The Llanos (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

''Los Llanos'', "The Plains"; ) is a vast

tropical grassland The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

plain In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...

situated to the east of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, in northwestern South America. It is an

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

of the

tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is a terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is dominated by grass and/or shrubs located in semi-arid to semi- humid climate regions of subtropical and ...

biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...

Geography

The Llanos occupy a lowland that extends mostly east and west. The Llanos are bounded on the west and northwest by the

, and on the north by the

Venezuelan Coastal Range The Venezuelan Coastal Range ( es, Cordillera de la Costa or ), also known as Venezuelan Caribbean Mountain System ( es, Sistema Montañoso Caribe) is a mountain range system and one of the eight natural regions of Venezuela, that runs along the c ...

. The

Guiana Highlands The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * G ...

are to the southeast, and the Negro-Branco moist forests are to the southwest. To the east the

Orinoco wetlands The Orinoco wetlands (NT0906) is an ecoregion of northeast Venezuela within the northern Orinoco Delta. It holds areas of tall grasses in flooded land, surrounded by mangroves and swamp forest, giving way to the drier Llanos savanna in the west. ...

and

Orinoco Delta swamp forests The Orinoco Delta swamp forests (NT0147) is an ecoregion of eastern Venezuela and northern Guyana covering the large and shifting Orinoco Delta. The vegetation is mostly permanently flooded rainforest. The ecoregion is relatively intact apart fro ...

occupy the

Orinoco Delta The Orinoco Delta is a vast river delta of the Orinoco River, located in eastern Venezuela. Location The Orinoco Delta is one of the eight natural regions of Venezuela. It covers the whole of Delta Amacuro State and a few square kilometers of M ...

. The Llanos' main river is the

Orinoco The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3 percent of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia. It is the fourth largest river in the wor ...

, which runs from west to east through the ecoregion and forms part of the border between Colombia and Venezuela. The Orinoco is the major river system of Venezuela.

Climate

The ecoregion has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...

that grades into a

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...

in the Colombian Llanos. Rainfall is highly seasonal, with a rainy season from April to November, and a dry season between December and March. The wettest months are typically June and July. Rainfall varies across the ecoregion, from up to per year in the southwest, in

Apure Apure State ( es, Estado Apure, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Its territory formed part of the provinces of Mérida, Maracaibo, and Barinas, in accordance with successive territorial ordinations pronounced by the colonial author ...

State, and per year in the Llanos of

Monagas ) , anthem = '' Himno del Estado Monagas'' , image_map = Monagas in Venezuela.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location within Venezuela , pushpin_map = , pushpin_m ...

State in the northeast. Mean annual temperature is , and the average monthly temperature varies little throughout the year; the lowest-temperature months (June, July, December, and January) are only cooler than the hottest months.

Flora

The plant communities in the Llanos include open grasslands, savannas with scattered trees or clumps of trees, and small areas of forest, typically

gallery forest A gallery forest is one formed as a corridor along rivers or wetlands, projecting into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands, or deserts. The gallery forest maintains a more temperate microclimate above th ...

s along rivers and streams. There are seasonally flooded grasslands and savannas (''llano bajo'') and grasslands and savannas that remain dry throughout the year (''llano alto''). The llano alto grasslands and savannas are characterized by grasses and shrubs 30–100 cm high, forming tussocks 10 to 30 cm apart. Soils are typically sandy and nutrient-poor. Llano alto covers approximately two-thirds of the Venezuelan llanos, and is also widespread in the Colombian llanos. Grasses of genus ''

Trachypogon ''Trachypogon'' is a small genus of African and Latin American plants in the grass family. Crinkleawn grass is a common name for plants in this genus. ; Species * '' Trachypogon chevalieri'' (Stapf) Jacq.-Fél. - western + central Africa * '' T ...

