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 WM), 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 WM pdf), and Pseudoxiphophorus attenuatus and Pseudoxiphophorus obliquus (figs. 8 & 10 in AMNH pdf). 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 Romalea guatemalensis (fig. 3F at UNAM pdf), 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), Sobralia cobanensis (iNaturalist), and the world's smallest orchid Lepanthes oscarrodrigoi (ResearchGate). Other endemic species include 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), Anthurium armeniense (IAS WM), Justicia sangilensis (CAS pdf), Dicliptera guttata (BHL), Symphoricarpos guatemalensis (p. 254 of CONCYT WM pdf), Salvia coriana (BHL), Sabazia pinetorum (iNaturalist), Agave tecta (iNaturalist), Euphorbia ephedromorpha (IES pdf), Peperomia moralesii (p. 335 of CONCYT WM pdf), and Disocactus lodei (ResearchGate).

Trees known only from Guatemala include the coral trees Erythrina atitlanensis (flickr) and Erythrina guatemalensis (p. 4 of San Diego Zoo pdf), Magnolia guatemalensis (p. 14 of magnoliamexico2019.org pdf) (p 17 of National Red List WM pdf), Magnolia quetzal (ResearchGate), Myrtillocactus eichlamii (iNaturalist), Juglans steyermarkii (p. 122 of CONCYT WM pdf), Calliandra carcerea (p. 84 of ResearchGate pdf), Verbesina calciphila (p. 257 of CONCYT WM pdf), Clidemia tuerckheimii (p. 9 of Field Museum pdf), Garrya corvorum (p. 116 of CONCYT WM pdf), Ceiba soluta (GBIF), Phyllonoma cacuminis (iNaturalist), Arachnothryx rubens (p. 174 of CONCYT WM pdf), Randia mayana (iNaturalist), and a cycad Zamia tuerckheimii (Cycad Pages WM) (iNaturalist).

Endemic vascular plant genera include Megalostoma (p. 69 of CONCYT WM pdf), Mayanaea (GBIF), Neeopsis (GBIF), and Cuchumatanea (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 WM) and Ramalina mahoneyi (BioOne). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Crossomitrium scabrisetum (BHL) and Isopterygium zunilense (PBJ WM 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).