Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve

🇲🇽 Mexico

🐒 Howler Monkey and Macaw Rainforest

⏱ 3–4 days 🥾 Moderate trails

🌍 #206 Global · 3.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #40 in North America #94 in Tropical Forest

Chiapas, Mexico 978 spp. recorded

Montes Azules holds the largest surviving block of the Lacandon rainforest, and the river is how you see it. Yucatán black howlers call from the banks on more than eight trips in ten and Geoffroy's spider monkeys are recorded on seven.

16.388° N 91.102° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Mexican Black Howler Monkey

Alouatta pigra

50–60% · Likely

Central American Spider Monkey

Ateles geoffroyi

40–50% · Likely

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

30–40% · Possible

Belize Crocodile

Crocodylus moreletii

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Magnolia Warbler

Setophaga magnolia

40–50% · Likely

Brown Jay

Psilorhinus morio

40–50% · Likely

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

40–50% · Likely

Social Flycatcher

Myiozetetes similis

40–50% · Likely

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

40–50% · Likely

Keel-billed Toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

40–50% · Likely

Melodious Blackbird

Dives dives

40–50% · Likely

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Amazilia tzacatl

40–50% · Likely

Spot-breasted Wren

Pheugopedius maculipectus

40–50% · Likely

Gray Catbird

Dumetella carolinensis

40–50% · Likely

Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra

40–50% · Possible

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

30–40% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Mexican Black Howler Monkey

