Flora y Fauna of Argentina

The Llama, Queen of the Andes, Conquers the Modern World.

Since discovering its great qualities as a working animal, a companion, and a provider of prime material for the modern textile industry, and more recently as a supplier of food, the llama has begun a process of conquering the whole world. In fact they were the main supply of food for the primitive people of the American continents

These animals have their center of origin in North America probable from 9 to 11 million years ago. These animals migrated to the south to South America, and the actual “guanacos” and “vicuñas” appeared approximately 2 million years ago, which are wild camels of South America.

The living area of these South American camels is mainly found in the high regions and plateaus of the Andes, distributed from the north of Peru to the north of Argentina, including the Andes regions of Bolivia and Chile. In general these camels can live anywhere from sea level to the plateau Andes of over 5,000 meters above sea level. The “vicuña” and the “alpaca” prefer the higher places while the “guanacos” and the llamas can live at sea level.

The fiber is the main product from the farming of these animals and the fiber from the llama is the most used and is considered today by the textile industry to be considered of a similar quality to that of the “alpaca”. The wool is chosen from animals of adequate feeding which can produce 2 ½ to 3 kilos of fiber a year, with a gain of 90% after washing. The classical colour is light to dark browns, with the occasional cream or black, the sheering being done once a year.

The meat: the meat is similar in appearance to cows meat, but the fat, which is white, has ten times less cholesterol than that of lambs of cows, and it also has a higher protein content, therefore its consumption is considered to be a lot healthier and more recommended.

The Oven Bird.

This is a small bird, some 18cm long, with a grey-brown back, reddish tail, grey on the underside, white throat and off-white abdomen. It lives on the edge or in clearing of woods, wasteland, parks and gardens in both rural and urban zones. It is the national bird of Argentina, one of the better known birds, through its usual and noisy presence around o even in houses and buildings where it makes its nest as if it were an oven. It is well loved and respected by everyone, being as it is a symbol of craftsmanship, it is considered tame, and sung about by poets.

Its Distribution: In a large part of central South America, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Brazil and in the northern Argentine provinces of Chaco, Formosa, Salta and Santiago del Estero

Description: It is the biggest living armadillo. From head to tail it measures 150cm to 160 cm, (5 feet) of which maybe 50 cm (20”) is the tail. It is covered with a shell formed by overlapping plates, yellowish on the sides and grey on the back. It has hands with large claws of up to 20.3 cm ( 9”) long. Its tail and short muscular legs are covered in small scales, feet with nails or claws on each of its toes, a long nose, noticeable ears but not too big, has no hair on its shell. It can weigh 50 to 60kg (100-130lbs)

Behaviour: It feeds on worms, carrion, termites, ants, insect larva, and small snakes. It is usually a solitary creature more around in the evening or at night. It digs deep holes as its refuge, using its hand claws, and has one offspring per birth.

Causes of its being in danger of extinction: It is pursued by hunters for its meat, it is captured for zoos, museums, or for collectors, or even to have its shell turned into a musical instrument or to be stuffed by a taxidermist.

Curiosities, the meat of this animal is cooked on the grill or baked in the oven, the same as its minor more abundant relatives the hairy and brown armadillos. Its fat is used in creole medicine for muscular or articulation pains. The different members of this animal family have a good concept in the aborigine believes, and they believe this creature was the first to “turn the land” with its strong claws, as well as having the fame of being good and intelligent animals.

For this reason, in many legends it competes against the fox, and always ends up triumphant.
One of these tell that on a certain occasion, the fox and the tatu got together to search for wasp honey. To do this they went to the hills, and the fox found a hive, but didn’t let his companion know. With a stick he punctured the wasp nest and drank all the honey. The tatu, annoyed by the fox’s action, resolved to avenge him. So, he climbed a tree, curled into a ball and called the fox. He arrived, saw the ball up in the branches and thought it was a wasp nest. With a stick he hit it and opened his mouth to receive the honey, and the tatu took advantage of the moment to pee on him.
The fox swallowed his injured pride and decided to do the same thing to the tatu, so he climbed up in a tree and curled up and called the tatu. But the tatu, knowing who it was knocked him down with a claw stroke.

