Ecuador
Ecuador: Political System
According to the 1979 constitution, Ecuador is an independent democratic
republic ruled by a president. There is compulsory voting for residents of the
country who are able to read and write. The President and the National Congress
(Parliament) are directly elected on the same day. The president is the head of
state and government and thus the head of the executive.

The legislature lies with the National Congress, a one-chamber parliament which,
following elections in October 2002, has 100 (previously 123) members for the
2003-2007 legislative period. The parliamentary groups, the President, the
Supreme Court and the electorate have the right to initiate legislation (0.25%
required). The president and parliament are elected every five years in free,
equal and secret elections.
The three most important parties in Ecuador were the Partido Social
Christiana (PSC, Social Christian Party), the Izquierda
Democrática ID, Democratic Left) and the Partido Unión
Repúblicano (PUR, Party of Republican Unity). The influence of the
political parties was and is largely limited to only one region: The
Christian-social Partido Social Cristiano (PSC) and the Partido Roldosista
Ecuatoriano (PRE) are the dominant parties in the coastal region. In the Andean
region, the social democratic Izquierda Democrática (ID) and Pachakutik - the
political movement of the Indian organization CONAIE - dominated.
After the elections in 2006, the two parties founded in 2002, the PRIAN of the
entrepreneur Álvaro Noboa and the Partido Sociedad Patriótica of President Lucio
Gutiérrez, who was ousted in 2005, form the strongest political blocs in the
National Congress.
A special case is the pachakutik - which is chosen especially in the rural
provinces with a high proportion of indigenous populations. In addition to the
parties mentioned, there are other political associations as well as the
movement of the current president, Rafael Correa, Movimiento PAÍS, which was
only formed in 2006.
The president appoints a governor for each province - and at the next level a
political head for each canton. The population of the provinces themselves elect
a prefect who has roughly the functions of a superior mayor there, as well as
provincial and cantonal parliaments. According to Digopaul.com,
the official name of the country is:
National anthem
Based on flag descriptions by
Countryaah.com, the national anthem of Ecuador was written by Juan Léon Mera (1832-1894) in
1865 and set to music in 1866 by the son of German immigrants Antonio Neumane
(1818-1871). It became the country's official anthem in 1886 after having been
used on public occasions for some time.

In spanish language
Refrain:
Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces!
¡Oh Patria, Gloria a ti! Gloria a ti!
Ya tu pecho, tu pecho, rebosa
Gozo y paz ya tu pecho rebosa;
Y tu frente, tu frente radiosa
Más que el sol contemplamos lucir,
Y tu frente, tu frente radiosa
Más que el sol contemplamos lucir.
Los primeros los hijos del suelo
Que soberbio, el Pichincha decora
Te aclamaron por siempre señora
Y vertieron su sangre por ti.
Dios miró ya ceptó el holocausto
Y esa sangre fue germen fecundo
De otros héroes que atónito el mundo
Vió en tu torno a millares surgir.
a millares surgir,
a millares surgir. |
Ecuador: Personalities, Famous People
Visual artist
- Joaquín Pinto: Landscape and Portrait Painter of the
19th Century
- Rafael Troya: landscape and portrait painter of the
19th century
- Antonio Salas: landscape and portrait painter of the
19th century
- Eduardo Kingman (1913-1998): Klingman was one of the
founders of indígenismo, a pictorial representation of
Indian life. While earlier pictures almost exclusively
dealt with landscape themes, artists like Klingman depicted the life of the
indigenous population.
- Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919-1999): Guayasamín was also a
representative of indígenismo. His works often reduce
people to expressive, woodcut-like facial features and hands. His picture
cycle "Huacayñán" testifies to this. He also portrayed influential
personalities such as Salvador Allende and Fidel Castro. He cultivated
friendships with the most important intellectuals in Latin America such as
Pablo Neruda and Gabriel García Márquez. Guayasamín is considered the most
important artist in Ecuador of the 20th century.
- Camilo Egas (1889-1962): painter and teacher; Egas
founded the country's first art magazine under the title Helice.
- Oswaldo Viteri (born 1931): Painter influenced by
anthropology and folk art.
Writer and poet
- Eugenio Espejo (1747-1795): Espejo was one of the most
important thinkers in Latin America in the 18th century. His writings were
influenced by the Enlightenment. Espejo advocated the emancipation of South
America from Spain.
