About the Rainforests of Mexico

The rainforests of Mexico are considered to be one of the most tropical at present. As the name implies, rainforests receive great amount of rainfall each year, that’s why Mexico holds a considerable variation of species of plants and animals. Besides that, the location of the rainforests between the North and South America is important to the migration of other species of animals. 

From the City of Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico in the lower elevations are covered by rainforests—tropical and subtropical. Most rain is received by those near the coasts. The amount of rain accounts for the stability of the climate making it essential for the growth and maintenance of the species. In fact, trees are normally reaching the height of 30 meters with dominant species like Mahogany and the Sapodilla. In areas with higher latitudes, rainforests are amazingly covered with fog supporting the growth of aerial plants called epiphytes, ferns and mosses.

It is claimed that tropical rainforests hold about 50 to 90 percent of all species on Earth. In Mexico, the rainforests houses 2,000 species of plants. No wonder the Amazon rainforest provides a fifth of the world’s oxygen.  Of course, Mexico rainforests will never be least in providing home to several animal species. It includes 40 reptiles, 15 species of amphibians, 90 mammal species, and over 200 varieties of birds. As we look to it, you will never get bored of animal and plant watching because your eyes will definitely be amazed of its rich biodiversity.

Unfortunately, Mexico rainforests also house different endangered species of animals. It includes species of big cats like the jaguar, jaguarundi, and the ocelot. Not just that, there are also Spider Monkey, Coati, and Kinkajou species of animals that are considered threatened.

Dangers of the Rainforests of Mexico

As all remaining rainforests in the world, Mexico cannot escape threats to its survival. According to studies and monitoring, over 500,000 hectares of Mexico’s tropical and subtropical rainforests are destroyed each year. Several threats account to its destruction like industrialization, agricultural expansion, logging, and the collection of raw materials by the locals. Because of destruction of habitat, about 285 species of vertebrates are in the alarming condition.

Photo credits: http://www.edf.org

White tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

The White-tailed deer is commonly known at the continent of America but is also introduced to some countries in Europe. This is a medium-sized deer also known to be the Virginia deer. Deriving from its name, this deer is easily distinguished by its white underside seen when the deer raises its tail as a sign of escape.

Photo credits to: http://resources.waza.org/

Physical Description and Characteristics

The white-tailed deer changes its color during two different seasons: it is tanned or brown during the summer and grayish-brown in the winter. The male species known as stag or buck have antlers and can weigh up to 130 kilograms. Also, the white tailed-deer have dichromatic vision compared to trichromatic vision in humans. They cannot easily distinguish red and orange colors. There are rare cases when females have antlers; usually associated with the condition called hermaphroditism. All white-tailed deer have white coloration on their nose, around their eyes and in the neck.

Habitat

White-tailed deer are considered to be generalists and are able to adapt to a wide variety of habitats. They mostly occur in wooded areas, but can also be found living in savanna and sage communities in Mexico. Living in savanna areas caused some body adaptations to deer like having large antlers. Deer and humans can both share the same habitat, but there have to be someone dominating.

Behavior and Feeding

White-tailed deer have the behavior of raising its tail showing its white underside when threatened. They can also do some warning signals to other deer like stamping of hooves and snorting. White-tailed deer are active at night, but they are not completely nocturnal. They do not sleep for long periods of time and do not bed on the same position even twice of their life. Whitetails communicate by using vocalizations and by means of their scents.

White-tailed deer are herbivores and their diet primarily depends on their habitat and the time of the year. For example, when summer their primary diet consists of green plants while they eat nuts and corns in the fall. They have a special kind of stomach making them able to eat foods that humans cannot. They are ruminant—having four chambers in their stomach that makes them eat a variety of food.

Antlers

One defining feature of Whitetails is their antlers. It is proven that this asset is a sign of dominance for a male deer. The more branched antler they have, the more attractive they are for does. Antlers are composed of bone and regrow every spring time.