Home›Species›Ecosystem›PantanalEcosystemPantanalWetland and FreshwaterReference and ClassificationVerifiedThe largest tropical wetland on Earth, spanning parts of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay in the upper basin of the Paraguay River, where an annual flood pulse submerges vast grasslands for months before receding into a dry season mosaic of lagoons and gallery forest. The seasonal rhythm of flood and drought supports one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in South America, including the largest population of jaguars on the continent, along with capybaras, giant otters, caimans and the towering jabiru stork. Recognized by UNESCO as the Pantanal Conservation Complex, the wetland has in recent years suffered increasingly severe dry season wildfires linked to drought and land clearing on its margins.FactsPantanalConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesTake a Related QuizComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsDisputedArea (sq km)Scholarly debate150,000 1Estimates range from roughly 150,000 to 195,000 square kilometers depending on the boundary definition used and seasonal flood extent; this figure reflects a commonly cited conservative estimate.ClassificationBiogeographic RealmWell-attestedNeotropic 1PantanalFilter Results11 entriesCommon GroupAllBees, Wasps And Ants (Hymenoptera) (1)Herons, Egrets And Allies (1)Lizards (Lacertilia) (1)Owls (1)Parrots (1)Woodpeckers (1)TaxonomyAllCiconiidae (1)Hymenoptera (1)Iguana (1)Lontra (1)Mustelidae (1)Panthera (1)Piciformes (1)Psittacidae (1)Puma (1)Rodentia (1)Strigiformes (1)HabitatAllDesert (1)Freshwater (2)Grassland (2)Lake (3)Riparian Zone (1)River (3)Savanna (2)Tropical Rainforest (1)Wetlands (2)Conservation StatusAllEndangered (1)Least Concern (6)Near Threatened (2)Not Evaluated (1)Vulnerable (1)Everyday GroupAllBees, Wasps And Ants (Hymenoptera) (1)Herons, Egrets And Allies (1)Lizards (Lacertilia) (1)Owls (1)Parrots (1)Woodpeckers (1)DietAllCarnivore (4)Frugivore (2)Herbivore (2)Omnivore (1)Piscivore (2)Population TrendAllStable (1)System (Realm)AllFreshwater (4)Terrestrial (8)ThreatsAllBiological Resource Use (2)Relationship to PeopleAllEcotourism and Research (1)Hunted or Fished (7)Invasive or Introduced Species (2)Kept as Pets (2)Living or ExtinctAllYes (10)Where It LivesAllAntigua and Barbuda (2)Argentina (6)Australia (2)Bahamas (2)Belgium (2)Belize (3)Bolivia (5)Brazil (10)Canada (1)Chile (1)China (1)Colombia (8)Costa Rica (3)Dominica (1)Dominican Republic (1)Ecuador (8)El Salvador (3)Fiji (1)France (3)Guatemala (3)Guyana (3)Honduras (3)Indonesia (1)Jamaica (1)Japan (1)Malaysia (1)Mexico (5)New Zealand (1)Nicaragua (4)North America (6)Norway (5)Panama (3)Paraguay (6)Peru (6)Poland (2)Saint Kitts and Nevis (2)Saint Lucia (2)Singapore (1)South Africa (1)South America (9)South Asia (1)South Korea (1)Suriname (3)Trinidad and Tobago (1)United Arab Emirates (1)United Kingdom (1)United States (5)Uruguay (5)Venezuela (8)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 11Burrowing OwlPantanalCapybaraPantanalCougarPantanalGiant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)PantanalGreen IguanaPantanalHyacinth MacawPantanalJabiruPantanalJaguarPantanalNeotropical OtterPantanalRed Imported Fire AntPantanalToco ToucanPantanalConnectionsDemonstratesWater Cycle, Natural Phenomena Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1HostsBurrowing Owl, Species Well-attested Source Burrowing owl - WikipediaCapybara, Species Well-attested Source World Wildlife FundCougar, Species Well-attested Source Cougar (Wikipedia)tier 2Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), Species Well-attested Source Giant otterGreen Iguana, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Green IguanaAdditional Source Pantanal (Wikipedia)Article textHyacinth Macaw, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Green IguanaAdditional Source Pantanal (Wikipedia)Article textJabiru, Species Well-attested Source Jabiru (Wikipedia)Jaguar, Species Well-attested Source World Wildlife FundNeotropical Otter, Species Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Neotropical otterRed Imported Fire Ant, Species Well-attested Source Red imported fire ant - WikipediaToco Toucan, Species Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Toco Toucantier 2In BiomeFreshwater, Biomes Well-attested The world's largest tropical wetland, a seasonally flooded freshwater grassland and marsh system fed by the Paraguay River and its tributaries.Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1In the Other AtlasesFound InBoliviaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.BrazilAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.ParaguayAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Sources1. Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.britannica.com/place/Pantanal, area estimate sentenceThe Pantanal is one of the world's largest freshwater wetlands, and the extent of its seasonally dynamic area is estimated to be from 54,000 square miles (140,000 square km) to 81,000 square miles (210,000 square km).Biogeographic realm: neotropic (derived from location stated in entity description)Demonstrates: Water CycleIn Biome: FreshwaterView the SourceWorld Wildlife FundWorld Wildlife FundHosts: JaguarHosts: CapybaraView the SourceWikipedia: Neotropical otterHosts: Neotropical Otter, Wikipedia intro: "and temperate deciduous to evergreen forests, savannas, llanos (of Colombia and Venezuela) and the pantanal (in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay). It prefers to liv..."View the SourceWikipedia: Toco Toucantier 2WikipediaHosts: Toco Toucan, Wikipedia 'Toco Toucan': especially common in the Brazilian cerrado, gallery forests, and the wetlands of the PantanalView the SourceGiant otterHosts: Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), Lead sectionQuote, Hosts: Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), Lead sectionThe giant otter ranges across north-central South America; it lives mostly in and along the Amazon River and in the Pantanal.View the SourceCougar (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Cougar, Social spacing and interactionsQuote, Hosts: Cougar, Social spacing and interactionsCougars were diurnal in the Brazilian Pantanal, but crepuscular and nocturnal in protected areas in the Cerrado, Caatinga and ecotone biomes.View the SourceBurrowing owl - WikipediaHosts: Burrowing Owl, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Burrowing Owl, Distribution and habitatSouth of the Amazon, their population seems to again rebound, as they are widely distributed from southern Brazil and the Pantanal down to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.View the SourceRed imported fire ant - WikipediaHosts: Red Imported Fire Ant, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Red Imported Fire Ant, Distribution and habitatMost known records of the red imported fire ant are around the Pantanal region of Brazil.View the SourceJabiru (Wikipedia)Hosts: Jabiru, LeadQuote, Hosts: Jabiru, LeadThe only member of the genus of the same name, it is most common in the Pantanal region of Brazil and the eastern Paraguayan Chaco.View the SourcePantanal (Wikipedia)Hosts: Hyacinth Macaw, Article textof the Pantanal are also home to the following endangered or threatened species: the hyacinth macaw (Anodorhyncus hyacinthinus) (a bird endangered due to smuggling), the crowned solitary eagle (Buteogallus coronatus), the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), the bush dog (Speothos venaticus), the South American tapir (TapirusHosts: Green Iguana, Article textIn addition to the caiman, some of the reptiles that inhabit the Pantanal are the yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), the gold tegu (Tupinambis teguixin), the red-footed tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria), the green iguana (Iguana iguana), and the venomous Pantanal coral snake (Micrurus tricolor).View the SourceTake a Related QuizWetlands, Reefs and Deltas: New EcosystemsCovers this kind of entry.Comments (0)No comments yet. 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