Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Howler monkeys inhabit many of Guatemala's tropical forests.
Among the most widely seen mammals are monkeys. You are likely to hear the roar of
howler monkeys
(Alouatta pigra)
during the early morning hours if camping overnight in
Petén. Less aggressive, smaller, and ever more playful, are spider monkeys
(Ateles geof-
froyi).
Thegrayfox
(Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
canoftenbeseenintheearlymorningand
evening among Tikal's temples. More exotic forest dwellers include the piglike collared
peccary
(Tayassu tajacu)
and white-lipped peccary
(Tayasu pecari)
as well as the hefty
Baird's tapir
(Tapirus bairdii),
and the tamandua anteater
(Tamandua mexicana).
Also easy to spot are some of the smaller mammals, particularly in parks such as Tikal
and Yaxhá. Among these are the raccoonlike white-nosed coati
(Nasua narica),
which
practically walk up to you at Tikal; mouselike agoutis
(Dasyprocta punctata),
and kinka-
jous
(Potos flavus).
If you happen to like bats, you'll be pleased to know Guatemala harbors more than 100
species of the flying critters. Many of these are found in the limestone caves of Petén
and the Verapaces. Most of these are harmless to humans, feeding on fruits and insects.
There are blood-sucking vampire bats
(Desmodus rotundus)
flying about, though these
feed mostly on cattle.