'' are predominant, and species include ''

Trachypogon plumosus ''Trachypogon'' is a small genus of African and Latin American plants in the grass family. Crinkleawn grass is a common name for plants in this genus. ; Species * '' Trachypogon chevalieri'' (Stapf) Jacq.-Fél. - western + central Africa * '' T ...

, T. vestitus,

Axonopus canescens ''Axonopus'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, known generally as carpet grass. They are native primarily to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas with one species in tropical Africa and another on Easter Island. They are ...

, A. anceps, Andropogon selloanus,

Aristida ''Aristida'' is a very nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family. ''Aristida'' is distinguished by having three awns (bristles) on each lemma of each floret. The genus includes about 300 species found worldwide, often in arid war ...

'' spp., '' Leptocoryphium lanatum, Paspalum carinatum,

Sporobolus indicus ''Sporobolus indicus'' is a species of grass known by the common name smut grass. Distribution This bunchgrass is native to temperate and tropical areas of the Americas. It can be found in more regions, as well as on many Pacific Islands, as an ...

'', and '' S. cubensis'', and

sedge The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...

s in the genera ''

Rhynchospora ''Rhynchospora'' (beak-rush or beak-sedge) is a genus of about 400 species of sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus includes both annual and perennial species, mostly with erect 3-sided stems and 3-ranked leaves. The achenes bear a ...

'' and ''

Bulbostylis ''Bulbostylis'' is a genus of plants in the sedge family. They are sometimes called hairsedges. There are over 200 species of these clump-forming plants of dry grasslands and warm and tropical savannas worldwide. They have solid, rounded, groov ...

''. Shrubs and herbs are most commonly

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

s in the genera ''

Mimosa ''Mimosa'' is a genus of about 590 species of herbs and shrubs, in the mimosoid clade of the legume family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word (''mimos''), an "actor" or "mime", and the feminine suffix -''osa'', "resembl ...

, Cassia,

Desmodium ''Desmodium'' is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae, sometimes called tick-trefoil, tick clover, hitch hikers or beggar lice. There are dozens of species and the delimitation of the genus has shifted much over time. These are mostly ...

Eriosema ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly herbs or shrublets. Leaves are pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely redu ...

Galactia ''Galactia'' is a genus of plants in the legume family (Fabaceae). It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. They do not have an unambiguous common name, being commonly called milk peas, beach peas or wild peas. Selected species * ''Galactia ano ...

Indigofera ''Indigofera'' is a large genus of over 750 species of flowering plants belonging to the pea family Fabaceae. They are widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Description Species of ''Indigofera'' are mo ...

Phaseolus ''Phaseolus'' (bean, wild bean) is a genus of herbaceous to woody annual and perennial vines in the family Fabaceae containing about 70 plant species, all native to the Americas, primarily Mesoamerica. It is one of the most economically importan ...

Stylosanthes ''Stylosanthes'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae and contains numerous highly important pasture and forage species. It was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic ''Pterocarpus'' clade of the Dalbergieae. The ...

Tephrosia ''Tephrosia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is widespread in both the Eastern and Western Hemisphere, where it is found in tropical and warm-temperate regions. The generic name is derived from the Greek word τ ...

'', and ''

Zornia ''Zornia'' is a cosmopolitan genus of herbs from the legume family Fabaceae. It was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic ''Adesmia'' clade of the Dalbergieae. Species ''Zornia'' comprises the following species: * '' Zornia acuta'' S ...

''. The trees manteco (''

Byrsonima crassifolia ''Byrsonima crassifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Malpighiaceae, native to tropical America. Common names used in English include nance, maricao cimun, craboo, and golden spoon. In Jamaica it is called hogberry. It's val ...

''), chaparro (''

Curatella americana ''Curatella americana'', commonly known as the wild cashew tree, sambaı́ba, and the sandpaper tree, is a species of tree in the family Dilleniaceae. It is the sole accepted species in genus ''Curatella''. Description ''Curatella americana'' is ...

