Calakmul Biosphere Reserve
🇲🇽 Mexico
🐒 Spider Monkeys Over Maya TemplesCalakmul protects the largest expanse of tropical forest in Mexico, on the Guatemalan border. Spider monkeys and black howlers are all but guaranteed around the ruins — both are recorded on roughly two thirds of visits — and the forest still holds jaguar, Baird's tapir and ocellated turkey.
18.112° N 89.779° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Central American Spider Monkey
Ateles geoffroyi
★ 
Mexican Black Howler Monkey
Alouatta pigra
★ 
Baird's Tapir
Tapirella bairdii
★ 
Jaguar
Panthera onca
📊 Most Spotted
Brown Jay
Psilorhinus morio
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
Magnolia Warbler
Setophaga magnolia
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Black-headed Trogon
Trogon melanocephalus
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Melanerpes aurifrons
Olive-throated Parakeet
Aratinga nana
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Plain Chachalaca
Ortalis vetula
Black-and-white Warbler
Mniotilta varia
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Central American Spider Monkey
Ateles geoffroyi
★ Mexican Black Howler Monkey
Alouatta pigra
★ Baird's Tapir
Tapirella bairdii
★ Jaguar
Panthera onca
📊 Most Spotted
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
White-nosed Coati
Nasua narica
Yucatán Squirrel
Sciurus yucatanensis
Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Greater Sac-winged Bat
Saccopteryx bilineata
Espirito Santo Free-tailed Bat
Nyctinomops laticaudatus
Deppe's Squirrel
Sciurus deppei
Collared Peccary
Pecari tajacu
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Northern Tamandua
Tamandua mexicana
Tayra
Eira barbara
📊 Most Spotted
Brown Jay
Psilorhinus morio
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
Magnolia Warbler
Setophaga magnolia
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Black-headed Trogon
Trogon melanocephalus
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Melanerpes aurifrons
Olive-throated Parakeet
Aratinga nana
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Plain Chachalaca
Ortalis vetula
Black-and-white Warbler
Mniotilta varia
📊 Most Spotted
Brown Basilisk
Basiliscus vittatus
Yellow-spotted Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus chrysostictus
Belize Crocodile
Crocodylus moreletii
Ghost Anole
Anolis lemurinus
Greater Scaly Anole
Anolis tropidonotus
Yucatán Banded Gecko
Coleonyx elegans
Speckled Racer
Drymobius margaritiferus
Rodriguez's Anole
Anolis rodriguezii
Rainbow Ameiva
Holcosus undulatus
Black-striped Snake
Coniophanes imperialis
Common House Gecko
Hemidactylus frenatus
Rainforest Cat-eyed Snake
Leptodeira frenata
📊 Most Spotted
Central American Gulf Coast Toad
Incilius valliceps
Mexican Smilisca
Smilisca baudinii
Giant Marine Toad
Rhinella horribilis
Sheep Frog
Hypopachus variolosus
Yucatán Casque-headed Tree Frog
Triprion petasatus
Browns' Frog
Lithobates brownorum
Mexican Burrowing Toad
Rhinophrynus dorsalis
Yellow Treefrog
Dendropsophus microcephalus
Black Jungle-Frog
Leptodactylus melanonotus
Mahogany Tree Frog
Tlalocohyla loquax
Stauffer's Tree Frog
Scinax staufferi
Elegant Narrow-mouthed Toad
Gastrophryne elegans
Recent sightings in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
2Tapirs at the Aguadas
As the aguadas shrink, Baird's tapir and Morelet's crocodile concentrate on the water that is left.
3Boreal Migrants Arrive
North American warblers winter in the reserve and forage through the forest around the ruins, absent for the rest of the year.
1Frog Chorus in the Rains
Yucatán casque-headed and Mexican treefrogs and Gulf Coast toads call from the flooded low ground.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Frog Chorus in the Rains
- 2Tapirs at the Aguadas
- 3Boreal Migrants Arrive
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
But we saw some amazing lifer birds like Keel Billed Toucan ,Collared Aracari, Laughing Falcon to name a few along with spider and howler monkeys.
When originally planning the trip, I wanted to include this leg to ensure we saw the Ocellated Turkey, but we already accomplished this goal at Coba.
Both spider monkeys and howler monkeys moved about the canopy roadways searching food, playing, arguing, and at time watching me as much as I watched them.
Here in the remote Yucatán jungle where I saw more monkeys than tourists, climbing pyramids is delightful.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve?
The most likely sightings are Brown Jay (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Central American Spider Monkey (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Mexican Black Howler Monkey (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Keel-billed Toucan (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Magnolia Warbler (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 828 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Calakmul Biosphere Reserve for wildlife?
January has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Central American Spider Monkey in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Central American Spider Monkey sighting in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, based on 296 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Mexican Black Howler Monkey in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Black Howler Monkey sighting in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, based on 286 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Baird's Tapir in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Baird's Tapir sighting in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, based on 75 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Jaguar in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Jaguar sighting in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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