Harlequin Poison Arrow Frog - Colombia

The Chibcha people of the Central Colombian Andeans built their civilization in the high valleys of Bolivia and Colombia. Their culture, in terms of achievements, stood equal with the Aztec, Inca, and Maya. The Chibcha coronation ceremony on Lake Siecha was performed with enough splendor to create the legend of El Dorado.

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Oophaga histrionica - The harlequin poison arrow frog is a small animal measuring 2.5 to 3.8 centimeters in length. It is primarily found along the leaf litter of the tropical rainforests of Western Ecuador and Southern Colombia. The colors tones vary slightly, with each valley having its own specific design, but the colors yellow, orange, red, white, and blue are seen most often. These colors, usually bright, are used as a signal to ward off any potential predators. The skin glands of the poison arrow frog produces a highly toxic substance.

King Vulture - Colombia

Sarcoramphus papa - The king vulture is a large bird with a wing span reaching 2 meters. It is the only large vulture hunting primarily over the jungles of Central and South America. It can locate carrion hidden beneath the forest canopy with its keen sense of smell. This has allowed it to fill a niche unavailable to most other vultures having to rely on sight to find food. The king vulture also has the most powerful beak of New World vultures and can easily rip open the carcass of any animal. 

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The Viceroyalty of New Granada was created in 1717 as a district within the Spanish possessions in the New World. The area included the northern tip of South America; from Panama to Northern Peru. When Spanish authority in the Americas was hampered by Napoleon’s invasion and conquest of Spain, New Granada used the opportunity to declare itself independent from Spain, referring to itself as Gran Colombia. The federation was formed in 1819 and was formally abolished in 1830.