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There are lots of things to entice a nature-loving person to the Llanos Savannas ecoregion, including abundant wading birds and intriguing mammals. But if you're the type who's easily frightened by wriggling wildlife, then this might not be the place for you. Some parts of the ecoregion are home to the giant anaconda÷an aquatic snake that often grows to be 13 to 16 feet (4 to 5 m) long but can grow to be up to 26 feet (8 m). Giant anacondas hunt in the dark of night, lying in wait until capybaras and other animals come to the water's edge, and then killing their prey by constriction.
Like most savanna regions, the Llanos ecoregion is characterized by grass-covered plains. But here you'll also find a diversity of wetland habitats--streams, rivers, marshes, and more--and with them many species not typically found in savanna ecosystems, such as the Orinoco crocodile.
If you decide to visit the Llanos Savannas, you'll be treated by the sight of wading roseate spoonbills swinging their heads back and forth in the shallow water as they sift for plankton-sized organisms. Large white-bellied spider monkeys eat fruits and young leaves from the surrounding trees. Tamanduas use their sticky tongues to snag termites and ants. And capybaras--the world's largest rodents--feast on grasses and other plants to keep their 110 pound (50 kg) bodies well-fueled.
Livestock grazing, burning for new growth, draining of wetlands, conversion to agriculture, and overhunting are the greatest threats to the biodiversity of this ecoregion. Dickcissels, birds from the Great Plains, winter here and are endangered by pesticides. For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report. All text by World Wildlife Fund © 2001
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