Motagua Valley Thornscrub
   HOME
*





Motagua Valley Thornscrub
The Motagua Valley thornscrub ecoregion (WWF ID: NT1312) is located in the Motagua River, Motagua valley in eastern Guatemala. Surrounded by mountains and receiving relatively little precipitation, the valley is one of the driest in Central America and is characterized by thorn scrub vegetation. It covers an area of 2330 km2 and belongs to the deserts and xeric shrublands biome, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund. Location and description The Motagua Valley is one of the driest areas of Central America. It is surrounded by mountains, such as the Sierra de las Minas in the north, reaching heights of up 3000 meters and the Sierra del Merendón in the south, which reaches over 2000 meters. This xeric climate contrasts sharply with the cloud forests found higher up in the nearby mountains. Climate The climate of the ecoregion is ''Tropical savanna climate, Tropical savanna climate - dry winter'' (Köppen climate classification Köppen_climate_classification#Aw:_Tropical_sav ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Motagua River
The Motagua River () is a river in Guatemala. It rises in the western highlands of Guatemala where it is also called Río Grande, and runs in an easterly direction to the Gulf of Honduras. The final few kilometres of the river form part of the Guatemala–Honduras border. The Motagua River basin covers an area of and is the largest in Guatemala. The Motagua River is believed to be the number one most plastic-emitting river in the world, contributing around two per cent of global plastic pollution emissions into the world's oceans annually. Overview The river runs in a valley that has the only known source of jadeitite (jade) in Mesoamerica, and was an important commerce route during the Pre-Columbian era. The important Maya site of Quirigua is near the river's north bank, as are several smaller sites with jade quarries and workshops. The Motagua river valley also marks the Motagua Fault, the tectonic boundary between the North American and the Caribbean Plates. The Motag ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Millimetre
330px, Different lengths as in respect to the electromagnetic spectrum, measured by the metre and its derived scales. The microwave is between 1 meter to 1 millimeter. The millimetre (American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, international spelling; International System of Units, SI unit symbol mm) or millimeter (American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American spelling) is a Units of measurement, unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousandth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length. Therefore, there are one thousand millimetres in a metre. There are ten millimetres in a centimetre. One millimetre is equal to micrometres or nanometres. Since an inch is officially defined as exactly 25.4 millimetres, a millimetre is equal to exactly (≈ 0.03937) of an inch. Definition Since 1983, the metre has been defined as "the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of of a ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Cerro Miramundo National Park
Cerro Miramundo, also known as Montaña de la Soledad, is a hill covered with dry shrubland located a few kilometers south of the city of Zacapa in Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H .... The hill represents a panoramic point with an impressive view over the surrounding landscape. An area of 9.02 km2 was declared a national park in 1956. References National parks of Guatemala Protected areas established in 1956 {{NorthAm-protected-area-stub ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Motagua Valley Beaded Lizard
The Guatemalan beaded lizard (''Heloderma charlesbogerti)'', also called commonly the Motagua Valley beaded lizard, is a highly endangered species of beaded lizard, a venomous lizard in the family Helodermatidae. The species is endemic to the dry forests of the Motagua Valley in southeastern Guatemala, an ecoregion known as the Motagua Valley thornscrub. It is the only allopatric beaded lizard species, separated from the nearest population (''H. alvarezi)'' by of unsuitable habitat. The Guatemalan beaded lizard is the rarest and most endangered species of beaded lizard, and it is believed that fewer than 200 individuals of this animal exist in the wild, making it one of the most endangered lizards in the world. In 2007, it was transferred from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES due to its critical conservation status. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. 2007. Resume of the 14th Convention of the Parts. The Hague. The Netherlan ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Guatemalan Spiny-tailed Iguana
''Ctenosaura palearis'', commonly known as the Motagua spiny-tailed iguana, is a species of spiny-tailed iguana endemic to the Motagua Valley in Guatemala. Conservation status This species is threatened by habitat loss and illegal trade. These iguanas were used as a source of food by natives. Its eggs are a food source for the equally threatened Motagua Valley beaded lizard (''Heloderma charlesbogerti''), thereby possibly linking the status of the two species. It is included in CITES appendix II so that trade of this species is regulated. Diet The Guatemalan spiny-tailed iguana feeds on leaves and the fruits of the cactus ''Stenocereus pruinosus'' and occasionally insects (crickets, beetles, ants and wasps). Habitat The habitat of ''C. palearis'' is characterized by a greater frequency of the cactus ''Stenocereus pruinosus'', ''Albizzia idiopoda'', ''Ximena americana'' and ''Acacia deamii''. The Guatemalan spiny-tailed iguana can be regarded as a keystone species because it ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Momotus Mexicanus
