CORDILLERA ORIENTAL

This mountain range is very complex in contrast to the other two. There is a large component (northern 2/3) containing lands above 3000 m.s.n.m. and Bogotá is situated near the southern border of this large region of páramo. To the south of the Pisba-Sumapaz páramos, the Cordillera Oriental is a narrow range of modest elevations (seldom over 2500 m.s.n.m.) that joins the eastern flank of the Cordillera Central. To the north of the Pisba-Sumapaz complex, the cordillera divides with the Venezuelan Cordillera de Mérida extending off to the northeast and the Serranía de Perijá extending toward the north and forming the border between Colombia and Venezuela. The western flank of these mountain ranges is drier than the eastern flank, reflecting rain shadows. Lastly, just south and east of Bogotá one finds the disjunct Serranía de Macarena, touted as the westernmost tepui. Its frog fauna shows no resemblance to the Guyanan region, rather it is merely an isolated fragment of the eastern flank of the Cordillera Oriental.