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

Phyllomedus (frog)

Phyllomedusa is a genus of leaf frog from Central and South America. It ranges from Costa Rica southward to Argentina. It has around thirty species.
Some Phyllomedusa species produce a waxy secretion that reduces the evaporative water loss of their bodies, thus keeping them from drying out. Some indigenous groups from South America use the secretions of Phyllomedusa bicolor also called Giant Leaf Frog, in shamanic hunting practices.

The substance is said to intoxicate the indians who ingest it, causing them improve temporarily their sensorial capacities.

Parts of this text are from Wkipedia