- José Joaquín de Olmedo (1780-1847): In his book "La
victoria de Junin" he portrayed the Latin American freedom fighters as the
successors of the Incas. Olmedo was president of the country several times.
- Juan Montalvo (1832-1889): Among other things, he wrote
a sequel to Cervantes' "Don Quixote" under the title "Chapters that
Cervantes forgot". In addition, Montalvo enjoyed a high reputation due to
his essays "Siete Tratados" (1882, on German seven tracts) and "Geometría
Moral" (published posthumously in 1902, on German moral geometry).
- Jorge Icaza (1906-1978): Icaza is the internationally
best-known writer in Ecuador. His fame is based primarily on his novel
"Huasipungo" (1934), in which the life and exploitation of the Indians is
portrayed realistically for the first time. His later works are less
drastic. In his novel "Cabellero in the borrowed wreck" he paints the
multi-layered portrait of a mestizo who tries to rise to the white upper
class.
- Adalberto Ortiz (1914-2003): In his main work
"Juyungo", Ortiz exemplifies the conflicts between the black, white and
Indian populations based on the life of the main character.
Athlete
- Ivan Hurtado (born 1974): The football player is the
country's record national player.
- Augustin Delgado (born 1974): The football player is
the country's record scorer.
- Jefferson Pérez (born 1974): The athlete won the gold
medal in the 20 km walk at the World Athletics Championships in 2003 and
2005.
- Andrés Gómez (born 1960): The tennis player won the
French Open in 1990.
Ecuador: animals
Mammals
The fauna of Ecuador is as diverse as the flora. Various species of monkeys
such as howler and woolly monkeys as well as capuchin monkeys live in the
rainforests and in the Andes.
Bats are common, as are the guanacos. The latter is a South American wild camel
species with a shoulder height of 120 cm. Its woolly and dense fur is light
brown on the top and white on the underside.
It lives at altitudes of up to 4,000 m and is always exposed to dangers from
pumas, Andean condors and Andean jackals.
Peccaries and tapirs can also be encountered in the Andes, although the mountain
tapir, the largest mammal in South America, has become extremely rare. He lives
very withdrawn, which means that the chances of seeing him in the wild are
rather slim.
The Northern Pudu, which also lives in the Andes, is one of the smallest deer in
the world with its shoulder height of almost 40 cm.
It has a rough, dense, brown-black fur, a small tail
and the males have small unbranched antlers about 8 cm long.
Its diet consists of leaves, bark, fruits and flowers, which it normally finds
sufficient in its habitat of mountain forests and pastures.
However, the pudu is endangered because of human hunting and clearing of the
forests.
In the numerous national parks there is a variety of the most diverse animal
species, some of which are not found anywhere else in the world. Coatis,
spectacled bears and armadillos live in Cayambe Coca, various marsupials,
anteaters and badgers have found their home in Manglares Churute. Unfortunately,
some animals are already threatened with extinction.
These include the puma and the jaguar.
Reptiles without venomous snakes, amphibians
You should keep your eyes open at rivers in the rainforest, because
encounters with crocodiles or giant caimans are not uncommon here and can be
extremely dangerous.
Crocodiles
The crocodiles (Crocodylia) are an order that is divided into the following
three families:
- Real crocodiles (Crocodylidae)
- Alligators (Alligatoridae)
- Gavials (Gavialidae)
These three families are divided into 9 genera with a total of 25 species.
The local crocodiles are nowhere near as large as, for example, the Australian
saltwater crocodiles (estuarine crocodiles) or the Nile
crocodiles. Nevertheless, one should keep a suitable distance from them and
under no circumstances bathe in the rivers.
You can find a description of the crocodiles at Goruma here >>>
Caimans
The caimans (Caimaninae) are a subfamily of the family of the alligators
(Alligatoridae.
Caimans occur with the exception of the crocodile caimans, whose distribution
area extends to Central America - only in South America.
Since caimans have a slower metabolism than the real crocodiles, they will With
100 years almost twice as old as this one.
Their preferred habitat are lakes, swamps and rivers.
