Quetzals are strikingly colored birds in the trogon family. They are found in forests, especially in humid highlands, with the five species from the genus Pharomachrus being exclusively Neotropical, while a single species, the eared quetzal, Euptilotis neoxenus, is found in Guatemala, sometimes in Mexico and very locally in the southernmost United States. In the highlands of the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Nayarit, Zacatecas, Jalisco, and Michoacán, the eared quetzal can be found from northwest to west-central Mexico. It is a Mesoamerican indigenous species, but some reports show that it occasionally travels and nests in southeastern Arizona and New Mexico in the United States. June to October is the mating season for eared quetzals. Quetzals are fairly large, slightly bigger than other trogon species. The resplendent quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala because of its vibrant colour and cultural significance to the Maya.
Sierra de las Minas is a mountain range in eastern Guatemala, extending 130 km west of the Lake Izabal. It is 15–30 km wide and bordered by the valleys of the rivers Polochic in the north and the Motagua in the south. Its western border is marked by the Salamá River valley which separates it from the Chuacús mountain range. The highest peak is Cerro Raxón at 3,015 m. The Sierra's rich deposits of jade and marble have been mined for centuries. These small scale mining activities also explain the name of the mountain range.
Plectrohyla hartwegi is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is found in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas and eastern Oaxaca in Mexico, Sierra de los Cuchumatanes in western Guatemala as well as Sierra de las Minas in eastern Guatemala, and Sierra de Omoa in southwestern Honduras. It might be a composite of two or more species.
Plectrohyla pokomchi is a species of frogs in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to central and eastern Guatemala and known from Sierra de Xucaneb and Sierra de las Minas at elevations of 1,400–1,900 m (4,600–6,200 ft) above sea level. Its specific name refers to the Poqomchi' people, a group of Indian people from the Guatemalan highlands. Common name Rio Sananja spikethumb frog has been coined for it.
Atlantihyla panchoi, also known as the Guatemala stream frog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to eastern Guatemala and is only known from three localities in the Sierra de las Minas and Montañas del Mico ranges. The specific name panchoi honors Laurence Cooper "Don Pancho" Stuart, an American herpetologist.
Craugastor adamastus is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to Guatemala and only known from its type locality near Aldea Vista Hermosa, on the northern slopes of the eastern portion of the Sierra de las Minas, where the type series was collected in 1980–1981.
Craugastor aphanus is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to the Sierra del Mico and Sierra de las Minas ranges in the Izabal Department of eastern Guatemala.
Craugastor xucanebi is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to Guatemala.
Bothriechis bicolor is a venomous pit viper species found in southern Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. The specific name refers to the contrasting ventral and dorsal colors. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Bothriechis marchi, also known as Honduran palm pit viper and March's palm pit viper, is a species of pitviper, a venomous snake, in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Central America. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
Geophis immaculatus, Downs's earth snake, is a small snake of the colubrid family. It is native to Mexico and Guatemala. There are no recognized subspecies. Although not much has been documented about it, the population distribution is in abundance and is of least concern in terms of conservation status.
The elegant coral snake is a species of elapid snake, native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. There are two recognized subspecies.
Craugastor sandersoni is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is found in Belize and eastern Guatemala, in the Maya Mountains, Sierra de Santa Cruz, Sierra del Mico and the eastern part of the Sierra de las Minas. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and wetlands, from sea level to 1,160 m asl. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Sierra de las Minas hidden salamander is one of seven species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. In 2009, it was the most recent species to be described in Cryptotriton. It is found in the Sierra de las Minas of eastern Guatemala. Its natural habitat are cloud forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Abronia fimbriata is a species of lizard endemic to the mountains of east-central Guatemala, including Sierra de Xucaneb, Sierra de las Minas, Sierra de Chuacús and Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, and is found in the cloud forests at elevations of 1,400–2,100 m. Its extent of occurrence is estimated to be only 1,500 km2, and is considered to be endangered.
The brilliant arboreal alligator lizard is a species of lizard endemic to Guatemala.
Stuart's burrowing snake is a species of colubrid snake. It is endemic to the Guatemala, where it can be found in pine-oak and cloud forests on Sierra de las Minas, the Cuilco Mountains, Sierra de los Cuchumatanes and Sierra de Xucaneb, at elevations of 1,200–2,200 m. It is terrestrial, fossorial and mainly nocturnal. It is threatened by habitat loss from agriculture and the exportation of Chamaedaphne calyculata plants.
Quercus elliptica is a Mesoamerican species of oak tree. It is widespread across central and southern Mexico and Central America from Sinaloa and Hidalgo south as far as Nicaragua. It is classified in Quercus sect. Lobatae.
Acer skutchii, often called the cloud forest sugar maple, Guatemalan maple, Mexican sugar maple, Skutch maple, or álamo plateado is a species of flowering plant in the genus Acer, native to Mexico and Guatemala.
Adelphicos ibarrorum is a species of colubrid snake. It is endemic to Guatemala and only known from the highlands of south-central Guatemala in the region of its type locality near Chichicastenango. It is a fossorial snake known from pine-oak forest and forest edge at elevations of 2,000–2,100 m (6,600–6,900 ft) above sea level. It is threatened by deforestation for agricultural purposes.
