Flora and fauna of Honduras

The rainforest corresponds to parts of the northern region below 600 meters in elevation where there is no fully defined dry season, and covers 29% of the total area of the country.

Used as producing trees of rubber (Ficus elastica) and resin, the white hawthorn, and the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis).

Among the mammals, Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu), jaguar (Pathera onca), cougar (Puma concolor), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), margay (Leopardus wiedii), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yaguaroundi), spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum), Wagner's bonneted bat (Eumops glaucinus), white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), raccoon (Procyon lotor), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) can be found.

Some of them are: hummingbirds (more than 20 species); black-throated trogon (Trogon rufus), pale-billed woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis), spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata), mottled owl (Strix virgata), keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), collared aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus), yellow-crowned amazon (Amazona ochrocephala), Finsch's parakeet (Aratinga finschi) and king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa).

Among the reptiles are the terciopelo (aka yellow-beard, Bothrops asper), rainforest hognosed pitviper (Porthidium nasutum), northern boa (Boa imperator), Middle American rattlesnake (Crotalus simus), green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus), American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), coral snakes (Micrurus species) and the brown basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus).

The coasts of Honduras are bathed to the north and east by the Caribbean Sea and in the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca.

Among the fauna that can be found on the Honduran coasts, are the whale shark, dolphins, a variety of tropical fish, shrimp (Caridea) and many other species.