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Río Pilcomayo National Park

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The Río Pilcomayo National Park ( Spanish : Parque Nacional Río Pilcomayo ) is a national park located in the northeastern part of the Argentine province of Formosa , on the border with Paraguay . Established on September 29, 1951 to protect the natural features (grasslands, marshes, creeks, lakes and forests), typical of the Humid Chaco ecoregion , the park is included in the Ramsar Convention 's list of wetlands of international importance .

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20-546: The park occupies a large plain , which was formed when a depression in Paleozoic crystalline rocks was filled with organic and inorganic sediments , thus creating a sedimentary basin . The uppermost sediment levels are of fluvial and aeolian origin. The eastern parts of the park are dominated by silts and clays , creating less permeable soils, while the western parts contain soils that are coarser and more porous. There are faults that were generated during formation of

40-512: A valley, a plain is enclosed on two sides, but in other cases a plain may be delineated by a complete or partial ring of hills, by mountains, or by cliffs . Where a geological region contains more than one plain, they may be connected by a pass (sometimes termed a gap ). Coastal plains mostly rise from sea level until they run into elevated features such as mountains or plateaus. Plains can be formed from flowing lava ; from deposition of sediment by water, ice, or wind; or formed by erosion by

60-764: A yellow, golden-tan or greenish-yellow ground color overlaid with a series of black or dark brown saddles, blotches, spots and streaks. The range of the yellow anaconda encompasses the drainage of the Paraguay River and its tributaries, from the Pantanal region in Bolivia , Paraguay , and western Brazil to northeastern Argentina and northern Uruguay . It prefers mostly aquatic habitats, including swamps, marshes, and brush-covered banks of slow-moving rivers and streams. The species appears to have been introduced in Florida , although it

80-408: Is a flat expanse of land with a layer of grass 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 . Plains are one of the major landforms on earth, where they are present on all continents, and cover more than one-third of the world's land area. In

100-573: Is adjacent to the Pilcomayo River and its former channels, which are frequently flooded. It is dominated by riparian vegetation. Figs and sweetwood trees can be found there, covered by many species of lianas , vines and epiphytes . The patchy vegetation of the higher lands, forming distinctive "mountain islands", represent the fourth zone. Quebracho trees ( Schinopsis balansae and Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco ) can frequently be found there. Higher lands are inhabited by such mammals as

120-449: Is located in a subtropical zone with annual mean temperature of 23 °C (73 °F) and annual mean precipitation of 1,200 millimetres (47 in). Summer temperatures can exceed 40 °C (104 °F), but during winters, frost is not uncommon. Winters are dry, while precipitation peaks in March and November. The area is affected by frequent tornadoes . For the purposes of classifying

140-431: Is often much higher than for other types of Boidae . Cannibalism has been observed in this species, though it is not clear how often this occurs. The yellow anaconda has few predators. Juveniles and the occasional adult may be taken by caimans, larger anacondas, jaguars , cougars , some canids such as the crab-eating fox , mustelids , and raptors. The species is also hunted by humans for its skin. In captivity,

160-421: Is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains , as coastal plains , and as plateaus or uplands . Plains are one of the major landforms on earth, being present on all continents and covering more than one-third of the world's land area. Plains in many areas are important for agriculture . There are various types of plains and biomes on them. A plain or flatland

180-481: Is the main watercourse of the area. During the wet season, the river and its tributaries flood the nearby areas, creating large swaths of interconnected lakes and marshes, most of which are temporary. The southern end of the park contains a larger lake called Laguna Blanca, which is a habitat for many waterfowl species and a resting point for migratory bird species coming from the Northern Hemisphere . The park

200-525: Is unknown whether the small population (thought to derive from escaped pets) is reproductive. The taxonomic sinking of Eunectes beniensis and Eunectes deschauenseei into Eunectes notaeus proposed by Rivas et al . (2023) results in this species also being found in western Bolivia, northern Brazil and coastal French Guiana . The yellow anaconda forages predominantly in shallow water in wetland habitats. Most predation occurs from June to November, when flooding has somewhat subsided and wading birds are

