The New Neotropical Companion

plate 14- 17), Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga

tridactyla), Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus),

Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus), and Jaguar

(Panthera onca), make the Llanos one of the best areas

in the Neotropics for observing wildlife. Rainy season

usually peaks in July (and you should not go there then,

as it is difficult to get around). On average, rainfall

exceeds 120 cm (47 in) per year and can exceed 150 cm

(59 in) annually. At peak rainy season, the Llanos is in

full flood, though higher areas, such as hammocks of

palms and other trees and shrubs, remain above water.

Because of the strong degree of seasonality, plant and

animal species must be generally adapted to endure

both drought and flood. Many large cattle ranches are

scattered throughout the Llanos, some of which also

serve to host ecotourist groups who wish to see the

birds and other animals.

The Llanos wet grassland savanna supports a diverse

assemblage of waterbirds (plate 14- 18). James Kushlan

and colleagues studied the wading bird community

of the Venezuelan Llanos and found 22 species of

large wading birds, including seven ibis species, one

spoonbill (plate 14- 19), 11 herons and egrets, and three

storks. In comparison, the Florida Everglades supports

only 15 species of large waders.

Stork species, including the huge Jabiru (Jabiru

mycteria (plate 14- 20), the Maguari Stork (Ciconia

maguari; plate 14- 21), and the Wood Stork (Mycteria

americana; plate 14- 22), are common on the Llanos,

probably because large fish, their principal prey items,

Plate 14- 16. Large flocks of birds mass on the Llanos, including

spoonbills, egrets, and ibises, shown here. Photo by John

Kricher.

Plate 14- 17. Capybaras are abundant on the Llanos. Photo by

John Kricher.

Plate 14- 18. The Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus), which

is related to rails, is commonly seen in marshy areas in the

Llanos and Pantanal. Photo by John Kricher.

Plate 14- 19. The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) ranges from

the Georgia and Florida coasts and the Gulf coast states to

Amazonia, where large populations are found in the Llanos

and Pantanal. Photo by John Kricher.

chapter 14 don’t miss the savannas and dry forests 257