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STONE AND STONE PAINTED TURTLE

It is located approximately 16 kilometers from Puerto Ayacucho, south, town Atunes. Amazonas State. It consists of granite outcrops of magmatic origin, belonging to the ridge of Parhuaza. This monument has a high archaeological value, since it is considered sacred monument for some of the tribes in the region. It contains hieroglyphics, with the largest known petroglyph in the country, rock paintings, caves and indigenous cemeteries, ancestral cultures testimony.

Arriving: Taking the road axis linking the Puerto Ayacucho population Samariapo

Sites of interest: Stone Turtle: Ataruipe cave hill, mountain or hill of the Dead Papelón, Turtle Lake, a site that becomes a reservoir of birds, the Orinoco, several outcrops. In the Piedra Pintada: galleries with paintings, variety of petroglyphs, stone Pintaita, which has a large galley with innumerable paintings, indigenous cemeteries, small hills, formed of quartz.

Tourist Activities: Walking tours, outdoor recreation, scientific research, bird watching, ecotourism.

Recommendations: Protect the vegetation and wildlife. All trash that is generated must be deposited in bags and move to the place of departure. Remove the flora, fauna and mineral material activities are consonant with the main objective of this monument. Going along the routes established by the Superintendent of the Monument. Respect the customs and traditions.

What to bring: appropriate clothing and footwear, binoculars, insect repellent cream, cap.

Area: 1,950 hectares

Decree: No. 2351 dated 05-06-92

Natural region: Guyana Shield.

Temperature: 24 º C to 26 º C per year.

Precipitation: 2,234 mm annual average.

Vegetation: The main plant formations are associated with the flagstones or litofolias with pirófilas species abundance. The vegetation surrounding these outcrops is part of the tropical dry forest. Contains type grass savannas Plainsman, with chaparral and scrub sets of transition. In the upper slopes and depressions has the outcrops, and develops a dense vegetation with abundant palms and Coroba cucurito and endemic species which stresses the cacho e 'venao, pyrophytes plant that grows on rocky outcrops . There are also spots morichales, riparian forests and galleries located on the banks of the river and the creek Cataniapo Pintao.

Fauna: Some 300 species of birds have been reported for these areas, including the cock of the rock, sabanerito of grasses, seedlings chirri, habado hawk, oripopo, woodpecker, blue swallow, hawk deer whistles, tile, redfish. Mammals: savanna foxes, rabbits, armadillos. Snakes: mapanare, bell.

Hydrography: Rio Orinoco River Cataniapo, Cano Tigre.

Altimetry: From 100 to 400 meters above sea level.