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The Nature
Venezuela is home to an enormous variety of animals and
plants, and is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. The evolution
of the country’s flora and fauna was the result of two principal factors: the
diversity of the landscape, which facilitated the development of numerous, distinct
habitats, and the natural history of the continent. After being geographically
isolated for 70 million years, South America became linked to Central America
when a landbridge (now Panama) emerged from the sea some 3.5 million years ago.
Gradually, new species spread from Asia down North and Central America and filtered
into South America. Although this movement of wildlife and plants enhanced the
biodiversity of the continent, it brought renewed competition and some species
became extinct. Moreover, in later years, South America did not encounter the
ice ages that engulfed North America and parts of Europe and Asia. As a result,
the species that had become established in the continent survived an era that
saw the loss of many from northern parts of the world.
Today, there are about 250 species of mammal in Venezuela, including the jaguar,
puma, capybara (chiguire), manatee, howler monkey, sloth and two species of fresh
water dolphin. The country is also home to the giant otter or ‘water-wolf’, which
is the rarest otter in the world. The bird population consists of over 1,200
species, among which are the condor, hoatzin (guacharaca), flamingo, pelican,
several species of parrot, macaw (guacamayo) and toucan and a rare, nocturnal
species, the oilbird (guacharo). Venezuela’s reptiles include five species of
cayman, the common iguana, rattlesnake, boa and the largest snake in the world:
the anaconda.
The plant life of Venezuela is as diverse as its wildlife, ranging from the
cacti of the desert to the epiphytes of the rainforest. Extraordinary species
of flower grow on the isolated, flat-topped mountains of the Gran Sabana (tepui),
some of which are endemic to a single plateau. Several thousand species of orchid
bloom throughout the year, and there is a huge variety of fruiting trees. Flora
of cultural significance includes the moriche palm, which grows in the swamps
of the Orinoco delta. Known as the ‘tree of life’, the moriche plays an essential
role in the existence of the Warao Indians, providing food and materials for
their daily life.
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