like insects, hover around flowers, sucking flower juice with a thin beak and tongue. In addition, hummingbirds also feed on small insects.

There are many different snakes in the rainforests! and lizards. Among them are boas, or boa, anaconda, reaching I m in length, bushmaster - 4 l I in length. Due to the protective coloration of the skin, many snakes are hardly noticeable among the forest greenery.

There are especially many lizards in the tropical rainforest. Big broad-toed geckos are sitting on the trees. Among other species of lizards, the most interesting is the iguana, living and | in trees and on the ground. This lizard has a very beautiful emerald green color. She eats plant foods.

Lives in the forests of Brazil and Guiana big frog — surinamese pipa. It is interesting in a special way of reproduction. delayed female the eggs are distributed by the male on the back of the female. Each egg falls into a separate cell. In the future, the skin grows, and the cells close. The frogs develop on the back of the female; when they grow up they come out from cells. Nutrients, necessary for frogs during development, are transferred from the mother's body by blood vessels branching in the walls of skin cells.

In the rivers of tropical America is found big fish- an electric eel with special electrical organs. With electric shocks, the eel stuns its prey and scares away its enemies.

In many rivers of South America lives an unusually predatory fish - piranha, 30 cm long. In her strong jaws sit sharp, knives, teeth. If you lower a piece of meat into the river, piranhas immediately appear from the depths and instantly tear it apart. Piranhas feed on fish, attack ducks and domestic animals that inadvertently entered the river. Even such large animals as tapirs suffer from piranha. Fish damage lips drinking water animals. Piranhas are also dangerous to humans.

AT tropical the forests are diverse world of insects. Very large diurnal butterflies are numerous. They are very beautiful and richly colored, varied in shape and size. In Brazil, there are over 700 species of diurnal butterflies, while in Europe there are no more than 150 species.

Ants are very numerous. Penetrating into human dwellings, they eat his reserves and thereby cause significant harm. Umbelliferae ants live in underground galleries. They feed their larvae with mushroom mold, which is grown on finely chopped foliage. Ants bring pieces of leaves to the anthill, moving along strictly constant paths.

There are many spiders in the tropical belt of South America. Among them, the largest is the tarantula. Its size is more than 5 cm. Lizards, frogs, insects serve as food for it; apparently, it also attacks small birds. The same large earthen spiders are found in New Guinea and Java.

In the tropical forests of Africa live elephants, various monkeys, okapi - an animal related to the giraffe; in the rivers - hippos and crocodiles. The great apes are of the greatest interest. gorillas and chimpanzees. The gorilla is a very large monkey, the growth of males reaches 2 m, weight - 200 kg. They live in the most deaf, inaccessible parts of the tropical the woods and in the mountains. Gorillas make their lair in trees or on the ground in dense thickets. Gorillas have been heavily exterminated by humans and are now preserved only in two areas of the tropical forests of Africa - south of Cameroon before R. Congo and in the country of lakes Victoria and Tanganyika.

Chimpanzees are smaller than gorillas. An adult male is not higher than 1.5 m. They live in families, but sometimes they gather in small herds. Coming down from the trees, chimpanzees walk on the ground, leaning on the hands clenched into fists.

There are many species of monkeys in the tropical forests of Africa. The fur of these long-tailed little monkeys is greenish in color. Of interest are fingerless monkeys (colobus), which lack thumb on hands. The most beautiful of these monkeys is the Gverets. She lives in Ethiopia and in the forests west of this countries. Macaques, related to African monkeys, live in tropical Asia.

Dog-headed monkeys - baboons - are very characteristic of the African continent. They live in the mountains of Africa.

Animal world Madagascar has some peculiarities. So, for example, lemurs live on this island. Their body is covered with thick fur. Some have fluffy tails. Lemurs' faces quicker bestial than simian; hence they are called semi-monkeys.

There are many different species in the African rainforests. parrots. The most famous gray parrot is a gray parrot, which imitates the human voice very well.

Crocodiles have been preserved in large numbers in places. They are especially fond of rivers, the banks of which are overgrown with thick tropical forest. Nile crocodile reaches 7 m in length.

In the forests of Africa live large, up to 6 liters in length, boas - pythons.

Among the fish attracts attention lungfish protopterus inhabiting muddy lakes and swamps. These fish, in addition to gills, have lungs that they breathe during a drought. AT South America lives lungfish lepidosiren, and in Australia - ceratodes.

