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Dr. Allen Young is a scientist at the Milwaukee Public Museum and was part of the group which discovered that this midge fly, no bigger than the size of a pinhead, is the only creature that will pollinate a cacao tree. The chocolate midge, no bigger than the size of a pinhead, is the only creature that can pollinate a cacao flower.
Cacao trees naturally grow in the shady areas of the rainforest. When grown commercially, they are usually grown in sunnier areas where other trees have been cleared out to plant more cacao. However, the midge fly prefers shade, and, because of this, typically only three of every 1,000 flowers get pollinated in a commercial crop.
CACAO FLOWER DIORAMA
Dr. Allen Young is a scientist at the Milwaukee Public Museum and was part of the group which discovered that this midge fly, no bigger than the size of a pinhead, is the only creature that will pollinate a cacao tree. The chocolate midge, no bigger than the size of a pinhead, is the only creature that can pollinate a cacao flower.
Cacao trees naturally grow in the shady areas of the rainforest. When grown commercially, they are usually grown in sunnier areas where other trees have been cleared out to plant more cacao. However, the midge fly prefers shade, and, because of this, typically only three of every 1,000 flowers get pollinated in a commercial crop.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for visiting the Costa Rican Rainforest! Be sure to visit the rainforest canopy upstairs before you leave. When you’re done, test your rainforest knowledge with this downloadable trivia game.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for visiting the Costa Rican Rainforest! Be sure to visit the rainforest canopy upstairs before you leave. When you’re done, test your rainforest knowledge with this downloadable trivia game.
RAINFOREST SCAVENGER HUNT
Rainforests in Costa Rica and all over the world provide many products we use every day. Download our Rainforest Scavenger Hunt activity to learn which products in your home originated in the rainforest.
RAINFOREST SCAVENGER HUNT
Rainforests in Costa Rica and all over the world provide many products we use every day. Download our Rainforest Scavenger Hunt activity to learn which products in your home originated in the rainforest.
Slow Sloth
The three-toed sloth uses a strategy of slowness to survive in the rain forest. Vegetarians who dine almost exclusively on leaves, sloths need to conserve energy whenever they can. The leaves of many tropical trees are hard to digest, low in protein, and do not provide an animal with much energy. But the sloth doesn’t use much energy.
In addition to moving slowly, the sloth conserves energy in other ways. Its coat is a good insulator and helps in conserving body heat. And the three-toed sloth has nine neck vertebrae rather than the seven found in most mammals. This lets it feed by swinging its head around instead of its body.
Slow Sloth
The three-toed sloth uses a strategy of slowness to survive in the rain forest. Vegetarians who dine almost exclusively on leaves, sloths need to conserve energy whenever they can. The leaves of many tropical trees are hard to digest, low in protein, and do not provide an animal with much energy. But the sloth doesn’t use much energy.
In addition to moving slowly, the sloth conserves energy in other ways. Its coat is a good insulator and helps in conserving body heat. And the three-toed sloth has nine neck vertebrae rather than the seven found in most mammals. This lets it feed by swinging its head around instead of its body.
SCIENTISTS
Scientists are working year-round at the Milwaukee Public Museum to better understand our natural and cultural worlds. Dr. Chris Tyrrell, an adjunct curator at MPM, has researched American bamboos for years and discovered many plants that are completely new to science. Click the links below to learn more.
SCIENTISTS
Scientists are working year-round at the Milwaukee Public Museum to better understand our natural and cultural worlds. Dr. Chris Tyrrell, an adjunct curator at MPM, has researched American bamboos for years and discovered many plants that are completely new to science. Click the links below to learn more.
Welcome to the
Costa Rican Rainforest!
In this tour, not only will you learn about the animals and plants in the rainforest, but also about important biological concepts that apply to all life on Earth. In addition, you’ll learn about the current research and conservation happening in the rainforest by Milwaukee Public Museum scientists.
Welcome to the
Costa Rican Rainforest!
In this tour, not only will you learn about the animals and plants in the rainforest, but also about important biological concepts that apply to all life on Earth. In addition, you’ll learn about the current research and conservation happening in the rainforest by Milwaukee Public Museum scientists.
RUBBER TREE
This is a rubber tree, native to the Amazon rainforest. This tree’s milky sap, called latex, is a natural defense that seeps out of wounds to heal the tree. Latex can be used to make natural rubber for things like tires, rubber balls, rubber bands, and the soles of shoes. However, artificial rubber is now more commonly used in the United States.
Rubber trees can grow up to four feet each year and can reach between 100-130 feet high.
RUBBER TREE
This is a rubber tree, native to the Amazon rainforest. This tree’s milky sap, called latex, is a natural defense that seeps out of wounds to heal the tree. Latex can be used to make natural rubber for things like tires, rubber balls, rubber bands, and the soles of shoes. However, artificial rubber is now more commonly used in the United States.
Rubber trees can grow up to four feet each year and can reach between 100-130 feet high.
