Fauna Of Mexico Part 1

Mexico is one of the most diverse countries in
the world. In fact, it's classified as
'megadiverse'; there are so many incredible
species that call the country home, across
hundreds of different ecosystems, that it's
tough to keep track of them! Here are a few
examples of the amazing animals you can see in
Mexico.

The Tayra is certainly unique! It's related to
weasels and martens, with a sleek two-foot long
body and a 17-inch tail. A light patch of fur on
their chests which is surrounded by dark brown
fur, is a notable feature of the Tayras; as they
age, the fur on their heads will also lighten in
color. These playful creatures eat fruit most of
the time, although they will also consume small
mammals, reptiles, and birds when the
opportunity arises. They've been observed
sneaking onto orchards to raid the trees' and
they will even grab unripened plantains, which
are inedible, and store them in a cache to wait
until they ripen a few days later. With their
inquisitive natures and clever minds, tayras are
easily tamed; they are very good for pest control
and are very popular as pets.

If you're looking for pork chops, the collared
peccary is not your animal. Standing about two
feet tall and between 40 and 60 inches long,
these mammals look very much like pigs (and are
sometimes called Mexican hogs). It belongs to
the Tayassuidae taxonomic family, also known as
the New World Pig; small eyes that rest midway
down its skull and it has a snout that ends in a
cartilagenous disc. But the collared peccary is
not actually related to the pork on your
sandwich; at one time they were considered to be
in the same family as pigs, but they have their
own genus now - Pecari.

The collared peccary is found all over tropical
and subtropical parts of the Americas. It can
live in deserts, grasslands, shublands,
savannahs, and even dry broadleaf forests; as a
result, they're found all over Mexico, which
boasts a wide array of different ecosystems.
Collared peccaries can even exist alongside
humans, and have been found in the backyard
gardens of many city-dwellers. Collared
peccaries prefer to dine on fruits, tubers,
nuts, grasses, and small invertebrates. While
they're not a threat to humans (unless they feel
threatened first), you might want to give the
collared peccary a wide berth; their nickname,
'musk hog', refers to the strong scent glands
beneath each eye, which is famously pungent.

The Gulf Coast Toad is also found in many
different habitats; they will live as happily in
open grasslands and suburbs as they will in light
forests, as long as there is a permanent water
source nearby. These 3-inch amphibians vary in
color from black all the way to whitish yellow,
and their backs are covered in small tubercles.
The Gulf Coast Toad is an opportunistic
carnivore, and will gobble up any small
arthropod it can find. These toasts are native
to the Yucatan Peninsula, but their range
extends from the southern United States all the
way down to Costa Rica.


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