Iberá Wetlands

Some lakes in the Iberá Wetlands, reflecting sunlight. Photographed from the International Space Station.

The Iberá Wetlands or Iberá Provincial Nature Reserve (in Spanish, Esteros del Iberá, from Guaraní ý berá "bright water") are a mix of swamps, bogs, stagnant lakes, lagoons, natural slough and courses of water in the center and center-north of the province of Corrientes, Argentina. The Esteros are the second-largest wetlands in world after Pantanal in Brazil. They are of pluvial origin, with a total area 15,000 to 20,000 km². Since 1982, the wetlands are part of a protected area (the Iberá Natural Reserve), which comprises 13,000 km² (14% of the surface area of Corrientes, the largest protected area in Argentina). Iberá is also one of the most important fresh water reservoirs in the continent. In 2002 an area of 245 km² has been listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar convention.

The Natural Reserve is known for its biodiversity, including four species that have been declared "provincial natural monuments": the neotropical river otter, the maned wolf, the pampas deer, and the marsh deer. It is also home to the two Argentine species of alligator, the Yacare caiman (yacaré negro) and the broad-snouted caiman (yacaré overo), as well as the capybara (the world's largest rodent) and about 350 bird species.

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  Capybara at Iberá
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  Esteros del Iberá Marsh
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  Esteros del Iberá Lagoon

External links

• Rincón del Socorro is a 12,000-hectare (29,700 acres) former cattle ranch on the edge of the Iberá wetlands in Northeastern Argentina that has been made into a nature reserve. Our orientation is to give guests and visitors a good understanding of the local ecosystem and an appreciation for the importance of wetlands and savanna landscapes.