Susie G. Says:
What’s the wildlife like in Belize? Are there many creepy crawlies?
IL Belize Correspondent Shane Kenny Says:
Hi Susie,
One of the things I was most worried about when we decided to move to Belize was that I would deeply miss hearing the birds outside of my window as I woke up each morning. You see, in Georgia our house was right up next to the woods, and the singing and chirping were a part of what I loved most. What would happen when we moved to a little fishing village in southern Belize?
I need not have worried. The wildlife here in Belize is just amazing, with so many species of animals.
We’ve lived here for four and a half years now, and every morning I wake up to the calls of several different kinds of birds. Some are harsh, like the grackle, and others are melodious, like the New World warblers, and are a beautiful reminder of the vast variety of nature.
Iguanas love the water—you might see one swimming in the lagoon… or in your pool! We’ve even watched them climb on the roof of our pool bar and dive in for a swim. Don’t be surprised when you see all different colors of iguanas as well. The reddish orange ones caught me by surprise.
During the first week after we moved to Belize, I was walking to the store with my son when a half dozen raccoon-like fuzzy cute animals crossed our path. They were striped like a raccoon but sported very long tails. I wasn’t sure what they were until I got home and used trusty Google to find some answers. This mama and babies turned out to be coatimundi. Locally known as “squash,” these adorable little critters are seen on the regular and are quite friendly.
Not so friendly are the raccoons and possums. Yup—Belize has those, too! Trash pandas are prevalent and love to create mischief. They especially like to come up on our porch at night when the dog is on guard duty at our business and hunt for leftover food. They’re very clean and “wash” their food in her water bowl, too. Sigh.
We live right on the sea here in Placencia, so it’s very normal to see all kinds of sea life along different points of the village as well.
There’s a spot down at the point that is known for being a seahorse community. A few yards from there is a pier where eagle rays often hang out. From our porch at the north end of the village we’ve seen dolphins and the occasional manatee. The lagoon side is home to crocodiles (though they occasionally come over to the sea side as well). Our local Crocodile Research Coalition keeps a close eye on the croc population and provides all kinds of educational opportunities.
Of course, there are dozens of types of fish that can be seen as well. It’s quite common to see young boys fishing with a hand line on the days off of school, or going spearfishing.
Do we have creepy crawlies in Belize? Sure. But when you think of them as part of the balanced ecosystem, it’s easier to let them be.
The little geckos that invite themselves into your house may be annoying (especially when they drop their poop everywhere), but they eat the mosquitos. You can recognize them by their “laugh”—seriously, it sounds like they’re laughing at you. Bats are also a welcome sight as they, too, feed on bugs. Many places have put in bat houses to welcome them.
Join me on Wednesday, February 7 for our Belize Now online seminar, where I’ll walk you through lots more aspects of life here in my slice of Caribbean paradise.
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