Flora and fauna of Venezuela

Cattleya mossiae or Flor de Mayo is Venezuelan national flower. It was discovered in the northern parts of Venezuela in 1839. The orchid was declared a national flower on May 23, 1951

Venezuela has tropical, evergreen and semideciduous vegetation. Different vegetation throughout the country is a result of differences in elevation and rainfall. The areas close to the Caribbean coastline have vegetation that consists xerophytic scrub woodland and grasses. This kind of vegetation used to covered the whole northwestern region but it has been cleared and overcultivated since the mid-20th century. The southern Maracaibo basin is covered by dense tropical rainforest, while the Orinoco Delta is covered by mangrove swamps. In several major habitats, the country has 21,000 of plant species and 650 different types of vegetation. Although tropical species don't flourish above 460 meters, there are transitional zones in Venezuela's inland where some tropical species intermingle with tall savanna grasslands. Both forests and savannas cover about half of the land and they are habitats to many animal species. Tropical savannas are typical vegetation in Los Llanos. They also cover plains in National park Canaima. Venezuelan savannas are vast plains covered with grasses that can reach up to two meters during the rainy season, sedges and tree clusters. Palms prevail among trees and they usually grow along streams.

Forests 

Half of the land is covered by forests of which tropical lowland rainforests prevail. The best known rainforest in South America is the Amazon rainforest, which covers the south of Venezuela. Tropical rainforests are located in the tropics near Equator. The main characteristic of the rainforests are heavy rainfalls. The rainforests are habitats to two-thirds of all living animal and plant species on earth. The rainforests are often called the world's largest pharmacy because so many natural medicines have been discovered there. Because rainforests lack of sunlight at ground level, it is possible to walk through them. Rainforests have a high levels of organic matter in the soil which is very nutritious for plant and animal life. Therefore, rainforests are highly active and valuable ecosystems. Venezuela's mountain slopes are covered with cloud forests that grow between 1,000 meters and 2,800 meters. Cloud forest is mainly tropical or subtropical evergreen moist forest in mountaniuos areas. The main characteristic of cloud forests is persistent mist or clouds at the vegetation level. The clouds don't allow sunlight to pass through to the ground, which causes evapotranspiration. This kind of environment promotes the development of many species that need plenty of humid. Some of them are epiphytes, orchids and fern. The trees in the cloud forests are usually shorter and heavy stemmed. The best examples of cloud forest  in Venezuela can be seen in National park Henri Pittier and National park Sierra Nevada. Mangroves grow along the Caribbean coast and on islands. The large Caribbean islands and the hills between Coro and Barquisimeto feature dry forests.

Páramo

Highland meadows that can be found throughout Mérida state are called páramos. Páramo is a neotropical ecosystem is located above cloud forests and below glaciers. It can be only found in the Andes. In Venezuela, páramos cover the northern upper parts of the Cordillera de Mérida. The dominant vegetation in páramo ecozone consists of tussock grasses, small shrubs and bushes. A grass known as pajonal prevails. Pajonal is used by the indigenous people as a material for the thatched roofs of their dwellings. Because this ecosystem is only found in fragments that are scattered across highlands as isolated ecozones, páramos abound in endemic plants and animals. Mangrove swamps are found in the Orinoco Delta. The selva gives way to semitropical vegetation that reaches up to 1,500 meters and characteristically includes tree ferns and epiphytes such as orchids. Higher up the Andean slopes, fern forests give way to mountain vegetation culminating above 3,000 meters in páaramo vegetation which has few trees but a variety of small alpine shrubs and lichens. The southern Maracaibo basin is covered by dense tropical rainforest but closer to the Caribbean the basin is characterized by xerophytic  scrub woodland and grasses this type of plant life formerly covered the entire northwestern region but since the mid-20th century much of that land has been cleared, denuded, and overcultivated. Except in the remoter interior areas, indigenous and introduced species coexist on the forested slopes and around the settled lowland plains and valleys.

Plants and animals

Indian Lips

The region of Guayana is famous for its tepuis which are genuine ecological islands. At the ground level, tepuis have tropical climate, while at the top the temperatures are lower and it rains frequently. Thus the flora of each tepui is diverse at different altitude. Tepuis are habitats of many endemic plant and animal species some of which are unique and endangered. Tops of tepuis are rocky and poor in nutrients. As result, many variety of carnivorous plants have developed. Carnivorous plants catch insects to survive.