In the humid dense forests of the islands of Sumatra and Borneo (Kalimantan), the orangutan ape lives. This is a large monkey, covered with coarse red hair. Adult males grow large beards.

close to great apes the gibbon is smaller than the orangutan, its body length is 1 m. The gibbon is distinguished by long limbs; with their help, swinging on the branches, he very easily jumps from tree to tree. Gibbons live on the island of Sumatra, on Malacca Peninsula and in the mountain forests of Burma.

In the forests of the Greater Sunda Islands - Sumatra and Borneo - and in East India, a variety of macaques live. Lives on the island of Borneo

nosed a monkey. Her nose is long, almost proboscis-shaped. In older animals, especially in males, the nose is much longer than in young monkeys.

In the forests of India and on the nearest large islands, it is often found Indian elephant. Since ancient times, it has been tamed by man and used in various jobs.

The well-known common Indian rhinoceros- most large one-horned rhinoceros.

A relative of American tapirs lives in Asia - black-backed tapir. It reaches 2 m in height. Back he is light, and other parts of the body are covered with short black hair.

Among the predators of southern Asia, the most famous Bengal tiger. Most tigers survived in India, Indochina, on the islands of Sumatra and Java.

The tiger is a twilight animal; he hunts for large ungulates. A tiger, in case of injury by an unsuccessful shot of a hunter, illness or old age, or in general, for any reason, has lost the ability to hunt ungulates that make up its main food, attacks people, becomes a "cannibal" Raquo;.

We have tigers in Transcaucasia, Central Asia, Primorye and in the south of the Ussuri Territory.

The leopard is distributed in southern Asia, in the forests of the Greater Sunda Islands and in Japan. It is found in the Caucasus, in the mountains of Central Asia and in Primorye. We call him a bar. Leopard attacks domestic animals; he is cunning, bold, and dangerous to humans. On the Greater Sunda Islands, black leopards are often found; they are called black panthers.

South Asia is home to the sloth bear and the Malay bear, the biruang. Gubach- a large, heavy beast, armed with long claws, allowing it to climb trees well. The color of his fur is black, on the chest there is a large white spot. His big lips mobile, they can be pulled out by a tube, and long tongue from the crevices of insect trees. Gubach lives in tropical forests on the peninsula of Hindustan and on the island of Ceylon. It feeds on plants, fruits, berries, insects, bird eggs and small animals.

The Malayan bear has short, black fur. Most he spends his life on trees, eating fruits and insects.

There are many birds in tropical Asia. One of the most beautiful is the peacock, which lives in the wild in Java, Ceylon and Indochina.

In the forests of the Sunda Islands, in Ceylon and in India, Bapkiv or bush chickens live & mdash; wild ancestors of domestic chickens, many species of pheasants and other chickens.

The waters of South Asia are inhabited by long-snouted gharial crocodiles. They live in r. Ganges.

On the peninsula Malacca there is a snake reticulated python, reaching 10 m length.

There are many in the forests of India poisonous snakes, from the bites of which a large number of people suffer every year. The most dangerous cobra, or spectacle snake. She got her name from the spots on the back of her head that look like glasses.

The tropics are inhabited by many amphibians, or amphibians. Among them is the Javan flying frog. Strongly developed webs between the toes of the front and hind paws allow it to jump from one tree to another when planning.

Having become acquainted with the distribution of animals on the globe, it is easy to see that on different continents similar animals live under similar living conditions. Some species have adapted to life in the tundra, others in the steppes and deserts, and others in the mountains and forests. Each continent has its own fauna - species of animals that live only on this continent. Especially in this regard, the animal world of Australia is peculiar, which we will consider below.

Studying the past of the Earth from the fossil remains of animals that once inhabited the continents and islands, scientists came to the conclusion that the composition of the fauna, that is, the animal world, has continuously changed in all geological epochs. Connections arose between the continents; so, for example, between Asia and North America there was a connection. Animals that inhabited Asia may have entered the Americas; therefore, in the fauna of America and Asia, we still see a lot of similarities at the present time. Geological history helps to find out some features in the distribution of animals on continents. So, leftovers marsupials are found in the ancient layers of the land of Europe and America. Nowadays, these marsupials live only in Australia and only a few species in America. Consequently, earlier marsupials on the globe were much more widespread. This confirms the opinion of geologists about the connection that existed between these continents.

Having studied the composition of the animal world of individual continents and islands, scientists have divided Earth into areas characterized by species of animals found only in this area.

The main areas are as follows: Australian, Neotropical (South and Central America), Ethiopian (Africa), Eastern or Indo-Malayan, Holarctic (Northern Asia, Europe and North America).