''), and alcornoque (''

Bowdichia virgilioides ''Bowdichia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae The Faboideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. An acceptable alternative name for the s ...

'') are the most common, growing either as scattered trees or in woodland patches known as ''matas'' which range in area from 12 meters in diameter up to a hectare. During the rainy season from May to October, parts of the Llanos can flood up to a meter. This turns some

savannas A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

s and

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

s into temporary

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

s, comparable to the

Pantanal The Pantanal () is a natural region encompassing the world's largest tropical wetland area, and the world's largest flooded grasslands. It is located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it extends into Mato Grosso and p ...

of central South America. This flooding also creates habitat for water birds and other wildlife. These seasonally flooded grasslands and savannas, known as llano bajo, typically have richer soils. They are characterized by the grass ''

Paspalum fasciculatum ''Paspalum'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. The group is widespread across much of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Commonly known as paspalum, bahiagrasses, crowngrasses or dallis grasses, many of the species are tall pere ...

''. Trees include the palm ''

Copernicia tectorum ''Copernicia tectorum'' is a palm which is native to Colombia and northern Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast o ...

'' and gallery forest species. Gallery forests include evergreen seasonally flooded forests, and semi-deciduous forests on higher ground. Morichales are seasonally flooded forests characterized by the

moriche palm ''Mauritia flexuosa'', known as the moriche palm, ''ité'' palm, ''ita'', ''buriti'', ''muriti'', ''miriti'' (Brazil), ''canangucho'' (Colombia), ''acho'' (Ecuador), or ''aguaje'' (Peru), is a palm tree. It grows in and near swamps and other wet ...

(''Mauritia flexuosa''). Vegas are seasonally flooded evergreen forests found along the Orinoco and its tributaries. Trees form a canopy 8 to 20 meters high, and include ''

Inga ''Inga'' is a genus of small tropical, tough-leaved, nitrogen-fixing treesElkan, Daniel. "Slash-and-burn farming has become a major threat to the world's rainforest" ''The Guardian'' 21 April 2004 and shrubs, subfamily Mimosoideae. ''Inga''s l ...

'' spp., ''

Combretum frangulifolium ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, but the ...

Gustavia augusta Gustavia may refer to * Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy, the largest town on (and capital of) the Caribbean island of St. Barthélemy * Gustavia, Rügen, an unfinished town project in Swedish Pomerania * ''Gustavia'' (plant), a genus of plants in the ...

Pterocarpus ''Pterocarpus'' is a pantropical genus of trees in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae, and was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic ''Pterocarpus'' clade within the Dalbergieae. Most species of ''Pterocarpus'' ...

'' sp., '' Etaballia dubia,

Spondias mombin ''Spondias mombin'', also known as yellow mombin or hog plum is a species of tree and flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to the tropical Americas, including the West Indies. The tree was introduced by the Portuguese in Sout ...

'', and ''

Copaifera pubiflora ''Copaifera'' is a genus of tropical plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The scientific name means "copal-bearer" (or more accurately, ''copaiba''-bearer), since economically important resins and essential oils can be acquired from them. They ...

''. Semi-deciduous forests occur above flood level, and form a canopy 12 to 15 meters high. Common trees include ''

Tabebuia billbergii ''Tabebuia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae.Eberhard Fischer, Inge Theisen, and Lúcia G. Lohmann. 2004. "Bignoniaceae". pages 9-38. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families a ...

Godmania aesculifolia ''Godmania aesculifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae, native to the New World tropics. A tree, it contains 7,8-dihydroxyflavone Tropoflavin, also known as 7,8-dihydroxyflavone, is a naturally occurring flavone f ...

, Cassia moschata, Spondias mombin, Copaifera pubiflora,

Bourreria cumanensis ''Bourreria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as strongbark or strongback. The generic name was chosen by Patrick Browne (physician), Patrick Browne to honour German pharm ...

