What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
This beautiful big cat likes nothing more than lounging around in the dense forests hugging the foothills of the Himalayas through those carpeting mainland Southeast Asia into South China. One of the most agile and talented climbers among cats, the solitary and secretive clouded leopard is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Slightly larger than a domestic cat, with a bear-like body and thick russet fur, the red panda is a skilled and acrobatic climber who spends most of its time in trees. Classified as Endangered by the IUCN, it's native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
So named for its tail, which is long, thin, and hairless, with a lion-like black tail tuft at the tip, this Old World monkey is endemic to the Western Ghats of South India. As you'd expect, this primate's behavior is characterized by typical patterns of arboreal behavior. It's another animal designated by the IUCN as Endangered.
Nocturnal and in fact semi arboreal—it's often seen foraging in vegetable gardens—the common brushtail possum is native to Australia and naturalized in New Zealand, and is particularly partial to eucalyptus leaves.
The tarsier is a small primate that calls several countries in Maritime Southeast Asia home, specifically the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. The primates are blessed with long hind limbs, owing mostly to the elongated tarsus bones of the feet, from which the animals get their name. But they are also recognized for their enormous eyes and piercing stare. They are found primarily in forested habitats. Pictured is the near-threatened Philippine tarsier.
Also called the honey bear, this unusual member of the racoon family is native to Central America and parts of South America. Kinkajous spend most of their time in the upper canopy of tropical forests, to which they are particularly well adapted.
Native throughout Southeast Asia, the Sunda is neither a lemur nor does it fly. Instead, this strictly arboreal mammal of the colugo species glides as it leaps among trees using a fur-covered membrane called a patagium, which is connected to the face, paws, and tail and enables them to glide in the air for distances of up to 200 m (660 ft).
Preferring to live in trees is this verdant serpent, native to New Guinea, some islands in Indonesia, and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia. Residing mostly in rain forest canopies, the green tree python is occasionally seen slithering through the undergrowth seeking out small rodents, and sometimes reptiles.
The sloth is the world's slowest mammal, with all species built for life in the treetops. The brown-throated sloth is the most common of the four species of three-toed sloth, and is found in the forests of South and Central America.
This excellent tree climber is native to the California and Baja California coastlines. An inland population occurs in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The amphibian's large toes and prehensile tail aid it in climbing up to 18 m (60 ft) above the ground in oak and sycamore woodlands.
Another iconic marsupial from down under is the koala, who also loves to feast on eucalyptus. Koalas rarely leave the safety of trees, and, as they are largely sedentary, can spend up to 20 hours a day tucked into a hollow, only descending to the ground to move to another tree.
One of the animal kingdom's most colorful creatures, the red-eyed tree frog, with its vivid scarlet peepers, is always a treat to see in the rain forests and humid lowlands of Mexico through Central America to Colombia. Despite its bright coat (usually seen as warning sign to potential predators), this iconic amphibian is not venomous.
The largest arboreal mammal in the world is the orangutan. They are also the most arboreal of the great apes. All three species of orangutan—the Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli—are critically endangered, and native to the rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia.
The IUCN lists this species of lemur as Critically Endangered, its eastern Madagascar lowland forest habitat severely diminished due to shifting cultivation by native peoples. Despite its large size, the diademed sifaka is remarkably agile, its muscular legs and tail providing superior lateral aerial propulsion of up to 30 km/h (18 mph).
Rare and restricted to Mexico through to northern Argentina, the harpy eagle inhabits tropical lowland rain forests in the upper (emergent) canopy layer. Despite their wingspan, which can measure as much as 2 m (6 ft) across, harpies fly through dense tree line with exceptional agility.
The largest of the gibbons, the siamang is native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Listed as Endangered by the IUCN due to habitat loss, the siamang feeds on a variety of plants, with fruit making up 60% of its diet.