The russet-crowned motmot (''Momotus mexicanus'') is a species of motmot native to north-western Mexico and central Guatemala. It is a year-round resident of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and scrubland. The russet-crowned motmot is the most understudied species of motmot in the family Momotidae. "Russet" refers to the reddish-brown colour of the bird's head and originates from the Latin ''russus'' meaning red. Taxonomy Motmots are a part of the order Coraciiformes which also includes bee-eaters, rollers, todies, and kingfishers. The russet-crowned motmot is one of seven species in the genus ''Momotus'' of the family Momotidae. Russet-crowned motmots are very sedentary because of their strong site fidelity; 60% return to the same nesting areas as the previous year because of the low amount of suitable nesting sites. As a result, gene flow between different populations is limited which can lead to speciation. Reyes et al. found that genetic variation ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Fringillidae
The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usually resident and do not migrate. They have a worldwide distribution except for Australia and the polar regions. The family Fringillidae contains more than two hundred species divided into fifty genera. It includes species known as siskins, canaries, redpolls, serins, grosbeaks and euphonias. Many birds in other families are also commonly called "finches". These groups include the estrildid finches (Estrildidae) of the Old World tropics and Australia; some members of the Old World bunting family (Emberizidae) and the New World sparrow family (Passerellidae); and the Darwin's finches of the Galapagos islands, now considered members of the tanager family (Thraupidae).Newton (1973), Clement ''et al.'' (1993) Finches and canaries were us ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Icteridae
Icterids () or New World blackbirds make up a family, the Icteridae (), of small to medium-sized, often colorful, New World passerine birds. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color, often enlivened by yellow, orange, or red. The species in the family vary widely in size, shape, behavior, and coloration. The name, meaning "jaundiced ones" (from the prominent yellow feathers of many species) comes from the Ancient Greek ''ikteros'' via the Latin ''ictericus''. This group includes the New World blackbirds, New World orioles, the bobolink, meadowlarks, Quiscalus, grackles, cowbirds, oropendolas, and cacique (bird), caciques. Despite the similar names, the first groups are only distantly related to the Old World common blackbird (a thrush (bird), thrush) or the Old World orioles. The Icteridae are not to be confused with the Icteriidae, a family created in 2017 and consisting of one species — the yellow-breasted chat (''Icteria virens''). Characteristics Most icter ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Tyrannidae
The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds known to exist in the world, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and Canada. The members vary greatly in shape, patterns, size and colors. Some tyrant flycatchers may superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, which they are named after but are not closely related to. They are members of suborder Tyranni (suboscines), which do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of most other songbirds.del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Christie, D. (editors). (2004) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails''. Lynx Edicions. A number of species previously included in this family are now placed in the family Tityridae (''see Systematics''). Sibley and Alquist in their 1990 bird taxonomy had th ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Columbidae
Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily feed on seeds, fruits, and plants. The family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms. The family contains 344 species divided into 50 genera. Thirteen of the species are extinct. In English, the smaller species tend to be called "doves" and the larger ones "pigeons". However, the distinction is not consistent, and does not exist in most other languages. Historically, the common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation between the terms. The bird most commonly referred to as just "pigeon" is the domestic pigeon, which is common in many cities as the feral pigeon. Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests, often using sticks and other debris, which may be placed on bra ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ecological niche. Thus "habitat" is a species-specific term, fundamentally different from concepts such as environment or vegetation assemblages, for which the term "habitat-type" is more appropriate. The physical factors may include (for example): soil, moisture, range of temperature, and light intensity. Biotic factors will include the availability of food and the presence or absence of predators. Every species has particular habitat requirements, with habitat generalist species able to thrive in a wide array of environmental conditions while habitat specialist species requiring a very limited set of factors to survive. The habitat of a species is not necessarily found in a geographical area, it can be the interior ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.
Article 18.5 states: "The following names, of long usage, are treated as validly published: ....Leguminosae (nom. alt.: Fabaceae; type: Faba Mill. Vicia L.; ... When the Papilionaceae are regarded as a family distinct from the remainder of the Leguminosae, the name Papilionaceae is conserved against Leguminosae." English pronunciations are as follows: , and .
commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, are a large and agriculturally important of