Incredible Argentine Animals: A Wildlife Guide for Argentina

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Planning Your Trip to See Argentina Wildlife

Argentina is a huge country! It is the world's eighth-largest country and South America's second-largest country! The country is divided into four regions: The Andes, the North, the Pampas, and Patagonia. Each area is home to a unique group of Argentina wildlife that cannot be found anywhere else! Come along with us as we explore each region and get to know more about the animals in this wildlife guide for Argentina.

When Is The Best Time To See Animals in Argentina?

If you are planning your travels to Argentina around Argentina wildlife, the best time to visit the country is between September and March. This is especially true if you are visiting Patagonia, as the spring and summer months offer the opportunity to see a diverse range of both marine and land animals. This timeframe also offers visitors the best weather for outdoor activities, including wildlife viewing and glacier trekking.

Argentine Animals By Region

Argentina is bordered by the Andes Mountains and Chile to the west. To the east of the Andes, the interior of the country is flat, fertile grasslands called the Pampas – the agricultural heartland of the country. The eastern border of the country is the Atlantic Ocean, with Bolivia to the northwest and Paraguay to the north. This diverse topography creates a range of ecosystems, all of which provide homes for an incredible number of Argentina wildlife. Below you’ll find a beginner’s wildlife guide for Argentina, categorized by region.

Exploring The Pampas: Argentina’s Wild Grasslands

The vast Argentina Pampas cover 295,000 square miles from the Atlantic coast near Buenos Aires to the foothills of the Andes Mountain Range. These grasslands dominate much of Argentina’s lowland terrain. In the eastern part of the region, the pampas are lush and green, but toward the west near Cordoba, the pampas are nearly desert. Sprawling estancias dominate much of the grasslands, offering visitors a taste of the gaucho lifestyle. Although the terrain may not be as impressive as the mountains in other regions of the country, the Pampas provide an important habitat for the unique Argentina wildlife that lives in abundance throughout the region.

  • Maned Wolf: this large wolf stands over three feet tall and is similar in appearance to the red fox. The maned wolf’s long thin legs are perfectly adapted to its Pampas habitat, allowing it to see over the top of the tall grasses and earning this Argentine animal the nickname “fox on stilts.”
  • Geoffroy’s Cat: This South American cat inhabits an area from the Andes mountains to the pampas. It is identifiable by its lush coat, which ranges in color depending on its habitat.
  • Pampas cat: Known locally as “gato Pajero” or “grass coat,” the Pampas Cat varies in color between a yellowish white to a brown or light gray, depending on the area it calls home.
  • Pampas fox: This clever animal is generally nocturnal, although it can be seen during the day in areas where few humans live. It is also clever enough to have adapted to changes in its habitat that have been introduced by humans, successfully maintaining a robust population on the northern edge of Patagonia.
  • Guanaco: Unlike the other Argentina wildlife in this guide, guanacos are easy to spot! They can be found in small herds scattered all across the Pampas and even into the mountains. Guanacos are the largest wild member of the camel family in South America and are known for their elegant stature, pale brown coat, and white fur on their stomachs.
  • Darwin’s rhea: The Darwin, or Lesser Rhea, is similar to an ostrich in that it cannot fly, but it can run at a speed of up to 35 miles per hour. These birds typically congregate in groups of 5-30, but are easily spooked and often run away when disturbed.

Discovering Argentina’s Tropical Rainforest Region

The Northern region of Argentina includes jungles, rivers, mountains, waterfalls, wetlands, and hills. With semi-arid, flat landscapes to the west and a hot and humid rainforest to the east, this region offers tourists an almost endless variety of exotic plants and Argentine animals to explore.

