A warm shrub desert running down the eastern side of the Andes in Argentina, cloaked in silvery creosote bushes.
Area
350,000 km²
Continent
South America
Location
Western Argentina, east of the Andes
Temperature
Warm to hot
Rainfall
Under 200 mm a year
Climate
Warm shrub desert
About the Monte Desert
The Monte stretches north to south through western Argentina, kept dry by the rain shadow of the Andes. Warmer than the Patagonian desert to its south, it is a land of thorny scrub, cacti and the ever-present creosote bush. Guanacos and Darwin’s rheas roam its plains, and dry rivers come briefly to life after rare storms.
Did you know?
It is dominated by the jarilla, or creosote bush — the very same hardy shrub that rules the deserts of North America.
Highlights
- Warm shrubland in the Andes’ rain shadow
- Dominated by the hardy creosote bush
- Roamed by guanacos and rheas
Photo gallery
Life in the Monte Desert
Animals, birds and plants that have adapted to survive this landscape.
Animals
Guanaco
A wild camelid of South America, cousin to the domestic llama.
Culpeo fox
The Andean fox, a rusty-coated hunter of the high desert.
Birds
Darwin's rhea
A flightless relative of the ostrich roaming Patagonia and the Andes.
Trees & plants
Creosote bush
A hardy shrub whose clones can live for thousands of years.
Prickly pear
A flat-padded cactus with edible fruit, spread across many deserts.
Day & night in the Monte Desert
Deserts are famous for their extreme temperature swings. Flip between day and night to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a subtropical desert.
Midday sun
+45°C
typical daytime high
Blistering daytime heat gives way to surprisingly cool nights — clear skies let the day’s warmth escape, and the temperature can tumble by 30°C or more after dark.
Recorded range for the Monte Desert: Warm to hot