The table-top mountains of the Pakaraima range, running between Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, are a sedimentary plateau that borders the Amazon basin. They are some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, with their “tepuis” estimated at over 2 billion years old. The highest tepui plateau, Mount Roraima, is famous for its prehistoric ecology, which sustains plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.
The rocky terrain of Roraima’s summit is home to endemic animal species that exist nowhere else on earth, including seed-eating and nectar-feeding birds that have adapted to the harsh environment. The most peculiar species here are undoubtedly tiny black pebble toads that are believed to predate dinosaurs. They are closely related to an African species, and were likely trapped here when the continents separated, adapting over time to their new habitat. (All photos by National Geographic)
“The trek to Roraima in Venezuela was beautiful, difficult, hot, brutal, and in parts, downright terrifying!”