Cordia ''Cordia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains about 300 species of shrubs and trees, that are found worldwide, mostly in warmer regions. Many of the species are commonly called manjack, while ''bocote' ...

'' spp., ''

Bursera simaruba ''Bursera simaruba'', commonly known as gumbo-limbo, copperwood, chaca, West Indian birch, naked Indian, and turpentine tree, is a tree species in the family Burseraceae, native to the Neotropics, from South Florida to Mexico and the Caribbean ...

Cochlospermum vitifolium ''Cochlospermum vitifolium'' is a tree in the family Bixaceae. It is native to the Americas: from Mexico to Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South ...

Hura crepitans ''Hura crepitans'', the sandbox tree, also known as possumwood and jabillo, is an evergreen tree of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), native to tropical regions of North and South America including the Amazon rainforest. It is also present in p ...

'', and '' Acacia glomerosa''. "Matorrales" are deciduous and semi-deciduous shrublands 5 to 8 meters high which cover large areas in the central Venezuelan llanos, and may be a form of secondary vegetation in areas that were formerly dry deciduous forest. Typical shrubs are ''

Randia aculeata ''Randia aculeata'', commonly known as white indigoberry or white indigo berry, is a species in the Rubiaceae. It is a shrub or small tree that grows from 2 to 6 m tall. ''R. aculeata'' is native to Florida, Bermuda, the Bahamas, elsewhere a ...

Pereskia guamacho ''Pereskia'' is a small genus of about four species of cacti that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial leaves and non-succulent stems. The genus is named after Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, a 16th-century French bota ...

Prosopis ''Prosopis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It contains around 45 species of spiny trees and shrubs found in subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Western Asia, and South Asia. They often thrive in ari ...

'' spp., '' Xylosma benthamii,

Erytroxylum ''Erythroxylum'' (''Erythroxylon'') is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Erythroxylaceae. Many of the approximately 200 species contain the substance cocaine,Bieri S, Brachet A, Veuthey J, Christen P. Cocaine distribution in wild ...

'' sp., and ''

Cereus hexagonus ''Cereus hexagonus'' or lady of the night cactus is a species of columnar cactus found in Ecuador and Venezuela. References External links * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1055079 hexagonus Taxa named by Philip Miller ...

''.

Fauna

Mammals of the grassland and savanna include

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

(''Odocoileus virginianus''),

giant anteater The giant anteater (''Myrmecophaga tridactyla'') is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is one of four living species of anteaters, of which it is the largest member. The only extant member of the genus ''Myrmecopha ...

(''Myrmecophaga tridactyla''),

capybara The capybaraAlso called capivara (in Brazil), capiguara (in Bolivia), chigüire, chigüiro, or fercho (in Colombia and Venezuela), carpincho (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and ronsoco (in Peru). or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydro ...

(''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris''),

giant armadillo The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the Glyptodontidae, glyptodonts, were much l ...

(''Priodontes maximus''),

Eastern cottontail The eastern cottontail (''Sylvilagus floridanus'') is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. Distribution The eastern cottontail can be found in meadows and shrubby ...

(''Sylvilagus floridanus''),

Alston's cotton rat Alston's cotton rat (''Sigmodon alstoni'') is a rodent species from South America. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela, where it inhabits lowland savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. ...

(''Sigmodon alstoni''),

Hispid cotton rat The hispid cotton rat (''Sigmodon hispidus'') is a rodent species long thought to occur in parts of South America, Central America, and southern North America. However, recent taxonomic revisions, based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data, have ...

(''S. hispidus''), ''

Zygodontomys brevicauda ''Zygodontomys brevicauda'', also known as the short-tailed zygodont, short-tailed cane mouse, or common cane mouse, is a species of rodent in the genus ''Zygodontomys'' of tribe Oryzomyini. Distribution It occurs from Costa Rica via Panama, Col ...