It is a large sized bird, incapable of flying, measuring 1,80m. high and weighing around 25 to 30 kilos. Its beak is short, wide and of a grayish brown colour. It has a very long neck, its legs are long and grayish, with three-toed feet ending in strong nails. Its wings are covered in large thin feathers.

Being an omnivore, its food is very varied, and it feeds on seeds, grains, fruits, insects, reptiles, frogs, small mammals, and the chicks of other birds. It can either be found solitary or in groups. They are fast runners, and the nest is built in hollows in the ground, hidden among the tall grasses and bushes. Several females lay in the same nest, which, for this reason can contain 20 or more eggs of a yellowish colour which are incubated by the male, who also raises the chicks.
We were once given an ostrich egg. It is about 20cm from end to end, and is the equivalent of about 12 hens eggs. We "blew" it, washed it and then stored it for ages on a shelf, waiting for a chance to find someone who makes things with them. Then one day, it just fell off and smashed.
We saw several of these birds in the semidesert area of La Rioja, in the west..... where water came in tankers and cost more than petrol, and where the cows were so skinny, we were sure that's where powdered milk comes from!!

It is killed for its feathers which formerly were used in headdresses, anklets etc. and are the ones used in feather dusters, or for its meat, or the skin which is used in some crafts, (tobacco holders for instance). The eggs are also eaten and consequently the nests are destroyed. Even its ankles and feet were once used in weapon making, arrow heads and such.

Ostrich once escaped, continues to run a long way. Referring to the fact that it is hard to fall for the same mistake.
What does the ostrich know about brakes! Said about someone who talks about things they have no idea about.

The Ostrich and the Tick.

This suri (ostrich) always relying on the speed of his legs, but it wasn’t long before he fell in another trap, this time one set for him by the tick.

They were in a nightclub, and one drink followed another, they started to talk. But since the wine wasn’t a good adviser, and instead of going to the stomach it goes to the head, pretty soon the tone of the conversation rose, until the ostrich said to the tick, “You are worse than a vampire. You live off the blood of others.”

“You don’t say!” answered the tick. “ worse is like you a coward, who at the first sign of danger hides his head .”

“ You dare call me a coward! When I am capable of fighting a lion, and only when I’m in a difficult situation, I take off and run? I could have saved sheep, just ask them.”

“ How can you take off and run?” retorted the tick, “Any one legged being could match up with you.”

“You don’t say! If that’s the case, I’ll give you a race and if I win I’ll throw you on the fire so that you burst like a chattery witch”

The tick accepted the challenge, but on the condition that at the end of the site where they would run the race, there would be a chair for the winner to sit on. The ostrich accepted the condition, because he thought it was nothing more than a drunkards wish.

So that is how things were, and while they discussed the starting time, the tick climbed up the ostriches feathers and hung gently on. The starting signal was given, and the tick said “let’s go”, the ostrich who didn’t want to loose his confidence trotted off desperately as if chased by dogs. He was already way off, running as fast as he could, a column of dust flying up behind him. From time to time the wind blew and ruffled his feathers. So he reached the final, heading straight for the chair and exclaimed,” That’s how a race should be won! I’ll show that old witch!” And just as he was about to sit down, the tick who was on his behind yelled “ Hey friend, don’t squash me, I’ve been here a while!”

So that was another race the ostrich lost on his travels.

A legend:

This legend explains why the ostrich has no tail. It goes like this ” while playing against the fox, who won everything he had, even the sacking of the bag where he kept his money. The ostrich threw in his hand, and lost even the feathers he had betted. So he said to the fox that he would pay him once the winter had passed. The fox understood straight away the if he let him go – eyes that have seen you once won’t see you again – and he’d never catch up. So, sly as ever, the fox invited the ostrich to sit and rest on a chair that he had previously spread with tree gum, by saying that the one the ostrich was already on had the seat broken. The ostrich so sure of himself, changed places, but no sooner had he settled down in the chair, when the fox cried out, “ Oh my!! My uncle the tiger is coming and he looks angry!”

