Below you can find a complete list of Belizean animals. We currently track 262 animals in Belize and are adding more every day!
Belize is a small Central American country with a rich concentration of wildlife. Before the arrival of Europeans, it was once a part of the Maya Civilization. It later gained independence in 1981 from the United Kingdom. Situated against the Caribbean Sea, the country shares a border with Mexico and Guatemala to the north and west. The land is dominated by mountains, swamps, and tropical jungle ecosystems. It’s also known for the spectacular coral reef system just off the coast.
The Official National (State) Animal of Belize
The national animal of Belize is Baird’s tapir. Also the largest animal of the country (see below), the tapir is also known as the mountain cow. They are considered a living fossil because there body shape has not evolved much over the last 35 million years. Currently endangered, they are listed as a protected species in Belize. Tapirs are an important part of the rainforest ecosystem and are considered essential to the area.
The national bird is the keel-billed toucan, one of the most iconic avian species of the Neotropics, only occurring in this part of the world. This bright bird has diversity, strength, beauty and a strong presence in the rainforest which is why it earned its symbol as the national bird.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals In Belize
Belize has established dozens of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and forest reserves throughout the country. These are the best places to find wildlife outside of zoos.
- Hol Chan Marine Reserve, located off the northeastern coast of Belize, is a rich reservoir of coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds. It is an excellent place to find sea turtles, dolphins, stingrays, lobsters, seahorses, and marine fish. Shark Ray Alley has a very high concentration of nurse sharks and rays.
- The Great Blue Hole, located well to the east of Belize City, is one of the most popular scuba diving destinations in the world. It also produces great aerial photography.
- Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Stann Creek District of south-central Belize, was established in 1984 to protect the jungles and watersheds along the slopes of the Maya Mountains. Outside of zoos, it is considered to be one of the premier destinations for jaguar sightings in the world.
- Guanacaste National Park is located in the central Cayo District, about 50 miles to the west of Belize City. More than a hundred aerial bird species have been observed in the park, including kingfishers, woodpeckers, warblers, motmots, and the black-faced ant thrush. Visitors can also find the white-tailed deer, armadillo, kinkajou, and other wild mammals.
- Laughing Bird Caye is an island located off the southeastern coast. It is part of the Belize Barrier Reef and a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Finally, the Community Baboon Sanctuary, located in the Belize District, is one of the best places outside zoos to find black howler monkeys.
The Great Blue hole is a massive marine sinkhole located off the coast of Belize and is one of the most popular tourist attractions. WIth a depth of more than 300 feet and an extensive cave system, only experience divers are permitted inside, however, all are welcome at the surface. This hole has incredible biodiversity and is home to various species of sharks, including hammerheads, nurse, black tip, Caribbean reef and bull sharks.
The Most Dangerous Animals In Belize Today
- Maya Coral Snakes – Sporting a red body and alternating black and yellow bands, this species is very conspicuous and best avoided. When frightened, it can inject potentially deadly venom into its victims. Fortunately, this species is rarely seen and usually slinks away at the first sign of contact with people. Their short fangs may also have difficulty penetrating clothing.
- Fer-de-Lance – Large, aggressive, and dangerous, this venomous pit viper can be identified by the broad, flattened head and the dark triangle patterns surrounded by lighter edges. Once injected, the venom can easily disrupt the cardiac system and cause bleeding, swelling, and necrosis. If left untreated, the affected limb may need to be amputated, and death can occur in a small number of cases.
- Poison Dart Frogs – These small, inconspicuous frogs may harbor some of the most potent toxins on the planet. When threatened, they can secrete the toxin directly through their skin and infect their victims. Their bright coloration is usually a signal to predators that they should not be trifled with. Many dart frogs acquire poison from the foods they consume.
- American Crocodiles – Native to rivers, coasts, swamps, mangroves, and other small bodies of water, the American crocodile will sometimes attack people who wander in its territory, but despite their fearsome reputation, actual fatalities are very rare.
Poison dart frogs are not only considered one of the most toxic species on the Earth but they are also the most brightly colored frogs in the world. Each frog has a different color that is a warning sign to predators not to eat them, the more colorful, the more toxic. It is believed that they get their poison from some of the insects that they ingest, most likely ants and centipedes. Because they do not inject their toxins, they are considered poisonous, not venomous.
Endangered Animals In Belize
The Guatemalan Black Howler monkey has been endangered since 2003.
