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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

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

tropical grassland 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 t ...

plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, 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 ...

situated to the east of the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, in northwestern South America. It is an

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

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 distinct geographical region with specific climate, vegetation, and animal life. It consists of a biological community that has formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate. In 1935, Tansley added the ...

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 ( or ), also known as Venezuelan Caribbean Mountain System (), is a mountain range system and one of the eight natural regions of Venezuela, that runs along the central and eastern portions of Venezuela's northern coa ...

. The

Guiana Highlands The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British, Dutch, and French Guiana respectiv ...

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 o ...

. 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 approximately 1 million km2, with 65% of it in Venezuela and 35% in Colombia. It is the List of rivers by discharge, f ...

, 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 ...

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 subtype 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 (, ) is one of the 23 States of Venezuela, states of Venezuela. Its territory formed part of the provinces of Mérida (state), Mérida, Maracaibo, and Barinas (state), Barinas, in accordance with successive territorial ordinations ...

State, and per year in the Llanos of

Monagas Monagas State (, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Monagas State covers a total surface area of and, as of the 2011 census, had a population of 905,443. Monagas State is surrounded by Sucre State in the north, Anzoátegui State in the ...

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 and central Africa * ' ...

'' are predominant, and species include ''

Trachypogon plumosus ''Trachypogon'' is a small genus of African and Latin American plants in the Poaceae, grass family. Crinkleawn grass is a common name for plants in this genus. ; Species * ''Trachypogon chevalieri'' (Stapf) Jacq.-Fél. – western and central Af ...

, 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 ''Andropogon'' (common names: beard grass, bluestem grass, broomsedge) is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, native to much of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as Southern Europe and various oceanic islands. Over 100 specie ...

Aristida ''Aristida'' is a very nearly Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan genus of plants in the Poaceae, grass family. ''Aristida'' is distinguished by having three Awn (Botany), awns (bristles) on each lemma (botany), lemma of each floret. The gen ...

'' spp., '' Leptocoryphium lanatum,

Paspalum carinatum ''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 ...

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 wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...

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 Cyperaceae, 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, rou ...

''. Shrubs and herbs are most commonly

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

s in the genera ''

Mimosa ''Mimosa'' is a genus of about 600 species of herbs and shrubs, in the mimosoid clade of the legume family Fabaceae. Species are native to the Americas, from North Dakota to northern Argentina, and to eastern Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique, and ...

, 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. Species are distr ...

Eriosema ''Eriosema'' is a genus of flowering plants 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, rare ...

, Galactia,

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 ''Indigofera'' is a varied genu ...

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 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 τεφ ...

'', 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. The plan ...

''), 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'' i ...

''), 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 sub ...

'') 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

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

s and

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

s into temporary

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

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 and savannas, flooded grasslands. It is located mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but i ...

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''. Trees include the palm '' Copernicia tectorum'' 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), ''morete or acho'' (Ecuador), ''palma real'' (Bolivia), or ''aguaje'' (Peru), is a palm tree. It gro ...

(''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,

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

'' sp., ''

Pterocarpus dubius ''Pterocarpus dubius'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae native to Venezuela, Guyana, and northern Brazil in northern South America. ''Pterocarpus dubius'' is a tree which grows up to 30 meters tall. It grows in semi-deciduo ...

Spondias mombin ''Spondias mombin'', also known as yellow mombin, hog plum, amra or cajazeira, 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 ...

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

Godmania aesculifolia ''Godmania aesculifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae Bignoniaceae () is a Family (biology), family of flowering plants in the Order (biology), order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpet vines.Ver ...

, 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 to honour German pharmacist Johann Ambrosius Beur ...

Cordia ''Cordia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 228 species of shrubs and trees, that are found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Many of the species are commonly called manjack, while may ...

