Five interesting bird species of Mexico. Mexico: animals, birds and people Birds of Mexico
The Yucatan Peninsula is one of the richest places on the planet in terms of natural diversity. Perhaps this is why it was here that the postclassical period of the Mayan civilization flourished in the 6th-9th centuries. AD: here, after the decline of the city-states of Copan, Tikal, Yaxchilan and those lying to the south - in the territories of the modern state of Chiapas, Guatemala and Honduras, the development of one of the developed civilizations of the Western Hemisphere rushed.
In order not to be unfounded, there are two Objects on the territory of the peninsula world heritage UNESCO natural character - in the southeast it is the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, and in the southwest it is Ancient city Maya Calakmul and those around it rainforests(this is the so-called “mixed object”). Such a large topic cannot be covered in one material, so below we decided to make short review feathered representatives of the local fauna, indicating their habitats.
Black cutwater
Photo: Allan Drewitt, Arlene Koziol.
These seabirds like to live in small groups near lagoons or river banks, hunting in shallow water for prey. Their main prey includes fish, which they catch by flying directly above the surface of the water and “combing” it with the lower part of their beak, which is how cutters got their name. They are often seen in the vicinity of the reserve Rio Lagartos, which is in the north of the peninsula, 250 km. by car from Cancun. This place is rich in many rare species of birds and animals, such as pink flamingos and crocodiles lazily basking in the sun. We organize trips to these places, during which, in addition to the reserve, travelers visit Mayan ruins Ek Balam.
Black-headed trogon (quetzal)
Photo: Allan Drewitt.
In addition to the Caribbean region, these birds live in Africa and South America. They are quite reserved and secretive. Because of this, it is sometimes difficult to get close to them. close quarters. It is noteworthy that the Brilliant Quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala, and the local monetary unit is called “quetzal”. The ancient peoples who lived in Central America believed in the divine origin of the trogon, and their murder was punished to the fullest extent of the laws of that time. The black-headed trogon differs from its counterparts living in other regions of the planet in having a more interesting voice. This photo was taken near the archaeological zone Koba, which we visit during an interesting excursion Mini Yucatan #2.
Great Blue Heron
Photo: Chris Setter, John Harrison, PhotoBobil.
She is the largest heron in the territory North America. They lead a solitary lifestyle and like to hunt without unnecessary witnesses. It feeds mainly on fish, but also does not disdain frogs, lizards, snakes, dragonflies, grasshoppers and many other aquatic insects, which are abundant in this part of Mexico. Herons peek out at their prey in shallow water and usually swallow it whole. If the victim is too big, they, no matter how cruel it sounds, first strangle it. But you have to pay for everything - crows hunt for the eggs of the great blue heron, and eagles and raccoons attack the chicks. It, like the black water cutter, can be observed in the reserve Rio Lagartos.
Mexico. Crowned flyeater.Look at this seemingly unremarkable bird.
And that’s how beautiful she becomes at the slightest danger.
This bird is often compared to Napoleon) The feathers that make up the crest are usually colored fiery red in males with blue tips. Females of different races, who do not want to resemble each other, instead of fiery red, sport stunning yellow or orange shades of hairstyles. When folded, the crest resembles the opposite projection of a wide and fairly long beak. As a result, the bird's head has a striking resemblance to a hammer in its shape. This is the symbolic bird of Mexico.
Colombia. Goatzin.
The hoatzin looks like a pheasant or one of its relatives: quite large in size, strong legs, long tail, wide wings. The relatively long neck supports a small, graceful head, crowned with a beautiful crest, and the sides are decorated with bright red leather rims around the eyes and blue cheeks. In a word, the bird is noticeable and elegant, but there are dozens of equally striking species in different parts of the globe. And beauty is not the main feature due to which the hoatzin is considered one of the most mysterious living birds.
It's a matter of habits and habits. This bird spends its entire life on tree branches spread over some body of water, preferably standing or slowly flowing. Slowly moving from branch to branch, the hoatzin devotes most of the daylight hours to feeding. Its diet is strictly vegetarian: flowers, fruits, and more (80%) just green leaves - hard, leathery, with an abundance of mechanical tissue, sometimes saturated with rubber juice or potent alkaloids.
Generally speaking, green mass of this kind is a specific food resource. In addition to the fact that it contains few nutrients, they are also extremely difficult to extract from it. Herbivorous mammals found two solutions to this problem: large body sizes (elephants went the furthest along this path) and an extremely complex digestive apparatus with special chambers for ripening the fermentable mass. The best apparatus of this kind belongs to ruminant ungulates, but outside the class of mammals no one has been able to create anything similar in their body. Nobody except the hoatzins.
