thorn scrub, savannas, wetlands, and palm groves, making it the continent's second-largest forested ecoregion and a region of high ecological diversity.

The Gran Chaco is home to more than 3,400 plant species, around 500 bird species, 150 mammals, and more than 200 reptiles and amphibians, including jaguars, giant armadillos, peccaries, and maned wolves.