The local crocodile
caiman reaches a maximum length of 3 m and has the following subspecies: -
Common crocodile caiman (Caiman crocodilus crocodilus)
- Northern crocodile caiman (Caiman crocodilus fuscus)
- Nicaraguan crocodile caiman (Caiman crocodilus chiapasius)
- Rio Apaporis crocodile caiman (Caiman crocodilus apaporiensis)
Sea
turtles Sea turtles are found on the country's coastal
beaches. With the exception of laying eggs on sandy beaches, they spend their
entire lives in the water.
However, as lung breathers, they have to come to the surface of the water
regularly to breathe, which may only be necessary after 7 hours when sleeping
and after 40 minutes at the latest when doing activities. Their diet consists of
cephalopods, crustaceans and jellyfish, but also plants.
Your front legs serve as paddles for photo movement, while the rear legs serve
as a kind of rudder.
The salt glands on the head ensure that they can excrete the salt absorbed with
the seawater.
All are distinguished by an armor-like back shield and a toothless jaw.
-Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
This sea turtle has the following two subspecies:
- Pacific hawksbill
turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) imbricata)
The breeding process is not carried out by the animals but by the sun.
It is very interesting that the eggs develop into females at temperatures above
29.9 degrees Celsius and males at lower temperatures.
Pinoccio Lizard
This iguana-like lizard (Anolis probescis) with its long, horn-like,
approximately 2 cm long trunk on the tip of the nose - which only the males
have. Without the tail, it has a length of 5 to 8 cm. It is yellowish-green to
brown in color with orange or black marks, while the belly is whitish.
The animal was considered extinct for over 50 years and was only rediscovered in
2004.
Snakes (not poisonous)
Over 200 species of snakes have been counted in Ecuador, including both
poisonous and harmless species. The largest snake in the world is definitely
worth mentioning - the great anaconda
Anaconda
The great anaconda (Eunectes) can in rare cases be over 9 m long and is
therefore the largest snake in the world alongside the reticulated python. Your
prey is entwined and strangled or crushed by the contraction of the muscles.
It can also be life-threatening for humans. In addition to Ecuador, the great
anakondo can also be found in northern Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana,
Guyana, Colombia, eastern Paraguay, northeastern Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and
Tobago and Venezuela.
A detailed description of the local Great Anaconda can be found at Goruma here
>>>
There are four types of the genus Anaconda:
- Eunectes beniensis (Beni anaconda)
- Eunectes deschauenseei (De-Schauensee-Anaconda)
- Eunectes murinus (Large anaconda)
- Eunectes notaeus (Yellow anaconda)
Poisonous snakes
Numerous different venomous snakes live in the country, whose bite is
dangerous and can be fatal.
Lance vipers
The genus of lance vipers (Bothrops) belongs to the subfamily of pit vipers
(Ctotalinae) and to the family of vipers (Viperidae).
The genus of the lance viper comprises 45 species of snakes, some of which in
turn have subspecies.
The smallest species or subspecies reach a length between 50 to 70 cm and the
largest can be over 2 m long.
Their poison has tissue-destroying parts (proteases), blood-damaging and
kidney-damaging parts.
It is worth mentioning that the enzyme reptilase in the venom of Bothrops atrox
and Bothrops jararaca is used in diagnostics to determine coagulation disorders
and as a therapeutic agent for anticoagulation.
The animals are viviparous. They get their name from their triangular head
shape, which is reminiscent of a lance tip.
Andean lance viper
The Andean lance viper (Bothrops pulchra) occurs in Ecuador and Colombia up to
an altitude of approx. 2,000 m.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Brazilian lance viper
The Brazilian lance viper (Bothrops brazil) occurs in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador,
French Guyana, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Speckled Wood Lance Viper
The Speckled Wood Lance Viper (Bothrops taeniatus) occurs in Bolivia, Brazil
(Amazon, Rondonia, Mato Grosso, Goiás, Roraima, Maranhão, Pará and Acre),
Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.
The snake has two subspecies, Bothrops taeniata taeniata and Bothrops taeniata
lichenosa
Common lance viper
The common lance viper (Bothrops atrox) occurs in Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil,
French Guyana, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
Also on Trinidad, an island that belongs to the Lesser Antilles.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Golden lance
viper The golden lance viper (Bothrops punctatus) is known in English as the
"Chocoan Forest Pit Viper".
