Questions about Animals

Do you see the same kinds of animals there that we see in North Carolina? —Kayla & Matthew B, elementary school students from North Carolina (2003)

Howler monkey: click to enlarge

Many of the animals we see in Belize are like the ones in North Carolina, such as the ruby-throated hummingbird, jays, and deer. However, since the environment is different — warmer and rainier — different kinds of plants grow and therefore some different animals.

Belizean animals that we do not have in North Carolina include the howler monkey (known in Belize as the "baboon"), the red-eyed treefrog (pictured at the bottom left of the page), and a very poisonous snake called the fer-de-lance.

How do jaguars get their spots? (2003)

Scientists feel like the spots on the jaguar are a genetic trait that is representative of the species. Even the solid color "Black Jaguar" has spots; they are just muted on the black background. Native Americans belive otherwise. You might want to check out a book on Native American legends to learn their answer to your question.

If you see a jaguar very close, what do you do? How do you get away safely? —a 4th grader from Wake County (2003)

Jaguar

Very few people have seen a jaguar up close! Why? Jaguars are nocturnal creatures, which means they usually are active at night. Occasionally, people spot them in the distance in the jungle but the cats mind their own business. According to Alan Rabinowitz, who had a lead role in establishing the jaguar preserve in the Cockscomb Basin of Belize, "of all the great cats — tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards — the jaguar is the least known to attack man unprovoked and is virtually undocumented as a man-eater." If you see one, the best thing to do would be to quietly sit and watch this magnificent animal that so few have seen!

Do sea turtles in Belize lay eggs on beaches like the ones in North Carolina? (2003)

Yes they do. The Atlantic sea turtles return to the same Belizean beach each year, just like the ones in NC.

Are there a lot of bugs at night? (2003)

Surprisingly, bugs do not bother us as much as one might think. We get our share of mosquito bites but when we are outside eating lunch we do not see many houseflies.

Have you seen any baby turtles? (2003)

We have not seen any baby turtles hatching, but on Saturday we saw a juvenile Hawksbill Turtle at a cay. It had been injured and was being cared for until it could be released.

Do you think you will see any sea turtles when you go snorkling? Will you be able to swim with them? (2003)

We are hoping to see them when we dive into the Caribbean. All of us would enjoy swimming alongside a turtle!

Cave spider

What kinds of plants and animals are in the caves? (2003)

In the Domingo Ruiz cave we saw cave spiders, blood sucking cone-noses and bats as well as fungus gnat larva. The Rio Frio cave is more open and had plants growing around the mouth of the cave. We also saw some birds that looked like swifts fly all the way through this enormous cave.

Have you seen any wild tapir? (2003)

Not yet! We have been looking hard but they have stayed well hidden. The picutre of the tapir is all over t-shirts, carvings, and books since it is the national animal.

What is a Tapir? (2005)

A Tapir is a large mammal in the same family as the horse and rhinoceros. The species that we saw in the Belize Zoo was the native Baird's Tapir. Tapirs are stocky animals about 6 feet long and weighing 330–600 pounds. They have sparse hair, a short tail and three-toed hooves. They are black to reddish brown in color. Baird's Tapir used to be a common animal in Belize but due to hunting is now only found in protected areas. It is also Belize's national animal, the counterpart to our American Bald Eagle.

What is the rarest thing you have seen so far? —an educator from Carteret County (2004)

The most rare of all the plants and animals that we have seen was the king vulture over the Cockscomb range.

What is a chachalaca? —a 2nd grader from Lincoln County (2004)

A chachalaca is a large brownish bird that is a cousin to the partridge. A chachalaca is 16-36 inches long and weighs up to 9 pounds. It has long legs and a drab body with a patch of red on its throat. It is named for its distinctive call: "cha-cha-la-ca."
Chachalaca calls 60k

Several people asked about monkeys and their poop! (2004)

If you have done the WebQuest you might have read that howler monkeys will sometimes throw their feces (poop!) when disturbed. Luckily for us, this did not happen. Our interactions with the howler monkeys were much more pleasant. They did call back when we called to them. Although we did feed them, they did not need it because there is plenty of food around for them to eat.

