FAUNA IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO

Mammals
The most representative animals amongst the walking fauna are the guanacos. Other important species are the grey and red foxes of Tierra del Fuego, along with the endangered chungungo or sea otter, which lives on the shores.

The rabbit of Castilla, the musk-rat, the Canadian beaver and the so called tucuto, all introduced species, are some of the dwellers of this Andean Patagonian forest area.

Birds
There is a diversity of coastal environments: innumerable inlets and points, small beaches, ravines and cliffs, such as the Bays of Lapataia and Ensenada for instance, ideal refuges for coastal birds, abundant and easy to watch.

There are more than 190 recorded species, with the parrots, the black-browed albatross, the petrel, the sea bustard, vultures, sea crows, owls, caracaras, seagulls, the steam duck, Antarctic doves, green kingfishers, cormorants, condors and bustards, standing out. Moreover, there are also forest birds such as the giant woodpecker and the austral parrot.

Reptiles
The only reptile walking here is the lizard, on the northern plains.

Sea fauna
It is represented by molluscs (mussels, clams, shellfishes, octopuses and squids), crustaceous (krill, spider crabs, sea fleas, shrimps and ball bugs), cetaceous (whales, dolphins, killer whales and porpoises), and other mammals such as the sea lions, fur seals, common seals and sea elephants.

Fishes
Amongst the ichthyologic fauna of fresh waters we have the the zebra trout and the common jollytail. There are exotic salmons such as the rainbow and brown trout, appropriate for the practice of sport fishing. We can find tailed hakes, basses, pollocks and sardines in the sea.

FLORA IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO

There are about 700000 hs of forests on the slopes of the mountains and in the surrounding area of the Beagle Canal in Tierra del Fuego.

The flora is the one characteristic of the Andean Patagonian forests, although it does not have so much variety, having only 6 tree species capable of enduring the extremely harsh weather of the region.

The forests of lenga beeches or oak of Tierra del Fuego, and of cohiue or guindo, which are found in the most humid and rainy zones around the shores of the Beagle Canal, are predominant in the area. The cinnamon tree also grows in these forests, and it reaches heights of 12 m. There are also leñadores, notros and ñires growing in Tierra del Fuego. These species thrive at altitudes of up to 690 m. approximately.

In opposition to the northernmost sector, the lower and dampest zones in these forests have a special environment: the turf lands, which are formed by a dense mattress of mosses, almost exclusively of the Sphagnum genus, and vegetal material.

The brushwood is in the open and also includes saw ferns, likens and mosses. Shrubs such as the calafate, which is thorny and gives a fruit which tastes like a grape, are abundant in the valleys. There are lupinos, poppies, lilies, and multicoloured tulips that have been brought from Europe.

On the high plateaus and terraces the flora is of Patagonian type: trees disappear and shrubs and likens have their day. The plains are covered with some natural grasses called coirón. With regard to flowers, we find yellow violets, white, green and yellow orchids, everlastings and white and yellow daisies, amongst many.

The Pan del Indio, which can grow either on trees or on the ground, is the most usually found mushroom, especially in autumn. The"old man's beard" is predominant among likens.