FAUNA IN LA RIOJA

Fauna in here, along with the flora, are adapted to this unfriendly weather. Especially the mammals, who have to get rid of the water in their bodies through two of their vital functions: urine and transpiration - respiration, in order to cool their bodies by evaporation.

Mammals
Many of them have night habits to escape the hottest hours, or live in caves since the temperatures inside the earth are lower. Rodents such as guinea pigs, vizcachas, different country mice, and armadillos like the so called crying pichi and the blind pichi, little known, hard to spot, and on the brink of extinction, seek refuge in these caves. There are also wild boars, rabbits, hares, and other rodents in the area.
The presence of guanacos, llamas and vicuñas is typical in ravines and creeks. The guanaco and the mara, or Patagonian hare, are the predominant herbivores in the zone.

The predators include the grey fox, zorrillas, tayras and felines such as the pampas cat, the pajonales cat and the puma, a carnivor that still roams the bushes and which is considered a threat to cattle in the zone, causing the diminishment of vicuñas in valleys and prairies, and the almost totally vanished chinchilla.

Reptiles
Amphibious are represented by numerous species of toads and frogs that make use of the few water deposits that subsist after the rainy season. Among them, the agile frog (Rana dalmatina), a small amphibious no bigger then 8 or 9 cm, stands out.

We find a great variety of lizards, iguanas and caimans, such as the red caiman; harmless snakes such as vizcacha eating boa, but also poisonous serpents such as the small fer the lance, the rattlesnake, and the coral viper, whose venom is used to produce an anti venom serum.

Insects
One of the best known is the coyuyo or vinchuca or traitomine insects (Triatoma infectans) which passes the chagas disease, and whose habitats of choice are ranch houses and all sorts of precarious dwellings.

Birds
Avifauna in Rioja is very rich and multicoloured. The majestic condor gliding in search of plebeian carrion to feed on, heads the list of birds. The small rheas or choiques are frequently seen on the plains. There are also birds of prey like the puna hawks, eagles, falcons, hawks, chuñas and caracaras; Elegant Crested Tinamou, grey tinamou and blacklegged chuñas, along with numerous types of small birds like the Carbonated sierra-finch and the sand cock, native of the zone, which complete this collection of items.