COMMON BEVERAGES
Learn more about some common beverages derived from plants in the tropical rainforest in our Botany of Beverages Lecture below.
COMMON BEVERAGES
Learn more about some common beverages derived from plants in the tropical rainforest in our Botany of Beverages Lecture below.
BIODIVERSITY
These windows demonstrate a teeny-tiny fraction of the biodiversity found in the rainforest. But what is biodiversity, and why is it important? Watch the video below to find out! Then, download the PDF to fill out some of the connections you see as you travel through the rainforest.
BIODIVERSITY
These windows demonstrate a teeny-tiny fraction of the biodiversity found in the rainforest. But what is biodiversity, and why is it important? Watch the video below to find out! Then, download the PDF to fill out some of the connections you see as you travel through the rainforest.
MACAWS
Macaws group together in large flocks of 10-30 birds to protect each other from snakes and other large predators. Although they may seem flashy, their bright colors are actually camouflage, as they blend in with the leaves and bright fruits of the rainforest.
Click below to hear their call.
MACAWS
Macaws group together in large flocks of 10-30 birds to protect each other from snakes and other large predators. Although they may seem flashy, their bright colors are actually camouflage, as they blend in with the leaves and bright fruits of the rainforest.
Click below to hear their call.
CACAO TREE
The cacao tree grows in the shade of the rainforest. Notice the unusual pods growing from its trunk instead of the branches. The cacao pods are necessary to make one of the most popular ingredients in the world: chocolate! How does it go from a funny-looking plant to a chocolate bar?
• First, cacao pods are harvested, then split open to dry.
• Next, the seeds are fermented in large heaps, often covered in leaves or cloth. Fermentation causes chemical changes that develop chocolate’s distinct flavor and color
• After fermentation, the beans are dried in the open sun.
• Once dry, beans are roasted and separated from the shells, which creates a product called cocoa nibs.
• Cocoa nibs are ground into a paste-like “cocoa liquor” (not actually alcoholic) which is mixed with other ingredients like milk and sugar to create many of the chocolate products we enjoy today.
CACAO TREE
The cacao tree grows in the shade of the rainforest. Notice the unusual pods growing from its trunk instead of the branches. The cacao pods are necessary to make one of the most popular ingredients in the world: chocolate! How does it go from a funny-looking plant to a chocolate bar?
• First, cacao pods are harvested, then split open to dry.
• Next, the seeds are fermented in large heaps, often covered in leaves or cloth. Fermentation causes chemical changes that develop chocolate’s distinct flavor and color
• After fermentation, the beans are dried in the open sun.
• Once dry, beans are roasted and separated from the shells, which creates a product called cocoa nibs.
• Cocoa nibs are ground into a paste-like “cocoa liquor” (not actually alcoholic) which is mixed with other ingredients like milk and sugar to create many of the chocolate products we enjoy today.
LANCEHEAD SNAKE
Bothrops atrox
When people say that a cure for a disease might be in the rainforest, this lancehead viper is a perfect example. Two medical applications have come from studying the venom of this snake and other lancehead relatives:
Captopril
A lancehead snake’s venom kills by catastrophically reducing blood pressure in its prey. Scientists were able to isolate the peptide in the venom that caused the blood pressure to lower and modify it to make it safe. The resulting medicine, captopril, is now commonly used to treat high blood pressure, potentially saving millions of lives!
Batroxobin
One of the compounds of a lancehead snake’s venom has been derived into Batroxobin which induces blood clotting. Because of this unique feature, doctors and scientists can use it to gain better insights into the blood of a patient, particularly if there’s something going wrong with how it clots.
This amazing creature helped humans understand and treat two different medical issues. When we consider that only 1% of the rainforest’s specimens have been studied, what other things might we discover if we take time to study the rainforest? Moreover, imagine what could be lost if the rainforest were to disappear.
LANCEHEAD SNAKE
Bothrops atrox
When people say that a cure for a disease might be in the rainforest, this lancehead viper is a perfect example. Two medical applications have come from studying the venom of this snake and other lancehead relatives:
Captopril
A lancehead snake’s venom kills by catastrophically reducing blood pressure in its prey. Scientists were able to isolate the peptide in the venom that caused the blood pressure to lower and modify it to make it safe. The resulting medicine, captopril, is now commonly used to treat high blood pressure, potentially saving millions of lives!
Batroxobin
One of the compounds of a lancehead snake’s venom has been derived into Batroxobin which induces blood clotting. Because of this unique feature, doctors and scientists can use it to gain better insights into the blood of a patient, particularly if there’s something going wrong with how it clots.
This amazing creature helped humans understand and treat two different medical issues. When we consider that only 1% of the rainforest’s specimens have been studied, what other things might we discover if we take time to study the rainforest? Moreover, imagine what could be lost if the rainforest were to disappear.
CICHLID FISH
Although we often imagine the rainforest as a dense, unbroken jungle, there are thousands of rivers, tributaries, small lakes, and swamps that are created by the tremendous amount of precipitation the rainforest receives.