Pieces of leaves, torn off by a short, strong, jagged beak and moistened with saliva, enter a huge crop that occupies most of the chest. The goiter is so large that a sitting hoatzin usually rests its chest on the nearest branch to maintain balance, for which purpose there is even a special skin thickening on the chest that resembles a callus. However, nothing comes for free. Even a chicken, almost incapable of flight, has an extensive flat outgrowth of the sternum in the front of the body - the keel, to which powerful thick muscles are attached. The hoatzin practically does not have it: a huge crop, having filled the front part of the bird’s body, left almost no room for the flight muscles and their attachment apparatus. As a result, despite their beautiful, long and wide wings, hoatzins fly very poorly. Most often, they do not do this at all, but only occasionally glide from the upper part of the crown of one tree to the lower branches of another. And, having landed, they begin a leisurely ascent - from branch to branch, moving with their strong paws, biting leaves and young shoots along the way.
A large, noticeable bird, tied to permanent habitats and almost unable to fly, it would seem, was doomed to become a victim of humans. However, the hoatzin was saved by its unique digestive apparatus - the bird, in whose crop the green mass is constantly fermenting, smells like a dung heap. “Smelly bird”, “Anna-stinker” - this is how the hoatzin is most often called in its habitat. The natives of South America sometimes collect and eat hoatzin eggs, but the birds themselves are caught very rarely, only in cases of extreme hunger. The more civilized part of the population never hunts the “stinker” at all.
Guatemala. Quetzal.
The Quetzal inhabits cold, virgin mountain forests from southern Mexico to Panama. Like all trogons, it nests in hollows. Towards the end of the nesting season, the male's plumage wears out and loses its splendor. It feeds almost exclusively on ocotea fruits, which it swallows whole, but on occasion it eats insects, small tree frogs, lizards and snails.
The Quetzal was a sacred bird among the ancient Mayans and Aztecs. They considered the quetzal to be the god of air and its long green tail feathers were used in religious ceremonies. However, birds were never killed for this, but were caught alive, their feathers were pulled out and released. In modern Guatemala, the quezal is the state symbol of the country. national symbol freedom. It is believed that a Quezal deprived of his freedom dies of a broken heart. Indeed, in captivity the life of quesals is short, but in the wild they have now become very rare due to persecution. The Guatemalan quezal is depicted on the coat of arms of the state, the monetary unit there is called the quezal.
When it’s cold and dark outside, it’s nice to let a little warmth and sun into your apartment. Take a look at sunny Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula. Look at the birds and animals that I encountered with my camera in two weeks....
Iguana. When they meet someone and don’t want to run away, they lift their heads in a very funny way and begin to simultaneously inflate their throats and shake their heads up and down. They threaten... But we are not afraid...
Another handsome man. The first days everyone shouts - oh, look, an iguana, an iguana - and let's take pictures. And after about a week they pass by indifferently - well, yes, an iguana... So quickly a person gets used to everything good, while he gets used to the bad much more slowly...
Iguanas are useful animals. They eat insects, including mosquitoes....
No matter what you say - well, yes, another iguana, so what... - this brutal specimen will become the last iguana in this review... Although keeping this promise is oh so difficult. After all, I still have so many magnificent specimens of iguanas against a backdrop of different beauty... But if you don’t give your word, be strong, and if you give it, hold on... I will hold on...
The ubiquitous seagulls. And little birds who love to walk along the surf line. Looking for something tasty for yourself...
This raccoon came straight to the beach - suddenly someone would treat him with something tasty... There are a lot of raccoons there. But there are still more iguanas...
These birds (something like jackdaws) willingly stole food from plates, as soon as they left it for a while. To do this, they were on duty on the balcony... And on the beach near the cafe... See how a tastier piece peeks out...
Pelicans, unlike jackdaws and gulls, led a sedentary lifestyle. Almost all the time we dozed on such a rock. It was nice to swim and look at the pelicans. In the evening and before the rain, these rather large birds gathered in flocks and flew somewhere in a wedge, just like our cranes fly in the fall... On different days, I counted from 8 to 25 pelicans in the wedge. The flight of the pelican wedge is beautiful... But I never heard the cry of the pelican... Silently they flew into the Mexican distance.