It is found in the northwest of Ecuador, in the west of Colombia and in the
southeast of Panama. The snake can be found up to a height of around 2,000 m
find
from the queue are no subspecies
Green Jararaca Lance Viper
The Green Jararaca Lance Viper (Bothrops bilineatus) occurs in Bolivia, Brazil,
Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Colombia, Suriname and Venezuela.
There are two subspecies of the snake
- Bothrops bilineata bilineata
- Bothrops bilineata smaragdina
Lojan Lance Viper (Bothrops lojanus)
The Lojan Lance Viper (Bothrops lojanus) occurs in Ecuador (Loja, Zamora
Chinchipe) and Peru at altitudes above 2,500 m.
There are no subspecies of the snake.
Osborn`s lance viper (Bothrops osbornei)
The snake occurs in Ecuador and in the northwest of Peru.
There are no subspecies of the snake.
Pulchra lance viper
The Pulchra lance viper (Bothrops pulchra) is found in Ecuador and Colombia at
heights of up to approx. 2,000 m.
There are no subspecies of the snake.
Rough-scaled lance viper
The rough-scaled lance viper (Bothrops asper) is found in southern Mexico and in
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Colombia (Valle del
Cauca), in western Ecuador and Venezuela.
There are no subspecies of the snake.
Terciopelo lance viper
The Terciopelo lance viper (Bothrops asper) is also known as the rough-scaly
lance viper.
They can be found in Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia,
Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuel.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Palm
lance vipers The palm lance vipers belong to the genus Bothriechis, to the
subfamily of pit vipers (Crotalinae) and to the family of vipers (Viperidae).
The species of this snake genus have a length of about 60 to 80 cm - very rarely
they reach a length of 1 m.
The palm lance vipers live exclusively in the trees of the tropical rainforest
and are well adapted to the way of life in trees thanks to their long tail,
which is optimized for grasping.
Like all pit otters, they have pit organs on the sides of their heads between
the nostrils and eyes, with which they can perceive thermal radiation (infrared
radiation), which makes them good night hunters.
Their basic color is usually green to greenish-yellow with light and dark
speckles, whereby the very color-variable prehensile-tailed lance-viper is an
exception.
Palm lance viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)
The snake belongs to the genus of the palm lance viper (Bothriechis).
The snake is found in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico,
Nicaragua Peru, and Venezuela.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Coral snakes
This usually very pretty snake of the genus Micrurus (coral snake, coral
otter) with its black and white or yellow and red rings occurs in 79 species
with various subspecies. They can be found in the southern states of the USA via
Mexico, Central America and almost all of South America - with the exception of
Chile. Often, however, not nationwide but only in parts of the country or even
in smaller regions. They live mainly in moist, warm habitats and are between 60
to 150 cm long. Their head is barely wider than the trunk and their tail is
short. They have The nocturnal snakes live mostly hidden in holes in the ground,
between dense vegetation or under stones and feed on small reptiles - more
rarely on small mammals, amphibians, and young birds. Bites are extremely rare
in humans. They have a very effective neurotoxin, which interrupts the
connection between nerves and between nerves and muscles (synapses). In
addition, numerous species have poisonous parts that destroy muscle tissue
(myotoxins). Without an antiserum, paralysis and even fatal respiratory arrest
can be expected.
Andean black-
backed coral snake The Andean black-backed coral snake
(Micrurus narduccii) is found in the north-west of Bolivia, in the north-west of
Brazil, in the east of Ecuador, in the south of Colombia and in the north and
east of Peru.
There are two subspecies of the snake:
- Micrurus narduccii narduccii
- Micrurus narduccii melanotus
Annellated
Coral Snake The Annellated Coral Snake - in English Annellated Coral Snake
(Micrurus annellatus) - can be found in the southeast of Ecuador, in the east of
Peru, in the west of Brazil and in Bolivia.
It has dark blue to black rings, which are interrupted by narrow white rings.
There are three subspecies of the snake:
- Micrurus annellatus annellatus
- Micrurus annellatus balzanii
- Micrurus annellatus bolivianus
Catamayo Coral
Snake The Catamayo Coral Snake (Micrurus catamayensis) can be found in Ecuador
in the Catamayo Valley (Valley = valley).
