Belize

SUMMARY: On a mammal-watching trip to Belize in December 2021 (15 nights) I saw +40 species of mammals. Mammal highlights included Baird’s Tapir, Hatt’s Vesper Rat (a Yucatan endemic) and Thomas’s Sac-winged Bat. Reptile records included Creaser’s Mud Turtle at La Milpa (NW Belize); this appears to be the first record outside Mexico. I travelled with Chi Phan.

Paul Carter: paulcarter@pacapix.com
Posted: 17 Jan 2022. Updated: 9 Jan 2025.

Contents
a) Site and Species Reports
b) Mamma List
c) Reptile List
d) Sites (2021)
e) Images
NOTE: Content on this page is not fixed. Additional species and links to site reports might be added.

A. Site and Species Reports

Site reports are not yet posted.

Species Reports:
Creaser’s Mud Turtle (Kinosternon creaseri) in Belize. Posted 16 Jan 2022; updated 9 Jan 2025. LINK.

B. Mammal List

Further bat records might be added at a later date. Bat records below marked as “EMT” were made using an Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro (link), but only where there were visuals on the bat and repeated recordings that made sense (habitat, range etc); the EMT is not up to date on taxonomic changes so this was also taken into account on IDs. Other bat IDs are photo-based; a few posted on iNat.

  1. Mexican Mouse Opossum (Marmosa mexicana). At Chaab’il B’e Lodge (iNat LINK), Mayflower-Bocawina NP.
  2. Northern Four-eyed Opossum (Philander vossi). At Sweet Songs Lodge, Chaab’il B’e Lodge.
  3. Common Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis). At Wild Horse Cottage, La Milpa, Gallon Jug, Jaguar Creek, Chaab’il B’e Lodge, Mayflower Bocawina NP.
  4. Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). At Jaguar Creek.
  5. Northern Tamandua (Tamandua mexicana). At Jaguar Creek.
  6. Northern Black Mastiff Bat (Molossus nigricans). EMT+Photo. At Lamanai Landings, Black Orchid Resort.
  7. Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso). At Lamanai Landings, Chaab’il B’e Lodge, Mayflower-Bocawina, Black Orchid Resort.
  8. Greater White-lined Bat (Saccopteryx bilineata). At Lamanai Ruins, La Milpa, Gallon Jug, Sweet Songs Lodge, Chaab’il B’e Lodge.
  9. Thomas’s Sac-winged Bat (Balantiopteryx io). At St Herman’s Cave (iNat links HERE and HERE)
  10. Long-tongued Bat (Glossophaga sp?). At Lamanai Ruins. Tentative ID is Pallas’s Long-tongued Bat (Glossophaga soricina).
  11. Great Stripe-faced Bat (Vampyrodes major). At Chaab’il B’e Lodge (iNat LINK).
  12. Heller’s Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus helleri). At Chaab’il B’e Lodge (iNat LINK).
  13. Pacific Tent-making Bat (Uroderma convexum). Split from U. bilobatum. At Chaab’il B’e Lodge, Mayflower-Bocawina.
  14. Common Fringe-lipped Bat (Trachops cirrhosis). At Lamani Ruins and Chan Chich.
  15. Wrinkle-faced Bat (Centurio senex). At La Milpa (iNat LINK), Chan Chich, Jaguar Creek.
  16. Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis). At Chaab’il B’e Lodge.
  17. Argentine Serotine (Eptesicus furinalis). EMT at Chan Chich, Black Orchid Resort.
  18. Mesoamerican Mustached Bat (Pteronotus mesoamericanus). EMT at Chaab’il B’e Lodge.
  19. Tawny Naked-backed Bat (Pteronotus fulvus). EMT at Wild Horse Cottage.
  20. Van Gelder’s Bat (Bauerus dubiaquercus). EMT at Black Orchid Resort.
  21. Striped Hog-nosed Skunk (Conepatus semistriatus). At Jaguar Creek.
  22. Long-tailed Weasel (Neogale frenata). At La Gracia town area.
  23. Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor). At Chan Chich.
  24. Northern Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). At Wild Horse Cottage, Chan Chich.
  25. White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica). At Buena Vista village area, Mayflower-Bocawina NP.
  26. Kinkajou (Potos flavus). At Chan Chich, Sweet Songs Lodge, Chaab’il B’e Lodge, Mayflower-Bocawina.
  27. Central American Red Brocket (Mazama temama). At La Milpa, Chan Chich, Jaguar Creek.
  28. White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). At Gallon Jug, Chan Chich.
  29. Collared Peccary (Dicotyles tajacu). At Chan Chich.
  30. Baird’s Tapir (Tapirus bairdii). At Chan Chich.
  31. Spotted Paca (Cuniculus paca). At Sweet Songs Lodge, Chaab’il B’e Lodge.
  32. Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata). At Chan Chich, Sweet Songs Lodge, Chaab’il B’e Lodge.
  33. Deppe’s Squirrel (Echinosciurus deppei / Sciurus deppei). At La Milpa, Sweet Songs Lodge, Jaguar Creek, Mayflower-Bocawina NP.
  34. Yucatan Squirrel (Echinosciurus yucatanensis / Sciurus yucatanensis). At Lamani Ruins, Sweet Songs Lodge.
  35. Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine (Coendou mexicanus). At Chaab’il B’e Lodge.
  36. Big-eared Climbing Rat (Ototylomys phyllotis). At Wild Horse Cottage, La Milpa (iNat LINK), Chan Chich (iNat LINK), Jaguar Creek, Mayflower Bocawina NP (iNat LINK).
  37. Hatt’s Vesper Rat (Otonyctomys hatti). At Chan Chich (iNat LINK) and Gallon Jug (image below and at iNat HERE); these records are currently the most southern on iNat for the species; the only other iNat record for Belize prior to 2022 was at La Milpa).
  38. Sumichrast’s Vesper Rat (Nyctomys sumichrasti). At Jaguar Creek.
  39. Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse (Heteromys desmarestianus). At Jaguar Creek.
  40. Guatemalan Black Howler Monkey (Alouatta pigra). At Lamanai Ruins, Chan Chich, Jaguar Creek.
  41. Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). At La Milpa, Chan Chich.