©iStock.com/andyjkramer
- Guatemalan Black Howler – Clad in all-black fur, the howler is among the largest species of the New World monkeys in the region. Famous for its loud howling noise, this species has become endangered from the combined effects of deforestation, hunting, and poaching for the pet trade.
- Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey – Easily identified by the long, black-colored limbs, the Yucatan spider monkey is a unique subspecies that inhabits Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. It requires so much territory to survive that the destruction of the jungles has had a devastating impact on its numbers. It is now in danger of becoming extinct.
- Baird’s Tapir – Known locally as a mountain cow, the tapirs are unusual-looking hoofed mammals with a short prehensile trunk on their nose. Hunting and habitat loss have now made it endangered throughout Central and South America.
- West Indian Manatee – The entire eastern Central American coast is home to a unique subspecies called the Caribbean or Antillean manatee. It is in danger of becoming extinct from habitat loss and illegal hunting.
- Central American River Turtle – This smooth-shelled river turtle is the only living member of its family. After rampant hunting and exploitation, it is now on the verge of becoming extinct. A conservation program begun in 2011 has focused on repopulating wild populations by raising the turtle in captivity.
- Worm Salamanders – Belize contains a few species of lungless and partly fossorial salamanders. Fossorial means that they burrow and live underground. They have unique adaptations to facilitate this fossorial lifestyle.
The Guatemalan Black Howler monkey, also known as the Yucatan howler monkey, has seen its numbers decline by more than 60 percent due to disease, hunting and loss of habitat. It has been listed as an endangered species since 2003.
The Rarest Animal In Belize
The scarlet macaw is one of several rare species that are native to Belize.
©iStock.com/sduben
The scarlet macaw is not only one of the rarest animals but is also one of the largest avian animals in Belize. There are an estimated 250 macaws residing in the rainforests of Belize. They are normally 35 inches, from head to tail feathers, and weigh about 2 pounds. Because of loss of habitat and illegal parrot trading, their numbers have suffered, in some cases leading to local extinction.
The Largest Animal In Belize
Baird’s Tapir, while not even remotely related to cows, is also known as a mountain cow.
©Margus Vilbas Photography/Shutterstock.com
The largest animal in Belize is also the country’s national animal, the Baird’s Tapir. They weigh between 300 to 500 pounds, can grow up to 6 feet long, and have an average lifespan of up to 22 years. Their closest relative is the rhinocerous and the horse. Vegeterian eaters, they like to snack on leaves, grass, fruits, aquatic vegetation, corn and various other crops. They may not look like it, but they are excellent swimmers and climbers too!
Belizean Animals
Belizean Animals List
- Acadian Flycatcher
- Admiral Butterfly
- Agouti
- Amazon Parrot
- American Eel
- Anole Lizard
- Ant
- Anteater
- Armadillo
- Armyworm
- Barn Owl
- Barn Swallow
- Basilisk Lizard
- Bat
- Bear
- Bed Bugs
- Bee
- Beetle
- Bird
- Biscuit Beetle
- Black and White Warbler
- Black Widow Spider
- Blind Snake
- Blue grosbeak
- Blue Tanager (Blue-Grey Tanager)
- Blue Tang
- Bobcat
- Booby
- Brahminy Blindsnake
- Brazilian Treehopper
- Brown Dog Tick
- Brown Headed Cowbird
- Burrowing Owl
- Butterfly
- Caecilian
- Caiman
- Camel Cricket
- Carpenter Ant
- Cat
- Caterpillar
- Catfish
- Cedar Waxwing
- Centipede
- Checkered Garter Snake
- Chestnut-Sided Warbler
- Chicken
- Cockroach
- Codling Moth
- Collared Peccary
- Common Furniture Beetle
- Common House Spider
- Common Yellowthroat
- Coral Snake
- Cormorant
- Cow
