Fauna of Guyana

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A Jaguar, the national animal of Guyana, and two are featured on Guyana's coat of arms. Jaguar (Panthera onca palustris) male Three Brothers River 2 (cropped).jpg
A Jaguar, the national animal of Guyana, and two are featured on Guyana's coat of arms.

The fauna of Guyana comprises all the animal species inhabiting the country of Guyana, which is part of the neotropical realm. Guyana has many endemic species and one of the highest biodiversity rates in the world as a result of the majority of the country being part of the Amazon rainforest, and as a result a large amount of the species being types of frogs or spiders. [2] Guyana's has three distinct main biomes are tropical rainforests, wetlands, and savannas, [3] and each biome has unique fauna associated.

Contents

There are 47,677 unique species classified as part of Guyana, of which 17,291 (36.27%) are classified as an endangered species. [4] [5] As part of conservation efforts, parts of Guyana have been designated as national parks. [6]

Rainforest fauna

Being part of the Amazon rainforest, a lot of Guyana's rainforest fauna is not exclusively native. Its high biodiversity also means that a significant variety of creatures exist within the country.

Mammals

Guyana's rainforests have a wide variety of mammals, the most notable being the Jaguar as it is featured on the coat of arms. [1] Most mammals in Guyana are shared with other countries via the Amazon rainforest. Examples of shared mammals include the three-toed sloth and the capuchin monkey, the latter of which has protection in the form of the Iwokrama Forest Reserve. [7]

Reptiles and amphibians

Amphibians and reptiles make up another significant portion of the habitat. Snakes are a common reptile in the tall grass of the rainforest. As such, notable examples include the heaviest snake in the world, the green anaconda, the rainbow boa, and the bushmaster. [7] [8]

Birds

The Hoatzin is the national bird of Guyana. It is additionally a folivore. Opisthocomus hoazin (Pava hedionda) (14067327210).jpg
The Hoatzin is the national bird of Guyana. It is additionally a folivore.

Guyana is additionally home to many species of birds. The national bird is the Hoatzin, found in the rainforest along the Berbice River. [10] Other common native birds include the horned screamer and the great tinamou. [11]

Conservation

The largest threats to conservation of species in Guyana is pollution and habitat destruction arising from increased industrialisation, and poaching. [12] An additional threat is invasive species which disrupt the local ecosystem. To help with conservation, the Protected Areas Commission was formed, which designates certain parts of the country as national parks and protected areas, preventing development. [6]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demerara</span> 1745–1803 Dutch colony in South America

Demerara is a historical region in the Guianas, on the north coast of South America, now part of the country of Guyana. It was a colony of the Dutch West India Company between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state from 1792 until 1815. It was merged with Essequibo in 1812 by the British who took control. It formally became a British colony in 1815 till Demerara-Essequibo was merged with Berbice to form the colony of British Guiana in 1831. In 1838, it became a county of British Guiana till 1958. In 1966, British Guiana gained independence as Guyana and in 1970 it became a republic as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. It was located around the lower course of the Demerara River, and its main settlement was Georgetown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rupununi</span> River in Guyana

The Rupununi is a region in the south-west of Guyana, bordering the Brazilian Amazon. The Rupununi river, also known by the local indigenous peoples as Raponani, flows through the Rupununi region. The name Rupununi originates from the word rapon in the Makushi language, in which it means the black-bellied whistling duck found along the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berbice</span> 1627–1815 Dutch colony in South America

Berbice is a region along the Berbice River in Guyana, which was between 1627 and 1792 a colony of the Dutch West India Company and between 1792 and 1815 a colony of the Dutch state. After having been ceded to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in the latter year, it was merged with Demerara-Essequibo to form the colony of British Guiana in 1831. It became a county of British Guiana in 1838 till 1958. In 1966, British Guiana gained independence as Guyana and in 1970 it became a republic as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

Demerara may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demerara-Mahaica</span> Region of Guyana

Demerara-Mahaica is a region of Guyana, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the region of Mahaica-Berbice to the east, the region of Upper Demerara-Berbice to the south and the region of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essequibo Islands-West Demerara</span> Region of Guyana

Essequibo Islands-West Demerara is a region of Guyana. It is situated around the Essequibo River, the largest river in Guyana that lies between the Orinoco and Amazon rivers of South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Demerara-Berbice</span> Region of Guyana

Upper Demerara-Berbice is a region of Guyana, bordering the regions of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Demerara-Mahaica and Mahaica-Berbice to the north, the region of East Berbice-Corentyne to the east, and the regions of Potaro-Siparuni and Cuyuni-Mazaruni to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potaro-Siparuni</span> Region of Guyana

Potaro-Siparuni is a region of Guyana. It borders the region of Cuyuni-Mazaruni to the north, the regions of Upper Demerara-Berbice and East Berbice-Corentyne to the east, the region of Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo to the south and Brazil to the west.

The Mahaica River is a small river in northern Guyana that drains into the Atlantic Ocean. The village of Mahaica is found at its mouth.