'', and ''

Oecomys bicolor ''Oecomys bicolor'', also known as the white-bellied oecomysMusser and Carleton, 2005 or bicolored arboreal rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus ''Oecomys'' of family Cricetidae. It has a wide distribution in the Amazon biome, occurring i ...

''. The gallery forests are home to more diverse large and medium-sized mammals, including

collared peccary The collared peccary (''Dicotyles tajacu'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Tayassuidae found in North, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the genus ''Dicotyles''. They are commonly referred to as ' ...

(''Tayassu tajacu''),

white-lipped peccary The white-lipped peccary (''Tayassu pecari'') is a species of peccary found in Central America, Central and South America and the only member of the genus ''Tayassu''. Multiple subspecies have been identified. White-lipped peccaries are similar ...

(''T. pecari''),

South American tapir The South American tapir (''Tapirus terrestris''), also commonly called the Brazilian tapir (from the Tupi ''tapi'ira''), the Amazonian tapir, the maned tapir, the lowland tapir, the ''anta'' (Portuguese), and ''la sachavaca'' (literally "bushcow ...

(''Tapirus terrestris''), white-tailed deer,

red brocket The red brocket (''Mazama americana'') is a species of brocket deer from forests in South America, ranging from northern Argentina to Colombia and the Guianas. It also occurs on the Caribbean island of Trinidad (it also occurred on the island of ...

(''Mazama americana''),

wedge-capped capuchin The wedge-capped capuchin or Guianan weeper capuchin (''Cebus olivaceus'') is a capuchin monkey from South America. It is found in northern Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. ''Cebus olivaceus'' is known to dwell in tall, primary forest and travel ove ...

(''Cebus olivaceus''),

Venezuelan red howler The Colombian red howler or Venezuelan red howler (''Alouatta seniculus'') is a South American species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey, found in the western Amazon Basin in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. The populatio ...

(''Alouatta seniculus''), large rodents like the

lowland paca The lowland paca (''Cuniculus paca''), also known as the spotted paca, is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from east-central Mexico to northern Argentina, and has been introduced to Cuba and Algeria. The animal is cal ...

(''Cuniculus paca''),

agouti The agouti (, ) or common agouti is any of several rodent species of the genus ''Dasyprocta''. They are native to Middle America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced else ...

s ('' Dasyprocta'' spp.), and

Brazilian porcupine The Brazilian porcupine (''Coendou prehensilis'') is a porcupine found in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, Bolivia and Trinidad, with a single record from Ecuador. It inhabits tropical ...

(''Coendou prehensilis''), and large cats like the

puma Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...

(''Puma concolor''),

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

(''Panthera onca''), and

ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...

(''Leopardus pardalis''). The endangered

giant otter The giant otter or giant river otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to . Atypical of musteli ...

(''Pteronura brasiliensis'') lives along the Orinoco and its tributaries. Some of the largest jaguars in the world are found in the Llanos, with average weights of over for males. The Llanos long-nosed armadillo (''Dasypus sabanicola'') and the short-tailed opossum '' Monodelphis orinoci'' are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the Llanos. The Llanos' wetlands supports around 70 species of

water bird A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term ''water bird'' is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems, although others make no distinction from seabi ...

s, including the

scarlet ibis The scarlet ibis (''Eudocimus ruber'') is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its ...

. A large portion of the distribution of the

sharp-tailed ibis The sharp-tailed ibis (''Cercibis oxycerca'') is a species of ibis native to open wet savannas in parts of northern South America. Taxonomy and systematics The sharp-tailed ibis is monotypic, being the only representative of the genus ''Cercibis ...

(''Cerbibis oxycerca'') and white-bearded flycatcher (''Phelpsia inornata'') is in the Llanos. Native reptiles include the

Orinoco crocodile The Orinoco crocodile (''Crocodylus intermedius'') is a critically endangered crocodile. Its population is very small, and they can only be found in the Orinoco river basin in Colombia and Venezuela. Extensively hunted for their skins in the 19 ...