220-538: The Hoplosternum that can use atmospheric air and thus tolerate droughts that frequently affect shallow water bodies in the area. The snake population is represented by species such as the yellow anaconda ( Eunectes notaeus ) and Hydrodynastes gigas , a large water snake. Plain In geography , a plain , commonly known as flatland , is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation , and

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240-454: The Andes , lying parallel to the Paraguay River . While the park's territory is gently sloping down from west to east, there is very little variety in elevation. The subtle differences become important in times of heavy rains and floods, when the area becomes inundated with pools of water connected by channels forming in the most low-lying areas. The Pilcomayo River , after which the park is named,

260-438: The gray brocket , capybara , peccary , howler monkey and puma ; birds include chachalacas and rails . The maned wolf can be found in the lowlands, along with such birds as the greater rhea and seriemas . Aquatic environments are inhabited by storks , herons , roseate spoonbills and ducks . There are two caiman species: the broad-snouted caiman and the yacare caiman . The fish population includes species from

280-907: The green anaconda . No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all boas and pythons , it is non-venomous and kills its prey by constriction . The Neo-Latin specific name notaeus derives from Ancient Greek : νωταίος , romanized :  nōtaios , lit.   'dorsal' ( νωταίος is a poetic form of νωτιαίος / nōtiaios ). In distinguishing his new species Eunectes notaeus from Eunectes murinus , Edward Drinker Cope stated, "Dorsal scales are larger and in fewer rows." Adults grow to an average of 3.7 m (12 ft 1 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) in total length. Females are generally larger than males and have been reported up to 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in) in length. They commonly weigh 25 to 35 kg (55 to 77 lb), but specimens weighing more than 55 kg (121 lb) have been observed. The color pattern consists of

300-504: The Earth. They are structurally depressed areas of the world that make up some of the most extensive natural lowlands on the Earth's surface. Eunectes notaeus The yellow anaconda ( Eunectes notaeus ), also known as the Paraguayan anaconda , is a boa species endemic to southern South America. It is one of the largest snakes in the world but smaller than its close relative,

320-404: The agents from hills or mountains. Biomes on plains include grassland ( temperate or subtropical ), steppe ( semi-arid ), savannah ( tropical ) or tundra ( polar ). In a few instances, deserts and rainforests may also be considered plains. Plains in many areas are important for agriculture because where the soils were deposited as sediments they may be deep and fertile , and

340-595: The flatness facilitates mechanization of crop production; or because they support grasslands which provide good grazing for livestock . The types of depositional plains include: Erosional plains have been leveled by various agents of denudation such as running water, rivers, wind and glacier which wear out the rugged surface and smoothens them. Plain resulting from the action of these agents of denudation are called peneplains (almost plain) while plains formed from wind action are called pediplains . Structural plains are relatively undisturbed horizontal surfaces of

360-551: The most common prey. Observations and analysis of gut and waste contents from regularly flooded areas in the Pantanal region of southwestern Brazil indicate that they are generalist feeders that employ both ambush predation and wide-foraging strategies. Their prey consists nearly exclusively of aquatic or semi-aquatic species, including a wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and eggs. Larger specimens can prey upon larger animals, such as brocket deer , capybaras or peccaries . The prey-to-predator weight ratio

380-564: The park's types of plants, the area can be divided into 4 distinct zones. One is savanna , which is dominated by the Caranday wax palm , an unofficial emblem of the area, towering over a dense cover of herbaceous plants (especially from the genus Scirpus ). Other trees include such species as Acacia caven and Prosopis nigra . Wetlands are dominated by aquatic vegetation . Floating plants include water hyacinths , Limnocharitaceae , Nymphoides and Ludwigia . Another distinct zone

400-495: The yellow anaconda has a reputation for being unpredictable and somewhat dangerous to humans, especially when caught from the wild, leading some professionals and keepers to begin efforts at captive-breeding. In the United States, the import, transportation and sale of the species across state lines was banned in 2012 in an attempt to prevent the yellow anaconda from becoming an invasive species in vulnerable natural areas such as

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