36. Butterfly — Where are you most likely to see a butterfly? In the rainforest, of course! Throughout the world there are approximately 18,000 species of butterflies. Around 80% of those species are found in tropical areas. Blue Morphos look metallic, but the bright color on their beautiful wings is actually created by a layer of scales and is most often an illusion created when light reflects off the surface of the scale. When it starts to rain there are usually no umbrellas in sight. So to protect themselves butterflies hang from the undersides of leaves or crawl into crevices in rocks and trees.

Spangled, striped and spotted, butterflies dazzle our eyes as they float through the air. Did you know that many of the plants in the rainforest are designed specifically for butterflies? These plants produce tubular flowers that are too small for most insects to enter, but are very accessible to the butterfly's long and mobile tongue! Now that’s peaceful coexistence! Not only are butterflies important pollinators in the rainforest, they are also essential in the U.S. You can attract them to your backyard by planting flowers like daisies, lilacs and snapdragons!