Rancho Grande, Venezuela Photograph by David Olson   Northern South America: Northern Venezuela Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   5,500 square miles (14,300 square kilometers) -- slightly larger than Connecticut Vulnerable

· Islands in a Desert Sea
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Islands in a Desert Sea

Across northern Venezuela stretches a desert landscape of cactus and mesquite bushes. But the desert is punctuated by islands of lush montane forests known as Cordillera de la Costa or "coastal mountains range,", adding an archipelago of diversity to an otherwise dry sea. These isolated mountain patches provide places of refuge for many species.

Special Features

This ecoregion’s 11 distinct mountaintop areas provide the only evergreen moist forest in the coastal cordillera region of Venezuela. These montane forests, which occur on mountain slopes from approximately 2,000 to 8,200 feet (600 to 2500 m), include deciduous and evergreen tree species, as well as elfin forests at higher elevations. Palms, orchids, and ferns are common in the understory, and tall cloud forests give way to a low mossy forests and open scrub vegetation at the highest elevations. This ecoregion is considered one of the most complex and diverse ecosystems in the entire coastal region of Venezuela.

	Because of its armor-like covering, a giant armadillo is heavy, weighing as much as 132 pounds (60 kg). Its body is sometimes nearly 40 inches (100 cm) long, with a tail that can reach 20 inches (50 cm).

Wild Side

Endemic species found here include the dusky mouse opossum, northern gracile mouse opossum, and two rodents, a spiny rat species and a spiny pocket mouse species. Other mammals inhabiting the ecoregion include pumas, tamandua anteaters, giant armadillos, three-toed sloths, giant anteaters, red howler monkeys, long-haired spider monkeys, bush dogs, crab-eating foxes, gray foxes, kinkajous, ocelots, jaguarundis, and jaguars. Several endangered birds can be found singing overhead, buzzing among the flowers, or perching on small branches. These include scissor-tailed hummingbirds, white-throated barbtails, Venezuelan flower piercers, Paria whitestarts, gray-headed warblers, and northern helmeted curassows. Rusty-flanked crakes, black-throated spinetails, and white-tipped quetzals are bird species frequenting these forests as well.

Cause for Concern

Conversion of forests to agriculture, logging, hunting, and human settlement has resulted in major habitat loss and species extirpation in the lower elevations and eastern portions of this ecoregion. and mModerate habitat loss is occurring elsewhere. Threats are increasing dramatically as local populations increase.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.