(''Crocodylus intermedius''), spectacled caiman (''Caiman crocodilus''),

Green anaconda The green anaconda (''Eunectes murinus''), also known as the giant Emerald anaconda, common anaconda, common water boa or sucuri, is a boa species found in South America. It is the heaviest and one of the longest known extant snake species. Lik ...

(''Eunectes murinus''), and

Arrau turtle The Arrau turtle (''Podocnemis expansa''), also known as the South American river turtle, giant South American turtle, giant Amazon River turtle, Arrau sideneck turtle, Amazon River turtle or simply the Arrau, is the largest of the side-neck tu ...

(''Podocnemis expansa''), which live in the ecoregion's wetlands. File:2007 02 Capybaras 05.jpg, A group of

s at Hato La Fe,

Image:guaraticocroc.jpg, Spectacled caiman, Guaratico River, Venezuela

Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

of the Llanos include the Guahibo in the western Llanos of Colombia and Venezuela, and the

Yaruro The Yaruro people (or Pumé, according to their self-determination) are a Circum-Caribbean indigenous people, native to the ecoregion of Llanos in Venezuela, located west of the Orinoco River.

in the eastern Llanos in Venezuela.

Cattle raising and farming

The primary economic activity in the Llanos since the Spanish colonial era is the herding of millions of cattle. An 1856 watercolor by

Manuel María Paz Manuel María Paz Delgado (July 6, 1820, Almaguer, Cauca, Colombia - September 16, 1902 Bogotá) was a Colombian cartographer, military officer, artist and watercolorist. Biography Manuel María Paz Delgado was born June 6, 1820 in the town o ...

depicts sparsely populated open grazing lands with cattle and palm trees. The term ''

llanero A (, ‘plainsman’) is a South American herder. The name is taken from the Llanos grasslands occupying eastern Colombia and western-central Venezuela. During the Spanish American wars of independence, lancers and cavalry served in both ar ...

'' ("plainsman") became synonymous with the cowhands that took care of the herds, and had some cultural similarities with the

gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...

s of the

Pampas The Pampas (from the qu, pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazil ...

or the ''

vaqueros The ''vaquero'' (; pt, vaqueiro, , ) is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula and extensively developed in Mexico from a methodology brought to Latin America from Spain. The vaquero became t ...

'' of

and

Mexican Texas Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially, ...

. Decades of extensive cattle raising has altered the ecology of the Llanos. Grasslands and savannas are frequently burned to make them more suitable for grazing and eliminate trees and shrubs. Non-native grasses have been introduced for cattle fodder, including the African grass ''

Melinis minutiflora ''Melinis minutiflora'', commonly known as molasses grass, is a species of grass. It is a perennial grass native to Africa, where it occurs in disjunct populations (an arc from central Angola to Cameroon in western central africa, the areas arou ...

'', and now cover large areas. Agriculture, particularly rice and maize, now cover extensive areas, including rice fields in former seasonal wetlands.

Oil and gas

In Los Llanos, the governments of Venezuela and Colombia had developed a strong oil and gas industry in the zones of Arauca, Casanare, Guárico, Anzoátegui, Apure and Monagas. The

Orinoco Belt The Orinoco Belt is a territory in the southern strip of the eastern Orinoco River Basin in Venezuela which overlies the world's largest deposits of petroleum. Its local Spanish name is ''Faja Petrolífera del Orinoco'' (Orinoco Petroleum Belt). T ...

, entirely in Venezuelan territory, consists of large deposits of extra

heavy crude Heavy crude oil (or extra heavy crude oil) is highly-viscous oil that cannot easily flow from production wells under normal reservoir conditions. It is referred to as "heavy" because its density or specific gravity is higher than that of light cru ...

(

oil sands Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Oil sands are either loose sands or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and wate ...