One family of fish, found in Costa Rica and all over the world, is the cichlid family. A MPM scientist researched cichlids in Africa and discovered two new species!
CICHLID FISH
Although we often imagine the rainforest as a dense, unbroken jungle, there are thousands of rivers, tributaries, small lakes, and swamps that are created by the tremendous amount of precipitation the rainforest receives.
One family of fish, found in Costa Rica and all over the world, is the cichlid family. A MPM scientist researched cichlids in Africa and discovered two new species!
COLLECTIONS MANAGERS
This scientist is collecting specimens for the Museum. But who takes care of them once they arrive? Watch the video below to learn what it takes to be a Collections Manager.
COLLECTIONS MANAGERS
This scientist is collecting specimens for the Museum. But who takes care of them once they arrive? Watch the video below to learn what it takes to be a Collections Manager.
DECOMPOSERS
This diorama shows several types of decomposers. Decomposers, such as bacteria, fungi, and protists, live everywhere: in the soil, in the water, on dead or dying plants and animals, and their waste. These creatures turn these waste materials back into nutrients that plants can absorb from the soil, and start the cycle of life again. For example, the orchid on the dead tree relies on fungi breaking down the wood for water and minerals.
If decomposers didn’t exist, everything that has ever died would pile up, and the nutrients inside wouldn’t return to the soil for plants to use. If all plants died, then what would happen to the herbivores? What would happen to animals that consume herbivores?
DECOMPOSERS
This diorama shows several types of decomposers. Decomposers, such as bacteria, fungi, and protists, live everywhere: in the soil, in the water, on dead or dying plants and animals, and their waste. These creatures turn these waste materials back into nutrients that plants can absorb from the soil, and start the cycle of life again. For example, the orchid on the dead tree relies on fungi breaking down the wood for water and minerals.
If decomposers didn’t exist, everything that has ever died would pile up, and the nutrients inside wouldn’t return to the soil for plants to use. If all plants died, then what would happen to the herbivores? What would happen to animals that consume herbivores?
HOWLER MONKEY
The howler monkey’s loud call frightens away predators and other animals invading their foraging range. Male howler monkeys have large throats and shell-like vocal chambers to amplify and project their sound, sometimes up to three miles. If howling doesn’t work, these monkeys play dirty! When their territory is encroached upon, howlers will defecate on the offender with marksmanship-like accuracy.
HOWLER MONKEY
The howler monkey’s loud call frightens away predators and other animals invading their foraging range. Male howler monkeys have large throats and shell-like vocal chambers to amplify and project their sound, sometimes up to three miles. If howling doesn’t work, these monkeys play dirty! When their territory is encroached upon, howlers will defecate on the offender with marksmanship-like accuracy.
STRANGLER FIG
Strangler figs start as sticky seeds dropped by birds or bats at an elevated portion of another tree. The fig grows downward around the trunk of the host tree until it reaches the ground. The strangler fig’s leaves deprive the original tree of light and therefore the ability to sustain itself. The fig’s roots also deplete the tree of nutrients. Eventually, the fig “strangles” the original tree, causing it to rot away. The fig remains after the original tree rots, leaving a hollow interior. Many creatures benefit from the hollow strangler fig as a home, breeding ground, and source of food.
Strangler figs are one of the rainforest’s keystone species, meaning they provide critical sustenance to a wide variety of species within the rainforest, and if they were to go extinct, would cause the extinction of many other species.
Look inside the trunk and see how many species of animal you can see using this important resource!
STRANGLER FIG
Strangler figs start as sticky seeds dropped by birds or bats at an elevated portion of another tree. The fig grows downward around the trunk of the host tree until it reaches the ground. The strangler fig’s leaves deprive the original tree of light and therefore the ability to sustain itself. The fig’s roots also deplete the tree of nutrients. Eventually, the fig “strangles” the original tree, causing it to rot away. The fig remains after the original tree rots, leaving a hollow interior. Many creatures benefit from the hollow strangler fig as a home, breeding ground, and source of food.
Strangler figs are one of the rainforest’s keystone species, meaning they provide critical sustenance to a wide variety of species within the rainforest, and if they were to go extinct, would cause the extinction of many other species.
Look inside the trunk and see how many species of animal you can see using this important resource!
WHAT IS A SCIENTIST
Scientists are as diverse as the rainforest! Some scientists work in the field, gathering data. Others work in a lab, creating experiments, analyzing data, and caring for scientific materials. Many scientists work to share information with the public.
Learn more about the Milwaukee Public Museum’s scientists in the video below.
WHAT IS A SCIENTIST
Scientists are as diverse as the rainforest! Some scientists work in the field, gathering data. Others work in a lab, creating experiments, analyzing data, and caring for scientific materials. Many scientists work to share information with the public.
Learn more about the Milwaukee Public Museum’s scientists in the video below.