Skip to content

EcoQuest 2: Lost Secret of the Rainforest

by Tom Hayes 28 sections about 39 minutes to read

Preserved exactly as it was written, spacing included: this guide contains maps or tables that reflowing the text would destroy. It scrolls sideways rather than wrapping.

ANIMALS
-------

1. 3-TOED SLOTH
   Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: 3-toed Sloths have green algae in their fur. They move so
                slowly it takes a week to change trees.

2. COCK-OF-THE-ROCK
   Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: The cock-of-the-rock is one of the many small birds that live
                in the canopy.

3. DARTER
   Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: The darter is one of many bird species found in the canopy.

4. EMERALD TREE BOA
   Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: Emerald tree boas hide and look like a clump of unripe bananas.
                Like all snakes, they have poor eyesight.

5. FALSE VAMPIRE BAT
   Location: In the cave.
   Information: Vampyrum spectrum is a false vampire bat. It likes to eat mice
                but DOESN'T suck blood.

6. FISHING BAT
   Location: In the cave.
   Information: Noctilia leporinus is a fisherman bat. It finds fish by
                echolocation and grabs them in its claws.

7. HARPY EAGLE
   Location: In the nest at the flooded forest.
   Information: The harpy eagle is the largest in the world. It eats sloths and
                howler monkeys.

8. HOATZIN
   Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: Hoatzins smell because of the fungus they eat. They live near
                rivers.

9. HOWLER MONKEY
   Location: On the island in the flooded forest.
   Information: Howler monkeys make a strange noise at dawn. They eat leaves
                and fruit.

10. HYACINTH MACAW
    Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
    Information: Hyacinth Macaws get their name from their brilliant blue
                 plumage.

11. IGUANA
    Location: At the left side of the village.
    Information: Iguanas look like prehistoric animals. They live in trees,
                 preferably near rivers.

12. INSECTIVORE BAT
    Location: In the cave.
    Information: Natalus stramineus eats insects. She has warm brown fur.

13. JAGUAR
    Location: On the tree branch in the area above the village.
    Information: Jaguars climb trees. When hunting, they make an odd snuffling
                 sound.

14. LEAF-NOSED BAT
    Location: In the cave.
    Information: Lonchorhina aurita is a sword-nosed bat. It eats insects.

15. LEAFCUTTING ANT
    Location: In the rainforest.
    Information: Leafcutting ants chew up leaves and use them to plant fungus
                 farms.

16. MEXICAN FREETAILED BAT
    Location: In the cave.
    Information: Tadaria brasiliensis is a Mexican free-tailed bat. It travels
                 between North and South America.

17. MORPHO BUTTERFLY
    Location: In the village after talking to the shaman.
    Information: The Morpho butterfly is sapphire blue. Without the relection
                 of light, its wings are transparent.

18. PECCARY
    Location: In the village.
    Information: The peccary is a wild pig. They eat roots and roam in bands.

19. PIRANHA
    Location: On the island in the flooded forest.
    Information: Piranha have strong teeth and jawbones. They can devour an
                 animal to the bone.

20. PUNK BAT
    Location: In the cave.
    Information: Tadarida chapini are known as punk bats because of their
                 mohawks!

21. RIVER OTTER
    Location: In the rainforest.
    Information: River otters are an endangered species. They are shy and hate
                 being looked at.

22. RUBY TOPAZ HUMMINGBIRD
    Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
    Information: The hummingbird is territorial and defends its feeding site
                 with a sharp, needle-like beak.

23. SCARLET MACAW
    Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
    Information: A scarlet macaw, unlike its cousins, is mostly red.

24. TENT BAT
    Location: In the cave.
    Information: Ectophylla alba is a tent bat. It chews leaves to make a nest.

25. TOCO TOUCAN
    Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
    Information: Toucans have long beaks to gather fruit far out on tree limbs.
                 They crack nuts with their beaks.

26. YELLOW-RIBBED CACIQUE
    Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
    Information: Caciques can imitate the sounds of other animals.


PLANTS
------

1. BROMELIAD
   Location: Found under the vine at the side of the mud puddle at the village.
   Information: Bromeliads are members of the pineapple family. They grow on
                other plants in the canopy.