). The Orinoco belt oil sands are known to be one of the largest, behind that of the Athabasca Oil Sands in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada. Venezuela's non-conventional oil deposits of about , found primarily in the Orinoco oil sands, are estimated to approximately equal the world's reserves of conventional oil.

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 105,323 km², or 28%, of the ecoregion, is in protected areas. Protected areas include

Aguaro-Guariquito National Park The Aguaro-Guariquito National Park ( es, Parque nacional Aguaro-Guariquito), also rendered as Aguaro Guariquito National Park, is a protected area with the status of national park in the South American country of Venezuela. Located in the region ...

(5,857.5 km²), Cinaruco-Capanaparo National Park (5,843.68 km²), Tortuga Arrau Reserve (98.56 km²), and Caño Guaritico Wildlife Refuge (93.0 km²) in Venezuela, and

El Tuparro National Natural Park El Tuparro National Natural Park ( es, Parque Nacional Natural El Tuparro) is a national park located in the Vichada Department in the Orinoquía Region of Colombia. It is the only protected area in the Eastern Plains ('' Llanos Orientales'') un ...

(5,549.08 km²) in Colombia.UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) from the World Database of Protected Areas, September 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net

Gallery

File:NP Llanos24 lo (5853385573).jpg, Colombia File:GanadoLlanosVenezuela.jpg, Venezuela File:Guaraticoriver.jpg, The Guaratico River near Mantecal, Venezuela File:Llanosbongo.jpg, Tourist metal bongo on the Guaratico River File:Llanos1.jpg, The flat, expansive Llanos File:Llanosmarsh3.jpg, Wet season File:Llanosnight4.jpg, Sunset File:Llanosstorm.jpg, Thunderstorm tracks

Cities situated in the Llanos

In Colombia

* Acacías *

Arauca, Arauca Arauca is a municipality and capital city of the Arauca Department of Colombia. Its full name is Villa de Santa Bárbara de Arauca, it is located at N 07° 05′ 25″ - W 70° 45′ 42″. The Municipality of Arauca has a total population of ...

Gaviotas Gaviotas is an ecovillage located in the Llanos of the Colombian department of Vichada. It was founded in 1971 by Paolo Lugari who assembled a group of engineers and scientists in an attempt to create a mode of sustainable living in one of the ...

Maní, Casanare Maní is a town and municipality in the Department of Casanare, Colombia. References Municipalities of Casanare Department {{Casanare-geo-stub ...

Orocué Orocué is a town and municipality in the Department of Casanare, Colombia, located on the shore of the Meta River. Historically, it went by the name San Miguel del Macuco. It is located 180 km from Yopal, and 546 km from Bogotá. ...

Paz de Ariporo Paz de Ariporo is a town and municipality in the Department of Casanare, Colombia. An 1856 watercolor by Manuel María Paz is an early depiction of the main square of Paz de Ariporo. At that time, the town was called Moreno, and it served as t ...

Puerto Carreño Puerto Carreño () is the departmental capital, and a municipality, of the department of Vichada in the Llanos of Colombia. History In 1913 the Colombian government created the province (comisaria) of Vichada and it was decided that its capital ...

* Inírida *

Puerto López, Meta Puerto Alfonso López () is a small town and municipality in the Orinoquía Region (Llanos region) of Meta Department, Colombia. It is known as Puerto López and is a port on the Meta river. The town is located approximately 100 kilometers ea ...

San José del Guaviare San José del Guaviare () is a town and municipality in Colombia, capital of the department of Guaviare by the Guaviare River The Guaviare is a tributary of the Orinoco in Colombia. It flows together with the upper Orinoco (until here also ca ...

Saravena Saravena is a city and municipality in Arauca Department, Colombia. It is south of Colombia's border with Venezuela. The area of about 47,000 people near the Venezuelan border has had FARC and ELN activity as well as a Colombian military presenc ...