Do the animals interact with the general public? If they do how? —a 6th grader from Randolph County (2004)

We have had interactions with other animals. The mosquitoes attack, and so far, the scorpions do not. When we get too close to the iguanas they dive in their holes. Nathan did pick up a tarantula so we could look at it closely. When he put it back down it scurried back into its hole too. Small fish nibbled at our feet while we were swimming in the Blue Hole.

What migratory birds have you seen since arriving in Belize? And have you seen any that we would recognize here in North Carolina? —an 11th grader from Lincoln County (2004)

Today we saw Sulphur-Bellied Flycatchers and Plumbeous Kites; these bird species migrate from Belize to South America. Many birds from North America migrate to Belize for the winter, starting in October and returning to North America by the end of April. This means that right now in North Carolina, you might be able to see the same birds that will migrate here later on this year!

Some bird species can be found in both North Carolina and Belize. Today we also saw hummingbirds, woodpeckers, flycatchers, kites, tanagers, pigeons, egrets and herons. In some cases these are the same species of birds that are found in North Carolina, and in others they are similar species of birds.

Did you see any barracudas? (2005)

Many of us saw adult barracudas while snorkeling off the beautiful Laughingbird Caye National Park. After a quick lunch we snorkeled in the mangroves where baby barracudas were abundant.

What was it like meeting the Harpy Eagle? (2005)

We saw a magnificent Harpy Eagle in the Belize Zoo, and we each got a turn feeding it. Named "Panama," this eagle was bred to be released back into the wild. Because he was born blind in his left eye, his chances of survival were slim, so the country of Panama sent him to the Belize Zoo where a special habitat was designed for him. He is loved and very spoiled. Panama gently took pieces of raw chicken from our fingertips as we fed him through his cage. Read more about our July 22, 2005 visit to the Belize Zoo.

Are all the frogs in Belize poisonous? (2005)

Colorful tropical poison dart frogs are not found in Belize, but the toads we saw have irritants that squirt from glands near their eyes.

What endangered animals have you seen? (2005)

The only endangered animals we saw were at the Belize Zoo. They included Howler Monkeys, Jaguarundis, Tapirs, a Harpy Eagle, Spider Monkeys, Jaguars, Scarlet Macaws and Ocelots.

Did you see any sharks? (2005)

During our lunch break from snorkeling off the cay, a naturalist guide used chicken to lure some Nurse Sharks into the waters near us. We observed the sharks from shore.

Are there animal in the rainforests of Belize comparable in size to Elephants and Hippos? (2005)

No, there are no animals in the Belizean rainforests that are as large as an elephant or hippo. The largest animal in the rainforest is the Tapir which ranges from 500–800 pounds and 5–6 feet long from head to tail.

What is a Kiskadee? (2005)

The Kiskadee is a bird; it has a black and white head, a yellow belly and brown grayish feathers on top. It is about 9½ inches long and has a hoarse, slightly nasal call that sounds like "Kis-Ka-Dee", hence its common name. It is in the flycatcher family and mostly eats insects but will sometimes eat small fish and tadpoles.

Have you seen any jaguars and if so, what was the experience like? (2005)

We saw jaguars at the Belize zoo. There were only 3 feet and a fence separating us from "Wild Boy" and "Pat the Cat". The jaguars smelled very musky and snarled when we made any quick movements. Read about our July 22, 2005 visit to the Belize Zoo.

Have you had a chance to search for Red-eyed Tree Frogs? (2005)

We found Red-eyed Tree Frogs in the trees above a seasonal pond. We also discovered tree frog egg masses attached to the underside of a tree leaf. When we disturbed the leaf, the eggs hatched and tadpoles slid down the leaf and into the water. Just above the pool, we saw a Cat-eyed Snake searching for tree frog eggs to eat.

