What animals are closest to the equator?

1. Which animals live near the equator?
2. Are there more animals near the equator?
3. What habitat can you find near the equator?
4. Why do more animals live near the equator?
5. Are bugs bigger near the equator?
6. Why are animals smaller near the equator?
7. Is it better to live closer to the equator?
8. Why are there more plants near the equator?
9. Why is the equator hot?
10. Can you live on the equator?
11. Why can't you balance on the equator?
12. How do you explain the equator to a child?
13. How hot is the equator?
14. Why are there two hot seasons in a year at the equator?
15. Why are animals bigger in cold climates?
16. Which countries are on Equator?
17. Why are there so many species?

Which animals live near the equator?

The continental region has a rich animal life that includes gorillas, chimpanzees, various monkeys, leopards, buffalo, antelope, elephants, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and various snakes, including pythons.

Are there more animals near the equator?

Biologists have long noted that life's majesty grows grander and grander the closer you are to the equator. "Nearly all groups of organisms, from foraminifera to frogs, are most diverse in the tropics. ... A third points out that equatorial tropics are the largest biome, so it makes sense that there would be more species.

What habitat can you find near the equator?

TROPICAL RAINFORESTS have the perfect conditions to support plants on land – they are warm, bright, and wet. They form near the equator where sunlight is most plentiful on Earth and only in places that receive regular, almost daily rains. The largest continuous rainforest is the Amazon in South America.

Why do more animals live near the equator?

A new study led by Oxford Earth Sciences' Associate Professor Erin Saupe suggests that higher species diversity in equatorial regions may be caused by higher rates of speciation (the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution), driven by changes in precipitation across space and through time.

Are bugs bigger near the equator?

Abundant food, a year-round growing season and warm weather are all reasons that big insects thrive in the tropics, said Matan Shelomi, a graduate student in entomology at the University of California, Davis. For animals, such as mammals, that rely on internal heat, it pays to be bigger in the colder climes.

Why are animals smaller near the equator?

Warmer climates impose the opposite problem: body heat generated by metabolism needs to be dissipated quickly rather than stored within. Thus, the higher surface area-to-volume ratio of smaller animals in hot and dry climates facilitates heat loss through the skin and helps cool the body.

Is it better to live closer to the equator?

It's a question some researchers recently tackled at the University of Vermont. They found 'happiness rises and falls with distance from the equator. ' In other words, the closer you live to the equator the happier you feel.

Why are there more plants near the equator?

There might be more biodiversity near the equator because it's warmer year round, allowing organisms to continue growing. Locations away from the equator will have cold winters that will slow growth for microorganisms, plants and animals.

Why is the equator hot?

Why is it hot at the Equator and cold at the poles? Due to the tilt of the Earth, the Equator is closer to the sun so receives more of its energy. The Equator has a smaller surface area so heats up quickly compared to the poles. ... This means more heat from the sun makes it to the surface of the Earth.

Can you live on the equator?

The equator itself crosses the land or territorial waters of 14 countries. If you live on the equator you will experience the quickest rates of sunrise and sunset in the world, taking a matter of minutes. ... While temperatures at the equator are very high, there is one single point on the equator where you'll find snow.

Why can't you balance on the equator?

Gravity is lower at the equator

Fact: the Earth spins quite fast, so, the greater centrifugal force at the equator weakens the gravitational pull (the intensity drops from 9.8 m/s² to 9.78 m/s²).

How do you explain the equator to a child?

An equator is an imaginary line around the middle of a planet or other celestial body. It is halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole, at 0 degrees latitude. An equator divides the planet into a Northern Hemisphere and a Southern Hemisphere.

How hot is the equator?

Average annual temperatures in equatorial lowlands are around 31 °C (88 °F) during the afternoon and 23 °C (73 °F) around sunrise. Rainfall is very high away from cold ocean current upwelling zones, from 2,500 to 3,500 mm (100 to 140 in) per year.

Why are there two hot seasons in a year at the equator?

Equatorial Climates

Twice a year, during the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun passes directly over the Equator. Even during the rest of the year, equatorial regions often experience a hot climate with little seasonal variation. As a result, many equatorial cultures recognize two seasons—wet and dry.

Why are animals bigger in cold climates?

Animals living near colder climates are bigger in size because being heftier allows them several benefits like reducing body heat loss, researchers said. ... Heftier animals have a smaller surface area-to-volume ratio, which helps reduce heat loss — a pattern known as Bergmann's Rule.

Which countries are on Equator?

The Equator passes through 13 countries: Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Sao Tome & Principe, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Indonesia and Kiribati. At least half of these countries rank among the poorest in the world.

Why are there so many species?

Just why some groups contain large numbers of species while others don't has long puzzled biologists. One of the main explanations has been geological age - older groups of organisms are more diverse because they have simply had more time to accumulate greater numbers of species.