The Yucatan Peninsula is located in southeastern Mexico, and is the place where the great Mayan civilization was once the most influential Mesoamerican civiliation in what is now Mexico and Central America. The entirety of the peninsula is comprised of carbonate and soluble rocks, such as limestone and dolomite, which have given way to natural phenomena called cenotes. Cenotes are sinkholes in the karst landscape that lead to underground, underwater caves, many of which have remained virtually unfettered for more than 10,000 years. Incredibly, life has adapted to these unique underwater ecosystems, although populations are quite a bit smaller.
Its position in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico affords the Yucatan Peninsula lush vegetation in the form of short and tall jungles. In fact, the boundaries between the peninsula, Guatemala, and Belize contain Central America’s largest tracks of continuous tropical rainforest. Within these jungles is a wonderful array of endemic and regional creatures, many of which are easily spotted on a hike through the milder stretches, and some of them right in the towns that dot the area. Here are just a few of the critters you can look forward to seeing on your visit to the Yucatan Peninsula.
Coatimundi
Oscellated Turkey
Nine-Banded Armadillo
Keel-Billed Toucan
Northern Tamandua
Geckos
Kinkajou
Long-Tail Weasel
Yucatan Parrot
Black Spiny-Tailed Iguana
Leaf-Cutter Ants
Malachite Butterfly
Top image via Wikimedia Commons
