Birds of the Pampas Plain

                  for Jorge Martín Spinuzza

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                     Flora and Fauna

        The name “desert” given to this area by the conquerors was due to the lack of native trees and superficial water. Effectively, the main flora of the Pampas is the dense and vast grasslands which cover the large and endless “Pampa” that nowadays is replaced by cultivation.   

 Relics are only left of the natural grassland with Gramineaes with these species: Melica, Panicum, Paspalum, Poa, Setaria y Stipa

   









The lakes, swamps and flooded areas have been settled by rushes, (Schoenoplectus sp.), bulrush (Zizaniopsis sp.) and Cattail (Typha sp.).


 

Fauna

 

    The fauna of this area includes small and medium mammals; Azara Fox  (Lycalopex gymnocercus), Common Hog-nosed Skunk  (Conepatus chinga), plain vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus), coypu (Myocastor coypus), little grison (Galictis cuja), Big Hairy Armadillo (Chactophroctus villosus), Long-nosed Armadillo (Dasypus hybridus), etc.  The Patagonian Cavi (Dolichotis patagonum) has almost disappeared replaced by the Brown (European) Hare  (Lepus europaeus) introduced by man. You can’t currently find the typical Mountain Lion (Felis concolor) either, our greatest feline.



  

 



The most typical birds are the land ones, like the rhea and several kinds of partridges or the aquatic ones; ducks, herons, White-winged Coots, etc.






 

    There are also is this area a number of reptiles and amphibians; the Argentine Black and White Tegu, small lizards, land and aquatic snakes, frogs and several kinds of toads.