There are no subspecies of the snake
Cauca coral snake
The Cauca coral snake (Micrurus multiscutatus) can be found in the Colombia
Valle del Cauca in Colombia as well as in Ecuador.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Dumeril`s Coral Snake
The Dumeril`s Coral Snake (Micrurus dumerilii) can be found in the north of
Ecuador, in the north and west of Colombia, in the southeast of Panama and in
the northwest of Venezuela.
There are six subspecies of the snake:
Ecuador
Coral Snake The Ecuador Coral Snake (Micrurus bocourti) - called Ecuador Coral
Snake in English - can be found in the west of Ecuador (Pacific lowlands) and in
the northwest of Peru.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Speckled coral snake
The speckled (also speckled) coral snake (Micrurus margaritiferus) is found in
Ecuador and in the northeast of Peru.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Hemprich's coral snake
Hemprich's coral snake (Micrurus hemprichii) is found in Bolivia, Brazil (Para,
Rondonia), Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Suriname and
Venezuela.
There are two subspecies of the snake.
Langdorff`s Coral
Snake The Langdorff`s Lorallenschnake (Micrurus langsdorffi) can be found in the
south of Colombia, in the north of Peru, in the upper Amazon region of Brazil
and in the south of Ecuador.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Mertens coral snake
The Mertens coral snake (Micrurus mertensi) can be found in the southwest of
Ecuador and in the northwest of Peru. There are no subspecies of the snake
Peters 'coral otter
The Peters' coral otter (Micrurus petersi) is only found in eastern Ecuador.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Peru coral snake
The Peru coral snake (Micrurus peruvianus) is found in Ecuador as well as in
Peru (Cajamarca, Amazon) . There are no subspecies of the snake
Regal coral otter
The black and red striped with white stripes Regal coral otter (Micrurus
ancoralis) occurs in the east of Panama, in the west of Colombia (Valle del
Cauca) as well as in the west and north-west of Ecuador. The snake has two
subspecies:
Red-tailed coral snake
The red-tailed coral snake (Micrurus mipartitus) is one of the few coral snakes
with green rings.
You can find them in Costa Rica, in Ecuador, in the east of Panama, on the
Pacific coast of Colombia (Valle del Cauca), in Brazil in the state of Rondônia
and in the west of Venezuela (Zulia).
There are five subspecies of the snake:
Slender Coral
Snake The Slender Coral Snake (Micrurus filiformis) is found in the east of
Ecuador, in the north of Brazil, in the south of Colombia and in the north of
Peru.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Steindachner`s coral snake
The Steindachner`s coral snake (Micrurus steindachneri) can be found in the east
of Ecuador and Peru. There are two subspecies of the snake
South American coral snake
With a length of up to 1.30 m, the South American coral snake (Micrurus
lemniscatus) belongs to the large coral snakes. You can find them in:
Argentina, northern Bolivia, in Brazil (Amazonas, Goias, Rio Grande do Sul Rio
de Janeiro), in the east of Ecuador, in French Guyana, Guyana, Colombia,
Paraguay, in the east of Peru, in Suriname,
Trinidad and Venezuela. The snake has five subspecies.
Water coral snake
The water coral snake (Micrurus surinamensis) is also known as the surimam coral
snake.
The 1.3 m long snake feeds mainly on eels that live in the local waters. The
snake is found in Brazil (Mato Grosso, Pará), Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guyana,
Guyana, in the Amazon region of Colombia as well as in Peru. There are no
subspecies of the snake
Desert coral snake
The desert coral snake (Micrurus tschudii) is found in the northwest of Bolivia,
in the west of Peru and in the southwest of Ecuador.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Dwarf black-
backed coral snake The dwarf black-backed coral snake (Micrurus
scutiventris) is found in Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. There are no
subspecies of the snake
More venomous snakes
South American Bushmaster
The South American Bushmaster (Lachesis muta) occurs in the following countries:
Northern Bolivia, Brazil (Minas Gerais, Acre, Amapéa, Amazonas, Pará, Rondonia,
Mato Grosso, Goiás, Alagoas, Ceará, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Bahia, Espírito Santo,
Rio de Janeiro), in the east of Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, in the northeast
and east of Peru, in Suriname, as well as in Trinidad and Venezuela.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Verrugosa Bushmaster
The Verrugosa Bushmaster (Lachesis acrochorda) occurs in Ecuador, Colombia and
Panama.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Manabi inverted
-nosed viper The Manabi inverted-nosed viper (Porthidium arcosae) occurs only in
Ecuador.
