Flora and Fauna

Cloud forest in the Chelemhá Reserve. Male Resplendent Quetzal in the Chelemhá cloud forest. Guatemalan Howler Monkey (Alouatta pigra) in the Chelemhá Reserve.

A weather regime dominated from the Caribbean Sea influences the Yalijux mountain range with an annual rainfall of 4,000 mm (160 in). In addition, the forest filters a high amount of water from the clouds, which is a main characteristic of cloud forests (Richards 1995). In Chelemhá, you can see pristine cloud forest, an evergreen, very humid broadleaf forest. Trees reach a height of 30 m.


The cloud forest of Chelemhá typifies what many people in northern latitudes imagine as “jungle” - an impressive chaotic green. Epiphytes grow upon branches and trunks of giant trees. The exuberant development of mosses, ferns, orchids, bromeliads and other epiphytes is typical to tropical cloud forests. These plants form true gardens with ton-weighty charges upon huge branches. Oak (Quercus spp.) and a variety of wild Avocado (Lauraceae) are characteristic trees of the Chelemhá cloud forest. Some species of the latter family have small fruit, of approximately 2 cm in diameter, which is the Quetzal’s main food. Single pine trees (Pinus sp.) grow on ridges and on naturally disturbed areas, like landslides. Elfin forest, a few meter tall scrub of Ericaceae plants, grows on the most wind-exposed ridges. Tree ferns (Cyatheaceae and Dicksoniaceae) and palms (Chamedorea spp.) are obvious parts of the cloud forest understory. The forest of Chelemhá is full of surprises. Some years ago, Dr. Harald Förther discovered a 3 meter tall scrub, by then unknown to science. He described it as Solenophora schleehaufii from the Gesneriaceae family (Weigend & Förther 2002).


Fascinating fauna adds to the breathtaking ambience of the cloud forest. Walking quietly along the forest trails and observing the environment attentively, it is common to come across Howler Monkeys (Alouatta pigra) and Quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno).


Also top predators roam through the Chelemhá cloud forest. Cues (footprints, scats) of large cats such as the Puma (Puma concolor) are found frequently by the local team of the PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program.


The Quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala, however, many Guatemalans have never seen the bird. The Quetzal lives only in remote cloud forests, where it finds the small wild Avocado tree fruit, its main diet. The Quetzal has a key function in the dispersion of this tree species.


The Quetzal’ belongs to the trogon family (Trogonidae) and is one of the most spectacular birds of the continent. Adult males have extremely elongated uppertail coverts, which grow almost a meter long. During the breeding season, males perform spectacular display flights. They ascend from trees on the ridges with a kwa-kwa kwa-kwa ... call and undulating flight into the sky, before falling like green lightning and disappearing into the canopy. Males and females both incubate the eggs and take care of their young. After the breeding season, Quetzals migrate to lower altitudes.


Not only the Quetzal and the Howler monkeys make Chelemhá an interesting and important area. The Mesoamerican cloud forests have been identified as hotspots of biodiversity and centers of endemism (Bibby et al. 1992). Birds like the Black-throated Jay (Cyanolyca pumilo), the Highland Guan (Penelopina nigra), the Green-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis viridipallens), and the Blue-throated Motmot (Aspatha gularis) live only in mountain ranges of northern Central America. The cloud forest of Chelemhá is home to 16 of these species. It is also refuge to four globally threatened species, such as Highland Guan and Pink-headed Warbler (Ergaticus versicolor). The Endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) forages in the Chelemhá cloud forest during migration from the wintering grounds in Guatemalan pine-oak forests to their breeding grounds in Texas.


These facts can be provided because birds belong to the best researched group of animals world-wide. But how many endemic insects, spiders, worms and snails live in Chelemhá? It is uncertain how many species unknown to science live in the cloud forest. Many such species can be expected, as it is known, that different groups of animals and plants show similar patterns of endemism (Bibby et al. 1992). Chelemhá is of invaluable importance for the conservation of world-wide biodiversity. The conservation of this area is a mankind’s responsibility.


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