2. BUTTRESS
   Location: At the bottom of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: Buttresses are thick roots above the ground which prop up the
                trees and keep them from falling over.

3. CANNONBALL FRUIT
   Location: In the flooded forest.
   Information: Cannonball fruit grow in the flooded forest. They don't really
                shoot.

4. CANOPY
   Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: The canopy is the third and richest level of the rainforest.
                Most life is found there.

5. CECROPIA TREE
   Location: At the bottom of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: Cecropia trees have leaves which are the favorite food of tree
                animals.

6. EMERGENT TREE
   Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: An emergent tree is one that grows above the canopy level of
                the rainforest.

7. EPIPHYTE
   Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
   Information: Epiphytes are also called "air plants." They grow high up in
                the canopy and live off other plants.

8. FOREST FLOOR
   Location: In the rainforest.
   Information: The forest floor is the ground cover, the lowest level of the
                rainforest.

9. IGAPO
   Location: In the flooded forest.
   Information: The igapo is a swamp or "flooded forest." It floods part of the
                year.

10. LIANA
    Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
    Information: Lianas are vines that grow from the ground upwards. They
                 connect the trees of the canopy.

11. ORCHID
    Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
    Information: Orchids grow in the canopy. Special fungi help them get water
                 and food.

12. PASSION FLOWER
    Location: At the City of Gold.
    Information: The passion flower is a colorful, bright flower that grows in
                 the rainforest.

13. PHILODENDRON
    Location: At the City of Gold.
    Information: This rainforest plant has become a common house plant.

14. PITCHER PLANT
    Location: At the top of the tree in the rainforest.
    Information: Pitcher plants have cup-shaped leaves which hold rainwater.
                 Insects live in them.

15. SEED PODS
    Location: In the second entrance of the Forest Heart tree.
    Information: Most rainforest plants have never been classified. They could
                 be valuable medicine.

16. STILT ROOT
    Location: In the rainforest.
    Information: The roots of some trees are like "stilts." The roots help
                 gather water and nutrients.

17. UNDERSTORY
    Location: In the rainforest.
    Information: The understory is between the forest floor and the canopy. It
                 is the first level of small trees.

18. VICTORIA LILY
    Location: In the flooded forest.
    Information: Victoria lilies have pads as big as eight feet in diamter.
                 Children use them as rafts.


ECO-THREATS
-----------

1. BIRD POACHING
   Location: At the camp.
   Information: Many birds in pet stores are stolen from the rainforest. They
                often die on the way to market.

2. BURNOUT
   Location: On the river after the camp.
   Information: Huge areas of the rainforest are set on fire each year.

3. CLEAR CUTTING
   Location: At the camp.
   Information: Clear cutting is a method of cutting down all trees and leaving
                none.

4. ENDANGERED SPECIES
   Location: In the shack at the camp.
   Information: Endangered species are sold as trophies on the black market.

5. LITTERING
   Location: In the rainforest.
   Information: As more inhabitants invade the rainforest, casual littering has
                become a serious problem.

6. LOGGING
   Location: At the camp.
   Information: Many trees may be cut down to harvest just a few hardwood
                trees, such as teak or mahogany.

7. OIL REFINING
   Location: At the camp.
   Information: Chemicals from oil refinery camps are serious sources of
                pollution.

8. POOR SOIL
   Location: At the camp.
   Information: Rainforest soil is poor in nutrients. Farms cease to produce
                within two years.

9. RIVER TRAFFIC
   Location: Record the leak in the hole of the red ship in Iquitos.
   Information: The gasoline and oil from powerboats and launches are important
                sources of river pollution.

10. SILT RUNOFF
    Location: At the camp.
    Information: When many trees are cut, the soil or "silt" is no longer held
                 in place. Rain washes it into the river.

11. TOWN RUNOFF
    Location: Automatically appears after Adam gets the Ecorder.
    Information: Silt and sewage from developed areas have clogged many of the
                 Amazon's rivers.


INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
-----------------

1. AGRICULTURE
   Location: In the village.
   Information: Rainforest people cultivate many types of plants together. They
                burn out only a small area.

2. BODY PAINTING
   Location: In the village.
   Information: Indigenous peope make pains and decorate their whole bodies for
                rituals.

