NATURE WATCH

From windswept meadows on the upper slopes of volcanoes more than 4,000-meters-high, to lowland plains covered with a dense mantle of tropical jungle, the Mundo Maya is a mosaic of environments, climates, flora and fauna. A series of geological faults runs through the region and frequent earthquakes have changed the face of the landscape.

(Spizaëtus ornatus) Noted by its black crest and bronze face, the ornate hawk-eagle lives in the lowland rain forests of the Mundo Maya, where it feeds on small animals.

During the summer and fall months, tropical storms, called cyclones, often blow into the area, and during the winter and spring there is a constant battle between the hot and dry counter trade winds and polar air masses called nortes (north winds). Furthermore, a small area may feature several different natural habitats, for example: thorn scrub, dense jungle, swamps, mangroves, mountain forest, volcanic crater lakes and coral reefs.

Botanists have identified around 8,000 species of flowering plants; 600 bird species, more than in all Europe; and approximately 1,200 kinds of butterflies. This abundance can be found in an area half the size of Texas.

For almost 100 million years, the Mundo Maya developed in isolation, leading to the evolution of endemic life forms; different to those found in neighboring regions. It was also a land bridge between North and South America, and, to this day, temperate and tropical plants and animals from both subcontinents are found in the area.

ORNATE HAWK-EAGLE(Spizaëtus ornatus) Noted by its black crest and bronze face, the ornate hawk-eagle lives in the lowland rain forests of the Mundo Maya, where it feeds on small animals.

CACOMIXTLE (Bassariscus sumichrasti) A small nocturnal animal and gifted hunter, cacomixtles feed on small animals including chickens and domestic birds. Cacomixtles can be spotted in forested areas of the Mundo Maya.

RED MACAW (Ara macao) Living in the jungles of state of Chiapas, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras, the macaw was valued by the Maya for its tail feathers. In recent years, numbers have dropped because of illegal trading.

JABIRU (Jabiru mycteria) With its dashing scarlet collar and huge white wings, the rare jabiru stork can sometimes be sighted in the wetlands and plains of southeast Mexico and Belize.

JAGUAR (Panthera onca) Called Balam and venerated by the ancient Maya, the now-protected large cat still lives in the lowland jungles of the region. Maya rulers were often named after the jaguar and wore their skins. Hunting and the destruction of their habitat has led to a sharp drop in numbers.

HOWLER MONKEY (Alouatta palliata) Hidden in the treetops, howler monkeys are hard to spot until they open their mouths. With a voice that carries for up to nine kilometers, they live in the lowland rain forests of the region.

QUETZAL (Pharomachrus mocinno) Guatemala's National bird, the quetzal lives in the cloud forest of Guatemala, the state of Chiapas, Mexico, and part of Honduras. Prized by the Maya for its feathers, the quetzal is also a symbol of freedom.

EMERALD TOUCANET (Aulacorhynchus prasinus) The familiar yellow beak immediately identifies the emerald toucanet. With its chestnut tail and deep emerald plumage, this bird lives in the cloud forests of the Mundo Maya.