Amana Nature Reserve
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Amana Nature Reserve
Map showing the location of Amana Nature Reserve
LocationFrench Guiana, France
Nearest cityAwala-Yalimapo
Coordinates5°44′30″N 53°53′34″W / 5.7417°N 53.8927°W / 5.7417; -53.8927
Area148 km2 (57 sq mi)[1]
Established13 March 1998[1]
Governing bodyRegional Natural Park of French Guiana
WebsiteReserves-Naturelles.org (in French)

The Amana Nature Reserve (French: Réserve naturelle nationale de l'Amana) is a nature reserve in French Guiana, France.[2] It has been protected, because it is one of the world's largest leatherback turtle nesting site.[3][4] It is part of the communes of Awala-Yalimapo and Mana.[1]

Overview

The nature reserve stretches from the Maroni to the Organobo River. The reserve consists of beaches, mangrove forests, swamps and savannahs.[2]

Baby turtle

Leatherback sea turtles need very specific nesting beaches, and return to the same beach every two to three years. It is an vulnerable species with a limited number of suitable beaches.[5] The neighbouring Wia Wia Nature Reserve in Suriname was used by the turtles as well until the beach shifted resulting in the disappearance of the turtles.[6]

The beaches at Amana were home to 5,029 to 63,294 nests between 1967 and 2005.[5] The turtles lay their eggs between March and July, dig a hole which will contain 80 to 90 eggs. The hole is located between the high water mark and the vegetation. The baby turtles will emerge about two months later.[7]

Other turtles who use the beach are the green sea turtle, the olive ridley sea turtle and occasionally the hawksbill sea turtle.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "L'Amana". Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel (in French). Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Amana". Reserves Naturelles (in French). Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "Mana, précurseurse depuis toujours". Le Jour du Seigneur (in French). Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  4. ↑ Sabrina Fossettea (2008). "The world's largest leatherback rookeries: A review of conservation-oriented research in French Guiana/Suriname and Gabon". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 356 (1–2): 69–82. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2007.12.024.
  5. 1 2 "Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)". North Florida Ecological Services Office. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  6. ↑ Ouboter, Paul E. (2001). "Directory of protected areas of Suriname". IBER. p. 11.
  7. ↑ Alexandra Maros (2006). "Evidence of the exploitation of marine resource by the terrestrial insect Scapteriscus didactylus through stable isotope analyzes of its cuticle". BMC Ecology. 6: 6. doi:10.1186/1472-6785-6-6. PMC 1533807. PMID 16681850.


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