What is a Tapir? The Central American Tapir (Tapirus bairdii), also known as the Baird’s Tapir or Mountain cow, is the largest indigenous mammal in Central America. They superficially resemble large pigs, with mature adults weighing between 150 – 300 kg (330 – 660 pounds). The body length ranges between 180 – 250 cm with…
Author: Michael Windelspecht
Don't Just Vacation - Become an Ecotourist!
Everyone’s always talking about how much they need a vacation. They yearn for a nice, peaceful time to forget about the stressors of everyday life, and to just relax in a new atmosphere. But, do you ever take the time to research an environment before you visit? I don’t mean the good areas to get…
The Coral Reefs of Belize
The Belize Barrier Reef is a system of coral reefs stretching roughly 190 miles (305 kilometers) along the coast of Belize. It is the second largest reef system in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea of Australia. Designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and containing seven governmentally…
Leaf Cutter Ants: Farmers of the Forest
Walk through the forests of Belize, and you might spy dozens of small brown ants scurrying across the forest floor, each carrying a single, perfectly cut leaf. These are leaf-cutter ants, a name that applies to a collection of several antspecies native to Central and South America. With powerful jaws that can vibrate thousands of…