The Railways of Guyana comprised two public railways, the Demerara-Berbice Railway and the Demerara-Essequibo Railway. There are also several industrial railways mainly for the bauxite industry. The Demerara-Berbice Railway is the oldest in South America. None of the railways are in operation in the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Brazil</span> Overview of the wildlife of Brazil

The wildlife of Brazil comprises all naturally occurring animals, plants, and fungi in the South American country. Home to 60% of the Amazon Rainforest, which accounts for approximately one-tenth of all species in the world, Brazil is considered to have the greatest biodiversity of any country on the planet. It has the most known species of plants (60,000), freshwater fish (3,000), amphibians (1,188), snakes (430), insects (90,000) and mammals (775) It also ranks third on the list of countries with the most bird species (1,971) and the third with the most reptile species (848). The number of fungal species is unknown. Approximately two-thirds of all species worldwide are found in tropical areas, often coinciding with developing countries such as Brazil. Brazil is second only to Indonesia as the country with the most endemic species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of Borneo</span>

Borneo is the third largest island in the world. In prehistoric times it was connected to the Asian mainland due to geological and climate changes. During the recent ice ages of the Pleistocene and the Holocene separation from the mainland caused extinctions and speciation of fauna on the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Ivory Coast</span> Flora and fauna of Ivory Coast in West Africa

The wildlife of Ivory Coast consists of the flora and fauna of this nation in West Africa. The country has a long Atlantic coastline on the Gulf of Guinea and a range of habitat types. Once covered in tropical rainforest, much of this habitat has been cleared, the remaining terrain being gallery forests and savanna with scattered groups of trees, resulting in a decrease in biodiversity. As of 2016, 252 species of mammal had been recorded in Ivory Coast, 666 species of bird, 153 species of reptile, 80 species of amphibian, 671 species of fish and 3660 species of vascular plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of South Africa</span> Flora and fauna of the country

The wildlife of South Africa consists of the flora and fauna of this country in southern Africa. The country has a range of different habitat types and an ecologically rich and diverse wildlife, vascular plants being particularly abundant, many of them endemic to the country. There are few forested areas, much savanna grassland, semi-arid Karoo vegetation and the fynbos of the Cape Floristic Region. Famed for its national parks and big game, 297 species of mammal have been recorded in South Africa, as well as 849 species of bird and over 20,000 species of vascular plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guyana</span> Country in South America

Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east. With a land of 215,000 km2 (83,000 sq mi), Guyana is the third-smallest sovereign state by area in mainland South America after Uruguay and Suriname, and is the second-least populous sovereign state in South America after Suriname; it is also one of the least densely populated countries on Earth. It has a wide variety of natural habitats and very high biodiversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Peru</span>

Peru has some of the greatest biodiversity in the world. It belongs to the select group of mega diverse countries because of the presence of the Andes, Amazon rainforest, and the Pacific Ocean. It has the fourth-most tropical forests of any country and the ninth-most forest area. The country is ranked among the five countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world according to various studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazon biome</span> Ecological region of South America

The Amazon biome contains the Amazon rainforest, an area of tropical rainforest, and other ecoregions that cover most of the Amazon basin and some adjacent areas to the north and east. The biome contains blackwater and whitewater flooded forest, lowland and montane terra firma forest, bamboo and palm forest, savanna, sandy heath and alpine tundra. Some areas of the biome are threatened by deforestation for timber and to make way for pasture or soybean plantations.

Fairview (Kurupukari) is an indigenous settlement on the Essequibo River, in the Upper Demerara-Berbice region of Guyana. It is the entry point to the Iwokrama Forest. Former president David A. Granger once referred to Iwokrama as the "green heart of Guyana."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guianan Highlands moist forests</span> Type of plant habitat

The Guayanan Highlands moist forests (NT0124) is an ecoregion in the south of Venezuela, the north of Brazil, and also within Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. It is in the Amazon biome. It encompasses an upland region with diverse fauna and flora, which contains dramatic tepuis, or sandstone table mountains. The region has been inaccessible in the past and is generally fairly intact, apart from the north and northeast where large scale agriculture, ranching and mining operations are steadily encroaching on the ecosystem. New roads are opening the interior to logging, and planned dams will have a drastic impact on the riparian zones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guianan moist forests</span>

The Guianan moist forests (NT0125) is an ecoregion in the east of Venezuela, north of Brazil and the Guyanas. It is in the Amazon biome. The climate is hot and humid, with two rainy seasons each year. As of 1996 the tropical rainforest habitat was relatively intact, although there were mounting threats from illegal logging and gold mining.

References

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  2. "ENDEMIC SPECIES IN GUYANA". Guyana Chronicle. 2022-05-01. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  3. "Plants That Live in the Waters of the Amazon Rivers". Sciencing. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  4. "Endangered species". Guyana Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  5. "Endangered species of Guyana - List - Earth's Endangered Creatures". www.earthsendangered.com. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  6. 1 2 "Home 3" . Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  7. 1 2 Hall, Heather (2023-07-11). "Guyana". A-Z Animals. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  8. "Snakes of Guyana". Animalia. 2023-11-30. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  9. "National Bird & Flower". www.caribcentral.com. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  10. "National Bird & Flower". www.caribcentral.com. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  11. "Guyana bird checklist - Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  12. "Wildlife". www.wwfguianas.org. Retrieved 2023-11-30.