'' spp., ''

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

Cochlospermum vitifolium ''Cochlospermum vitifolium'' or ''rosa amarilla'' is a tree belonging to the family Bixaceae. It reaches up to in height and its leaves are deciduous. Its flowers are showy, yellow, solitary, and large, up to across. They resemble roses but do ...

Hura crepitans ''Hura crepitans'', the sandbox tree, also known as possumwood, monkey no-climb, assacu (from Tupi ''asaku'') and jabillo, is an evergreen tree in the family Euphorbiaceae, native to tropical regions of North and South America including the Amaz ...

'', and ''

Acacia glomerosa ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Australa ...

''. "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,

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

Prosopis ''Prosopis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The current circumscription of the genus contains three species found in northern Africa, the Middle East, Central and South Asia. Previously it also contained around 40 species ...

'' spp., '' Xylosma benthamii, Erytroxylum'' sp., and ''

Cereus hexagonus ''Cereus hexagonus'' or lady of the night cactus is a species of columnar cactus found in northern South America. Description ''Cereus hexagonus'' grows like a tree with erect shoots that branch out from near the base and can reach heights of gr ...

''.

Fauna

Mammals of the grassland and savanna include

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...

(''Odocoileus virginianus''),

giant anteater The giant anteater (''Myrmecophaga tridactyla'') is an Insectivore, insectivorous mammal native to Central America, Central and South America. It is the largest of the four living species of anteaters, which are classified with sloths in the or ...

(''Myrmecophaga tridactyla''),

capybara The capybara or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'') is the largest living rodent, native to South America. It is a member of the genus '' Hydrochoerus''. The only other extant member is the lesser capybara (''Hydrochoerus isthmi ...

(''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 shrub ...

(''Sylvilagus floridanus''), Alston's cotton rat (''Sigmodon alstoni''),

Hispid cotton rat The hispid cotton rat (''Sigmodon hispidus'') is a rat 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 split this ...

(''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, Co ...

'', 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 peccary, a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Peccary, Tayassuidae found in North America, North, Central America, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the gen ...

(''Tayassu tajacu''),

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

(''T. pecari''),

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

(''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 call ...

(''Cuniculus paca''),

agouti The agouti (, ) or common agouti is any of several rodent species of the genus ''Dasyprocta''. They are native to Central 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, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, Bolivia and Trinidad, with a single record from Ecuador. It inhabits tropi ...

(''Coendou prehensilis''), and large cats like the puma (''Puma concolor''),

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

(''Panthera onca''), and

ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted Felidae, wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, Central and South America, ...

(''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 mustel ...

(''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 only 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 foun ...

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, sometimes called red 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 ex ...

. 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 ...

(''Cercibis oxycerca'') and

white-bearded flycatcher The white-bearded flycatcher (''Phelpsia inornata'') is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaram ...

(''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 Venezuela and Colombia. Extensively hunted for their skins in the 19t ...

(''Crocodylus intermedius''),

spectacled caiman The spectacled caiman (''Caiman crocodilus''), also known as the white caiman, common caiman, and speckled caiman, is a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae. It is brownish-, greenish-, or yellowish-gray colored and has a spectacle-like ridge ...

(''Caiman crocodilus''),

Green anaconda The green anaconda (''Eunectes murinus''), also known as the giant anaconda, emerald anaconda, common anaconda, common water boa, or southern green anaconda, is a semi-aquatic boa species found in South America and the Caribbean island of Trin ...

(''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 The spectacled caiman (''Caiman crocodilus''), also known as the white caiman, common caiman, and speckled caiman, is a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae. It is brownish-, greenish-, or yellowish-gray colored and has a spectacle-like ridge ...

, Guaratico River, Venezuela

Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

of the Llanos include the Guahibo in the western Llanos of Colombia and Venezuela, and the Yaruro 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 depicts sparsely populated open grazing lands with cattle and palm trees. The term ''

llanero A (, 'plainsman') is a Venezuelan and Colombian 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 b ...

