The Incredible Bio-Diversity of Wildlife in Mexico

Mexico has major differences in climate and landscape, which causes a wide variety of flora and fauna. From mountains and jungles to distinct ocean waters not to mention coral reefs, there is lots for the tourist to experience. See Bird Watching Tours here.

The range of wildlife in Mexico is wonderful; about thirty thousand flowering plants grow there, like bougainvillea, magnolia, orchids, frangipani and many others.

The plant that's largely linked to Mexico is, evidently, the cactus. There can be over 89 species of Cacti family growing in the country. An intriguing fact is that the old name of Mexico City was Tenochtitlan, which suggests 'place of the sacred cactus' in the language of the ancient Aztecs who lived in it.

Thousands of species of insect live in Mexico, with the butterfly together with moth species alone numbering over 2,000. Some of the most interesting butterfly species which can be observed in this place are the Giant Sickle-wing, Two-Barred Flasher, Tropical Buckeye and so much more.

More than one thousand species of birds nest, raise their chicks, and live year-round in Mexico. Most of the most typical and well-known bird species which can be present in Mexico are parrots, toucans, flamingos, ibis, humming birds and macaws. See the list of Bird Watching Tours here.

Among the most prized as well as most stunning birds whose feathers Maya, Aztec and other Mesoamerican civilizations put to use as decorations and in ceremonies is the quetzal. In these days this bird is very rare and is in danger of extinction. They even imagined a few of their deities wearing a decoration created from its feathers.

The underwater life is incredibly diverse. Many vacation goers visit Mexico yearly to get the opportunity to swim with the sea lions, whale sharks, and giant sea turtles. The diversity of underwater life doesn't stop there - many creatures like giant mantas, barracuda, sardines, swordfish and mackerel are merely a small part of the local marine life.

Through the winter season, many migrating gray whales can be viewed on their path from the Bering Sea to their feeding and breeding grounds. These giants may become up to 52 feet long and can weigh approximately 36 tons. A group of these animals swimming together to their feeding grounds is one thing that is certainly worth watching.

Almost never, whenever they are fortunate, a traveler could see the West Indian Manatee in the lagoons of Sian Ka'an, nevertheless these large sea mammals are very rare, hence seeing them is indeed determined by luck. These are huge, gray mammal animals which could grow up to 14 feet in length. They have very interesting paddle-like limbs and tail.

When you're thinking of land wildlife in Mexico, the diversity is amazing as well. Several kinds of reptiles such as turtles, crocodiles and spine-tailed iguana dwell in the lakes, rivers and also forests of the Yucatan Peninsula.

All the other land animals that a number of vacationers want to see incorporate puma, lynx, wolves, jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, bears and monkeys. Coming across most of these creatures in the wilds tend to be unsafe, thus the very best way to see them is by sticking to the marked paths and also having with you a guide who's familiar with the terrain plus is able to protect you from an angry animal if the situation needs it.

The diversity of wildlife in Mexico is spectacular; though the industrialization, urbanization as well as pollution took their toll. Numerous land and sea areas in Mexico at the moment are preserved to sustain and take care of the species which inhabit this magical country, consequently generations to come can enjoy the same wonderful environment we are able to see in these days.

Yucatan Ecology - See Nature At Its Best And Wildlife In Abundance

Regardless if it is your first time to the Yucatan Peninsula, or you have been here a lot of times before, there are always new places as well as things to see, new adventures to have and new wildlife species to see or watch. See more Wildlife tours here.

When you are interested in acquiring knowledge as much as possible concerning Yucatan ecology, joining one of the well guided trips is a fantastic idea. The knowledgeable guides will have a lot to tell you regarding nature and wildlife and you will learn countless interesting facts. See Birding Tours Here.

Yucatan Adventure Tours

You will discover adventure tours meant for the entire Yucatan, with the majority of them starting from Playa del Carmen or Cancun. These two cities are situated in convenient distance to a number of Mayan ruins, coral reefs, biosphere reserves not to mention water sport locations. If you ever want to see as much of Yucatan as possible, starting your adventure from one of these two cities will open numerous possibilities for you.