There are no subspecies of the snake
Rainforest inverted-nosed viper
The rainforest inverted-nosed viper (Porthidium nasutum) is found in Mexico in
the states of Chiapas, Vera Cruz and Yucatan, also in Belize, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, in Colombia in the Valle del Cauca and
in Ecuador.
There are no subspecies of the snake
More poisonous animals
Poison frogs Poison frogs are
highly poisonous. The three-colored tree climber, found in the southwest,
belongs to the "poison dart frogs" like other tree climbers.
All of these poisonous frogs have a brightly shining skin color that is supposed
to warn of their toxicity.
Banana spiders
The genus of the banana spiders (Phoneutria) comprises eight different species,
all of which are very aggressive and extremely poisonous. They are also known as
the Brazilian wandering spiders.
The most dangerous species is Phoneutria nigriventer. However, this occurs only
in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The females are between 30 and 50 mm in size, while the males are smaller, at
most 40 mm. The basic color is dark brown with light stripes.
Their venom can kill a healthy adult human in a matter of hours. However, the
spider does not inject venom with every bite. There is also a counter
serum. Most spider bite accidents occur in the home during the day.
The spider species live in South America, from Ecuador to northern Argentina.
However, as the name suggests, the main distribution area of the spiders is
Brazil.
Every now and then individual spiders made their way to Europe in banana boxes,
where they always caused great excitement.
Tarantulas
The common tarantulas are actually poisonous, but the poison does not pose a
threat to humans. However, the bite could be quite painful.
Birds
The bird most likely to be associated with the Andes is the condor. With a
wingspan of 3 m it is one of the largest birds in the world and it is not for
nothing that it is the heraldic animal of the country.
The hummingbird is much smaller, but no less known and popular for that
reason. About 120 different species have been counted in Ecuador. Most of these
little peculiarities can be seen in the temperate zone of the highlands. They
are characterized by the fact that they can not only "stand" in the air, but are
also the only birds that can fly backwards. Their low weight and the very fast
flapping of the wings (approx. 80 beats/sec.) Contribute to these flying
skills.
Birds common in Páramo include the Andean kite, the Andean gull, the
Páramopieper, the great thrush and the carakara (a species of falcon). Bird
watching will also be unforgettable in the Amazon.
Parrots, toucans, macaws, herons, but also vultures, kingfishers and ducks live
here. Frigate birds, cormorants and pelicans are more likely to be found on the
coast.
Insects, spiders
Especially in the rainforests, the variety of insects is almost endless.
Giant and leaf cutter ants are represented, as are giant dragonflies and praying
mantises.
Different species of tarantulas occur here as well as the flagellum spiders.
You can also find numerous species of butterflies, wasps, bees and of course
mosquitoes and flies.
Underwater world
The humpback whales provide a special spectacle in summer, but they are
becoming increasingly rare.
Cod, grouper, sole and tuna, as well as crustaceans and shellfish that can be
discovered while diving, are common.
Numerous species of sharks, turtles and dolphins also live here.
Ecuador: plants
General information
The vegetation of Ecuador is divided into certain areas, which are largely
based on their altitude.
Mangrove forests and deciduous forests are distributed around the coastal area,
while inside the tropical rainforest zone in the lowlands and mountainous
regions. The grasslands of the paramo vegetation are found in the Andean
highlands.
About 20% of the flora of Ecuador are endemic, which means that these plants are
only found here.
Trees
While mangrove swamps dominate the image of the Pacific coast, deciduous
forests shape the savannah areas. Numerous laurel trees, oaks, ebony trees and
guyacans can be admired in Manglares Churute, an ecological reserve. The
Polylepis Private Reserve owes its name to the Polylepis trees (paper trees)
that grow there. The reddish-brown bark of these trees is very fine and consists
of many individual layers, which gave the tree its name.
The pioneer trees include the balsa tree, which can grow up to 20 m high and is
often found in secondary forests. Its wood is used in many ways, including as
earrings.
The rainforests of the lowlands and mountains are particularly rich in the most
diverse and fascinating plants.
The 40 m tall white kapok tree is particularly striking here, as it clearly
towers above the lower layer of evergreen trees. The 5 m long buttress roots,
which run radially outwards and give the tree the necessary support, are
characteristic.