'' ("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, Paraguay, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, the southern part of Bolivia, and the south of Chilean Patago ...

s of the

Pampas The Pampas (; from Quechua 'plain'), also known as the Pampas 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 o ...

or the ''

vaqueros The ''vaquero'' (; , ) is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula and extensively developed in what what is today Mexico (then New Spain) and Spanish Florida from a method brought to the Americ ...

'' 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 Mexican War of Independence, war against Spain, whi ...

. 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 developed a strong oil and gas industry in 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). ...

, 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 are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. They are either loose sands, or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, soaked with bitumen (a dense and extremely viscous ...

). The Orinoco Belt oil sands are known to be one of the largest, behind that of the

Athabasca Oil Sands The Athabasca oil sands, also known as the Athabasca tar sands, are large deposits of oil sands rich in bitumen, a heavy and viscous form of petroleum, in northeastern Alberta, Canada. These reserves are one of the largest sources of unconventi ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

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

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 (), 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 of the Llanos, it extends over the mun ...

(5,857.5 km²),

Cinaruco-Capanaparo National Park The Santos Luzardo National Park () Also Cinaruco-Capanaparo National Park It is a protected area with the status of national park that is located between the rivers Capanaparo and Cinaruco and the confluence of them with the Orinoco river, in jur ...

(5,843.68 km²),

Tortuga Arrau Reserve Tortuga is the Spanish word for a turtle Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the ...

(98.56 km²), and

Caño Guaritico Wildlife Refuge Caño is a barrio in the municipality of Guánica, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 1,788. See also * List of communities in Puerto Rico In the archipelago and island of Puerto Rico, there are 78 municipalities serving as second-level ...

(93.0 km²) in Venezuela, and

El Tuparro National Natural Park El Tuparro National Natural Park () 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'') under Colombia's Natural Parks System. On ...

(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 Centro Las Gaviotas is an ecovillage located in the Llanos region of Colombia, in the department of Vichada. It was founded in 1971 by Paolo Lugari, who assembled a group of engineers and scientists in an attempt to create alternative and susta ...

Maní, Casanare Maní is a town and municipality in the Department of Casanare, Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. T ...

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 Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North A ...

Puerto Carreño Puerto Carreño (), translation is the departmental capital city, and a municipality combined of the department of Vichada in the Llanos of Colombia located on the Orinoco River. Puerto Carreño is best-known as a tourist gateway to hundreds ...

* Inírida * Puerto López, Meta * San José del Guaviare *

Saravena Saravena is a city and municipality in Arauca Department, Colombia. It is located south of Colombia's border with Venezuela. The municipality, with a population of 55,554, has had FARC and ELN activity as well as a Colombian military presence ne ...

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 a ...

Villavicencio Villavicencio () is a city and municipality in Colombia. The capital of Meta Department, it was founded on April 6, 1840. The municipality had a population of 531,275 in 2018. The city is located at 4°08'N, 73°40'W, 75 km (about 45 ...

Yopal Yopal () is a municipality and capital city of the department of Casanare in Colombia and the second most populated and important city in the Orinoquía region after Villavicencio. History Before the period of the Spanish colonization of 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 in 1620, is a city in northwestern Venezuela, in the northern part of the state of Portuguesa (state), Portuguesa and its former capital. It encompasses the Páez municipality. It is a major commerc ...

* Araure * Barinas *

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

Caripito Caripito is a city in the state of Monagas, Venezuela. It has around 50,000 inhabitants. It is the third largest city in the state, after Maturín and Punta de Mata. History Caripito is first recorded as a mission town, but the existence of ...

El Tigre El Tigre is a city of Anzoategui, a state located east of Venezuela's capital city of Caracas. Located in what is called the "Guanipa Mesa", a river (Tigre) runs across the city. The average temperature is 79°F, all year around, and the annua ...

Guanare Guanare () is the capital 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 (1543–1593), a Portuguese ...

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 River delta, delta. Tucupita is hot and humid, and lies well into the delta on the Caño Mana ...

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)