Hato Pinero, Venezuela Photograph by Lawrence E. Naylor   Northern South America: Colombia and Venezuela Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests   26,400 square miles (68,500 square kilometers) -- about the size of West Virginia Vulnerable

· Anteaters and Armadillos
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Anteaters and Armadillos

Here in the shadow of the Andes Mountains, small mammals reign supreme. Armadillos, anteaters, rodents, and raccoons can all be seen roaming the forest floor or climbing the trees.

Special Features

This ecoregion extends along the eastern slope of the northern Andes, in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. This is a transitional habitat, located between the montane forests of the eastern Andean slope and the lowland grasslands. The ecoregion is a mosaic of premontane forest, dry forest, savanna, and gallery forest. Common trees in the premontane and gallery forests include crab-wood, kapok, gavilán, and vochisia. However, the thorny dry forest, which is the more dominant habitat type in this ecoregion, includes species such as mimosa and mesquite

	Giant anteaters walk on their front knuckles, tucking in their long, sharp claws for protection. Their tails are huge and covered with stiff, straw-like hair that can grow up to 16 inches (40 cm) long.

Wild Side

This ecoregion is home to several endemic and endangered species. Mammals in this ecoregion are typical of dry forest habitat and include a great number of bats, rodents, and marsupials, including the common opossum. Four of the more distinct creatures found here include two armadillo species--the giant and the nine-banded, and two anteaters--the giant anteater and southern tamandua. These creatures might be seen scavenging along the forest floor looking for ants and termites. Other mammals include the brown-throated three-toed sloth, crab-eating fox, crab-eating raccoon, greater grison, tayra, striped hog-nosed skunk, white-bellied spider monkey, tapir, red and gray brocket deer, ocelot, puma, and jaguarundi. Among the numerous birds is the black-spotted barbet, often seen eating small fruits in the canopy of these dry forest trees.

Cause for Concern

Development in this area is rampant. Because of its location along the foothills of the Andes, the soil is moderately rich and suitable for agriculture. In addition, water diversion projects, logging, ranching, human-induced fires, hunting, exotic species, and species collection for the pet trade are all major threats.

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