Satellite view of the forest around Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela Photograph by USGS   South America: Northwestern corner of Venezuela Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests   17,400 square miles (45,000 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of New Hampshire Critical/Endangered

· The Dry Tropics
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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The Dry Tropics

Surrounding the Maracaibo Lake basin in northwestern Venezuela, the Maracaibo Dry Forests ecoregion is an oasis for interesting animals such as anteaters, kinkajous, and hawkmoths. This area is bordered on the north by xeric scrub, to the south and east by northern Andean slope moist forest, and to the west by the Andean foothills moist and montane forest. There are also patches of mangrove habitat along the shores of Lake Maracaibo, in the interior of the ecoregion. The dominant vegetation is deciduous lowland forest and deciduous thorn forest. This dry forest habitat is severely degraded and only occurs in patches and along streams and protected areas. Here small buffy hummingbirds fly among the flowers of Bombacopsis trees.

Special Features

Almost all of the tree species in this ecoregion are deciduous. During the dry season, the forests appear devoid of life, as animals leave these flat lowlands to seek shelter in moister forests in the surrounding mountains or congregate around permanent local waterholes. But during the wet season, the landscape here is completely transformed into lush, green forests teeming with life. This area gets less than 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain annually. The terrain is flat, and the surrounding hills and mountains become transitional moist forest at higher elevations.

	Kinkajous are members of the mammalian carnivore family that includes other tree-dwelling species such as raccoons, olingos, and coatis. Kinkajous are nocturnal and will occupy or excavate tree cavities to sleep in during the day.

Wild Side

At night, the Maracaibo Dry Forests ecoregion comes alive. A huge hawkmoth unrolls its long spiral tongue to taste the sweet nectar hidden deep in the white flowers of a Bombacopsis tree. Nearby, a rufous-banded owl flies through the canopy, silently seeking small rats and mice that clamber in the treetops nibbling on seeds and fruits. From its large treetop hollow, a furry kinkajou emerges into the darkness to prowl the forest canopy for fruit, small birds, and, occasionally, honey. As dawn heralds a new day, the brilliant colors of a masked trogon accent the sky as the bird glides through large, thorny acacia trees. And with a bright blue bill and a long yellow wattle hanging from its throat, a wattled guan sits on a low branch, looking like a sleek turkey. Not far away, a spotted ocelot stalks the bird silently from behind a mesquite bush. A giant anteater uses its long, tapered snout to sniff for ants among scattered cactus trees, while a yellow-shouldered parrot sits in a palm tree, picking out ripened fruits with its powerful bill.

Cause for Concern

Most of the original forest of this ecoregion has been destroyed by humans, and the only natural habitat that remains is restricted to patches along streams and in protected areas. As more and more humans move into this region and urban sprawl continues, further losses are inevitable. Not only are forests being cleared for human settlements, but many areas are being overgrazed by domestic cattle and goats. Logging is also a problem in some parts of the ecoregion.

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