A jaguar taking a nap

Jaguar

Jaguar is the biggest and the strongest cat on the South American continent. The name jaguar comes form the word yaguara used by some of indigenous tribes in Latin America, which means beast. Jaguars usually live in rain forests, and they always live near water not just for drinking but for swimming as well. Its hunting strategy includes stalking and ambushing the prey, and his teeth  are so strong that he can easily crack the skull of his prey. Jaguars are strong and muscular animals which usually weigh about 60-100 kg (132-220 pounds). In captivity jaguars can live up to more than 20 years, while in the nature they live up to 15 years. Jaguars are solitary animals and they only come together during mating. Female jaguar takes all care of the cubs who usually leave their mother when they are about two years old. Jaguars are mainly nocturnal animals, and they can be often spotted at twilight. However, jaguars are very careful animals who dislike human presence and live in hardly accessible areas so they are not easy to spot. Jaguars are carnivores and they hunt any big or small prey they can find and they usually eat up to 2 kg of meat a day. Except in Venezuela, jaguars live in other Central and South American states as well, but they are slowly becoming an endangered species. Unfortunately, jaguars do not know humans imposed borders, so they are known to appear on farms in Orinoco delta in western Venezuela and kill livestock animals. In most cases, the farmers do not have a choice but to kill the jaguar in order to protect their livestock. Throughout the history, jaguar was present in pre-Colombian cultures across Latin America, like Maya, Aztec and the Olmec cultures. It was often connected with warrior attributes, like power and pride.

A prianha

Piranha

Piranhas are in Venezuela knowns as caribes.They are thought to be one of the most dangerous fish on the planet and they can be found in Venezuelan rivers in the Orinoco River Basin, as well as in some other rivers in South America. Although they pose no real threat to humans, and despite their widespread reputation as cannibals, piranhas are highly aggressive fish which often fight for food among themselves.They are known to attack their own species and in some countries in the world it is illegal to keep them as pets. Piranhas can grow up to 25 cm (10 inches) and they have one row of sharp teeth on each jaw, which are used for fast grips and shearing of prey. Out of almost 40 species of piranha fish only two are carnivorous but these were enough to earn all piranhas the reputation of aggressive cannibals with super sharp teeth. Several species of piranhas eat meat and they are known to occasionally attack a swimmer of a fisherman, but these attacks are extremely rare and never fatal. Today, fisherman often catch piranhas and sell them to local markets since they are used to make culinary delicacies. Dried piranhas are often sold as souvenirs to tourists, and their teeth have been used to make tools and weapons by local Indian tribes for centuries. However, catching a piranha is not an easy task. At dawn fishermen usually pour a buckett of animal blood in the river and splash their paddles around the boat in order to attract the carnivorous fish. When they appear, crazed by the smell of blood like vampires, fishermen throuw the baits with meat and wait for the fish to bite.

Anaconda

Anaconda is one of the largest snakes in the world which can grow up to 5 m (17 feet) and weith up to 45 kg (100 pounds), and female anacondas can be bigger than males. Despite their size, anacondas are not venomous like some other more dangerous snakes. Instead of venom, anacondas kill their prey by constriction. This method means that a snake soffocates the prey and then swallows it whole. After every meal, anaconda does not need to feed for weeks or even months, since its digestive system is very slow. This means that the animal can sometimes eat only once or twice a year.  Anacondas live in tropical areas, near water and they feed on any small or large animal they can find, from birds or fish to capybaras or small deers. They mostly spend their life in water, since they can move a lot faster in water than on land. When they move out of water, anacondas mostly spend their times on trees. They are nocturnal animals and their only soft spot is their body temperature. If the temperature in the environment that an anaconda is in changes, so must anaconda change its body temperature in order to prevent overheating or overcooling. The snake does this by shedding parts of its skin. When they are hled in captivity, many anacondas become aggressive or even die if they are not held in an appropriately hot and cold environment. Anacondas usually mate in the water, and a female snake can give birth to up to 50 snakes. However, when they are born, baby anacondas are barely 70 cm long (2,5 feet) so many of them are eaten by larger animals. In Venezuela, anacondas live in the swamp areas of Los Llanos. Scientists who study them say that the easiest way to study them is to catch them in water and put a bag over their head. This way the snake bellieves that it is safe in a dark hole. Although it is theoretically possible for an anaconda to eat a human, this has never been confirmed. In fact, anacondas, just like other animals, are afraid of humans and tend to avoid them, although several attacks have been recorded.

