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Blue Hole (park)
Encyclopedia
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
located just off the Hummingbird Highway
Hummingbird Highway
The Hummingbird Highway is one of the four major highways in Belize. It connects the Western Highway outside of Belmopan, Cayo District with the Southern Highway outside of Dangriga, Stann Creek District. It partially follows, and sometimes uses the infrastructure of, the former Stann Creek Railway...
in Cayo District
Cayo District
Cayo District is a district in the west of the nation of Belize. The District capital is the town of San Ignacio.- Geography :The Cayo District is the largest district in Belize. It is located on the western side of the country which borders Guatemala. The nation's capital, Belmopan, is...
of Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, near Belmopan
Belmopan
Belmopan , estimated population 20,000 is the capital city of Belize.Belmopan is located at , at an altitude of 76 metres above sea level. Belmopan was constructed just to the east of Belize River, inland from the former capital, the port of Belize City, after that city's near destruction by...
, the capital city. It is over 500 acres (2 km²) in area, and contains two cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
systems (St. Hermans and Crystal), various natural trails, and the cool jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
pool from which the park gets its name. The park is managed by the Belize Audubon Society
Belize Audubon Society
The Belize Audubon Society is a non-governmental conservation organisation founded in 1969 to encourage and develop conservation initiatives in Belize. It currently manages nine of the country's protected areas in partnership with the Belizean government....
.
This inland "blue hole" is not to be confused with the offshore Great Blue Hole
Great Blue Hole
The Great Blue Hole is a large submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over across and deep...
, also in Belize.
Flora and fauna
The park has over 200 species of birds, including unusual tropical species such as the Slaty AntwrenSlaty Antwren
The Slaty Antwren, Myrmotherula schisticolor, is a small passerine bird in the antbird family. It is a resident breeder in tropical Central and South America from southern Mexico to western Ecuador and eastern Peru....
, Piratic Flycatcher
Piratic Flycatcher
The Piratic Flycatcher, Legatus leucophaius, is a passerine bird, the only member of the genus Legatus. It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico and Trinidad south to Bolivia and Argentina...
and Red-legged Honeycreeper
Red-legged Honeycreeper
The Red-legged Honeycreeper is a small songbird species in the tanager family . It is found in the tropical New World from southern Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and central Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, and on Cuba, where possibly introduced.-Description:The Red-legged Honeycreeper is on average...
. Species considered local specialties are Tody Motmot
Tody Motmot
The Tody Motmot is a species of bird in the Momotidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Hylomanes.It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama....
and Northern Nightingale-Wren
Northern Nightingale-Wren
The Northern Nightingale-Wren is a species ofpasserine bird in the Troglodytidae family.It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua....
.
The Ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
, Jaguarundi
Jaguarundi
The jaguarundi is a small-sized wild cat native to Central and South America. In 2002, the IUCN classified the jaguarundi as Least Concern as it is likely that no conservation units, with the probable exception of the mega-reserves of the Amazon basin could sustain long-term viable populations. It...
, and Jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
have all been recorded in Blue Hole National Park.
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