[2] The Balsas dry forests ecoregion extends across portions of the states of Michoacán, Guerrero, Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, and Oaxaca.

[2] Plant communities include tropical deciduous forest (selva baja caducifolia or bosque tropical caducifolio) and thorn forest (bosque espinoso), with tropical semideciduous forest (selva mediana subcaducifolia or subperennifolia) in drainages and other areas with deeper soils and more soil moisture.

The ecoregion is also home to diverse species of Brongniartia, Desmodium, Ipomoea, and Mammillaria.

[3][4] Native mammals include the jaguar (Pantera onca), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu), coyote (Canis latrans), grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), and silky pocket mouse (Perognathus flavus), California myotis (Myotis californicus), long-legged myotis (Myotis volans) and western yellow bat (Dasypterus xanthinus).

[4] The Balsas screech owl (Megascops seductus), banded quail (Philortyx fasciatus), black-chested sparrow (Peucaea humeralis), and dusky hummingbird (Phaeoptila sordida) are near-endemic bird species.