Andean Region: characteristics, flora and fauna

Before describing the fauna and flora of the Andean region , we will talk about the main characteristics of the Andean region :

• It is the region with the largest number of inhabitants in Colombia, with exactly 70% of the population.
• In it, most of the economic activity is concentrated due to the water resources it has, in addition to the so productive lands that are used for agriculture. Other economic sectors come from oil exploitation and mining.
• Surely you know that a hallmark of Colombia is coffee, in the Andean region we can see that part of the territory is used for growing coffee.
• Before we mentioned that three mountain ranges pass through this region, within them we find a great wealth of natural geographical formations such as volcanoes, forests, moors, a great variety of water bodies (lakes, rivers, hot springs …), mining sites, among others.
• As for its relief, it is mountainous and its outstanding peaks are: Nevado del Quindío, Nevado del Tolima, Ritacuba Blanco.
• The most important hydrographic basins are those of the Cauca and Magdalena rivers, they are very large and flow into the Caribbean Sea. In addition to these two, it has other rivers also with abundant flow such as the Lebrija, Putumayo, Sinú, Sumapaz and Caquetá. They are sources to obtain drinking water for the population and to generate hydroelectric energy.
• The climate of this territory is very changeable, depending on the altitude, latitude, vegetation and orography, that is why three types of climates can be found: tropical, subtropical and temperate.
• In the Andean region there are several indigenous settlements, these still maintain their culture and customs that are characterized by taking care of nature.
• Finally, say that it has a unique fauna and flora, and these vary depending on the altitude. More information about them will be shown below.

Like the fauna, which we will talk about later, the flora of this region is very varied and depends on different factors such as the climate, the type of soil or the light. Knowing this, we indicate that the most characteristic vegetation of the Andean region is the following:

• All those destined to cultivation, since the region has a suitable climate and a very productive soil to produce food, among these we find crops of corn, rice, cocoa, tobacco, coffee, cotton, mango and many more. It should be noted that Colombian coffee is especially famous .
• We also find jungles with large trees and the presence of vines.
• Arboreal type vegetation, there are ferns, oaks and red cedars. It also has abundant grass vegetation.

And these would be the most representative plant species of the Andean region :

• Orchids: in the Andean region there are 4,200 species of the 25,000 that exist, they are very showy and complex flowers. Here you can meet 12 types of orchids .
• Purse: it comes from Argentina, although it is fully adapted to the Andean region.
• Quinine: it is a medicinal tree, from it quinine is obtained that is used as a remedy to lower fever.

The fauna is very varied thanks to the ecological variability that exists in the region, below, the most characteristic animals of the Andean region will be classified depending on the area in which they are found:

• Eagles, owls, storks and owls are found in the valley of one of the most important rivers, the Magdalena River.
• Macaws, turkeys, partridges, herons, parrots, ducks, roosters, cows, bulls, mares, horses, rabbits, songbirds with colorful plumages, among others, can be found occupying the entire area that the region occupies.
• At the edge of the rivers, where the riverside vegetation is found, it is common to see squirrels, moles, monkeys, snakes, bears, weasels and deer.
• In the higher parts the fauna is scarce, although you can see a type of bird that has been able to resist low temperatures, this is the condor.

In addition, those animals of the Andean region that most represent it are:

• Condor: It is a bird with wings of great wingspan, in fact, the largest in the world. It has black plumage all over its body except for the neck, which is white. His head has no feathers, it is red. Their nests are made between 1000 and 5000 meters of altitude.
• Hummingbird: it is a small bird, in the region you can see up to 100 different species of hummingbirds.
• Red fox: Among the largest canids in the territory of South America, this is the second largest. It has reddish fur on its legs and head, its neck and belly are white and its back is gray with black stripes.

Learn more about the animals of the Andean region and the rest of the Colombian country with these other posts about 23 endemic animal species of Colombia and 16 animals in danger of extinction in Colombia .

If you liked discovering the characteristics, flora and fauna of the Andean region, learn more about this topic here: Flora and fauna of Colombia .