  • Tropical Birds and Tiny, Delicate Species in Iguazú: Visiting Iguazu Falls means you’ll experience the subtropical rainforest which is home to giant anteaters, howler monkeys, tapirs, peccarys, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, coatis, and yaguareté. The jungle is also home to crocodiles, snakes, and tropical birds like hummingbirds, flamingos, toucans, and swallows.
  • Visiting the wildlife sanctuary in the Iberá Wetlands: if you want to see Argentina wildlife that is endangered, the wildlife sanctuary in the Iberá Wetlands is a must-see destination. Here you’ll find the marsh deer (the largest of its kind in South America), the river wolf (a mix between an otter and a seal), and aguará guazú (a subspecies of red fox with long, black legs).
  • On the Border of Bolivia in Salta and Jujuy: The Northernmost region of this area of Argentina is open grassland that runs into spectacular mountains. Here you can find the armadillo and the ñandús, which is related to the ostrich. Our wildlife guide for Argentina wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t mention that you can also spot hawks, foxes, deer, llamas, guanacos, vicuña, and falcons in this region.

En Route to the End of the World: An Adventure in Patagonia

Patagonia is a sparsely populated region that stretches from the southern Andes to Tierra del Fuego. It's home to mountain valleys, grasslands, forests, lakes, ice fields, and glaciers. This region is a bucket-list destination for nature lovers, who can experience a variety of Argentine animals – both on land and in the sea – during a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the area.

  • Penguins: If you want to see the Magellan Penguin on your trip to Argentina, you’ll need to travel to the Valdes Peninsula or Ushuaia. Both locations allow to you visit natural rookeries to watch these incredible Argentine animals waddling, swimming, and caring for the young penguins.
  • Whales: The Southern Right Whale is one of the most famous whales in all of Patagonia, and you can see it by visiting Peninsula Valdés! This enormous mammal can weigh up to 50 tons and can only be seen during June and December when they swim near the coast to give birth to their offspring.
  • Other Argentina wildlife in Patagonia: No wildlife guide for Argentina would be complete without mentioning Pud (the world’s smallest deer), rhea, cougars, cormorants, huemul, elephant seals, and guanacos. All of these animals can be seen in Patagonia!

Get to Know Animals in The Rugged Andean Region

Argentina’s Andean region runs along the western edge of the country from Bolivia to Southern Patagonia. It is home to Mount Aconcagua, the highest point in the Western Hemisphere, as well as some of the most incredible Argentine animals in the country!

  • The Andean Condor: This iconic bird is one of the largest birds in the skies! The Andean Condor has the largest wing span of any bird in the world and can live for more than 50 years. It figures heavily in ancient Andean mythology and still holds a revered spot in many of the region’s indigenous religions. While it calls the highest mountain peaks home, it can sometimes be found at lower altitudes.
  • The Vicuña: A part of the camelid family, the vicuña boasts the most sought-after and expensive wool on earth. This beautiful creature was once hunted almost to extinction, but the population in Argentina has bounced back due to careful preservation.
  • The Viscacha: This adorable creature is what happens when you combine the features of a rabbit and a squirrel with the survival adaptations of a mountain lion. Don’t let its chubby cheeks, stocky body, or fluffy tail fool you – the viscacha has adapted to survive at extremely high altitudes and among rock crevices while eating lichen, moss, and shrubs.
  • The Andean Flamingo: this Argentine animal is as rare as it is beautiful, boasting varying shades of pink throughout its body and black patches on its wings and beak. The Andean Flamingo thrives in the high-altitude lakes of the Andes, where they live in large flocks. These amazing birds can only be found at altitudes between 7,5000 and 16,000 feet.
  • The Andean Hairy Armadillo: The “little armored one” is now highly endangered, so seeing one may be difficult. Once found all over the Andes, they can only be found today in the region around Lake Titicaca. A solitary creature, the Andean Hairy Armadillo is perhaps the most elusive of all Argentina wildlife.

Get To Know Argentina with Gondwana Ecotours

While not an exhaustive wildlife guide for Argentina, the list above is a good starting place for planning a wildlife sightseeing tour across the country. And, if you book a small group tour with Gondwana Ecotours, you will have the benefit of professional guides to help you see Argentina wildlife on your travels! For an unforgettable trip, book your tour today and get ready to see the incredible animals that call Argentina home.

Download a tour brochure for your Argentina tour dates and pricing.