The ostrich leapt up of the chair and took off as fast as his hind legs could carry him, leaving his lovely tail feathers glued to the chair, which the fox used to make himself a good mattress.

So that’s why the ostrich is tailless!”

Taken from : http://www.barrameda.com.ar/animales/nandu.htm

Its scientific name is Phytolacca dioica, it’s a huge plant originating on the Ibera Lake in the Province of Corrientes and is found throughout the Pampas. It takes well in any soil, while its leaves flowers and fruit have medicinal properties, the leaves, once boiled are an efficient purging agent. Its leaves are also used mortared with the wood of its trunk in the making of soap.

The name “Umbú” comes from the Guarani voice ( a people who came from the Paraguay region of South America) and means shade or dark lump, they say it is more a giant plant than a tree. It has a thick white bark and soft wood, alternate, simple leaves, and its flowers in bunches bigger than its leaves, and its generous shade protects the traveler and the humble ranch of the country living.

The Ombú is of Argentine origin, and no other tree has as much right to be called the “guacho tree”. The country folk looked for it in the area when building their homes, since its shade defends them from the heat of summer and protects them from storms of winter. This tree can live for centuries, its tree top green, straight and firm. No hurricane can pull it up nor can lightning strike it.

The flower of the Ceibo tree – also called Seibo or bucaré – was declared National Flower of Argentina in December 1942. It is a tree originally from the Americas, more particularly Argentina, Uruguay (where it is also the National Flower), Paraguay and Brazil. It grows along the banks of the Parana River and the River Plate, and can also be found near rivers, lakes, or swampy areas. It comes from the leguminous family, not too tall, 6 to 10 meters, trunk a browny-grey, its bark thick and rough with deep tracks. The tree top is irregular shaped, with twisted curved branches with needles, and its leaves are caduceus of an intense green. Its flowers are large and very red. The trunk is twisted and it has solid roots which grip the soil protecting it against erosion caused by the waters. Its wood, of a yellowish white colour and soft, is used to make things that do not need much weight, like boxes, orthopedic uses, floats, whittling, toys, model airplanes, etc Its flowers are used to dye cloths.

Its generic name is Erythrina of Greek origin from "erythros" which means red, according to the colour of its flowers.
Its specific name is crista-galli also comparing the colour of its flowers to the cockerel’s crest,.

The legend has it that on the bank of the River Parana, there lived a little Indian girl called Anahí. Even though Anahí was ugly with coarse features, her spirit was sensible and sweet. It is said that in the summer evenings, she delighted the people of her tribe with songs inspired by their gods and the love of the land that they owned.

But one day the conquerors arrived, white skins, war- worn and at the same time violent. These people invaded and destroyed the tribes and took away from these aborigines their land, their idols and their liberty.

Anahí did not escape being caught. Confined with others of her people, she spent many days crying, while the nights were insupportable wakefulness.
Nevertheless, in spite of the sadness and fear, Anahí lay in wait like a wild animal.

One of these nights, what she had been waiting for happened…. The guard who watched over them fell asleep. Without even thinking about it she started to escape, but the crackle of the dried leaves under her feet woke the soldier. Without missing a beat, Anahí buried a knife in his chest.

She quickly ran away towards the forest, but the screams of the dying guard woke the other Spaniards who chased after her. The persecution soon became a hunt, and it didn’t take them long to trap Anahí. Wishing to avenge their dead companion, the conquerors decided to burn her at the stake.

They tied her to a tree and lit the fire. The flames crept nearer and near the young Indian girl, who bore the suffering in silence. Slowly, Anahí began converting herself into a tree, identifying herself with the plant in an amazing miracle. Next day, instead of the remains of a bonfire, the soldiers found a beautiful tree with shiny green leaves, and red velvety flowers which showed up splendidly as a symbol of courage and strength on facing suffering.