FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE CARIBBEAN REGION OF COLOMBIA: CHARACTERISTICS - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The flora and fauna of the Caribbean region of Colombia are diverse thanks to the variety of climates and ecosystems that exist. Savanna plant species and wild fauna such as the tigrillo and flamenco abound.

Species such as bocachico and caiman predominate in its rivers, and dolphins and sharks are found in the sea. Some of the animal and plant species found in this region are in danger of extinction, such as the guartinaja and the manatee.

Its flora has species of savanna and mountain. Also swamps and lagoons, such as mangroves and large coral reefs, especially in the Rosario Islands, in Cartagena.

Flora

The plant species in this region vary according to the soils and climate. Like the relief, the flora also presents many contrasts.

For example, in La Guajira desert species such as cacti, thorny bushes and cardonales predominate.

There are three other types of wild plants predominant in the warm areas of the region: the bignoniaceae or trumpet vines, the rubiaceae (commonly called blond or white gallium, from the coffee family) and the euphorbiaceae, a plant that has more than 7,500 species.

In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta the vegetation is of moorland, the frailejón being the most emblematic representative. Magnoliopsida species abound in the La Guajira páramo.

Among the most representative flora species of the region are the cayenne, the coconut, the mesquite and the ipomoea.

Cayenne

This ornamental plant is one of the symbols of the region. It is known by the names of Chinese rose, papo or cayenne (hibiscus rosa-sinensis).

It is a shrub with flowers with large yellow, orange, scarlet and pink petals. It belongs to the Malvaceae family.

The coconut tree (

This plant grows along the entire Colombian Caribbean coast and in the Pacific Ocean, and belongs to the Arecaceae family.

The mesquite (

It is a leguminous shrub of the Fabaceae family.

Ipomoea (bells)

This plant belongs to the convolvulaceae family, and has a creeping stem that is sometimes creeping.

It has leaves of various shapes and produces large colored flowers, blue, purple, red and white.

The corozo, the rubber stick and the mamey are other species of trees representative of this region.

Fauna

The most representative native wildlife of the region is the following:

The tigrillo

The tigrillo, also known as the lesser tiger cat, lives in dense forests. It measures between 40 and 55 centimeters and has a tail of about 40 centimeters. It weighs between 2 and 3.5 kilos.

The marmoset monkey

This animal lives in the forests and humid areas of the region. It usually stays among the vegetation, no more than 5 meters high.

The flamenco

It lives in swamps and lagoons. It measures between 130 to 192 centimeters in length, and has a weight of about 4 kilograms.

The macaw

It lives in the high areas of forests and jungles near rivers. It is a bird with blue, red, yellow and white plumage, with a long tail and a strong beak.

The Manatee

The manatee lives in warm waters and feeds on aquatic plants. They are called water cows for their large bodies, whose weight ranges between 200 and 700 kilograms.

It lives in the wetlands of the departments of Bolívar, Atlántico and Magdalena, and is in danger of extinction.

References

1. Delgado Hernández, César Andrés (2013): Types of vegetation in dry and very dry localities of the middle and upper Cesar (Colombia). PDF, Bogotá. Recovered from bdigital.unal.edu.co.
2. Symbols of the Caribbean Region. Consulted of elcaribecolombiano.blogspot.com
3. Animals in danger of extinction. Consulted of faunasalvaje-regiones.blogspot.com
4. Flora Caribbean Region. Consulted of florcaribe.blogspot.com
5. Between 250 and 300 manatees, under threat of extinction on the Coast. Retrieved October 19, 2017 from elheraldo.co
6. Flora, Fauna and tourist activity of the Caribbean region. Consulted from knowingelfolclorcolombiano.wikispaces.com