South America's Pantanal is the world's largest freshwater wetland. Its spectacular biodiversity reflects the region's dramatic extremes.

In the rainy season, the rivers overflow and flood up to 345,000 acres, distributing fish to the region’s thousands of species of mammals, birds and reptiles. In the dry season, when the water recedes, many plants bloom and produce fruit, and some animal species that had migrated before the flooding return to breed.