Flora and fauna of Chaco most representative species

3270
Alexander Pearson

The flora and fauna of Chaco It is represented by species such as the white carob, the viraró, the tatú carreta and the taguá, among others. Chaco is a province of Argentina, located in the northeast of that nation. The capital is Resistencia, and it is also the largest city in the province..

This region is part of the southern area of ​​the Gran Chaco, an extensive plain that encompasses the territories of Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia. The climate is subtropical, divided into two different areas: to the east it is humid and to the center-west it is drier..

Bottle tree. Source: Mauro halpern [Public domain] Tagua. Source: Daderot [CC0]

Within the Chaco is the Chaco National Park, which includes the Madrejones and the Chaco forest. In this, innumerable species of plants and animals that are in danger of becoming extinct are protected.

Article index

  • 1 Flora of Chaco
    • 1.1 White carob (Prosopis alba)
    • 1.2 Viraró (Ruprechtia salicifolia)
    • 1.3 Bottle tree (Ceiba speciosa)
  • 2 Fauna of Chaco
    • 2.1 Tatú carreta (Priodontes maximus)
    • 2.2 Taguá (Catagonus wagneri)
    • 2.3 Teyú (Teius teyou)
  • 3 References

Flora of Chaco

White carob (Prosopis alba)

This South American tree is found in Argentina and the Paraguayan Chaco. In addition, it can be located in the north of Chile.

Prosopis alba it can measure 9 to 12 meters tall, with a diameter of about 1 meter. It has a short trunk, with a thin, grayish-brown bark. The branches of this arboreal species are slender, often extending to the ground.

The crown of the white carob tree is globular, covering up to 10 meters in diameter. Due to this, it produces a huge shade, thus making it a highly appreciated plant in the area. The leaves are bipinnate, growing from 2 to 3 at each node.

Each pinna is made up of leaflets, which can be from 25 to 40 pairs. These are erect and glabrous, with an asymmetrical base. During winter, the plant loses all its leaves, but is not completely leafless.

The flower is small, hermaphroditic and yellowish or greenish-white in color. The flowering period occurs from August to September. The inflorescences are spiciform racemes, which appear together with the new leaves, bright green.

The fruit of the tacu, as the white carob tree is also known, is indehiscent. It contains a sweet, highly caloric pulp that can be consumed for forage or prepared as flour.

Also, this species is used for decoration and, with the wood, parquet floors, doors, among others are made..

He turned (Ruprechtia salicifolia)

The viraró is a tree with a crown-like appearance, found in various regions of South America. The habitats where the Ruprechtia salicifolia are the lands near streams and rivers.

The average height is approximately 5 meters. This dioecious species has a tortuous trunk, with many branches. Lenticels, present on the branches, are visible to the naked eye.

The leaves, which measure between 10 and 15 centimeters, are simple and deciduous, with a light green color. In addition, they have a lanceolate shape and are arranged alternately..

An attractive aspect of this plant is the fact that, in the fall, the foliage changes color. Due to this, different shades can be observed throughout the year.

In relation to the flowers, they are cream-colored. The male ones are small and grow in axillary or terminal panicles, while the female ones are grouped in clusters. The fruits are brown and diamond-shaped.

Bottle tree (Ceiba speciosa)

This species is native to the South American subtropical and tropical jungles. Thus, it can be found in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

The tree can measure between 10 and 20 meters high, although some have been recorded that have reached a height greater than 25 meters. In the trunk, which is widened in the lower third, water is stored. This could be used by the plant in times of drought.

The trunk is covered with thorns and when the tree is young, it is green. Over time, cracked and rough streaks appear, in greyish brown tones.

As for the branches, they are thorny and grow horizontally. The leaves are compound, with serrated leaflets, in quantities that vary between five and seven.

The flowers of the drunken stick, as this species is also known, have five petals, white in the center and pink in the distal area. The fruit has an ovoid shape and a woody texture, measuring around 20 centimeters long..

