Plants & Animals in Tierra del Fuego
Tierra Del Fuego is an archipelago off the southern coast of South America, the tip of which forms Cape Horn. Tierra del Fuego, meaning "land of fire" in Spanish, is a part of both Chile and Argentina, and is rich with forests, fish, birds and mammals.
Other People Are Reading
-
Birds
-
The albatross. Black Eyebrowed Albatross: This enormous bird can be found in Tierra del Fuego as well as the Falkland Islands. It has a white head and a black line over its eyes, hence its name. Its wingspan can be 7 to 8 feet, and its eggs are about the size of a soda can. It feeds on local fish and will travel long distances to hunt.
Diving Petrel: The diving petrel is a small black and white bird that feeds on crustaceans and is a highly endangered species.
Flying Steamer Duck: The flying steamer duck of Tierra del Fuego is the only type of steamer duck that can fly. It has short wings and is dark gray with a white mark behind its eye.
Firecrown Hummingbirds: This tiny Tierra del Fuego inhabitant has a green back and feeds on insects and clings to flowers to eat their nectar.
Fish
-
Sea run brown trout. Sea Run Brown Trout: Tierra del Fuego is known for its excellent sea run brown trout fly fishing. These large fish can be found in Tierra del Fuego's Rio Grande in Argentina. Sea run brown trout can grow up to 13 pounds and fly fishermen can enjoy fishing in the many fishing destinations in the Rio Grande.
-
Mammals
-
Sea lion Guanacos: These mammals, resembling llamas, can be found in Chile's National Park in Tierra del Fuego. They are light brown in color, with a white belly and weigh about 200 pounds when full grown. In Tierra del Fuego, their population is less threatened than elsewhere in South America because there is less grazing competition. Guanacos live in herds and are prized for their soft wool.
Canadian Beaver: In the 1940s, these beavers were introduced to Tierra del Fuego because of their prized fur. They have been known to have a disadvantageous effect on the forests of Tierra del Fuego and the local population is trying to rid the area of them.
Sea Lion: The South American sea lion has been hunted, to the detriment of its population in the area of Tierra del Fuego. The aptly-named mammal boasts a bushy mane and feeds on fish and squid.
Trees
-
Tierra del Fuego boasts extensive forestland. Lenga: This large deciduous tree can be found in the forests of Tierra del Fuego and turns a spectacular red in the fall. The wood has been heavily exploited in this region.
Winter's Bark: Winter's bark is a smaller tree and is known for its medicinal purposes, once used as prevention against scurvy. It is an evergreen tree and has light-colored wood.
Southern Beech: The southern beech of Tierra del Fuego is a short deciduous tree that has oval-shaped leaves and a thick trunk and grows hardily in this region.
Flowers
-
Black Bush: The black bush of Tierra del Fuego exhibits its green color year-round and sprouts small flowers that look like daisies through the summer.
Bell Biflora: This plant, which looks its best in the fall, blooms bell-shaped flowers that are white and purple.
Strawberry of Magellan: Also known as the wild Magellan strawberry, this plant grows in humid areas and has a very sweet fruit that grows from October to February and resembles a blackberry.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit south america image by NataV from Fotolia.com Albatross image by Christian Uhrich from Fotolia.com two brown trout from lake huron in alpena, mi image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com sea lions image by Galyna Andrushko from Fotolia.com winterwald image by Martina Berg from Fotolia.com