3. CHARM
   Location: In the village.
   Information: It is said that dolphins can change into beautiful humans who
                tempt you like sirens.

4. DRUMS
   Location: On the branch of the tree above the village.
   Information: Indigenous people communicate with drims. Some tribes use a
                "male" and a "female" drum.

5. HUNTING
   Location: In the village.
   Information: Hunters kill only enough to eat> Each animal killed causes a
                small soul "debt" and greed is punished.

6. INITIATION
   Location: In the shaman's hut in the village.
   Information: A young person must be "initiated" into the tribe, often by
                fasting and special activities.

7. LONG HOUSE
   Location: In the village.
   Information: A long house is a communal living space which can hold the
                entire tribe.

8. MASATO
   Location: In the village.
   Information: Ceremonial drinks are prepared carefully. The roots used to
                make them can be poisonous.

9. MASKS
   Location: In the shaman's hut in the village.
   Information: The shaman has masks representing spirits that may help cure
                his patient.

10. PAINT
    Location: In the village.
    Information: Paint is made from berries, rocks, etc. Many tribes use only
                 red and black.

11. POTTERY
    Location: In the village.
    Information: Indigenous people make very beautiful pottery. The complicated
                 designs may also have special meaning.

12. RATTLE
    Location: In the shaman's hut in the village.
    Information: The shaman's rattle is an important part of a curing ceremony.

13. SHAMAN
    Location: In the shaman's hut in the village.
    Information: A shaman is an ordinary person who has the skill of healing
                 and talking to spirits.

14. SHAMAN'S STOOL
    Location: Outside the shaman's hut in the village.
    Information: The shaman's stool gives him status and importance. Only he
                 may sit on it.

15. THATCHING
    Location: In the village.
    Information: Many huts are covered with dried palm fronds. The thatch
                 provides protection from frequent rains.

16. VILLAGE
    Location: On the branch of the tree above the village.
    Information: Rainforest tribes are often nomadic. They carve out a small
                 village and later move on.

17. WEAVING
    Location: In the village.
    Information: The ancient Incan loom is still used in many villages to make
                 beautiful cloth.


ANCIENT CULTURES
----------------

1. COSMOLOGY CARVING
   Location: In the cave.
   Information: Some carved stones look like small cities. Were they building
                plans or mythical "cosmologies"?

2. FOUNTAIN
   Location: In the City of Gold.
   Information: Carved, zigzag channels directed water for a ritual purpose.

3. LABYRINTH
   Location: In the City of Gold.
   Information: Sacred rooms in temples were often surrounded by a maze or
                "labyrinth."

4. PIPES
   Location: In the hollow at the City of Gold.
   Information: The Incans carved pipes from bone to play music for rituals.

5. PRE-INCAN RUINS
   Location: In the City of Gold.
   Information: The jungle has many ruins older than those of the Incas.

6. RITUAL OF EL DORADO
   Location: In the building after the labyrinth at the City of Gold.
   Information: In the ritual of El Dorado, the king painted himself with gold
                dust and dove into the lake.

7. SEAT OF THE INCA
   Location: In the City of Gold.
   Information: Slabs of stone were platforms for the Inca or ruler to speak to
                the people.

8. STELA
   Location: In the labyrinth at the City of Gold.
   Information: A stela is a large carved memorial stone. It may look like a
                person or hold a pictograph story.

9. STONE RELIEF
   Location: In the cave.
   Information: Panels of raised, carved stone are called "reliefs." They often
                tell stories or events.

10. THE UNDERWORLD
    Location: In the cave.
    Information: The Mayans believed that a bat demi-god ruled the Underworld.


===============================================================================

6.                           Copyright Information

===============================================================================


This file is Copyright 2004-2008 Tom Hayes. As it can be difficult to keep
track of websites that haven't posted the latest version of this file, please
do not distribute it without my permission. Send an e-mail to me if you would
like to post this file on your website and you will likely receive a positive
response. If you do post the file, please keep it in its original form with all
of the sections intact and credit the author (Tom Hayes) as the writer of the
file.

Other guides for EcoQuest II: Lost Secret of the Rainforest