Cuao Massif
| Cuao Massif | |
|---|---|
| Cuao-Sipapo Massif, Macizo del Cuao | |
.svg)  Cuao Massif | |
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,773 m (5,817 ft) |
| Coordinates | 5°4′30″N 67°25′5″W / 5.07500°N 67.41806°W |
| Geography | |
| Country | Venezuela |
| State | Amazonas |
The Cuao Massif or Cuao-Sipapo Massif is a complex of tepuis (table-top mountain) in southern Amazonas state of Venezuela. It includes several small sandstone tepuis and granitic mountaintops, including Cerro Cuao and Cerro Sipapo, which reach elevations between 1,400 and 2,000 meters. The massif is westernmost of the Western Pantepui District, which lies east of the Orinoco River, southwest of the Caura River, and north of the Ventuari River.[1]
Tepuis are isolated flat-topped sandstone mountains with a montane flora and fauna distinct from the surrounding lowlands. Habitats in the massif include wet meadows, high-tepui shrub, and open rock habitats.[1] Cuao Massif is home to many tepui-endemic species animals and plants.
The massif is within Macizo Cuao-Sipapo y Cerro Moriche Natural Monument, which was established in 1990 and covers an area of 3150.55 km2.[2] It is also within the Sipapo Reserve Forest, which covers an area of 12155.0 km2 and includes both highlands and lowlands extending west to the Orinoco.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b McDiarmid, Roy W. and Donnelly, Maureen A. 2005. "The herpetofauna of the Guayana Highlands: amphibians and reptiles of the Lost World" In Ecology and evolution in the tropics: a herpetological perspective. Donnelly, Maureen A., Crother, Brian I., Guyer, Craig, Wake, Marvalee H., and White, Mary E., editors. 461–560. University of Chicago Press.
- ^ "Protected Area Profile for Macizo Cuao - Sipapo y Cerro Moriche". Protected Planet – World Database on Protected Areas. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ "Protected Area Profile for Sipapo". Protected Planet – World Database on Protected Areas. UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved 29 June 2025.