Guatemala
Amphibians
unique to
Guatemala include the Chuj Climbing
Salamander (IUCN),
Monzon’s
Moss Salamander (CalPhotos),
the Motagua Worm Salamander (iNaturalist),
the Jalapa False Brook Salamander (AmphibiaWeb),
the
Kaqchikel Salamander (iNaturalist), Jackson's Climbing
Salamander (IUCN),
Stuart's Moss Salamander (AmphibiaWeb),
the
Las Palmas Spikethumb Frog (ARKive
WM),
the
Guatemalan Stream Frog
(CalPhotos),
Perkins'
Tree Frog (CalPhotos),
Bocourt’s
Robber Frog (CalPhotos),
and the Xucaneb Robber Frog (iNaturalist).
Reptiles known solely from Guatemala include an endemic genus of
colubrid snake Chapinophis
xanthocheilus (ResearchGate),
the burrowing snakes Adelphicos
veraepacis (iNaturalist)
and Adelphicos daryi
(biodiversidad.gt),
the White-striped Centipede Snake Tantilla
tecta (Google
Books), the Merendon Snail-sucker Sibon merendonensis (ResearchGate),
a graceful brown snake Rhadinella
xerophila (ResearchGate),
Stuart’s
Coral Snake Micrurus
stuarti (Univ.
Michigan), the Guatemalan Black Iguana Ctenosaura palearis
(IIF),
the Guatemala Beaded Lizard Heloderma
charlesbogerti (CalPhotos),
Campbell's Anole Anolis
campbelli (iNaturalist),
and several alligator
lizards: Abronia
campbelli (iNaturalist),
Abronia meledona
(CalPhotos),
Abronia
fimbriata (Reptarium
WM),
Abronia vasconcelosii
(IUCN),
and Abronia
cuchumatanus (iNaturalist).
Mammals found only in Guatemala include the Mayan Deermouse (ASM
WM),
the
Large Deermouse Peromyscus
grandis (Vladimir
Dinets), Gardner's Deermouse (ASM
WM)
(GBIF),
the
Guatemalan Myotis Myotis
cobanensis (AMNH
WM
pdf), the Mam Broad-clawed Shrew Cryptotis
mam (ASM
WM),
the Cucurucho Broad-clawed Shrew Cryptotis
eckerlini (fig. 8A at ResearchGate),
Ibarra's Shrew
(ResearchGate),
and the Verapaz Shrew (ResearchGate).
The nation's only bird
endemic was the recently extinct Atitlan Grebe Podilymbus gigas (iNaturalist)
(Mayan
Birding WM) (eBird).
Freshwater fish known exclusively from Guatemala include the Comma Swordtail
Xiphophorus
signum (FishBase), Astyanax
baileyi
(FishBase),
a killifish Cynodonichthys
degreefi (It
Rains Fishes), a pipefish Pseudophallus
galadrielae (GBIF),
the cichlids Rocio
spinosissima (Cichlid
Room Companion) and Mayaheros
trispilus (fig. 2 on p. 33 of Native
Fish Lab pdf), a sea catfish Potamarius izabalensis (FishBase), and several livebearers: Poecilia rositae (whose-tadpole.net pdf), Pseudoxiphophorus attenuatus and Pseudoxiphophorus
obliquus (figs. 8 & 10 in AMNH
pdf), and Scolichthys greenwayi (FishBase). Scolichthys
is an endemic genus (FishBase)
(Leo's
Aquarium).
Beetles restricted to Guatemala include the jewel scarab beetles Chrysina pehlkei (New
World Scarab Beetles) (flickr)
and Chrysina prototelica
(New
World Scarab Beetles), another scarab Anomiopus cirulito (GBIF),
a flower beetle Hoplopyga
pseudomiliaris (ResearchGate),
a cave-dwelling ground beetle Speocolpodes
franiai (BHL),
a glowworm beetle Cenophengus
xiinbali (ZooKeys),
the longhorn beetles Hilaroleopsis
vogti (iNaturalist)
and Lochmaeocles
laticinctus (Smithsonian WM)
and Xela tysoni
(GBIF), a checkered beetle Colyphus zacki (PLAZI),
and a bess beetle Oileus
gasparilomi (ResearchGate).
