This document provides an overview of the tropical rainforests in French Guyana and some of the challenges facing the region. It describes the dense vegetation and unique wildlife found in the rainforests, such as anacondas, piranha fish, and poisonous candiru fish. The document also discusses how development and construction activities like road building are leading to destruction of the rainforests through slash and burn clearing and increasing soil erosion from heavy tropical rains. Maintaining the balance between development and protecting these vital ecosystems presents ongoing challenges.

1. Tropical Rainforests
French Guyana – South America

2. Flying over the
rainforest….

3. Children
playing in the
water that is
poisoned with
Mercury

4. Market day in St
Lauren, Guyana
Tropical
fruits and
produce
grown in
rainforest
areas.

5. Devils Island. Where
French criminals were
sent to do hard labour.
Sick and dead prisoners
were fed to the sharks!

6. Swimming area off Devils
Island. Shark scare here..!!
Mr Podbury

7. Upside
down tree.

8. The hot & humid
conditions on the forest
floor promote the fast
decay of leaf litter.
The nutrients are
returned to the soil
extremely fast and are
used up by the rainforest
vegetation.

9. The old prison cells.. Now overgrown with large alien like roots and
branches of tropical trees

10. Above: The old canteen
where prisoners used to eat.
Left: Tree roots searching for
water and nutritious soil.

11. One of the monkeys
on Devils Island.

12. Left: A monkey and a
strange looking animal in
the tree…
Above: Adult Monkey.

13. An Agouti. Like a
large guinea pig.
Taste good as
well…!

15. On the way back to
the mainland. Huge
tropical storm
getting ready to
batter the boat!

17. Jungle clearing where locals make Carbets to live
and shelter in from the heavy tropical rains.

18. Children have to be careful
of the Anaconda, Kaman
and Piranha fish that
inhabit the rivers.

19. Mangrove
Swamps

20. Swimming just under the surface – Anaconda. They are
constricting snakes and squeeze the life out of prey….literally!

21. Even a Kaman doesn’t provide much of a problem for an
Anaconda!

24. Sleeping arrangements
in the rainforest! No 5
Star Hotels here..

25. Above: Fishing in the river.
Left: Cooling off with the
Piranha and Leeches!!

26. Jungle Walk
Left: Extracting rubber from theLeft: Extracting rubber from the
rubber tree..rubber tree..
Top: Spot the deadly babyTop: Spot the deadly baby
spiders..spiders..

27. Above: The husband and wife
trees
Left: Turtle Liana climbing up
towards the canopy of the
forest

28. Left: Forest guide climbing aLeft: Forest guide climbing a
neighbouring tree to cutneighbouring tree to cut
rubber tree to release rubberrubber tree to release rubber
sap.sap.

29. Strange lesser spotted welsh
monkey… Rare indeed…
Next to the buttress roots of
a young rainforest tree.
Large roots are required to
support the enormous
weight of the tree.

30. Spot the Chameleon…?

31. Giant Ants. One sting
paralyses an adult
human. Three stings
will kill you within a
day.

32. These aren’t just any
old ants… these are
Marks and Spencer
ants.. DEADLY!!

33. Using the hollow buttress roots
of the Cathedral Tree to make
music. Tribes use this method to
communicate with one another…

34. Strange..

35. Branchless, straight
trunks of the tree. The
trees concentrate all
their energy on growing
high in order to reach
the sunlight.
Only the fittest survive!

36. Left: Using the Lianas to do a
“Tarzan”
Above: setting traps to catch an
evening meal!

37. Diseases such as Malaria
and Yellow Fever can be
transmitted by the
mosquito. Mr Podbury
managed to get a record 48
bites on one knee….lovely!

38. Another
convectional
rainfall storm
brewing….

39. They left out theThey left out the candirúcandirú, the Amazon’s most notorious fish, and the only, the Amazon’s most notorious fish, and the only
known vertebrate to parasitize humans. It’s a fish that has no enemies, and isknown vertebrate to parasitize humans. It’s a fish that has no enemies, and is
more feared than the piranha. Particularly by men who are foolhardy enoughmore feared than the piranha. Particularly by men who are foolhardy enough
to urinate in the river while skinny dipping. Attracted to the smell,to urinate in the river while skinny dipping. Attracted to the smell, VandelliaVandellia
cirrhosacirrhosa will follow the urine’s path, swim into the penis, and, with it’swill follow the urine’s path, swim into the penis, and, with it’s
umbrella-like spines, lodge itself inside the urethra. Removal is grim.umbrella-like spines, lodge itself inside the urethra. Removal is grim.
I first heard about this critter and it’s needle-like teeth in RedmondI first heard about this critter and it’s needle-like teeth in Redmond
O’Hanlon’s 1989 book,O’Hanlon’s 1989 book, In Trouble Again: A Journey Between the Orinoco andIn Trouble Again: A Journey Between the Orinoco and
the Amazonthe Amazon, when he described an anti-candiru device he had fashioned before, when he described an anti-candiru device he had fashioned before
embarking on his journey, essentially a jockstrap with a tea strainer danglingembarking on his journey, essentially a jockstrap with a tea strainer dangling
from its end. Once the the litte fish enters, O’Hanlon wrote,from its end. Once the the litte fish enters, O’Hanlon wrote,
““Nothing can be done. The pain, apparently, is spectacular. You must get to aNothing can be done. The pain, apparently, is spectacular. You must get to a
hospital before your bladder bursts; you must ask a surgeon to cut off yourhospital before your bladder bursts; you must ask a surgeon to cut off your
penis.”penis.”
The thing is alsoThe thing is also relentlessrelentless..
The candiru has a voracious appetite for blood and will parasitize fish,The candiru has a voracious appetite for blood and will parasitize fish,
mammals, and humans. One scientist, while holding a candiru, accidently let itmammals, and humans. One scientist, while holding a candiru, accidently let it
enter a small cut on his hand. It could be seen writhing under the skin towardsenter a small cut on his hand. It could be seen writhing under the skin towards
the vein.the vein.
Not for the men………………………….Not for the men………………………….

40. • Destruction of the Tropical
Rainforest in French Guyana
• Development leads to
destruction.

41. Cutting through
the forest to
create a new road
linking the coast
and inland
reserves.

42. The numerous
rivers provide
problems and
expense for
construction
companies.

43. Rainforest
vegetation.
Construction of
new routes
through the heart
of the forest.

45. Soil erosion along
one of the main
routes in Guyana.

46. Photo taken doing about 120km/h. Slash and burn to
clear areas of rainforest for habitation and farming.

47. Taken from a speeding
car.. Gullying and soil
erosion as a result of land
clearance and the heavy
tropical rainfalls.

51. Hunters on bikes.
Supermarkets
aren't common in
Guyana so people
hunt and fish
their own food.