Guatemala: flora and fauna

Guatemala : flora and fauna

Guatemala is a small country which is home to 19 different ecosystems, ranging from the mangrove forests on both Pacific and Caribbean coasts to the pine forests of the mountainous interior, to the cloud forests at higher altitudes and to the sub tropical jungle at lower altitudes. These ecosystems include 250 species of mammals, 600 species of birds and 200 species of reptiles and amphibians, many species of butterflies and other insects... and more than 8,000 species of plants !

Here are some examples of this diversity.

Fauna
Jaguar Puma Ocelot Jaguarundi Oncilla Agouti Coati Kinkajou Paca Peccary Tapir Armadillo Spider monkey Howler monkey	Crocodile Iguana Sea turtle Phyllomedusa Swainson's hawk Scarlet macaw Hummingbirds Quetzal Toucan Montezuma Oropendola Vulture Tarantula Fer-de-lance Coral snake

Iguana

The green iguana (Iguana iguana) is a large, arboreal lizard from Central and South America. The green iguana is found over a large geographic area, from Mexico to southern Brazil and Paraguay, as well as on the Caribbean Islands and Florida (populations are feral). They are typically about two metres in length from head to tail and can weigh up to 20+ pounds (10 kg). Recent discoveries have shown that iguanas, along with several other species popularly kept as pets, are actually venomous (not a health issue). However, their venom is not produced in sufficient quantities to be harmful to humans.

Some green iguanas have small horns on their snouts between their eyes and their nostrils, while others do not. Naturalists once classified green iguanas with horns and those without as belonging to different subspecies; however, they now consider this classification inaccurate.

Parts of this text are from Wkipedia