The nature in Sumidouro is unique ! Infortunately its own inhabitants dont take care of it and the destruction of the ecosystem is unceasing. Soil erosion, rivers eutrofication, deforestation, poisoning of the faune by misuse of agrotoxics... the list is endless.

Granitic mountains.

The vegetal cover is of tropical and mountains-undertropical kind. From the midle of the 19th century this cover has ben reduced by more than fifthy percent to make room for the coffee farms. Nowadays that land became grass on an acid soil. For that massive forest destruction many plants and animals are over. If we take as exemple the birds, 40% of the recorded species are gone away since the settlement of the first coffee farm ! Here and there some spots of primary rainforest stil resists and shelter many jeopardized species.

Birds like the Sabia, the Bem-te-vi and the colibri are easely watchable !

Many orchid species disapeared. Birds, fishes, reptiles, insects and mammals very common in the past are today only elder people's memory.

A rare orchid (Catlleya) and a less rare kind of buterfly (Parides).

Fortunately many species are stil alive and can be easely found. The environmental protection is not only a rensponsability of the state and politicians, but above all an individual responsability. When natural sites like the Count d'Eu falls, Sumidouro das Pedras and others will be no longer getting dirty with botles, cans and plastic bags maybe it will be the begining of a conscius becoming wich is late. But, only when farmers will be aware that terraces are essentials to protect the soil, that the misusing of agrotoxics allows not only the killing of insects but also the poisoning of thousends of birds, maybe then, the nature in Sumidouro will have the certainty to be preserved.

FAUNA

Seriema (Cariama cristata). Timid bird, close to the ostrich, with a characteristic singing, living in the north of Argentina, in Paraguay and in central and eastern Brazil. Eats insects and reptiles. Found and heard in the neighbourhood of the main village. Risks the disparition by poisoning of the insects with agrotoxics.

Tatu (eleven diferent species). Night undental mammals, which eats fruits, roots, insects and even corpses. The Tatus reproduce by poliembryony, and all the babyes issued from the same birth have the same sex. Chased abusively, some species riscs the extinction.

Lambari-prata (Hyphessobrycon reticulatus Ellis). Theleoste fish with silver colour wich eats aquatic invertebrates, seeds and animals corpses. Rare in the region, can be found in some hiding places along the Paquequer river.

Mico-preto (Cebus niger). Litle rimate almost missing. If someone sees one please contact the IBAMA (link below).

Paca (Cuniculus paca). Rodent mammal. Lives always close to water where it takes refuge lwhen persecuted. Adults can weighs ten Kg.

Garça-branca-grande (Casmerodius albus). Storklike bird with whith feathers and yelow beack. We can find them til the Magalhães detroit. Can be seen sometimes in the Barra de São Francisco valley.

Garça-azul (Egreta caerulea). Storklike bird with whith dark-blue feathers. When babyes the feathers are white. Can be seen sometimes in the Barra de São Francisco valley.

Garça-real (Philherodius pileatus). Storklike bird living in Panama, Bolivia, Paraguay and everywhere in Brazil. It has white feathers, and a black-purple head. Can be seen sometimes about the communes border with Carmo. (Barra de São Francisco valley.)

Bentevi-assobiador (Myiozetetes cayanensis). Litle bird of the family of tiranideae with brown plumage. Litler than the others species of Bentevi. Can be seen sometimes near to de Count d'Eu falls.

Maritaca (Aratinga aurea). Litle bird with green plumage, red-orange head and yelow-green brest.

FLORE

Ipê-amarelo. Common name for Tapebuia genus, of the bigoneaceae family. More and more rare in Sumidouro.

Ipê-rosa (Tapebuia heptaphylla). Occurs only in Rio de Janeiro state. Violet flowers and resistant wood.

Ipê-tabaco (Tapebuia chrysotricha). Midle height tree, deep bark and yelow flowers. Found in the the humid regions of the commune.

Ipê-branco (Tapebuia roseo-alba). Specie with white flowers and living only in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.

Cedro (Cedrela fissilis). High height tree, deep bark and big white flowers. Coveted for its wood quality. Rare in Sumidouro.

INFORMATION

FORMATION

CONSERVATION

To protect the nature from the dangers of the present is to protect yourself against the dangers of the future !