| Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve | |
| Location: | French Guiana, France |
| Map: | French Guiana |
| Nearest City: | Matoury |
| Coordinates: | 4.8637°N -52.3565°W |
| Established: | 6 September 2006[1] |
| Area: | 21.23km2[2] |
| Website: | Reserves-Naturelles.org (in French) |
| Iucn Category: | IV |
| Governing Body: | National Forests Office |
The Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve (French: Réserve naturelle nationale du mont Grand Matoury) is a nature reserve in French Guiana, France. The reserve is located about eight kilometres south of Cayenne in the commune of Matoury[3] It has been named after the eponymous mountain which measures,[4] It was first protected in 1942,[5] and extended in 2006.[4]
The nature reserve is located at a spot where many different environments meet. The lowlands of the coast with mangrove forests meet the old-growth forests of the highland. Numerous creeks flow through the area, and the reserve is surrounded by swamps and savannahs.[3]
In 1942, an area of around the mountain was designated as a nature reserve. The Mirande trail gives access to the mountain. The visitor can either follow a botanical circuit or a more sportive hiking trail.[5] On 6 September 2006, the area was incorporated in the current 2123ha reserve.[6]
Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve is home to a great variety of wildlife. 75 species of mammals including 37 bats have been identified, 293 species of birds, and 351 species of butterflies are home to the area.[3] Birds in the reserve include the roadside hawk, crane hawk, smooth-billed ani, hummingbirds, and the Amazonian motmot.[6]
The palm Astrocaryum minus was first described by Trail in 1877, and assumed lost. In 1995, the palm was rediscovered at Mont Grand Matoury, and is nowadays considered a distinct species.[7] The reserve is also home to a pre-Columbian Amerindian site.[3]