Biantitropical distribution

So imagine that there are two big circles around the Earth. One is called the Tropic of Cancer and it is up by places like Mexico and the Sahara desert. The other one is called the Tropic of Capricorn and it is down by places like Brazil and Australia. Between these two circles is an area that is called the tropics.

Now, some plants and animals like to live in really hot and rainy places, like in the middle of the Amazon rainforest or in Central Africa. Other plants and animals like to live in dry places that are still pretty warm, like in deserts or grasslands.

But there are certain plants and animals that can live in both of these really different places. Scientists call this biantitropical distribution. This means they can be found in tropical parts of Africa and South America at the same time.

Some animals that have this kind of distribution are certain species of birds, like parrots, toucans, and hummingbirds, and some kinds of monkeys. Certain types of plants, like some species of palms or ferns, can also have a biantitropical distribution.

It's really amazing that these plants and animals can survive in two such different environments! But scientists are still trying to figure out how they do it.