Animals & Plants in Guyana
Most of Guyana is covered by forest. Mountain rainforest, cloud forest and tropical rainforest are types of forest that can be found here. There are also other landscapes such as the coast, mountains and swamps.
Depending on the habitat, other animals and plants feel at home here. Species diversity is particularly high in the tropical rainforest. The landscapes of Guyana are also largely untouched nature. In the mid-west, the Kaieteur National Park protects nature.
Who lives there in Guyana?
1168 vertebrate species have been found in Guyana. Among them are 814 species of birds. The hoatzin has been named the country’s national bird. It is said that he smells of cow dung and so he is also called stink bird. This is probably due to the fact that he does not digest his food in the stomach, but in a goiter, a bulging of the esophagus.
Another striking bird is the lowland rock cock, whose males glow orange and have a large forelock. The locals call it the Cock of the Rocks and it is considered a lucky charm. When you see him, you can make a wish! The scarlet ibis with its red plumage is also striking. And the little hummingbirds and the colorful parrots don’t have to hide either.
The many rivers that cross Guyana are not only home to a variety of fish, but also giant otters, capybaras (water pigs) and caimans. On land you can find lowland tapirs, armadillos, agoutis, peccaries and sloths. Jaguars, ocelots, forest dogs, raccoons, coatis, wrapped bears and tayras are common predators. There are also monkeys here, for example white-headed sakis, red-handed tamarins, red-faced spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys and hooded capuchins. The country’s anteaters include the great anteater, southern tamandua, and pygmy anteater.
A major breeding ground for four species of sea turtles is Shell Beach, a 145-kilometer-long beach on the Atlantic. The four species are the green sea turtle (unfortunately also called green turtle in our country), the hawksbill turtle, the leatherback turtle and the olive hybrid turtle. The fact that the turtles are protected here is mainly thanks to the British zoologist Peter Pritchard.
The endemic species are particularly high in frogs.
What is growing there in Guyana?
More than a thousand species of trees can be found in the forests of Guyana. A total of 8,000 plant species were counted. Many of them are endemic, so they only appear here and nowhere else in the world. To get more information on Guyana and South America, check calculatorinc.
For example, potted fruit trees are represented in several species, including the cannonball tree, the paradise nut tree and the Brazil nut tree. You may have eaten Brazil nuts before.
Astrocaryum vulgare is a palm whose orange fruits can be eaten. In Guyana it is also called the avarra palm. The fruits of the Buriti palm are also delicious. The kapok tree, the white gum tree, the jenipapo tree and the West Indian cedar are also widespread.
The trunk of the sandbox tree is covered with spines. Its milky juice is very toxic. Black, white and red mangroves grow on the coast. The country’s orchids are also diverse. They also grow on the tepuis, as do lichens and grasses as well as carnivorous plants.