A pair of Orinoco crocodiles

Orinoco crocodile

The Orinoco Crocodile is a crocodile species which lives in the Orinoco river in Venezuela. It is a highly endangered species and it is estimated that only 1500 individual crocodiles live in Venezuela today, while thousands of them were slaughtered in the last 40 years due to hunting of its hide. Orinoco crocodiles are quite large, since they can grow up to 4 m (13 feet) and weigh up to 1200 kg (2,600 lb). In Venezuela, crocodiles live in tropical areas, in rivers, lakes and swamps. Crocodiles are predators and they feed on any animal they can find, fish, bird or mammal. Although they can move fast on land (up to 10 km/h or 7 mph), crocodiles can swim even faster,  and they are considered to be very strong animals with powerful jaws with sharp teeth. Crocodiles usually hunt by lurking in the water, waiting for their prey to come to drink on a river bank. When they hunt, crocodiles catch the prey with their jaws and then simply hold them tight until they die. Jaws are in a was, crocodile's weakest spot too, since when they are closed shut by humans (using ropes or duct tape), crocodiles become almost docile, since they know they are defenseless. When they are not in water, crocodiles usually spend time soaking up the sun on a river bank, with their mouths open, since this is the was they sleep. Crocodiles are dangerous animals, but they do not attack people for food, but out of defense. As everywhere else in the world, crocodiles in Venezuela are often hunted for their skin, since it is used in leather industry. Since the Orinoco crocodile is a very endangered species in Venezuela, authorities and environmental organizations work together in breeding crocodiles safely in protected areas and then releasing them into the swamps of Los Llanos.
Crocodiles are considered to be more than 200 million old and they have changed very little since the time of dinosaurs

Condor, profile

Condor

The Andean Condor is the majestic bird of South America. It lives in the Andean mountains in Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Colombia and it is one of the largest birds in the world. Condor has been present in the mythology and culture of Indian tribes for centuries. It is believed to represent the powerful ruler of the world. Condors are known for their longevity, since they can live up to 50 years, unlike many other birds. They usually live in nests high in the Andes mountains, in the heights ranging from 3000 m to 5000 m (10,000 ft to 16,000 ft). Cdndor is most widely known for its amazing wingspan, which can be up to 310 cm wide (10 feet). Birds usually weigh up to 15 kg (33 lb) and can be 135 cm tall (53 inches). Condors have completely black plumage, but hey have white feathers on the neck. The birds are bald and male birds have a red comb. Condors are scavengers which means they feed on carcasses of animals (mostly deers and larger farm animals). Since they have sharp hooked beaks, condors can easily cut through the thick skin of carcasses. By eating dead animals, condors are actually contributing to general health of animals and humans, since bacteria from dead animals carry diseases. Sometimes, when a condor has not eaten for days, it eats so much raw meat that it cannon fly away anymore. Since condors live in high altitudes they prefer to live on open grassland mountain land in order to  better spot their prey from high above. When a condor takes off from ground. it flaps its wings vigorously in order to lift off. Once it reaches its preferred altitude, the bird simply soars, rarely flapping wings anymore. It is this flight pattern that makes condors such majestic birds, since they appear to simply glide through the air. Condors cover a lot of territory, they can fly up to 200 km a day in search for food (125 miles). Unlike many animals, condors mate only with one partner with whom they stay for the entire life. In addition to that, both parents look after the eggs and stay with baby condors until they are two years old. Condors usually hatch one or two eggs, and the newborn condors can fly when they are six months old. Condors are today a nearly endangered species and in Venezuela they are extremely rare. They almost became extinct in the 20th century due to loss of habitat (human urbanization of the Andes) and by poisoning of carcasses by humans in order to kill the birds and prevent them from attacking their livestock. However, the number of condors in Venezuela was so low, that in 1990s, new condors were introduced who were raised in captivity by humans in the zoos all over the world. Today, in Venezuela condors can be seen in Sierra de la Culata National Park in the Andes. The word condor is derived form the Quechuan word kuntur (Quechua is the most widespread Native American language in South America). The most famous condors' silhouette is when the bird's wings are widely open as it soars high from the ground.