The Yucatan Eco-System

Mexico has a very diverse as well as vibrant eco-system; deserts and mountains, tropics, forests and wetlands, marshes and mangroves, canyons, cenotes, gorges as well as anything else you can imagine.
Almost all of the Yucatan Peninsula is protected by semi-tropical forest, that many people recognize simply as 'jungle'. It's almost totally inaccessible, except in some areas where a road has been built or you will find trails which you can embark on foot. The coastline has numerous well-developed towns and highways, while on the Peninsula the settlements are small and largely home to hunters, who live in small communities.
When you decide to explore it alone, you can get into danger, and that's why it is always far better to use a highly trained guide who is familiar with the area perfectly and can take you to the areas you want to see.
You will find various commercial undertakings where visitors can experience and see the Mayan way of living. Xcarel and Xel-Ha are two such eco-friendly parks, where the wonder of the natural coastline is reachable for every individual. In these eco-friendly parks tourists can see folks dressed in traditional Maya costume, exhibiting how varied crafts and also agricultural work was done during the past.

In Yucatan many of the rivers run underground, and there are many caves, caverns and also the so-called cenotes. Some of them are only known to people who live in the area and you would need a local guide to take you there; others are well-explored and also mapped and designed for diving. It is said that several of these caves along with waterfalls were once employed by the Mayan kings and queens, and it is possible to take a mud bath with terracotta clay and wash it off under a waterfall the way they used to.
Abundance of Life
Many lagoons and small lakes remain unaltered by civilization, with very few cabins, cottages or small fishing villages erected around them. A great deal of marine life can be seen in all lagoons and lakes, and also the ocean surrounding the Yucatan Peninsula.
If you're thinking of plant life and animals, the state of Quintana Roo comes up. This state has over 20% of its territory protected by some kind of reserve, biosphere environmental protection area or particular rules and regulations to be able to look after its wildlife.

The Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve is unquestionably worth bringing up. It's a fairly good example of how a solid effort to safeguard nature and all its resources can turn into something remarkable. This reserve is mentioned as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its name in the Mayan language signifies 'he who is born under the sun'. Over 1.3 million acres of forest, jungles, bays, lagoons, cenotes along with coral reefs are home to a large number of species of insects, reptiles, mammals not to mention underwater life.
Several other areas in Yucatan are also remarkable, and provide an unmatched experience when you're thinking of eco-tourism. Cozumel Island, Punta Laguna, Isla Contoy and Chinchorro Reef are only some of the places that happen to be definitely worth visiting in case you are enthusiastic about observing totally different species inside their natural habitat.

Knowing More About The Mexican Wildlife

When you're thinking of striking wildlife, Mexico is just about the most fortuitous countries on the earth. The home of some of the most rare species of animals, the tropical forests of Mexico gives housing to a lot of indigenous land and marine animals. See Bird Watching Tours here.

The wildlife of Mexico includes wolves, monkeys, snakes, iguanas, tapirs and bears; all roaming around the forest night and day. Attractions in Mexico additionally incorporates exquisite aquatic scenery and even attractive coral reeves for scuba divers. Tourists and also travelers can take advantage of spending time marveling on the most splendid water animals such as sharks, turtles, whales and swordfishes. Over fifteen foot wing giant mantra rays and friendly dolphins can be seen outside the surf line of Santiago Bay as well, this appealing to numerous vacationers from around the world. See wildlife tours here.

Whales as well as other Underwater Creatures

Tourists and travelers can take an expedition to view hundreds and thousands of grey whale mothers along with their calves. In most cases, grey whales push boats. Even if this sounds alarming, this would offer you the chance to see probably the most spectacular animals of the Mexican wildlife. You can also be ready to witness a horde of blue whales in Mexico. Some other exciting species are humpbacks, killer whales, bottlenose dolphins, seals, and sea lions. Being the feeding ground of Mexico's wildlife, tourists can snorkel through the lagoons and nearby seas and see delightful species of fresh water as well as marine animals which include elephant seals, rare turtles, and fur seals. For an interesting side dish, the waters around the Riviera Maya offer breathtaking whale shark encounters.

Bird Watching

The Mexican wildlife features various birds as well as flying insects. Many visitors are astonished at the kinds of butterflies which cruise over the open water. Bird watchers throughout the world will have their eyes craving over the various kinds of migratory birds which travels to the country. Mexico's wildlife contains a large number of bird species including humming birds, toucans, parrots and flamingos. These birds make stunning melodies in the wild, rewarding you with a nice background music while you stroll throughout the forest and providing you with an idea on where to look on your bird watching tour. In the incomparable greenery of Mexico, a number of the rarest birds can be found such as the elusive quetzal, a prized bird having superb feathers.

