Reserva Drácula -

Location:

Province of Carchi, cantons Tulcán and Look, parishes The Chical and Jijón y Caamaño

Surrounding communities:

The Pailón, Quinshul, The Hope, The Chical, Spring

Area:

2830 acres

Ecosystem:

Forest piemontano, montane and lower montane.

Altitudinal range:

900 – 2460 meters above sea level

Endangered species:

Atelopus coynei (CR), Tremarctos ornatus (VU), Mazama rufina (VU), Leopardus tigrinus (VU), Ateles fusciceps (IN), Bassaricyon neblina, (NT), Mindomys hammondi (IN), (Spizaetus isidori, IN), Glaucidium nubicola (VU), Rhaebo colomai (IN), Centrolene heloderma (VU), Pristimantis crucifer (NT), Nymphargus panstrongylus megistus (IN).

Bookings

Carchi

Imbabura

Pastaza

Tungurahua

Description of the area

The book Dracula is located in the western foothills of the Andes to the northwest of Ecuador, in the province of Carchi, cantón Tulcán on the border with Colombia. This book provides a series of ecosystem services, being the most prominent to be an area of recharge water, regulating the climate towards the moors, which allows you to provide water to the city of Tulcán. April 25, 2022, in conjunction with the Decentralized Autonomous Government, Municipal (GADM) of Tulcán, created in “Shared Management of the Natural Protected Area Dracula (ANPD)”, by the ordinance included in the Official Register – Special Edition N°154.

Also, part of the reserve is known as the “Book of the Young people of Dracula”, this is due to the important effort of young people from different countries of the world, that through the organization Reserves: The Youth Land Trust, rose resources to create this space conservation.

Among the most important threats to the reserve include mining, logging and poaching, the illegal collection of orchids, amphibians, and invertebrates; and the expansion of the agricultural frontier.

Flora and fauna

This reserve is distinguished by the many species of orchid in the genus Dracula, from which it derives its name. In addition to having several new species of amphibians, small mammals and plants. It protects a significant number of endemic and endangered species at the global level including the orchid Phragmipedium fischeri (CR and local endemic), the Andean Toad of Coloma (Rhaebo colomaiIN and endemic to Ecuador), the Rat of Mindo (Mindomys hammondiIN and endemic to Ecuador), the Rat Montana Ecominga (Pattonimus ecominga, local endemic), the Jambato del Rio Pheasants (Atelopus coynei, CR and endemic to Ecuador), the Spider Monkey Head Brown (Ateles fuscicepsIN), the Olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina, NT), the Andean Eagle (Spizaetus isidori, IN) and the little Owl Mist (Glaucidium nubicola, VU).

The area is also rich in large mammals, including the Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus, VU), the Red Deer Midget (Mazama rufina, VU), the Tigrina Northern (Leopardus tigrinus, VU), Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi,- LC), and Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis, LC).

This book also preserves numerous species of flora and fauna recently discovered, many of them endemic, including the Mouse Carapaz (Chilomys carapazi), Frog Torrent Chical (Hyloscirtus conscientia), Lizard Espinosa of the Fisher (Echinosaura fischerorum), Anolis dracula, and orchids Pleurothallis chicalensis, Lepanthes kayii, Pleurothallis ecomingae, Scaphosepalum zieglerae, Platystele pamelae, Dracula trigonopetala, Dracula psyche, Platystele finleyae and Lepanthes tulcanensis.

How do I know the booking Dracula?

You must first get to Chical, for this there are two access roads with public and private transport. A begins at Tulcan, and goes by the parish of Tufiño – páramo de frailejones volcan Chiles -,, later, to the parish of Maldonado and then to the parish of Chical. If it comes to Chical on public transport, you can take a van to Quinshul for 3.5 dollars. Also you can take a van from Tulcán to Quinshul, the approximate time of transfer is 3 hours.

The other route to reach the reserve comes from the city of Ibarra to via Salinas de Ibarra – San Lorenzo, passing in the sector of Guallupe, take the detour to Gualchán, the approximate time of transfer is 2 hours.

The reserve has a guest house, the House Of Draculadedicated to the scientific and technical visits, which can receive up to 14 people and is located in the village of Quinshul.