Chaco fauna

Tatú carreta (Priodonts maximus)

This armadillo is part of the Dasypodidae family, inhabiting the subtropical and tropical jungles of the eastern region of South America. Thus, it can be located from Venezuela to Argentina. The cart tattoo lives in gallery forests and xerophiles, jungles and savannas.

The weight of this cingulate mammal is around 60 kilograms, measuring more than 1.6 meters from head to tail. The carapace is dark, with plates arranged in rows, arranged transversely. This bone armor, which covers the animal at the dorsal level, on the sides and on the tail, is not rigid.

The juxtaposed rigid plates are linked in the central area of ​​the back by strips, which are not welded together. This offers the wagon tattoo great flexibility in its movements. In addition, it allows you to assume various postures, such as stretching and rolling the body, which allow you to defend yourself against predators..

The head has an elongated shape, where the ears are, small in size. The legs are short and muscular. These have powerful and large nails, particularly longer on the forelegs..

The cachicamo, as this species is also known, is nocturnal. Its diet is based on worms, termites, worms, ants, among others. Also, it could consume carrion and some plants.

Taguá (Catagonus wagneri)

The taguá is a species of peccary that is part of the Tayassuidae family. This artiodactyl mammal is endemic to the Chaco Province.

The average length of this species is 1.1 meter. The fur of the quimilero peccary, as this animal is also known, is brown or gray. On the back it has a dark stripe, while on the shoulders and around the mouth, the hairs are white

Catagonus wagneri has a third toe on the hind leg, contrary to the other peccaries that have two.

When the taguá is scared, while escaping from the situation, it raises the hairs on its back. Likewise, it sprays the secretions produced by the dorsal glands. These are a red flag for the rest of the group. This milky substance is also used to mark trees, thus delimiting their territory.

It has diurnal habits, mainly in the morning, when it can travel in herds, made up of up to 20 peccaries. The diet is based on various species of cacti, bromeliad roots, and acacia pods. To pluck the thorns, use your teeth, pulling them out and spitting them out.

Teyú (Teius teyou)

This lizard belongs to the Teiidae family. It is distributed in the Bolivian, Argentine and Paraguayan Chaco ecozone.

The color of the species is green, with a clear longitudinal band, which runs dorsolaterally along the body. Above this it has a series of irregular spots, in a dark tone.

Males in adulthood have a blue belly. The dorsal scales are small, while the ventral ones are sub-quadrangular..

The body of this reptile is compressed transversely. The length of the teyu could reach 40 centimeters, including its long tail. It has a long, broad, non-retractable tongue, as in most lizards. In the mouth it has lateral teeth.

The green lizard, as the Teius teyou is also known, has four toes on each foot. The fifth toe, present in the rest of the Teiidae, is atrophied.

The teyu is a fast runner, which constitutes its main defense against attackers and the best weapon to capture prey.

However, it has another defense mechanism, its tail: if it is caught, it can detach. Thus, he could quickly escape from the predator. Eventually the tail could grow back.

References

  1. Pelegrin, Nicolas & Leynaud, Gerardo & Bucher, Enrique. (2006). Reptile fauna of the Chancaní Reserve (Arid Chaco, Argentina). Recovered from researchgate.ne.
  2. Phthal. Di Marco, Ezequie (2019). Prosopis alba Griseb. (White Algarrobo). Recovered from forestoindustria.magyp.gob.ar
  3. Anacleto, T.C.S., Miranda, F., Medri, I., Cuellar, E., Abba, A.M., Superina, M (2014). Priodontes maximus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014. Recovered from iucnredlist.org.
  4. Wikipedia (2019). Chaco, provice. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org.
  5. Encyclopedia britannica (2019). Chaco, province Argentina. Recovered from britannica.com
  6. Cacciali, P., Kacoliris, F., Montero, R., Pelegrin, N., Moravec, J., Aparicio, J., Gonzales, L. (2016). Teius teyou. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. Retrieved from iucnredlist.org.
  7. EcoRegistros (2019). Teius teyou. Recovered from ecoregistros.org.

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