Tame Tame may refer to: *Taming, the act of training wild animals *River Tame, Greater Manchester *River Tame, West Midlands and the Tame Valley *Tame, Arauca, a Colombian town and municipality * "Tame" (song), a song by the Pixies from their 1989 alb ...

Villavicencio Villavicencio () is a city and municipality in Colombia. Capital of Meta Department, it was founded on April 6, 1840. The city had an urban population of approximately 531,275 inhabitants in 2018.https://www.dane.gov.co/files/varios/informacion ...

Yopal Yopal () is a municipality and capital city of the department of Casanare in Colombia. History During the period of the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the land on which Yopal stands was occupied by the indigenous Achagua people. The ...

Fortul Fortul is one of the seven municipalities of the Colombian department of Arauca. It limits to the north with Saravena; to the south with Tame; to the east with Arauquita and to the west with Güicán. It was founded on January 7, 1920. According ...

In Venezuela

Acarigua Acarigua (), founded as San Miguel de Acarigua, is a city in northwestern Venezuela, in the northern part of the state of Portuguesa. Formerly the state capital, it is a major commercial center for the northern Llanos region of South America. ...

Araure Araure () is a town in the Venezuelan state of Portuguesa. This town is the shire town of the Araure Municipality and, according to the 2001 Venezuelan census, the municipality has a population of 111,908. History Araure was founded on July 6, ...

* Barinas *

Calabozo Calabozo, officially Villa de Todos los Santos de Calabozo, is a city in Venezuela located in the Guárico state, capital of the Francisco de Miranda Municipality and former capital of the state. It has a population of 168,605, according to t ...

* Caripito *

El Tigre El Tigre () is a city of Venezuela located in the state Anzoátegui. It is the capital of Simón Rodríguez Municipality and it is located south in Anzoategui state, equidistant from the Orinoco River and the Caribbean Sea in the Guanipa Mesa at ...

Guanare Guanare () is the capital and most populated city of Portuguesa State, Venezuela. It is where la Virgen de Coromoto is said to have appeared to a Coromoto Indian. Guanare was founded on 3 November 1591 by João Fernandes de Leão Pacheco (15 ...

Maturín Maturín () is a city in Venezuela, the capital of the Venezuelan state of Monagas and a centre for instrumental exploration and development of the petroleum industry in Venezuela. The metropolitan area of Maturín has a population of 401,384 inha ...

Puerto Ayacucho Puerto Ayacucho () is the capital and largest city of Amazonas State in Venezuela. Puerto Ayacucho is located across the Orinoco River from the Colombian village of Casuarito. The city was founded to facilitate the transport of goods past the ...

* Sabaneta * San Carlos *

San Fernando de Apure San Fernando de Apure () is a city in Apure State in Venezuela. The population of the municipality area is 165,135 (2011 census). The 18th century exports included heron feathers (for pens) and animal hides. The “Maria Nieves” bridge across ...

Tucupita Tucupita () is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Delta Amacuro. Geography Delta Amacuro consists almost entirely of the swampy Orinoco River delta. Tucupita is hot and humid, and lies well into the delta on the Caño Manamo river (o ...

Valle de la Pascua Valle de la Pascua is the capital city of the autonomous municipality of Leonardo Infante, Guárico, Venezuela . The city is located in the central plains of Venezuela and was founded on February 25, 1785, by Father Mariano Martí. Along with Z ...

References

External links

*
Dawn on the Plains
Photo Feature, ''Havana Times'', Oct 1, 2010.
The llanos music

The llanos of Colombia and Venezuela

Los Llanos de Colombia
{{Authority control Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Plains of South America Plains of Venezuela Grasslands of Colombia Grasslands of Venezuela Geographical regions of Venezuela Ecoregions of South America Neotropical ecoregions Geography of Portuguesa (state)

Geography

Climate

Flora

Fauna

Indigenous peoples

Cattle raising and farming

Oil and gas

Protected areas

Gallery

Cities situated in the Llanos

In Colombia

In Venezuela

See also

References

External links