Alouatta pigra

50–60% · Likely

Central American Spider Monkey

Ateles geoffroyi

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat

Artibeus jamaicensis

20–30% · Possible

Proboscis Bat

Rhynchonycteris naso

10–20% · Possible

White-nosed Coati

Nasua narica

10–20% · Possible

Yucatán Squirrel

Sciurus yucatanensis

10–20% · With luck

Baird's Tapir

Tapirella bairdii

10–20% · With luck

Mountain Lion

Puma concolor

10–20% · With luck

Central American Agouti

Dasyprocta punctata

10–20% · With luck

Big-eared Woolly Bat

Chrotopterus auritus

10–20% · With luck

Northern Tamandua

Tamandua mexicana

10–20% · With luck

Deppe's Squirrel

Sciurus deppei

10–20% · With luck

Jaguar

Panthera onca

0–10% · With luck

Greater Sac-winged Bat

Saccopteryx bilineata

0–10% · With luck

⭐ Iconic Species

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Magnolia Warbler

Setophaga magnolia

40–50% · Likely

Brown Jay

Psilorhinus morio

40–50% · Likely

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

40–50% · Likely

Social Flycatcher

Myiozetetes similis

40–50% · Likely

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

40–50% · Likely

Keel-billed Toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

40–50% · Likely

Melodious Blackbird

Dives dives

40–50% · Likely

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Amazilia tzacatl

40–50% · Likely

Spot-breasted Wren

Pheugopedius maculipectus

40–50% · Likely

Gray Catbird

Dumetella carolinensis

40–50% · Likely

Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra

40–50% · Possible

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

30–40% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Belize Crocodile

Crocodylus moreletii

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Ghost Anole

Anolis lemurinus

30–40% · Possible

Brown Basilisk

Basiliscus vittatus

30–40% · Possible

Green Iguana

Iguana iguana

20–30% · Possible

Middle American Ameiva

Holcosus festivus

20–30% · Possible

Hernandez’s Helmeted Basilisk

Corytophanes hernandesii

20–30% · Possible

Blue Spiny Lizard

Sceloporus serrifer

10–20% · Possible

Yellow-spotted Night Lizard

Lepidophyma flavimaculatum

10–20% · Possible

Helmeted Iguana

Corytophanes cristatus

10–20% · Possible

Red Coffee Snake

Ninia sebae

10–20% · Possible

Atropoides mexicanus

Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus

10–20% · Possible

Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper

Porthidium nasutum

10–20% · Possible

Blunthead Tree Snake

Imantodes cenchoa

10–20% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Mexican Smilisca

Smilisca baudinii

20–30% · Possible

Central American Gulf Coast Toad

Incilius valliceps

20–30% · Possible

Giant Marine Toad

Rhinella horribilis

10–20% · Possible

Mexican Mushroomtongue Salamander

Bolitoglossa mexicana

10–20% · With luck

Yellow Treefrog

Dendropsophus microcephalus

10–20% · With luck

Stauffer's Tree Frog

Scinax staufferi

10–20% · With luck

Browns' Frog

Lithobates brownorum

Insufficient data

Vaillant's Frog

Lithobates vaillanti

0–10% · With luck

Rufescent Salamander

Bolitoglossa rufescens

Insufficient data

Common Leaf-Litter Frog

Craugastor loki

Insufficient data

Leprus Chirping Frog

Eleutherodactylus leprus

Insufficient data

Painted Tree Frog

Tlalocohyla picta

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐊

Crocodiles on the Sandbars

FebMar

Morelet's crocodiles rest on the exposed river sandbars as the water drops.

Belize Crocodile

Crocodylus moreletii

40–50% · Likely

🐸

Frogs and Salamanders in the Rains

AugSepOct

Mexican tree frogs and mushroom-tongue salamanders breed in the wet forest and call after dark.

Mexican Smilisca

Smilisca baudinii

20–30% · Possible

Mexican Mushroomtongue Salamander

Bolitoglossa mexicana

10–20% · With luck

🐒

Howlers and Spider Monkeys in the Dry Months

DecJanFebMar

Yucatán black howlers call at dawn and spider monkey troops feed in the fruiting canopy.

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

30–40% · Possible

Central American Spider Monkey

Ateles geoffroyi

40–50% · Likely

Mexican Black Howler Monkey

Alouatta pigra

50–60% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

50–60

40–50

40–50

Mexican Black Howler Monkey

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

40–50

50–60

Central American Spider Monkey

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

50–60

30–40

60–70

40–50

20–30

40–50

30–40

30–40

20–30

40–50

20–30

20–30

30–40

20–30

40–50

Belize Crocodile

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

Magnolia Warbler

60–70

40–50

60–70

60–70

20–30

10–20

0–10

10–20

40–50

70–80

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

30–40

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

10–20

30–40

40–50

60–70

American Redstart

50–60

40–50

60–70

60–70

30–40

0–10

0–10

10–20

20–30

80–90

30–40

40–50

Social Flycatcher

50–60

50–60

30–40

30–40

50–60

60–70

40–50

50–60

20–30

30–40

50–60

40–50

Black-and-white Warbler

40–50

40–50

60–70

60–70

10–20

0–10

0–10

20–30

50–60

70–80

30–40

20–30

Keel-billed Toucan

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

20–30

20–30

40–50

40–50

Melodious Blackbird

60–70

50–60

40–50

30–40

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

20–30

20–30

30–40

40–50

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

60–70

50–60

40–50

20–30

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

10–20

30–40

40–50

40–50

Spot-breasted Wren

40–50

20–30

30–40

20–30

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

60–70

40–50

60–70

60–70

10–20

0–10

0–10

10–20

0–10

50–60

40–50

60–70

50–60

30–40

50–60

60–70

10–20

0–10

0–10

0–10

10–20

70–80

40–50

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

20–30

0–10

0–10

0–10

60–70

70–80

20–30

20–30

Animal Events

🐒 Howlers and Spider Monkeys in the Dry Months

🐊 Crocodiles on the Sandbars

🐸 Frogs and Salamanders in the Rains

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 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🐒 Howler Monkey and Macaw Rainforest

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.2 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

579

🐒 Mammals

217

🦎 Reptiles

131

🐸 Amphibians

51

978 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

26 Threatened 81 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

45%

📊

Coverage (319 species at ≥5% of 978 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

33%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (9 bird, 2 mammal, 1 reptile)

47% Global avg

54%

🔭

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

132 Global avg

203

🌟

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

16

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

13

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