National Geographic - UK (2022-04)

SUMMIT AVERAGE TEMPERATURE

100 feet

Insect Aromatic

nectar

Tentacles

Downward- grasp prey

pointing hairs

trap prey

FOHEIGREST HT

COMPARISON

Summit Talus Lower slope

54°F 40°F

SLOPE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE

75°F 63°F

N

Route

ofex

ped

ition

thern labyrinth

LakeGladys

Headwaters of thePaikwa River SUMMIT

CLIFF

TALUS

LOWER

SLOPE

CERRO CUQUENÁN

BELLWETHERS OF CHANGE

Summit soils are

nutrient- poor; several

plants are carnivorous,

luring insects with nectar and vivid colors.

Altitude adjustments

As elevation increases,

temrainfall increases—to somperatures cool and e

13 feet each year.

ains from
via waterfalls,
Alow to sommerica’s larg-e of
rs, including
azon.

Diverse zones

On the sumliads, and carnivorous plants mit, shrubs, brome-

sprout up around pools of

water or in rock crevices.

Here, moss- and epiphyte-

covered trees are surrounded by shrubs, bromeliads, and herbs

rooted in a thick layer of peat.

Pitcher plant Sundew FROGS SHOWN ACTUAL SIZE

Roraima

pebble toad

Roraima

rocket frog

Weiassipu

pebble toad

Pancake frog

These lower slopes feature thick tropical forests of evergreens,

some up to a hundred feet tall,

rising over dense undergrowth.

A warmprecipitation threaten endeming climate and decreasing ic frogs

and toads living on top of tepuis and in

the rainforests far below. Many species

are narrowly adapted to climate zones.

Oreophrynella quelchii able back toes to grip and climuses its oppos-b over

rocks and plants. It escapes predators

by balling up and rolling away.

Found in high meadows, Anomaloglos-

sus roraima tadpoles develop in water

that gets trapped between the leaves

of bucket-like bromeliad plants.

Oreophrynella weiassipuensis hatches

fully formed from its soft egg. It spends

its days in wet mresting on leaves. oss and its nights

Otophryne robusta mimics the leaf

litter of the forest floor to blend into

its environment. Its tadpoles burrow

in sandy stream bottoms.

MANUEL CANALES, PATRICIA HEALY, TAYLOR MUNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN; TOMÁŠ DERKA, COMAGGIACOMO, MENIUS UNIVERSITY; BRUCE MATTHEW W. CHWASTYK, NGMEANS, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY; ANDREJ PAVLOVIČ, PALACKY UNIVE STAFF. ART: ANTOINE COLLIGNON, GAËLLE SELLIGNON. SOURCES: ROMRSITY; FEDERICO PISANI; FRANCESCO SAURO, UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNAAN AUBRECHT, COMENIUS UNIVERSITY; MAREK AUDY; PAUL E. BERRY,