lore as a sacred mountain. There are Amerindian petroglyphs on a rock outcrop below the mountain. These are the only petroglyphs in country known to archaeologists.
] The vegetation is usually gnarled and short, due to the high elevation, exposure to clouds and prevailing winds. At the foot of the mountain lies the village of Lluengo, home to approximately 2,000 residents.
Wildlife on El Tucuche includes animals such as the El Tucuche Golden Tree Frog (
White-bearded Manakin, the Trinidad Stream Frog (Mannophryne trinitatis) and the Emperor Morpho Butterfly (Morpho peleides) to name just a few. Notable vegetation on the higher slopes includes mosses, tree-ferns and bromeliads (including Glomeropitcairnia erectiflora - the microhabitat of the El Tucuche Golden Tree Frog); and Heliconias on the lower to middle slopes. Old abandoned Cocoa estates that are reverting to forest occur in some areas of the lower slopes. The nation's highest waterfall, Maracas falls, lies at the foothills of El Tucuche, and is 91.5 meters (300 feet) high.[citation needed
