Close to 500 species of animals live in Patagonia: These include 400 birds, 60 mammals and a variety of amphibians, fish and reptiles, together with a vast and as-yet-undetermined number of insects, all making for a great Patagonia vacation.
The natural life at the world's southern tip is abundant and surprising. Over thousands of years, a wide range of plants and animals have adapted to the land, evolving amidst forceful winds, low temperatures and incessant rain.
Torres del Paine National Park itself is home to 105 types of birds, including the condor (Vultur gryphus), ñandú (lesser rhea or Pterocnemia pennata), flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), buff-necked or black-faced ibis (Theristicus melanopis), black-necked swan (Cygnus melanocorypha), black-chested buzzard-eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus), long-tailed meadowlark (Sturnella loyca) and austral parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus).
It is also home to 25 types of mammal, some of them in abundant numbers and visible at a short distance, such as guanacos (lama guanicoe), the South American grey fox (lycalopex griseus) and the South American red fox (lycalopex culpaeus); others are endangered and only visible in certain areas, such as the huemul (Southern Andean deer, Hippocamelus bisulcus) and the puma (puma concolor pearsoni).
There are some 2,500 species of flora, ranging from very simple forms (algae, lichens, moss and fungi) to intermediate forms such as ferns, grass and bushes, to leafy trees such as lenga (nothofagus pumilio), coihue (nothofagus dombeyi), alerce (Patagonian cypress or fitzroya cupressoides) and ñirre (Antarctic beech or Nothofagus antarctica).
From the pampa to the lushest mountain forests, Patagonia's plantlife is intense and varied, with many native species.
SILENT HUNTER: THE PUMA
Torres del Paine National Park is home to the Concolor Pearsoni puma, a solitary feline, stealthy and territorial. Its excellent sense of smell and night vision mean that this cat can hunt a wide range of prey: rodents, rabbits, guanacos (Lama guanicoe), pudús (Southern pudú or Pudu puda) and huemules (Southern Andean deer or Hippocamelus bisulcus). Like all pumas, this big cat is a skilled climber and can also reach tremendous speeds in short distances.
The puma generally lives in mountainous areas, but in winter (May to August) snow forces the puma down into the valleys, so you are more likely to see them at this time of year.
The puma is an endangered species and hunting it is illegal in Chile. In Torres del Paine, the puma population has increased over the last 20 years and the area now shows some of the greatest population density in Chile, with up to 12 pumas per 100 kilometers2 (38.6 miles2).
