Serranía del Perijá
The Serranía del Perijá, Cordillera de Perijá or Sierra de Perijá is a mountain range, an extension of the eastern Andean branch, in northern South America, between Colombia and Venezuela, ending farther north in the Guajira Desert, a distance of about. It separates the Maracaibo Basin from the Cesar-Ranchería Basin. Some of the area has been considered as a Flora and Fauna Sanctuary.
Geography
Starting at the southernmost point, near Ocaña, Colombia, this mountain range forms the boundary between the Colombian departments of Norte de Santander and Cesar, and then as the range progresses north, it forms the international boundary between Venezuela and Colombia. Included in the range are the Sierra Motilones, Sierra Valledupar, and Sierra Oca. The highest point is Cerro de Las Tetas at, followed by Cerro Irapa at, Serranía de Macuira at, and Cerro Aceite at.Montane moist forests cover the middle and upper elevations of the range. Plant communities include premontane moist forest with premontane dry forest in drier pockets at lower elevations, montane moist forest at middle elevations, and subalpine moist forest at upper elevations, with areas of high, flat plains, Andean páramo|páramo], and snow-covered peaks at high elevations. The forests are high in biodiversity with many native species, including endemic and limited range species. Endemic birds include the Perijá metaltail, Perijá brushfinch, Perijá tapaculo, Perija starfrontlet, Perija antpitta, and Perijá thistletail. Other endemic animals include the Perijá lichen gecko, Perija's nurse frog, and the fish Cordylancistrus perijae. The Perija parakeet, the snake Alemán's snail-eater, and the freshwater crab Neostrengeria perijaensis are limited-range species native to both the Serranía la Perijá and the northern Cordillera Oriental.