Calakmul Biosphere Reserve

🇲🇽 Mexico

🐒 Spider Monkeys Over Maya Temples

🧭 Guide required ⏱ 2 days 🥾 Moderate trails

🌍 #145 Global · 3.8 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #12 in North America #72 in Tropical Forest

Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico 828 spp. recorded

Calakmul 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

60–70% · Likely

Mexican Black Howler Monkey

Alouatta pigra

50–60% · Likely

Baird's Tapir

Tapirella bairdii

30–40% · Possible

Jaguar

Panthera onca

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Brown Jay

Psilorhinus morio

70–80% · Very likely

Keel-billed Toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

50–60% · Likely

Magnolia Warbler

Setophaga magnolia

50–60% · Likely

Social Flycatcher

Myiozetetes similis

50–60% · Likely

Black-headed Trogon

Trogon melanocephalus

50–60% · Likely

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Melanerpes aurifrons

50–60% · Likely

Olive-throated Parakeet

Aratinga nana

50–60% · Likely

Roadside Hawk

Rupornis magnirostris

40–50% · Likely

White-eyed Vireo

Vireo griseus

40–50% · Likely

Clay-colored Thrush

Turdus grayi

40–50% · Likely

Plain Chachalaca

Ortalis vetula

40–50% · Likely

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Central American Spider Monkey

Ateles geoffroyi

60–70% · Likely

Mexican Black Howler Monkey

Alouatta pigra

50–60% · Likely

Baird's Tapir

Tapirella bairdii

30–40% · Possible

Jaguar

Panthera onca

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Gray Fox

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

30–40% · Possible

White-nosed Coati

Nasua narica

30–40% · Possible

Yucatán Squirrel

Sciurus yucatanensis

30–40% · Possible

Central American Agouti

Dasyprocta punctata

20–30% · Possible

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

20–30% · Possible

Greater Sac-winged Bat

Saccopteryx bilineata

20–30% · Possible

Espirito Santo Free-tailed Bat

Nyctinomops laticaudatus

20–30% · Possible

Deppe's Squirrel

Sciurus deppei

10–20% · Possible

Dicotyles tajacu

Pecari tajacu

10–20% · Possible

Common Raccoon

Procyon lotor

10–20% · With luck

Northern Tamandua

Tamandua mexicana

10–20% · With luck

Tayra

Eira barbara

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Brown Jay

Psilorhinus morio

70–80% · Very likely

Keel-billed Toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

50–60% · Likely

Magnolia Warbler

Setophaga magnolia

50–60% · Likely

Social Flycatcher

Myiozetetes similis

50–60% · Likely

Black-headed Trogon

Trogon melanocephalus

50–60% · Likely

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Melanerpes aurifrons

50–60% · Likely

Olive-throated Parakeet

Aratinga nana

50–60% · Likely

Roadside Hawk

Rupornis magnirostris

40–50% · Likely

White-eyed Vireo

Vireo griseus

40–50% · Likely

Clay-colored Thrush

Turdus grayi

40–50% · Likely

Plain Chachalaca

Ortalis vetula

40–50% · Likely

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Brown Basilisk

Basiliscus vittatus

40–50% · Likely

Yellow-spotted Spiny Lizard

Sceloporus chrysostictus

40–50% · Likely

Belize Crocodile

Crocodylus moreletii

30–40% · Possible

Ghost Anole

Anolis lemurinus

30–40% · Possible

Greater Scaly Anole

Anolis tropidonotus

30–40% · Possible

Yucatán Banded Gecko

Coleonyx elegans

20–30% · Possible

Speckled Racer

Drymobius margaritiferus

20–30% · Possible

Rodriguez's Anole

Anolis rodriguezii

20–30% · Possible

Rainbow Ameiva

Holcosus undulatus

20–30% · Possible

Black-striped Snake

Coniophanes imperialis

20–30% · Possible

Common House Gecko

Hemidactylus frenatus

20–30% · Possible

Rainforest Cat-eyed Snake

Leptodeira frenata

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Central American Gulf Coast Toad

Incilius valliceps

30–40% · Possible

Mexican Smilisca

Smilisca baudinii

30–40% · Possible

Giant Marine Toad

Rhinella horribilis

20–30% · Possible

Sheep Frog

Hypopachus variolosus

20–30% · Possible

Yucatán Casque-headed Tree Frog

Triprion petasatus

20–30% · Possible

Browns' Frog

Lithobates brownorum

10–20% · Possible

Mexican Burrowing Toad

Rhinophrynus dorsalis

10–20% · Possible

Yellow Treefrog

Dendropsophus microcephalus

10–20% · With luck

Black Jungle-Frog

Leptodactylus melanonotus

10–20% · With luck

Mahogany Tree Frog

Tlalocohyla loquax

10–20% · With luck

Stauffer's Tree Frog

Scinax staufferi

10–20% · With luck

Elegant Narrow-mouthed Toad

Gastrophryne elegans

0–10% · With luck

Animal Events

🐗

Tapirs at the Aguadas

MarAprMay

As the aguadas shrink, Baird's tapir and Morelet's crocodile concentrate on the water that is left.

Baird's Tapir

Tapirella bairdii

30–40% · Possible

Belize Crocodile

Crocodylus moreletii

30–40% · Possible

🐦

Boreal Migrants Arrive

OctNovDecJanFebMarApr

North American warblers winter in the reserve and forage through the forest around the ruins, absent for the rest of the year.

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

40–50% · Likely

Magnolia Warbler

Setophaga magnolia

50–60% · Likely

🐸

Frog Chorus in the Rains

JunJulAugSep

Yucatán casque-headed and Mexican treefrogs and Gulf Coast toads call from the flooded low ground.

Mexican Smilisca

Smilisca baudinii

30–40% · Possible

Central American Gulf Coast Toad

Incilius valliceps

30–40% · Possible

Yucatán Casque-headed Tree Frog

Triprion petasatus

20–30% · Possible

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

Central American Spider Monkey

70–80

70–80

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

Mexican Black Howler Monkey

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

70–80

10–20

10–20

20–30

40–50

40–50

20–30

20–30

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

<5

20–30

20–30

10–20

30–40

<5

10–20

20–30

20–30

10–20

20–30

20–30

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

Keel-billed Toucan

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

70–80

40–50

40–50

50–60

30–40

40–50

Magnolia Warbler

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

20–30

0–10

0–10

20–30

20–30

70–80

60–70

70–80

Social Flycatcher

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

70–80

30–40

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

Black-headed Trogon

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

80–90

60–70

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

60–70

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

50–60

40–50

Olive-throated Parakeet

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

60–70

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

White-eyed Vireo

70–80

60–70

60–70

10–20

0–10

0–10

0–10

20–30

20–30

50–60

60–70

60–70

Clay-colored Thrush

60–70

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

30–40

40–50

Plain Chachalaca

50–60

40–50

30–40

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

30–40

30–40

50–60

30–40

30–40

Black-and-white Warbler

60–70

50–60

50–60

30–40

10–20

0–10

0–10

20–30

30–40

50–60

40–50

60–70

Animal Events

🐸 Frog Chorus in the Rains

🐗 Tapirs at the Aguadas

🐦 Boreal Migrants Arrive

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Excellent

🐒 Spider Monkeys Over Maya Temples

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

3.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

509

🐒 Mammals

169

🦎 Reptiles

116

🐸 Amphibians

34

828 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

18 Threatened 81 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.6 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

54%

📊

Coverage (288 species at ≥5% of 828 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

35%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 2 mammal)

47% Global avg

37%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

164

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

20

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

21

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