Fauna of Belize
Non-vertebrates
The vast majority of Belizean animals are from diverse lineages that are 'non-vertebrates', with many arthropods, molluscs, annelida, nematodes and often countless others often poorly studied.
Vertebrates
Mammals
Birds
The avifauna of Belize include a total of 590 species, of which two are globally endangered and four have been introduced by humans.
Amphibians
There are many species of salamanders, toads, and frogs found in the tropical forests of Belize such as the
There are more than 800 species of rain frogs that exist, and eight of them are found in Belize. They vary in size, from the Maya rain frog which is about 2.5-3.5 cm (1 in), to the Central American rain frog which can be 9 cm (3.5 in) long. Rain frogs are usually terrestrial, so they can be found on the forest floors, in or near pools, ponds, and streams. They are different from tree frogs in their color; usually having more earth tones with dark markings on their backs and legs. Out of more than 700 species of tree frogs, 12 of them can be found in Belize. Unlike rain frogs, they have more bright colors such as orange, blue, red and yellow to warn predators that they are poisonous. Tree frogs, like their name, are most commonly found in trees. Despite their skinny legs, they are very good jumpers and climbers.[4]
Reptiles
In Belize, there are 2 species of crocodilians that roam around the waters, the American crocodile and Morelet's crocodile. Although both of these species are not particularly aggressive, they are found as a danger to humans. The American crocodile can grow up to 6.4 m (21 ft), on average being about 4 m (13 ft). They are usually found in the swamps and lowlands of Belize. Morelet's crocodile, which is smaller, can grown up to 4 m (13 ft) but the average size is 2.5 m (8 ft). These crocodiles are mostly seen along the coast of Northern and Central Belize in freshwater.[5]
Belize has many species and types of turtles. There are three species of
Belize is home to many tropical snake species, including both venomous and nonvenomous snakes. The families found in Belize consist of
Colubrid snakes differ from other Belize snakes in a few ways.
Boa constrictors and many of the colubrid species kill their prey primarily via
The venomous snakes in Belize can be split into two families: the
Both pit vipers (which are venomous) and boa constrictors (which are not) are usually ambush hunters that will remain hidden, laying in wait in a single general area, potentially up for several days, before striking a prey item that crosses their path with immense speed. There are only 3 species of the family Elapidae that are found in Belize, all of which are classified as different species of
There are eight species of
See also
References
- ^ "Know Belize - Flora & Fauna". CentralAmerica. 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-04-12. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
- ^ "BELIZE". Encyclopedia of the Nations. 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
- ISBN 976-640-119-5.
- ^ ISBN 0-12-084811-2.
- ^ "Fauna". Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-12-662760-6.
- ^ "Crawl Cay Boa - www.gazboas.co.uk". Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-09-20.