Fauna
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The guanaco, the cougar, the Patagonian Fox (Lycalopex griseus), the Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk (Conepatus humboldtii), and the Magellanic Tuco-tuco (Ctenomys magellanicus; a subterranean rodent) are the most characteristic mammals of the Patagonian plains. The guanaco roam in herds over the country and form with the Darwin's Rhea (Rhea pennata) formerly the chief means of subsistence for the natives, who hunted them on horseback with dogs and bolas. Vizcachas (Lagidum spp.) and the Patagonian Mara (Dolichotis patagonum) are also characteristic of the steppe and the Pampas to the north.
Bird-life is often abundant. The Southern Caracara (Caracara plancus) is one of the characteristic objects of a Patagonian landscape; the presence of Austral Parakeets (Enicognathus ferrugineus) as far south as the shores of the strait attracted the attention of the earlier navigators; and Green-backed Firecrowns (Sephanoides sephaniodes), a species of hummingbird, may be seen flying amidst the falling snow. Of the many kinds of waterfowl it is enough to mention the Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), the Upland Goose (Chloephaga picta), and in the strait the remarkable steamer ducks.
Signature marine fauna include the Southern right whale, the Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus), the Orca and elephant seals. The Valdés Peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its importance as a nature reserve.
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