C. Reptile List

The list below is incomplete; further records might be added at a later date.

  1. Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei). Introduced. At Seaside Chateau.
  2. Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis). At Seaside Chateau, Xunantunich, Black Orchid Resort.
  3. Green Iguana (Iguana iguana). At Seaside Chateau, Lamanai Landings Hotel, Black Orchid Resort.
  4. Mesoamerican Slider (Trachemys venusta). At Blue Creek area.
  5. Creaser’s Mud Turtle (Kinosternon creaseri). At La Milpa (separate species post here).
  6. Morelet’s Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii). At La Milpa, Chan Chich.
  7. Brown Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus). At La Milpa (main road).
  8. Yucatan Banded Gecko (Coleonyx elegans). At Chan Chich.
  9. Central American Boa (Boa imperator). At Chan Chich.
  10. Brown Forest Skink (Scincella cherriei). At St Herman’s Cave.
  11. Common House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus). Introduced. At Chaab’il B’e Lodge.

D. Sites (2021)

Accommodation shown as well.

  1. BZE (Belize International Airport) – arrival 3 Dec 2021 6pm.
  2. Belize City (Seaside Chateau (3-4/12 – 1 night)
  3. Crooked Tree (4/12).
  4. Sarteneja – Wild Horse Cottage (4-5/12 – 1 night).
  5. Orange Walk (Lamanai Landings Hotel (5-7/12 – 2 nights).
  6. Lamanai Ruins via Guinea Grass (6/12 – day trip).
  7. Blue Creek
  8. La Milpa Ruins – La Milpa Ecolodge (7-8/12 – 1 night).
  9. Gallon Jug Estate – Chan Chich Resort (8-11/12 – 3 nights).
  10. San Ignacio
  11. Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge (11-12/12 – 1 night).
  12. Xunantunich Ruins (12/12)
  13. Rio Frio Cave (12/12)
  14. Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (Pine Lodge Resort (12-13/12 – 1 night).
  15. Jaguar Creek Lodge – (13-14/12 – 1 night).
  16. St Herman’s Blue Hole NP (14/12).
  17. Hopkins (14/12 – lunch).
  18. Punta Gorda – Chaab’il B’e Lodge (14+15/12 – 2 nights).
  19. Mayflower Bocawina NP – Bocawina Resort (16-17/12 – 1 night).
  20. Burrell Boom (Black Orchid Resort – 17-18/12 – 1 night).
  21. BZE airport departure – 18 Dec 2021.

E. Images

See the site reports for further images.

Hatt’s Vesper Rat (Otonyctomys hatti), endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula.
Creaser’s Mud Turtle (Cryptochelys creaseri), endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula.

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