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Location: Guyana is the only English-speaking,
former British colony on the South American mainland (Belize is
in Central America).
In 1993 Mark conducted an herpetological survey
in Guyana but now he has been invited back to investigate the herpetofauna
of the huge Iwokrama Biological Reserve, one of the largest biological
reserves in South America. Mark is keen to capture, identify and
photograph as many species of amphibians and reptiles as possible,
including dwarf caiman in roadside creeks at night, but must take
care of electric eels in the same locations. The quest to find and
photograph two particular species, the Kaieteur golden dart-poison
frog Colostethus beebei and the amazing Mata mata turtle,
Chelus fimbriatus, takes him outside the reserve, first to
the 720ft Kaieteur falls and then to Karanambo on the Rupununi River
where American, Diane McTurk is working to conserve the giant 6ft
(2m) river otter.
A foolish grin from the world's oddest turtle,
the Mata mata (Chelus fimbriatus), note the tubercles and proboscis
snout.
| BUFONIDAE |
TRUE TOADS |
| Bufo marinus |
Marine toad |
| Bufo typhonius |
South American toad |
| DENDROBATIDAE |
DART-POISON FROGS |
| Colostethus beebei |
Kaieteur golden rocket frog |
| HYLIDAE |
TREEFROGS |
| Hyla boans |
Rusty treefrog |
| Scinax rubra |
Banana treefrog |
| PSEUDIDAE |
PARADOXICAL FROGS |
| Lysapsus limellus |
Harlequin frog |
| CHELIDAE |
AUSTRALO-AMERICAN SIDE-NECK TURTLES |
| Chelus fimbratus |
Mata mata |
| BATAGURIDAE |
HARD-SHELLED TURTLES |
| Rhinoclemmys punctularia |
Spotted forest turtle |
| TESTUDINIDAE |
TORTOISES |
| Geochelone denticulata |
Yellow-foot tortoise |
| ALLIGATORIDAE |
ALLIGATORS & CAIMAN |
| Melanosuchus niger |
Black caiman |
| Paleosuchus palpebrosus |
Cuvier's dwarf caiman |
| GEKKONIDAE |
GECKOES |
| Gonatodes humeralis |
Common bent-toed gecko |
| Hemidactylus mabouia |
Cosmopolitan house gecko |
| GYMNOPHTHALMIDAE |
MICROTEIIDS |
| Leposoma percarinatum |
Water teiid |
| IGUANIDAE |
IGUANAS |
| Iguana iguana iguana |
South American green iguana |
| TEIIDAE |
MACROTEIIDS |
| Ameiva ameiva ameiva |
Common ameiva |
| Tupinambis teguxin |
Black & white tegu |
| TROPIDURIDAE |
LAVA & TREE LIZARDS |
| Tropidurus hispidus |
Lava lizard |
| Uranoscodon superciliosum |
Mop-headed iguanid |
| BOIDAE |
BOAS |
| Corallus hortulanus |
Amazonian tree boa |
| Eunectes murinus |
Common green anaconda |
| COLUBRIDAE |
TYPICAL SNAKES |
| Erythrolamprus aesculapii aesculapii
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False coralsnake |
| Philodryas viridissimus |
Parrot snake |
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Location: The Iwokrama Biological Reserve in central Guyana is one
of the largest and richest tracts of protected pristine rainforest.
Kaieteur Falls, Guyana, 50ft (15m) across 721ft (216m) in a straight
drop, the highest single drop falls in the world.
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