Virtual Andean Tourist Routes - National Parks - Henri Pittier National Park - Venezuela /Andean Community


	This is the country's oldest park, originally created in 1937 as Rancho Grande, and renamed in 1953 in honor of the prestigious Swiss geographer, botanist and ethnologist who arrived in Venezuela in 1917 and classified more than 30,000 plants in the country. Henri Francois Pittier has the honor of having started the history of National Parks in Venezuela. The Park which bears his name and which attracted his interest in 1919, has an irregular, abrupt topography, which has a considerable influence on the temperatures and rainfall at the different ecological tiers. Geologically, it is mainly of igneous metamorphic rock. The elevation at the highest point is 2,436 meters. There are also some rocky shore environments. Their altitude ranges from sea level to 2,430 meters at Pico Cenizo. It has an important river network, and thanks to its physical characteristics in general and the diversity of zones, this is an exceptional habitat for certain migratory species of marine birds and fish.
	Access

	The Park is located in the coastal mountain sector, covering both slopes, in the states of Aragua and Carabobo. Access is by road from Maracay, in the state of Aragua, taking the Eastern Highway to Choroní (44 km) or the Western Highway toOcumare de la Costa, Turiamo and Cata, in the state of Aragua.
	Vegetation

	Thanks to the different altitudes, there are a great variety of plant habitats, including the xerophyte forest, deciduous dry shrub forest, savanna or tropical grassland, cloud forest, and high cloud forest. If you ascend to the top and then climb down towards the coastal region you will enjoy a first-hand taste of the biotopic splendor of the area. At the highest points, and up to 1,500 meters the tropical rainforest predominates, with many species of palm trees: the bendita, the prapa, copey, zapatero, cobalonga, etc. There are also several species of ferns, orchids, epiphytes, and bromeliads. The cloud forest environment is between 1,500 and 800 meters, the habitat of species such as the cucharón, ramón, lechero, higuerote, amarillo, tapatapa, charo macho, etc. Also found here are albarico, ferns, gesneriaceae, ericaceae, araceae and rubiaceae. A gigantic grass called the Gunnera pittierana grows here, which is unique to this country. From 800 to 700 meters is the realm of the deciduous forest, with trees such as the yagrumo, carnestolendo, erizo, matapalo, cenicero, majagua, etc. Around 400 meters, the predominant vegetation is savanna. Between 400 and 200 meters, we find the shrubby forest, from 200 to 10 meters xerophytic vegetation, and finally the mangrove forests along the coast.
	Fauna

	Henri Pittier National Park is home to some 520 species of birds which represent 41,6% of the nation's bird species and 6,5% of the world's species. This habitat is singularly important for the migratory bird species. At the summit is the Portachuelo Pass (1,128 m altitude), which, because of its "V" shape serves as the main road for the migratory birds and insects which have flown over the sea and are crossing the continent from Argentina to Newfoundland. According to studies made at the Rancho Grande biological station, created by Pittier himself, which operates inside the Park, some 75 species live in the summer jungle, including the guacharaca, paloma montañera, loro guaro, píscua, nictibio (potoo), tucuso de montaña, saltarín, soisola, cola de lanza, etc. Another 200 live in the cloud forest, including the gallina cuero, paují copete de piedra, camata, tico cola roja, lechuza montañera, gavilán blanco, etc. 100 more species live in the rainforest, among them the gallina azul, guan, perico siete colores, striped owl, gallito hormiguero, campanero, saltarín de cola de hilo, querrequerre, arrendaja, etc. Another 68 species live in the subtemperate forest, including the guida, paloma gargantilla, aguaitacamino andino, tucuso, compadre, verdecito, etc. The mammals living here include the tapir, giant river otter, puma, ocelot, lapa (rodent), the cuchi-cuchi, zorro guache, anteater, porcupine, matacán deer, etc. Snakes are also found here: the venomous Venezuelan snakes known as mapanare and tigra mariposa; the coral snake, rattle snake, cazadora negra, etc.

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