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The Titicaca National Reserve was established October 31, 1978 by
means of the Supreme Law # 185-78-AA. It is located in the Puno
region, the provinces of Huancané and Puno. It spans across an area
of 36,180 hectares and contains 2 sectors: the Ramis sector, in the
Huancané province (7,030 hectares) and the Puno sector in the same
province (29,150 hectares).
The birds (both migratory and residents) make up the most
attractive fauna in the zone. There are more than 60 species found,
among those that stand out are the zambullidor del Titicaca (Centropelma
micropterum), the Puna Ibis (Plegadis ridgwayi), the neotropic
cormorant (Phalacrocorax olivaceus) and the heron (Phleocryptes
melanops). Among those which represent the resident families exist
ducks (Anatidae) and rails (Rallidae), while you can find plovers (Charadriidae),
sandpipers (Scolopacidae) and flamingos (Phoenicopte-ridae) from the
migratory families. There are up to 190,000 registered individuals (R.N.P.census
1998)
There exist 4 different families of fish from the genus Orestias.
From these there are 40 types of species. Of these we can mention
the native species like killfish (Orestias spp.) and suche (Trychomicterus
rivulatum). The species that were introduced to the environment are
the rainbow trout and the stream trout (Oncorhynchus mikkis) as well
as the peje-rrey (Basilichthys bonaerensis), all them are utilized
by the locals as a source of protein.
Among the amphibians, there are 18 native species. Those that
stand out are the giant frog of Titicaca, the aquatic frog (Telmatobius
ssp.) or the common frog (Bufo spinulosus).
In the reserve exist some threatened species like the Chilean
flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), the puna flamingo (Phoenicoparrus
jamesi) and the Andean flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus).
There are only a few mammal species existing in the reserve; predominantly
rodents, such as the vizcacha (Lagidium peruanum), the montane
guinea pig (Cavia tschudii) and the culpeo fox (Pseudalopex culpaeus).
The vegetation of the lake is sorted by amphibians, submerged
and floating, and composes one of the principle elements of the
cycle of the ecosystem. It's flora is represented by 12 varieties of
aquatic plants including; the cattail (Schoenoplectus totora), the
whitestem pondweed (Elodea potamogeton), the duckweed (Lemna sp.)
the muskgrass (Chara sp.) The reserve also contains up to 64 genus
of riverside flora.
The principle objectives of the reserve are: conservation of the
flora, fauna and beautiful scenery of Lake Titicaca; preservation of
the natural resorces like the cattail, which is home to a great
diversity of species; support the socio-economical development of
the neighboring locals by means of racional utilization of the wild
flora and fauna; and encourage local tourism without disturbing the
cultural traditions of the people who inhabit the area.
Location
The Puno Region
How to Get There
Lima-Puno: regular flights
When to Go
Between April and October
Other Close Attractions
Puno, Taquile Island, Juliaca, Lake Umayo.
Activities
Photography, wild life observation, cultural observation
Climate
The Titicaca weather is extreme, with great temperature
variations between the day and night. The idea time period to
visit is between May and October, when the days are sunny,
rain is rare and the daily temperature reaches 25° C.
On the other hand, the nights are cold (although it almost
never reaches beolw 0° C). We recommend that you
bring sun block, a jacket andtake precautions against altitude
sickness.
Prices
Adult: daily PEN 5,00 (in
USD), for three days PEN 10,00 (in
USD)
Child: daily PEN 1,5 (in
USD), for three days PEN 4,00 (in
USD) |
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