Santa Cruz, Argentina Photograph by WWF/ Patricia & Steve Bremer   Southern South America: Southern Argentina and southeastern Chile Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands   188,100 square miles (487,200 square kilometers) -- about the size of California Critical/Endangered

· Walk into the Steppe
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Walk into the Steppe

The Patagonian Steppe extends along the eastern face and foothills of the southern Andes all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, spanning much of southern Argentina and its border with Chile. Thick patches of low shrubs and scattered grasses dot the characteristic bare soil, sand, and rock here. Rising nearly 6500 feet (2,000 m) in some places, this cold desert scrub ecoregion extends from near the Straits of Magellan northward to the Valdés Peninsula. To the west, thorn thickets and shrublands give way to the Argentine Monte temperate grasslands and the semi-forested slopes of the Andes. And to the east is the Atlantic Ocean.

Special Features

Despite unrelenting winds, year-round frosts, and sparse precipitation (20-23 inches [500-600 mm] annually), this ecoregion hosts a diverse landscape, from deciduous thicket to subdesert deciduous shrubland to tuft grass tundra. Given the variety of habitat types, the Patagonian Steppe is home to many endemic species, including several types of bunchgrasses and the Patagonian opossum.

	The pericote andino is a robust mouse that is able to withstand the harsh desert-like steppe environment and can store water in its body to endure the dry climate.

Wild Side

Great in number and diversity, rodents such as the guinea pig-like Patagonian cavy, the vizcacha, the tucu-tuco, and a variety of rats and mice scamper across the steppe. At dusk, the mysterious Patagonian opossum ambles through thickets in search of mice--which it eats whole--while a burrowing owl preens its feathers on a stout Baccharis shrub, preparing for the nocturnal hunt. In a nearby bog, steamer ducks rest among the reeds, as a small flock of Chilean flamingoes flies over en route to a shallow salt lake. Two endemic amphibians, the Patagonian frog and Chalhuaco frog, take advantage of the short summer to lay their eggs in the reeds, while the endemic Patagonian atherine (a fish) hides from a white-necked heron. The small and elusive pampas cat lies on a mat of moss-like Azorella, as an austral rail warily perches on a cushion plant. A small pit viper, locally known as yarara nata, warms itself on a rock. Among the larger mammals, guanacos (relatives of the llama) roam the dry, open country, and sea lions gather along the rocky coastline.

Cause for Concern

An ecoregion in crisis, the Patagonian Steppe suffers from the introduction of exotic species, which compete with and displace native wildlife and alter the habitat. For example, European rabbits, cattle, horses, and sheep threaten the survival of fragile grasses and shrubs. Additionally, much of the region has been converted to agricultural lands, especially along the rivers, which has resulted in erosion.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.