Plants and animals of Argentina-Nationalpark Pre Delta at Rio Parana
The ecosystem of the Pre Delta National Park is quite similar to that of El Tigre near Buenos Aires. Along the river bank, thousands of small islands and lagoons are formed in the flooded area as remnants of former river courses. This large number of small streams, rivers and lakes provide habitats for 456 plant species, 256 bird species, 185 fish species, 30 reptiles and 30 mammals. Tree species include the timbo, the Argentine national tree Ceibo with its bright red flowers, the common willow species Sauce Criollo, the Ingo and the Laurel del rio. The lagoons are densely surrounded by reeds, the plants known as Achira and Pata de Loro shine with their beautiful flowers from the otherwise dense green. There are only two short paths in the park. The 1000 m long Sendero de las Lagunas leads on footbridges to the lagoons Las Piedras and Irupé. The name Irupé comes from the giant water lily Irupe, which can be seen here with its large floating leaves and white flowers. The Sendero Laguna Curiyo leads once around the pond at only 400 metres.
Large nests of Espinero Grande (Phacelladomus ruber) hang in the trees. The Red-bellied Thrushes and the ubiquitous Pepitero gris are frequently seen. From the viewing platforms you can observe the big cranes and the nimble leaf chickens. The screeching monk parakeets are almost annoying. But the emblematic bird of the National Park Pre Delta is the Amazon fisherman and the Virginia owl Nacurutú. Most mammals and reptiles are best observed early in the morning and in the evening. Mammals such as the crab fox, wildcats or the swamp beaver can be seen early in the morning or in the evening, if at all. Therefore, it is worth staying overnight in a well-kept campsite and looking for animals at night. Important for the visit is mosquito spray, there is no malaria or yellow fever but Zika and Dengue fever are common in Argentina. In the summer months the temperature reaches over 40 °C with high humidity. A good season is spring and autumn. The park is easy to reach via Santa Fe on Ruta 11 or from Rosario.
Birds
Virginia owl, Nacurutu, Bubo virginianus
Pepitero de collar, Saltator aurantiirostris
Golden Woodpecker, Carpintero real, Colaptes melanchloros
Espinero grande, Phacellodomus ruber
Monk Parakeet, Cotorra, Myiopsitta monachus
leaf chicken, Jacana, Jacana jacana
Eyeglass Ibis, Cuervillo de Canada, Plegadis chihi
Rallenkranich, Carau, Aramus guarauna
Marble Heron, Hoco Colorado, Trigrisoma lineatum
Piojito gris, Serpophaga nigricans
Amazon Kingfisher, Martin pescador, Chloroceryle amazon
Red-bellied Thrush, Zorzal colorado Turdus rufiventris
Pepitero gris, Saltador coerulescens
Marsupials
Common white ear possum , Comadreja overa, Didelphis albiventris
Amphibians
Poison Tree Frog, Rana lechera, Trachycephalus typhonius
Mammals
crab fox, Zorro de monte, Cerdocyon thous
Small spotted cat, Gato montes, Oncifelis geoffroyi
Swamp beaver, Coipo, Myocastor coypus
Capybara, Carpincho, Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris
Reptiles
Green shrub snake, Culebra verde, Philodryas olfersii
Black and white Teju, Lagarto Overo, Salvator merianae
Spectacled caiman, Yacare caiman, Caiman yacare