In most states of Mexico, oak and pine trees can be found in large quantity-- an indication of Mexico's rich and thriving flora. Among other kinds of plants to be found in the country comprise zapote, mahogany, rosewood, cacao, ebony, and also ceiba; most of these plants serve as food for Mexico's animal wildlife. Exotic flowers also bloom in the country's vibrant forests. And fortunately, tourists can obtain a number of kinds of these flowers from local shops and keep them in their own garden-- one of the best souvenirs one can have from Mexico. Yet when choosing to do this, make sure that the flowers can be legally brought outside of the country. Laws on the preservation of the Mexican wildlife may minimize the exportation and also picking of wild plants from their natural habitat.

In the semi-desert plateau of Mexico dwells precarious predators like iguanas and also pit vipers along with scorpions and rodents. Many Mexican Safari tours can give you the opportunity to see these animals in their natural habitat. The most threatening animals of the Mexican wildlife are mouflons and pumas. While they may be scary enough to cause you to keep your distance, experiencing these creatures in close proximity is a memory which will last an eternity.

How The Long And Short Count Of The Mayan Calendar Originated

The Mayan civilization was very advanced for its time, and had remarkable knowledge of astronomy, geometry and last of all - methods to determine the time. Numerous experts in the fields of astronomy, mathematics as well as other sciences discover the way the Maya utilized to compute periods of time unique. See Chichen itza tour here.

The requirements of their calendar system were similar to other calendar systems seen in the same part of the world by other Mesoamerican civilizations, dating as far back in time as the fifth century BC. See tikal tour here.

The initial style of the Mayan calendar was only accustomed to exhibit the thought of time as past, present and future. The Maya understood really well that time is linear and they needed an approach to tell if one incident had took place just before another. This standard idea speedily evolved into a lot more difficult, sophisticated and highly accurate calendar system, that individuals find fascinating to this day.

Long and Short Count

You will find two major parts in the Mayan calendar which are employed to determine and look at the time - the Long Count and the Short Count. Both the Long Count as well as the Short Count have a particular date as a starting point - August 11, 3114 BC when we're making use of the present Gregorian calendar to specify it, and September 6, 3114 BC if perhaps we're utilizing the Julian calendar.

The Short Count was utilized for calculating short time periods. It was made up of 260 days, divided into 13 periods (20 days each). This way of counting the time remains used in some areas of Guatemala by ancestors and forefathers of the Mesoamerican civilizations.

The Long Count was used generally for computing longer intervals and events that took place a long time ago, or will occur very far into the future. This calendar system was also employed for the inscription of calendar dates.

The cycle of the Long Count is independent of the solar year, mainly because the Maya employed the vigesimal (base 20) instead of the decimal (base 10) numeral system. One Long Count period following the rule above should have been equal to 400 days, but the Maya permitted an exception to the rule and the actual Long Count period is 360 days. Although this recently formed period is close to the solar year, it is still 5 days shorter. It is not certain why the Maya made a decision to transform their calendar slightly, but the fact that they did so illustrates how adequately they understood and observed the sky and the placement of the stars in it.

The Moon and Venus also portrayed an extremely important function in the calendar of the ancient Maya, and they have separate Long Count inscriptions to symbolize the lunar cycles and a Venus cycle.

One Venus cycle was 584 days long, and events just like warfare and conquests were timed to equal particular stages of this cycle. Scientists these days really find the fact that the Maya were able to estimate the Venus cycle very accurately; showing terrific observation along with astronomy skills and expertise in how the planets move in the sky.

The lunar cycles in addition perform an important role, as historians have revealed. The Mayan calendar has completely different lunar cycles that are connected to animals. weather, food and deities. These series show how advanced the culture of the Mayan was in addition to how near the bond was between them and mother nature.

Overall, the Mayan calendar is an extremely complex instrument to assess the time in short or long periods. It demonstrates the Mayans fully understood the concept of time, and had a clever tactic to put an event in a period of time - past, present or future. They created an evolved and advanced calendar concept (the Long Count) along with the additional supplementary forms to the initial calendar (the Short Count). Because of this, the Mayan calendar was understandably the most sophisticated and one of a kind calendar for its time, and numerous civilizations integrated it to a certain extent or entirely throughout the following centuries.