Great Fruit-eating Bat
Fig trees bear great amounts of fruit and are abundant in the jungle, so they’re a “main dish” for fruit hungry bats.
Fig trees bear great amounts of fruit and are abundant in the jungle, so they’re a “main dish” for fruit hungry bats.
One of the wonderful things about Better in Belize is that you might actually see a wild jaguar on your walk early some morning or just before dark. This gives an extra bit of spice to living here that is cherished by most – although it gives others the jitters.
Technically, the puma, although quite large, isn’t considered to be one of the “big cats” because it can’t roar. In Belize, where it has competition with the larger jaguar, the puma hunts smaller animals, such as young crocodiles, agoutis, coatis, turkeys, gibnuts, armadillos, foxes and snakes.
The Native American Algonquians called the Virginia Opossum apassum, or “white beast.” This opossum is quite common in Belize’s rain forests.
One of the mammals you’re likely to see fairly frequently around Better in Belize is the Central American agouti (uh-GOO-tee). Locals call it guatusa (wa-TOO-suh).
This is the same species of arboreal (tree-climbing) gray fox that roams across most of the US, but the gray fox in Belize is sleeker, paler, and appears longer-legged than its northern counterpart. It climbs trees to hunt for bird eggs and nestlings, ripe fruits, and insects.
This is one of the more commonly-seen animals around BIB. Coatis (ko-AH-tees) are relatively bold, and since they have become accustomed to humans (TOO accustomed, really) they may hang around long enough for you to get a good look and maybe even take photos.
One of the most iconic sights and sounds at Better in Belize is the howler monkey. They’re not nearly as large as you would expect from the sound – being the loudest land mammal in the world.