Crops
The few trees that grow in Páramo are eucalyptus trees that were planted for
timber. Various species of palm are also important crops. The Chonta palm has a
wide range of uses. The very hard wood is used as a building material, but the
fruits are often eaten and offered for sale. Hammocks and fishing nets are
twisted from the fibers of the leaves of the Chambira, a feather palm up to 30 m
high.
One of the most important crops is manioc, which is also known under the name
cassava or bread root.
The plant belongs to the milkweed family, grows up to 3 m high, has a bushy
habit and greenish-yellow flowers.
The starchy, up to 8 cm thick and up to 90 cm long tubers are used.
All parts of the plant contain a toxin that is destroyed by washing out and
exposure to heat. This makes the cassava palatable. Other crops are cotton,
cocoa, agaves, rice, coffee and tobacco. Huge banana plantations, once the most
important export good, still exist today in the western lowlands.
Numerous plants are used as coloring agents, for example the strongly red
coloring inside of the fruit of the annato bush.
Medicinal plants
Valerian, known for its calming properties, grows in the Cayambe Coca
ecological reserve.
The cat's claw (Uña de Gato) is a liana that can be 3 - 9 cm thick and sometimes
up to 100 m long. The bark is used from the light red wood, from which a brew is
made to strengthen the immune system.
The brew helps with diseases caused by fungi, bacteria or microbes, but also
with injuries, arthritis and gastritis, as it reduces the sensitivity to pain in
the inflamed joints.
In the armpits of the leaves, which are arranged in pairs, there are curved
holding or climbing organs, to which the liana owes its name.
The flowers that grow instead of the thorns during the flowering period are
white to yellowish or orange in color and have a cinnamon-like odor.
One of the most important remedies in Ecuador is Sangre de Drago (dragon's
blood), which is obtained from the bark of three different trees belonging to
the milkweed family.
The blood-red sap is obtained by cutting the trunk (or the branches). It has
anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects, but is also used for gastric
ulcers, cancer, hepatitis, tuberculosis, diarrhea and numerous other diseases.
The tea made from lemongrass leaves is a popular drink for headache or stomach
ache.
This bushy plant is a very common sight in the gardens as its cultivation is
widespread.
Poisonous plants
Various plants are poisonous, such as Strychnos toxifera or the semolina,
from whose bark and leaf extract curare is made. This breath-paralyzing arrow
poison is used for hunting by the indigenous people of Ecuador. However, it only
works through the bloodstream, so that the hunted animals can then be eaten
without hesitation.
Another nerve-paralyzing poison from the Barbasco plant, which belongs to the
butterfly family and is specially cultivated for this, is used for fishing.
The poisonous milky sap is extracted from the roots and branches and poured into
a river with the lowest possible water level. The fish are stunned and can
finally be collected.
One of the numerous ceremonial plants is the angel's trumpet, a very poisonous
tree-like shrub up to 5 m high.
This plant has softly hairy leaves and flowers between June and January. The
pendulous flowers are up to 25 cm long and can be white, yellow, orange or
red. All parts of the plant are poisonous because they contain tropane
alkaloids.
Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, flushing of the face, difficulty
swallowing, visual disturbances and heart problems.
More plants
The Páramo areas in the Andes are almost treeless. The dominant vegetation
here is rather barren and consists mainly of grasses, mosses, lichens and
cushion plants such as the genus Espeletia. Frailejones, ragwort plants from the
sunflower family, which can reach a height of up to 3 m, are also
widespread. Translated, the name means "giant monks" because these plants
sometimes appear like human figures in the fog. Frailejones grow very slowly
(less than 1 cm/year) and bloom with yellow flowers between November and
December.
The quinua, a sacred plant for the Incas, grows in the Chimborazo Fauna
Production Reserve. Orchids, bromeliads, tree ferns, walnut bushes and numerous
anthurium species thrive in Pululahua.
The eucalyptus trees are originally from Australia. The pines are not native
here either, but were imported to Ecuador from Mexico and California. The
molasse grass covering the grasslands comes from Africa. Lemongrass, which is
often cultivated as a medicinal plant, has its home in India. However, it was
introduced to Ecuador a long time ago and is popular here.
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