Fauna of Belize

Belize is a country with a rich variety of wildlife, due to its unique position between North and South America, and a wide range of climates and habitats for plant and animal life.

[1] Belize's low human population, and approximately 8,867 square miles (22,970 km2) of undistributed land, provides an ideal home for more than 5000 species of plants, and vast numbers species of animals — with several hundred vertebrates including armadillos, snakes, and monkeys.

[2][3] The vast majority of Belizean animals are from diverse lineages that are 'non-vertebrates', with many arthropods, molluscs, annelida, nematodes and often countless others often poorly studied.

The avifauna of Belize include a total of 590 species, of which two are globally endangered and four have been introduced by humans.

They have adapted to human settlements, so they will eat cat or dog food left out for house pets.

They are different from tree frogs in their color; usually having more earth tones with dark markings on their backs and legs.

Unlike rain frogs, they have more bright colors such as orange, blue, red and yellow to warn predators that they are poisonous.

There are three species of hard-shelled sea turtles such as the loggerhead, which on average is 2.3 m (7.5 ft) long and 540 kg (1190 lb.).

Their patterns typically consists of brown or black squarish markings on a grey or brown background that become progressively rounder, larger, and darker towards the tail, and this pattern helps them to camouflage in their surroundings, often in leaf litter, bushes, and tree canopies, to remain hidden from both prey and predators.

Both pit vipers (which are venomous) and boa constrictors (which are not) are usually ambush hunters that will remain hidden, laying in wait in a single general area, potentially up for several days, before striking a prey item that crosses their path with immense speed.

Coral snakes from Belize are typically small, rarely ever grow longer than 1 m (3 ft).

They are very small, harmless lizards, that can climb walls due to their big toes and claws that allow them to cling easily.

The world's smallest reptile, the Caribbean dwarf gecko, which on average is 4 cm (1.5 in) long, has also made its home in Belize.