- Crab
- Crab Spider
- Cricket
- Crocodile
- Crocodylomorph
- Crow
- Cuckoo
- Dog
- Dog Tick
- Donkey
- Dragonfly
- Dubia Cockroach
- Duck
- Dung Beetle
- Dusky Shark
- Dwarf Boa
- Earthworm
- Earwig
- Eastern Meadowlark
- Eastern Racer
- Eel
- Emerald Toucanet
- Eyelash Viper
- False Widow Spider
- Fiddler Crab
- Firefly
- Flamingo
- Flea
- Fly
- Flying Squirrel
- Frog
- Fruit Fly
- Fulvous Whistling Duck
- Gar
- Gecko
- German Cockroach
- Glowworm
- Gnat
- Grasshopper
- Gray Catbird
- Gray Fox
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Great Potoo Bird
- Guppy
- Hamster
- Hare
- Harpy Eagle
- Harris’s Hawk
- Hawk Moth Caterpillar
- Hepatic Tanager (Red Tanager)
- Hercules Beetle
- Herring Gull
- Honey Bee
- Horse
- Horsefly
- House wren
- Housefly
- Howler Monkey
- Human
- Hummingbird
- Huntsman Spider
- Ibis
- Iguana
- Insects
- Jabiru
- Jacana
- Jack Crevalle
- Jaguar
- Jumping Spider
- Keel-Billed Toucan
- Kentucky Warbler
- Kingfisher
- Kinkajou
- Ladybug
- Leech
- Leopard Frog
- Lizard
- Locust
- Lone Star Tick
- Macaw
- MacGillivray’s Warbler
- Maggot
- Magnolia Warbler
- Margay
- Marine Toad
- Mayan Cichlid
- Mealybug
- Millipede
- Mockingbird
- Mole
- Mole Cricket
- Molly
- Monarch Butterfly
- Mongrel
- Monkey
- Moonglow Boa
- Moorhen
- Morpho Butterfly
- Mosquito
- Moth
- Mountain Lion
- Mourning Dove
- Mourning Warbler
- Mouse
- Mule
- Muscovy Duck
- Nematode
- No See Ums
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Harrier
- Northern Parula
- Northern Potoo
- Ocellated Turkey
- Ocelot
- Orange-Crowned Warbler
- Orb Weaver
- Osprey
- Otter
- Owl
- Ox
- Panther
- Parrot
- Parrot Snake
- Peregrine Falcon
- Pheasant
- Pigeon
- Pit Viper
- Poison Dart Frog
- Pompano Fish
- Porcupine
- Praying Mantis
- Puma
- Quail
- Quetzal
- Raccoon
- Racer Snake
- Rat
- Rat Snakes
- Rattlesnake
- River Turtle
- Rodents
- Rooster
- Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
- Roseate Spoonbill
- Ruddy Duck
- Saber-Toothed Tiger
- Sable Ferret
- Salamander
- Sand Crab
- Scarlet Macaw
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
- Scorpion
- Sea Eagle
- Seahorse
- Sharp-Shinned Hawk
- Short-Eared Owl
- Shrew
- Shrimp
- Skink Lizard
- Sloth
- Slug
- Smallmouth Bass
- Smokybrown Cockroach
- Snail
- Snake
- Southern Black Racer
- Sparrow
- Spider Wasp
- Squirrel
- Stick Insect
- Swainson’s Hawk
- Swallowtail Butterfly
- Swan
- Tarantula Hawk
- Termite
- Thrush
- Tick
- Tiger Beetle
- Tortoise
- Toucan
- Tree Frog
- Tree swallow
- Turkey
- Turtles
- Umbrellabird
- Upland Sandpiper
- Vampire Bat
- Vine Snake
- Vinegaroon
- Vulture
- Wasp
- Western Kingbird
- Western Tanager
- White-Eyed Vireo
- White-Faced Capuchin
- White Ferret / Albino Ferrets
- White-tail deer
- Whitetail Deer
- Willow Flycatcher
- Wolf Spider
- Wood Turtle
- Woodlouse
- Woodpecker
- Worm
- Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
- Yellow Spotted Lizard
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What kind of animals live in Belize?
Belize is home to many unique mammals, including the tapir, peccary, deer, and big cats; it is particularly rich in rodents and bats. In addition, there are potentially as many as 600 species of aerial birds, including macaws and toucans. Turtles, tortoises, snakes, insects, and fish are also found all over the country.
What dangerous animals live in Belize?
Vipers, coral snakes, crocodiles, spiders, and poison dart frogs are among the most dangerous animals in Belize.
What are the most common animals in Belize?
Besides the many species of insects, bats and rodents are probably the most common.
Are there tigers in Belize?
No, tigers are only native to Asia. Belize has cougars, jaguars, ocelots, and margays instead.
What animals live in the Belize barrier reef?
The barrier reef is teeming with sea turtles, manatees, stingrays, sharks, lobsters, seahorses, and all manner of marine fish.