How do fish get into vernal pools? (2005)

Fish usually do not get into vernal pools. Vernal pools are pools of water that are seasonal ("vernal" means spring) and dry up during part of the year. This makes vernal pools excellent places for amphibians to breed since many fish love to eat tadpoles.

How many types of monkeys/baboons live in Belize? (2005)

There are two types of monkeys in Belize, Spider Monkeys and Black Howler Monkeys. There are no true baboons outside of Africa. When the British came to Belize they called Howler Monkeys "baboons" after the monkeys they had seen in some of their African colonies. It was an incorrect term but has become the common name for Howler Monkeys used in Belize.

What are the monkeys like? (2005)

So far, we have only seen Black Howler Monkeys. They live in family units where the father protects the family.

How many birds are in Belize? (2005)

There are over 500 species of birds in Belize. On our adventures so far we have seen many examples of these birds such as Jaribu Storks, a Squirrel Cuckoo, Red-lored Parrots and Swallow-tailed Swifts.

Did you see any fish without eyes or any other wildlife in the cave? (2005)

We didn’t see any fish in the caves, but we did see fruit bats, cave crickets, Black Witch Moths, tailless whip scorpions and blood-sucking cone-nose bugs! There were also Mayan pottery shards. Read more about our July 20, 2005 visit to the caves.

Will you see a Jabiru Stork? (2005)

We have seen one Jabiru Stork as we landed at the airport. We will have another opportunity to see this majestic bird when we travel to the Belize zoo on Friday.

How many species of animals are there in Belize? (2005)

As for the species of animals in Belize, there are over:

• 500 species of birds
• 54 species of snakes
• 800 species of butterflies
• 150 nocturnal mammals

Not bad for a county that is smaller then North Carolina.

Why are Black Howler monkeys called baboons by the locals? How big are they? —Sue from Pitt County (2006)

The Howler Monkey is called a baboon by the locals because when the British came they called them baboons. At first glance, Howler Monkeys somewhat resemble baboons, but they are actually smaller (only 15–20 pounds) and are covered with bushy black fur. Howlers typically live in troops of 3–10 monkeys.

What do Howler Monkeys sound like?  Did you get really close to them? —Jamie, a high school teacher from Guilford County (2006)
Howler Monkeys can make a loud roaring sound that can be heard up to 1.8 miles through a forest and 3 miles across water. The call is fascinating to hear. We were able to get very close to the Howler Monkeys in the Baboon Sanctuary. Some of us got to feed pieces of banana to a few of the monkeys.

Howler monkey call 150k

How many species of frogs and toads are in Belize? —Chance, a 1st grade student from Surry County, North Carolina (2006)

There are 33 species of frogs and toads in Belize. Some we have seen include Red-Eyed Tree Frogs, Mexican Tree Frogs (even one on our bus!), Marine Toads and Rainforest Frogs.

What is the biggest frog you have seen? —Cody, an 8th grade student from Surry County, NC (2006)

While staying at Crystal Paradise Resort, we saw a Marine Toad, which is about the size of a large salad plate.

What kinds of snakes have you seen? —Reuben, a college student from Haywood County, NC (2006)

We have seen four kinds of snakes, including one of the most venomous snakes in the world, the Fer-de-Lance! The other snakes we’ve seen were a Speckled Racer, a Coral snake and the tail of a yet-to-be-identified snake.

What type of habitat do the Brown Boobies live in? What do they eat? Are they threatened by human activities? —Ben, a 10th grade student from Florida (2006)

The Brown Boobies, with their wide beaks and yellow feet, are found through out tropical oceans. They dive for fish inside and outside the reef. We saw them roosting on a mangrove island near South Water Caye. They are threatened by any human activity that negatively acts on fish populations and the health of the reef. We did see some of the Boobies and Frigate birds fatally tangled in discarded fishing line.

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