Jul/100
Central America Wildlife – White Lipped Peccary
This species typically prefers dense, humid tropical forest, usually with primary growth, although their habitat also includes dry savannas and tropical dry forests. They live in Central and South America. White lipped Peccaries are the big and aggressive brothers of the collared peccary. They have even killed jaguars when trying to defend themselves. That is why white lipped peccaries are considered as the most dangerous peccary.
The pelage of the white-lipped peccary is an overall dark reddish-brown or black. A curious thing is that each and every hair has two different tones: light at the base, and then dark. The average length of these animals is reported to be: body length, somewhere between 90 and 140 cm, shoulder height 40-60 cm, and body weight 25-40 kg. The maximum a white lipped peccary has lived is 13 years. It is an omnivorous animal because it feeds on fruits, roots, tubers, palm nuts, grasses and some invertebrates.
The white-lipped peccary is a diurnal mammal. It is also a social animal. It is known that they live in large herds of 50 to 300+ individuals, though there have been reported sightings of up to 2,000 individuals. With such a large number of herd members, it is necessary for white lipped peccaries to constantly move in order to obtain enough food. Studies have shown that a herd can cover about 10 km per day.
156 to 162 days is the gestation period of white lipped peccaries. When it comes to babies the great majority of births are twins. There are weird cases of single or triples births. The white lipped peccary doesn't have a specific breeding season. They breed throughout the year.
Although not immediately endangered it is threatened by deforestation and increased hunting pressure. This species is economically important, and one of the principal species for neo-tropical hunters.
Marina K. Villatoro, lives in Central America - Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She has traveled all over these areas with her family and now she loves to organize vacations to Costa Rica and Guatemala. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!
Jun/100
Some Facts About El Quetzal
Who are they? Quetzals are considered one of the world's most beautiful birds and the Guatemalan currency is named after them. They are also beautiful and exotic birds known for their bright colors and long tails.
Color: The male is unmistakable. Its feathers are from a vibrant green with its distinctive long tail feathers. There is also their scarlet belly and the white lower tail surface. Female on the other hand has darker green fathers and a red belly,
Food: Quetzals are specialized fruit-eaters, but can also be called omnivorous becuase they also like to mix their diet with insects and small frogs.
Growth: Males can be a meter long and can weigh up to half pound because of their tales. The body itself measures only 38 to 40.5 cm, the tail on the other hand can be 61 cm.
Age: Quetzal can't live in captivity, they get depressed and die. That's why no one has been able to study how long they can live.
Habits: Quetzals spend their days sitting on the forest canopy eating. Generally they live groups of 4 or 6 individuals or in couples.
Kids: Females can only have two eggs at once, these eggs are blue and measure around 3 centimeters. The male and female quetzals take turns incubating the eggs. The time it takes the young to come out of the shell is 17 to 18 days. Young quetzals can fly at about three weeks of age, but males do not begin to grow their long tail plumes for three years.
Mating: During mating season, male quetzals grow the twin tail feathers that characterize them and can grow up to one meter long. Females do not have long tails, but they do share the brilliant green and red coloring of their mates. The reproductive time is between March and June.
Importance: There are six different kinds of Quetzals and they are all endangered. These beautiful exotic birds because of all the illegal hunting and the destruction of their habitat are in the list of to be extinct animals unless things change.
Quick Fact: A Guatemalan legend says that when the Spaniards came there was a horrible fight between them and the Quiches (ancient town of Mayan natives), once it was over many quetzals landed on dead Mayan's bodies, where they got stained in their blood and that's where they got their red chests from.
Where can they be found? They need to live in a tropical forest. They can be found from Chiapas, Mexico to Panama.
Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, lives in Central America - Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She's traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. Having first hand experience of all the places with her family, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!