Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Meanwhile, December through April is so sunny, hot and dry that the deciduous trees
shed all of their leaves. Temperatures fluctuate between 80° and 100°F, virtually tropical
desert conditions. The flora and fauna that survive here are hearty and attuned to these con-
ditions.
Wildlife
Just over half the forest, in the highest elevation, consists of deciduous trees, while near
the coast there's more than 1000 acres of semi-evergreen forest and scrub forest; at the wa-
terline are the familiar mangroves. One of the most unusual plants here is the squat melon
cactus with its brilliant pink flowers that attract hummingbirds. Another plant, with the un-
seemly name of the Spanish dildo cactus, grows into huge treelike shapes near the coast
and attracts bullfinches and bats.
The forest's uneven rainfall and drainage patterns have created an unusual array of hab-
itats for more than 700 varieties of plants (many in danger of extinction), which attract a
large number of birds. Some studies claim that almost all of the bird species found in Puerto
Rico turn up in Guánica - fans say the area is better for bird-watching than El Yunque.
Guánica is a preferred habitat for nine of the island's 14 endemic species, including the
Puerto Rican woodpecker, the Puerto Rican emerald hummingbird and - the ultimate prize
for bird-watchers - the exceedingly rare 'prehistoric' Puerto Rican nightjar, of which there
are estimated to be as few as 1500. The nightjar is a good mascot for the subtle thrill of its
environs - it lives and nests on the ground and remains motionless all day. Long thought
extinct, ecologists are fighting to protect it from a proposed wind farm in Guayanilla; tur-
bines are thought to be responsible for as much as 5% of nightjar deaths.
Scientists also come here to see the crested toad
(Bufo lemur),
which is critically en-
dangered and has a current population estimated to be in the hundreds; the
Amelva wetmor-
ei
lizard, with its iridescent tail; and the purple land crab. Green and leatherback turtles still
lay their eggs here, but their hatchlings may be in a losing contest against the predation of
mongooses, which have overrun the island since their introduction to control the rats in the
cane fields.
Geography
The Bahía de Guánica divides the forest into two sections. The highest elevation here is
650ft Criollo II, and many of the forest's hills rise abruptly from the coast to nearly equi-
valent heights. The terrain is undulating, with steep slopes in the east and moderate, rolling
terrain in the west. Limestone underlies most of the forest and is overlaid by several yards
of calcium carbonate. Erosion by both water and sun has created sinkholes, caves and a
forest floor that often looks like brittle Swiss cheese.
