Protected Areas
Kaieteur National Park
Created in 1929, Kaieteur is the first national park in the Amazon region. It sits on the Guiana Shield, an ancient rock formation over 2 billion years old. This isolated landscape is full of species found nowhere else on earth, including a tiny Golden Frog (Anomaloglossus beebei) and a recently discovered bright blue tarantula unknown to science. The Park is known mostly for the spectacular Kaieteur Falls with its single drop of 226 metres (741 ft), which is over four times higher than Niagara Falls. Its unusual combination of height and volume makes it the most powerful single drop waterfall on the planet. Home to the Patamona people, Kaieteur continues to play a big role in local livelihoods, culture, and traditions.
Found in Kaieteur National Park
Metallic Blue Tarantula
This striking metallic blue tarantula was encountered in a rotting tree stump by Herpetologist Andrew Snyder while out on a night hike in primary rainforest along the upper Potaro River, during a WWF/GWC biodiversity expedition. This species is new to the Guiana Shield and further work will confirm if it’s endemic to Guyana. This tarantula is thought to be a communal species which is an uncommon behaviour for tarantulas.
Golden Rocket Frog
The golden rocket frog (Anomaloglossus beebei) which is endemic to Kaieteur National Park spends its entire life cycle in the giant terrestrial tank bromeliad (Brocchinia mircrantha). Females deposit eggs on the leaves and tadpoles live in the water which collects in the leaf axils, where they feed on detritus, insect larvae, unfertilized eggs and other tadpoles.
Groete Creek Carrying Frog
The groete creek carrying frog (Stefania evansi), endemic to Guyana, is unique in that it exhibits maternal care. This species rears its offspring on its back, until they are ready to fend for themselves.