Other endemic insects include a butterfly Calephelis guatemala (GBIF), the skippers Decinea zapota (Butterflies of America) and Dalla freemani (Butterflies of America), the silk moths Hylesia hawksi (BOLD) and Copaxa sophronioides (ResearchGate), the tiger moths Homoeocera georginas (Wikipedia) and Dysschema faustinoi (BOLD), a cicada Selymbria guatemalensis (GBIF), the grasshoppers Episactus schusteri (iNaturalist) and Phaneroturis tantillus (OSF), the katydids Anaphidna obrieni (fig. A at ResearchGate) and Onychopygia brachyptera (GBIF), a king cricket Glaphyrosoma hectorcentenoi (GBIF), a cave-dwelling cricket Arachnopsita uncinata (GBIF), a damselfly Paraphlebia duodecima (GBIF), the ants Temnothorax stollii (AntWiki) and Adelomyrmex quetzal (AntWiki), and the bees Caupolicana wileyi (ResearchGate) and Colletes guatemalensis (GBIF).
A family of millipedes, the Tridontomidae (BHL)
is known only from Guatemala. Other
endemic invertebrates
include the Guatemalan Redrumped Tarantula Tliltocatl sabulosus
(iNaturalist),
a trapdoor spider Ummidia
riverai (ZooKeys),
the scorpions Centruroides
caral (Scorpion
Files) and Diplocentrus
lachua (SEA WM
pdf), a solifuge Ammotrecha
picta (arachnids.myspecies.info),
a harvestman Panzosus
marginalis (fig. f at ResearchGate),
a pseudoscorpion Typhloroncus
guatemalensis (GBIF),
a millipede Platydesmus
triangulifer (fig. 4 at BHL),
the freshwater crabs Zilchia
falcata (GBIF)
and Elsalvadoria
tomhaasi (p. 4 of nhm.org
pdf), a woodlouse Androdeloscia
valdezi (BHL),
an earthworm Eodrilus
eiseni (BHL),
the freshwater snails Mayabina
petenensis (BioLib)
and Aroapyrgus
chefinesnoel (USC),
and several land snails: Miraverellia
sargi (GBIF),
Drymaeus championi
(GBIF),
and Euglandina
(or
Varicoturris)
huehuetenangoensis (figs. 14-16 at Univ.
Florida pdf).
Among the over 1100 species of vascular plants restricted to Guatemala
are many orchids including Acianthera javieri
(fig. E at ResearchGate),
Dresslerella
archilae (flickr),
Lophiaris quichensis
(ResearchGate),
Stanhopea esteponae
(ResearchGate),
and the
world's smallest orchid Lepanthes
oscarrodrigoi (ResearchGate).
Other endemic species include a
cycad Zamia
tuerckheimii (Cycad
Pages WM) (iNaturalist),
the bromeliads Tillandsia
harrisii (Anwyl
Bromeliads WM) and Tillandsia
atitlanensis (ResearchGate),
a palm Chamaedorea
castillo-montii (p. 69 of CONCYT
WM
pdf), Hoffmannia
sessilifolia (p. 16 of Field
Museum pdf), Salvia
carrilloi (BHL),
Buddleja
megalocephala (flickr),
Anthurium
armeniense (IAS
WM),
Magnolia
guatemalensis (p 17 of National
Red List WM pdf), Magnolia
quetzal (ResearchGate),
Justicia
sangilensis (CAS
pdf), Dicliptera
guttata (BHL),
and the cacti Myrtillocactus
eichlamii (iNaturalist)
and Disocactus lodei
(ResearchGate).
Endemic vascular plant genera include Megalostoma (p. 69 of CONCYT WM pdf), Mayanaea (GBIF), Neeopsis (GBIF), and Cuchumatanea (fig. 260 on p. 291 of CONCYT WM pdf).
Endemic fungi include Pseudotulasnella
guatemalensis (JSTOR)
(MyCoPortal),
Boletus
luteoloincrustatus (p. 8 of Univ.
Arkansas pdf), and Phillipsia
guatemalensis (cdnsciencepub.com).
Endemic lichens include Hypotrachyna
guatemalensis (100
New Lichens) and Ramalina
mahoneyi (BioOne).
Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Crossomitrium scabrisetum
(BHL)
and Isopterygium
zunilense (PBJ
pdf) (NYBG)
and a liverwort Frullania
guatemalensis (GBIF).
Guatemala is part of the Mesoamerica biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM)
and its coast forms a portion of the Western
Caribbean coral reef hotspot (Columbia
Univ. WM pdf).
The Motagua Valley Thornscrub
ecoregion (EoE)
is located entirely within Guatemala. Important
freshwater ecoregions include the Grijalva-Usumacinta (FEOW
WM)
and the Upper Usumacinta (FEOW
WM).