| Los Testigos | |
| Map: | Venezuela |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Location: | Bolívar, Venezuela |
| Highest: | Kamarkawarai-tepui |
| Elevation M: | 2400 |
| Range Coordinates: | 5.8667°N -65°W |
Los Testigos, also known as the Aparamán range, is a mountain chain in Bolívar, Venezuela.[1] It consists of four rather small tepuis, forming a bridge between the giant Auyán-tepui to the west and Ptari-tepui to the east. The four major peaks of Los Testigos are (west to east): Aparamán-tepui (2,100 m), Murisipán-tepui (2,350 m), Tereke-yurén-tepui (1,900 m), and Kamarkawarai-tepui (2,400 m), the latter three sharing a common slope area. There however remains some confusion in the literature regarding the names of these peaks.
The Los Testigos chain has a total summit area of around 12sqkm and an estimated slope area of 116sqkm (the collective slope area of the three eastern tepuis being around 88sqkm, with the isolated Aparamán-tepui contributing a further 28sqkm). The chain is situated entirely within the bounds of Canaima National Park.[2]
In line with and to the west of the Los Testigos chain lies the Los Hermanos massif, which consists of two upland peaks: Amaruay-tepui and Padapué-tepui. Both massifs are located northeast of the Catholic mission at Kamarata.
a.Otto Huber summarised this toponymic confusion as follows: "There is, however, confusion concerning the precise names of the two central mountains; according to Brewer-Carías (1978), Murochiopán-tepui is the name of a smaller lateral mountain of Aparamán, followed to the east by the high Tereke Yurén-tepui and the lower Tucuy-wo-cuyén-tepui, whereas members of the Terramar Foundation expeditions (Steyermark 1986a; Holst 1987; George 1988) apply the name Murisipán-tepui to Brewer's Tereke Yurén-tepui, and the name Tereke-yurén-tepui to Brewer's Tucuy-wo-cuyén-tepui, omitting the name of the smaller lateral mountain of Aparamán-tepui." A yet different sequence (and spelling) of names can be found in, for example, the formal description of Heliamphora folliculata, namely: Murosipan, Aparaman, Tereke-Yuren, and Kamarkaiwaran.[3]