Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve
The Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve (French: Réserve naturelle nationale du mont Grand Matoury) is a nature reserve in French Guiana, France. The reserve is located about eight kilometres south of Cayenne in the commune of Matoury[3] It has been named after the eponymous mountain which measures 234 metres (768 ft),[4] It was first protected in 1942,[5] and extended in 2006.[4] OverviewThe nature reserve is located at a spot where many different environments meet. The lowlands of the coast with mangrove forests meet the old-growth forests of the highland. Numerous creeks flow through the area, and the reserve is surrounded by swamps and savannahs.[3] In 1942, an area of 166 hectares (410 acres) around the mountain was designated as a nature reserve. The Mirande trail gives access to the mountain. The visitor can either follow a botanical circuit or a more sportive hiking trail.[5] On 6 September 2006, the area was incorporated in the current 2,123-hectare (5,250-acre) reserve.[6] Flora and faunaMont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve is home to a great variety of wildlife. 75 species of mammals including 37 bats have been identified, 293 species of birds, and 351 species of butterflies are home to the area.[3] Birds in the reserve include the roadside hawk, crane hawk, smooth-billed ani, hummingbirds, and the Amazonian motmot.[6] The palm Astrocaryum minus was first described by Trail in 1877, and assumed lost. In 1995, the palm was rediscovered at Mont Grand Matoury, and is nowadays considered a distinct species.[7] The reserve is also home to a pre-Columbian Amerindian site.[3] References
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