The main characteristic of the Colombian savannah is that it is flooded for eight months of the year, and the remaining four months are extremely dry. The fauna of the Colombian savannah is made up of 62 species of mammals; 25 species of reptiles; 315 bird varieties; 23 amphibian species and 107 kinds of fish.
The extensive Colombian savannah basically consists of gramineous plants, which is why the livestock industry has settled in this area of excellent forage.
Continue reading this article and on our site we will show you some prototypical animals of the fauna of the Colombian savannah:
The morrocoy turtle
La morrocoy tortoise, Chelonoidis carbonaria, also known in Colombia as morrocoya sabanera, is a characteristic tortoise of the Colombian savannah.
It has diurnal habits and is distributed throughout the savannah, including the areas used for livestock. The busiest times are during the morning and in the evening, sheltering in the shade during the hottest part of the day.
A characteristic of the Morrocoy tortoise are reddish spots on its legs, which is why it is also known as red-footed tortoise The size of a morrocoy ranges between 30 to 50 cm, depending a lot on the area where it lives, since it is distributed practically throughout the South American continent. The coloration of its shell is very diverse. The males have a concave breastplate to facilitate their reproduction, while the females have a flat one.
The wild morrocoy turtle is threatened for various reasons: the most important is hunting for food, since it is a typical delicacy during Holy Week; because the Church considers the morrocoy sabanera as "fish". Also capturing as a pet influences its threat situation
Fortunately, there are now Morrocoy tortoise hatcheries all over the world, as it is considered an excellent pet by tortoise lovers.
The King Vulture
The king vulture, Sarcoramphus papa, is known in Colombia as king of buzzards.
It is a bird of considerable size that feeds basically on carrion. It is the third American vulture in size, since it measures between 67 and 81 cm in length, with a wingspan that ranges between 120 and 200 cm. Its weight ranges from 2.70 Kg to 4.50 Kg.
Because he has the largest skull and strongest beak of all American vultures, he is usually the first to carve up the carcasses and feed first. His presence relegates the rest of the vultures waiting for the king vulture to finish eating. Only the king vulture is relegated when a condor appears on the scene, although it is an infrequent event given the difference in habitats between both species. Not threatened.
Collared Peccary
The collared peccary, Pecari tajacu, is known in Colombia as saíno. It is a mammal with some resemblance to the wild boar. It rises 50 cm to the withers, and measures between 70 and 110 cm. Its fur is made up of tough gray-black bristles.
Lives in groups of 6 to 9 individuals, but can reach up to 30 herds. Its habitat is the savannah, estuaries, agricultural and forest areas.
It feeds on all kinds of vegetables, including tubers, roots, seeds, fruits and buds, but it does not disdain insects or small vertebrates. They are diurnal animals, and at night they shelter in burrows or under the roots of large trees.
They ignore humans, but if they feel threatened they stand up and defend themselves with long self-sharpening fangs by open and close the mouth. On the back they have a scent gland that secretes a very strong musk. It is not a threatened species.
El curito
The curito, Hoplosternum littorale, is a catfish very common in estuaries, overflow lagoons and calm waters. It is also distributed in the basins of the Amazon, Orinoco and Guayana rivers. Males reach up to 24 cm.
It is a fish with an incredible survival characteristic: during the dry season it buries itself in the mud and survives by swallowing air bubbles, since its digestive tract during this period and thanks to its vasculerized walls allow it to transform into a respiratory organ.
Its diet is omnivorous, and its distribution area is very extensive in Colombia, Brazil, Guayana, Suriname, Trinidad and Venezuela. It is a species with commercial interest, since it is considered a delicacy.
Image from ecoregistros.org:
Paradoxical frog
The paradoxical frog, Pseudis paradoxa, also known as the bass frog, is a common amphibian in the Colombian-Venezuelan Llanos. It is one of the most popular animals of the Colombian savannah fauna.
The extraordinary thing about this good-sized frog is that its tadpole is much larger than the adult animal, being able to reach 40 cm and 500 g in weight. For this reason it is called paradoxical frog. Its habitat is the lacustrine estuaries, and it feeds on aquatic invertebrates. This species is not threatened.
