Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Esteros del Ibera


The Iberá Wetlands (in Spanish, Esteros del Iberá, from Guaraní ý berá "bright water") are the second-largest wetlands in South America after Pantanal in Brazil. They are located in the center and center-north of the province of Corrientes, Argentina. The Esteros are a mix of swamps, bogs, stagnant lakes, lagoons, natural slough and courses of water of pluvial origin, with a total area of between 15,000 and 20,000 km².
The Natural Reserve hosts a large biodiversity, including four species that have been declared "provincial natural monuments": the neotropical river otter, the maned wolf, the pampas deer, and the marsh deer. It is also home to the two Argentine species of alligator, the Yacare caiman (yacaré negro) and the broad-snouted caiman (yacaré overo), as well as the capybara (the world's largest rodent) and about 350 bird species.

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