Copi Nature Reserve | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
Location | Para District, Suriname |
Nearest city | Stolkertsijver |
Coordinates | 5°30′48″N54°48′05″W / 5.513333°N 54.801389°W Coordinates: 5°30′48″N54°48′05″W / 5.513333°N 54.801389°W |
Area | 180 km2 (69 sq mi) [1] |
Established | 1986 |
Governing body | Stinasu |
The Copi Nature Reserve (Dutch: Natuurreservaat Copi) is a protected area and nature reserve in Suriname. The reserve is located along the blackwater Cassewinica Creek. The reserve measures 18,000 hectares, and has been a protected area since 1986. [1]
The reserve contains a large amount of possumwood ( Hura crepitans ) which was the main reason for protecting the area. It also contains numerous spectacled caimans (Caiman crocodilus crocodilus), some giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis), [2] and Cuvier's dwarf caimans (Paleosuchus palpebrosus). [3]
The reserve consists of dry savannas, short grass savannas, and some grass and fern swamps. [3] Copi Nature Reserve is the only state-owned dry clay savannah in Suriname; the other two are privately owned. [4]
The indigenous Lokono [5] village of Copi is located in the area, however it only has a few inhabitants. The indigenous population has the right to fish and hunt in the reserve. Copi can be reached by boat from Stolkertsijver. [1]
The Copi Nature Reserve contains archaeological traces from pre-Columbian times. There are also several abandoned plantations and forts located in the reserve. [1]
Sipaliwini is the largest district of Suriname, located in the south. Sipaliwini is the only district that does not have a regional capital, as it is directly administered by the national government in Paramaribo.
The Llanos is a vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, in northwestern South America. It is an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome.
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Cuvier's dwarf caiman is a small crocodilian in the alligator family from northern and central South America. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Venezuela. It lives in riverine forests, flooded forests near lakes, and near fast-flowing rivers and streams. It can traverse dry land to reach temporary pools and tolerates colder water than other species of caimans. Other common names for this species include the musky caiman, the dwarf caiman, Cuvier's caiman, and the smooth-fronted caiman. It is sometimes kept in captivity as a pet and may be referred to as the wedge-head caiman by the pet trade.
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The spectacled caiman, also known as the white caiman, common caiman, and speckled caiman, is a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae. It is brownish-, greenish-, or yellowish-gray colored and has a spectacle-like ridge between its eyes, which is where its common name come from. It grows to a length of 1.4–2.5 metres (4.6–8.2 ft) and a weight of 7–40 kilograms (15–88 lb), with males being both longer and heavier than females. Its diet varies seasonally, commonly consisting of crabs, fish, mammals, and snails. Breeding occurs from May to August and 14–40 eggs are laid in July and August. This crocodilian has a large range and population; it is native to much of Latin America, and has been introduced to the United States, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
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The Sipaliwini Savanna is a protected area and nature reserve in Suriname. The reserve is located to the south of the Sipaliwini River in the far south of the country. The reserve measures 100,000 hectares, and has been a protected area since 1972. The majority of the reserve consists of a savannah which in turn is a continuation of the Brazilian Tumucumaque Mountains National Park. The reserve is in pristine condition with almost no human habitation.
Alfonsdorp is a village of indigenous Lokono people in the Albina resort of the Marowijne District of Suriname. The village is located on the East-West Link. The Wanekreek Nature Reserve is located near the village.
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