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Canaima, Venezuela

Claudio Svaggio

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Canaima National Park is the sixth largest national park in the world. Covering some 3 million hectares and with an altitude range of 400 - 2,400m, the park encompasses the Laguna Canaima, the Carrao river basin, the mountains of Sierra de Lema, the Gran Sabana and the Angel Falls. The landscape of the park is dramatic and contrasting. Massive geological and altitudinal variation has produced a huge range of habitats within which flourishes an exuberant diversity of flora. The savanna varies from dry grasslands to wetlands interspersed with moriche palms. The moist air of the rainforest canopy is home to bromeliads, tree ferns and over 500 species of orchid, and cloud forests are rich in epiphytes, including mosses and lichens. The landscape is drained by a series of rivers, most of which are edged by gallery forests. The park is characterized by its numerous waterfalls and is famous for its tepui (table top mountains rising out of the flatlands), which are concentrated in the Gran Sabana and create an absolutely stunning setting at sunrise and sunset. The park is home to massive variety of exotic fauna. Jaguar, puma, ocelot, bush-dog, spectacled bear, giant otter, tapir, armadillo, capybara, brocket deer, agouti, giant anteater, raccoon, peccary, tree porcupine, sloth and capuchin, red-howler and stripey-faced monkeys are just a few of the countless mammals found within the various habitats. Canaima is renowned for its abundance of bird species, among the better known of which are toucans, macaws, parrots, parakeets, cock-of-the-rock, banaquit and hummingbirds. There are many species of reptile and amphibian, notably chameleons, caymans, iguanas, tree-frogs and many species of snake. The average temperature ranges from 10-21şC depending on altitude and season. The dry season is from January to March. Source: www.think-venezuela.net