Like most other chameleons, the veiled chameleon lives in trees and other large plants. It prefers warmer temperatures and is perfectly at home in the semi-arid and tropical regions of the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Tree kangaroos are well adapted for arboreal locomotion, as exemplified by Matschie's tree kangaroo. Native to the Huon Peninsula of northeastern New Guinea island, this species lives in mountainous rain forests at elevations of between 1,000 and 3,000 m (3,300 and 9,800 ft).
One of three flying squirrel species found in North America, the southern flying squirrel is a diminutive rodent with big saucer-like eyes and an amazing ability to glide through the air and maneuver with great efficiency while doing so. Trouble is you'll not see see one of these guys in flight during the day: southern flying squirrels are strictly nocturnal.
This terrestrial mollusk is rather good at climbing trees. In fact, tree snails are exclusively arboreal for most or all of their life cycle, and the Liguus tree snail is no exception. It occurs across the Caribbean, from Florida to Cuba, and is especially renowned for the beauty of its different and distinct color forms or patterns on its shell.
Native from southern Brazil and Paraguay as far north as Mexico, and common in Puerto Rico, the green iguana is an agile climber. If they do take a tumble, this emerald gem of a creature can drop 25 m (50 ft) and land unhurt, using their hind leg claws to clasp leaves and branches to break a fall.
The wonderfully named sugar glider has the ability to breeze through the air much like a flying squirrel. Its scientific name, Petaurus breviceps, translates from Latin as "short-headed rope-dancer," a reference to this possum family member's canopy acrobatics. The sugar glider is native to a small portion of southeastern Australia.
Nocturnal and completely arboreal (it even sleeps clinging to branches), the silky anteater is the smallest of all anteaters. It is found in southern Mexico, and Central and South America.
Squirrel monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central and South America in the high-up canopy layer. There, these New World monkeys are in their element. Two species, the Central American squirrel monkey and the black squirrel monkey, are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
Endemic to Australia, the giant prickly stick insect is one of the most camouflaged creatures in the natural world. It will typically hang from foliage appearing as a broken twig before snapping up prey using its pincer-like front legs.
Disproportionately long limbs and long tails make this species one of the largest of New World monkeys. Calling the tropical forests of Central and South America home, the spider monkey eats the lofty fruit of many big forest trees, which they obtain with remarkable ease.
This arboreal snake inhabits old-growth rain forests of South America. A non-venomous species, the Amazon tree boa nonetheless is possessed of a notoriously fickle temper and won't hesitate to bite if it's disturbed or feels threatened.
Classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, the spotted owl is a resident species of closed-canopy old-growth forests in western North America. Its preferred real estate is tree hollows where it roosts and nests.
While not quite as unhurried as a sloth, the slow loris as a species comes a pretty close second. The Bengal slow loris, native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina, is Endangered according to the IUCN, a victim of the exotic pet trade and traditional medicine.
Sources: (IUCN Red List) (Guinness World Records) (CNN)
See also: The laziest animals on the planet, and their hilarious quirks
Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, and, while the tree pangolin is the most common of the African forest pangolins, it too is a victim of poaching to the point where the IUCN lists this amazing creature, which is in fact semiarboreal, as Endangered.
Arboreal animals are those creatures that spend the majority of their lives in trees. Numbering numerous species across the globe, these animals are remarkably well adapted to their lofty environment, enabling them to feed, play, move, and sleep high up in forest and woodland canopies. Sadly, much of this wildlife is endangered to the point where many of these tree-dwelling animals are now rare and scarce.
In this gallery, take a look at animals who enjoy the high life. Click on.
What are arboreal animals?
Creatures who spend the majority of their time in trees
LIFESTYLE Environment
Arboreal animals are those creatures that spend the majority of their lives in trees. Numbering numerous species across the globe, these animals are remarkably well adapted to their lofty environment, enabling them to feed, play, move, and sleep high up in forest and woodland canopies. Sadly, much of this wildlife is endangered to the point where many of these tree-dwelling animals are now rare and scarce.
In this gallery, take a look at animals who enjoy the high life. Click on.