Biodiversity of the Sierra del Lacandón National Park
At the heart of the Mayan Biosphere in Petén, Sierra del Lacandón National Park is home to immense biodiversity and invaluable ecosystems, such as pristine rainforests and the Usumacinta River basin. Created in 1990, it is the second largest national park in Guatemala, covering 202,865 hectares (2,028 km2). Since 1999, Defenders of Nature (Defensores de la Naturaleza) has managed the park jointly with the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP).
At the heart of the Mayan Biosphere in Petén, Sierra del Lacandón National Park is home to immense biodiversity and invaluable ecosystems, such as pristine rainforests and the Usumacinta River basin. Created in 1990, it is the second largest national park in Guatemala, covering 202,865 hectares (2,028 km2). Since 1999, Defenders of Nature (Defensores de la Naturaleza) has managed the park jointly with the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP).
Morelet's Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii)
Also known as the marsh or swamp crocodile and Mexican crocodile, it is a small crocodilian species distributed throughout Guatemala, Belize and the entire Gulf of Mexico. It usually reaches about 3 meters in length. It lives in swamps and with a very varied carnivorous diet. Subject to special protection in Mexico, but of low concern due to the IUCN red list. It is a species hunted mainly to use its skin.
King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa)
The jungle condor (Sarcoramphus papa), also called royal condor, king vulture, king buzzard and king of buzzards, is a very important scavenger species in cleaning the environment. He often performs the initial cut on large animal carcasses. Due to its size, it displaces smaller American vultures. Live 30 years in captivity or free. The only surviving member of the genus Sarcoramphus that also includes fossil members. It is distributed from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Mexico considers the species in danger of extinction; the IUCN as of Least Concern. The main risks that threaten it are deforestation, presence of organochlorine pesticides, lead poisoning, ingestion of poisoned animals and trade.
Mexican Red Hip Tarantula (Tliltocatl vagans)
The red-tailed tarantula, velvet tarantula, and red abdomen (Brachypelma vagans) is distributed from central Mexico to the south of the Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala. It is a terrestrial species of black color and with growth of reddish hair on the abdomen. They live in burrows created by themselves, thanks to their ability to dig holes and use them as nests, they can also live hidden in tropical undergrowth or in the roots of trees. Considered on the IUCN Red List as Least Concern (LC). It is a protected species in Mexico, and there is less concern since its reproduction is moderate, without reaching a plague, legal as a pet. But even so it is monitored since it is a species trafficked in other countries. Around 2005 to 2007 there was great concern to conserve the species, and in 2013 the law was imposed to decrease its sale for some time.
Pauraque Nightjar (Nyctidromus albicollis)
The pauraque nightjar (Nyctidromus albicollis) also called the common pauraque is a species of bird, one of the only two belonging to the genus Nyctidromus that is part of the Caprimulgidae family known as nightjars. It is native to tropical (Neotropic) America and, with the exception of birds in more northern regions, is largely a year-round resident. They are large and nocturnal birds, easily camouflaged during the day, hunting insects in flight.
Common Boa (Boa constrictor)
The boa constrictor (Boa constrictor), also called the red-tailed boaor the common boa is a large, heavy-bodied, nonvenomous species of snake, that is commonly kept in captivity. Is found in Mexico, Central America and South America, west of the Andes Mountains (primarily Colombia). It is commonly called the northern boa, Colombian boa and common northern boa and is frequently and erroneously referred to as the red-tailed boa or Colombian red-tailed boa, especially in the pet trade.
Owl Butterfly (Memnon Caligo)
This species of butterfly is often found near banana crops or in agricultural areas. It is common in lowland forests, but cannot survive in areas with frequent rainfall. In general, this species can be found in southern Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Peru, and in the Amazons. Two characteristics that help to identify these butterflies are their large size and their large ocelli on the back of their wings, which look like large eyes. It is one of the largest butterflies in Central America.
Cookeina speciosa
A cup-shaped fruiting body fungus, It develops on logs and branches of decaying wood. It is distributed in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, the Caribbean islands, Samoa and Java. It reproduces by means of spores.
Shelf Fungi (Order Polyporales)
Polyporales is an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. All the members of this class are of very diverse sizes, from tiny mushrooms of a few millimeters to giants of almost a meter in diameter and weighing up to 130 kilograms. The group also includes what could be considered the largest and oldest individual organisms on Earth, such as some individuals of the Armillaria gallica fungus, whose mycelium is estimated to have spread over about 150 thousand square meters, reached a weight of 10 tons and an age of 1500 years. It is mainly found on tree trunks, living or dead.
Glorious Blue Skipper (Paches loxus)
This species of butterfly can be observed in open places when they are looking for host plants to lay their eggs. In the dorsal part, the wings are blue and in its ventral part it is brown. This coloration makes the difference between females and males, since the females are entirely brown, another difference is that the female is smaller.
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
A white-tailed deer, Virginia deer or gray deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is a mammal that lives in different ecosystems in America, from the Canadians in the sub-arctic region, through the dry forests of the mountainous slopes of Mexico, the tropical humid forests from Central and South America, to the South American forested areas. It feeds on shrubs and herbs. It is highly hunted by hunters throughout its range, but is not considered at risk. In some regions their populations have increased due to the scarcity of predators. The National Congress of the Republic of Honduras established the deer as a national symbol of the country's fauna. And it was declared a national symbol of the Republic of Costa Rica in 1995.
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