Local crows are small... But in character they are just as cheerful and impudent as ours. And they also love shiny things... More than once they threw me ketchup wrappers from the tree... But I don’t need a wrapper. It’s a pity that they didn’t throw any rings... However, I’m sure they simply didn’t have any, otherwise they would have thrown them...
We met this wonderful animal in Tulum, immediately after entering the museum-reserve of the only Mayan city on the coast (the rest are all located inland). It is possible that this is a coati...
a bird unknown to me... Also Tulum.
In this photo, a flock of eagles is flying over Tulum... I saw a lot of eagles there, but they always fly high, and my camera is the simplest... And then it’s so nice to admire them that you don’t want to grab the camera...
But with cats it was difficult. There were no cats at all. There weren't even any in the hotel. there were raccoons instead. Probably, raccoons and cats occupy the same food niche and cats cannot compete.
We managed to meet this only cat in a cafe near the Tulum Museum-Reserve.
We met these boars at the Akun-chen amusement park (snorkeling in illuminated caves, walking through caves with stalactites and stalagmites, traveling by air cable car on carbines (zip-line), mini-zoo). There we also saw monkeys on a leash, snakes and predatory cats in a mini-zoo, as well as a wild animal (possibly a coati on the top of a tree). But they will not be included in this review. After all, everyone must have been to the zoo?
Seagulls again. They are located here picturesquely...
That's all for today! Goodbye Mexico, see you again.
Next time I will show pictures of Mayan buildings from the cities of Tulum and Coba....
Dear readers of my magazine. If you have an interesting report about your latest (!!!) trip, I suggest you post the link in the comments to this post. Be sure to write when and where YOU went and what we will see and read if we follow your link...
FROM A JOURNALIST'S NOTEBOOK
TURKEY - THE GIFT OF THE INDIANS
Once in America, the Spanish conquistadors were amazed by the diversity of exotic fauna. Of particular interest - and also appetite - was a large, beautiful bird with dark plumage, shimmering with a copper, purple-red and green metallic sheen. Exported to the Old World, it acclimatized perfectly there and to this day is a decoration for any poultry house, and, when fried, for any holiday table.
The homeland of turkeys is Mexico.
The ancient Aztecs knew neither cows, nor sheep, nor goats, nor chickens. Only three species of animals were domesticated by them; dog, bee and turkey, which was especially valued for its excellent culinary qualities.
Mexicans still retain their affection for turkey meat. Their main dish national cuisine“Mole Poblano”: turkey stewed in a sauce made from chocolate, numerous spices and vegetables. In stores you can buy stuffed turkeys with very intricate stuffing and very tasty turkey sausage.
The first European to see the bizarre overseas birds was the Spanish navigator Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. This happened in 1517, on the northern coast of the Yucatan peninsula, which was discovered by him. Some time later, the conqueror of Mexico, Hernán Cortés, reported to Spain about thousands of turkeys being bred in the gardens surrounding the palace of Moctezuma II, one of the last Aztec emperors.
Turkeys were soon brought to Europe. Following Spain, they gained recognition in France. King Francis I used to savor turkey meat in the presence of his courtiers, for whom he broke off small pieces so that they could appreciate the excellent taste of the white meat. The “Sun King” Louis XIV also counted turkey among his favorite dishes.
In England, the popularization of the turkey was greatly facilitated by fiction, in particular, the works of the poet John Gay and the prose writer Charles Dickens, in which it was praised. And in the USA, this bird was surrounded by such respect that the outstanding politician Benjamin Franklin even proposed placing it - instead of an eagle - on the state emblem of the country.
Little by little, having supplanted lamb and goose, turkey reigned on the European Christmas table as the main holiday dish. In many countries, for several months before Christmas, poultry is fed in a special way to make the meat tasty and tender. To do this, they give her nuts, fruits, almonds, raisins and other sweets, and drink wine.
...Modern Mexicans call the turkey the word “guajolote,” which comes from the Aztec language. The Spaniards - by analogy with the peacock - gave the turkey the name "pavo". The British were completely embarrassed, calling him “grater”, i.e. "Turk". Residents of Foggy Albion believed that there was no land in the world more mysterious and exotic than Turkey, and all foreign wonders were considered to originate from there.
But in the Russian language there was no confusion. The words “turkey”, “turkey”, “Indian rooster”, like the old “Indian”, clearly make it clear that this bird came to us from the Indians.
Turkeys have long been a part of our rural landscape, taking their rightful place among Russian domestic animals. “Without an Indian rooster, without a greyhound dog, you are not a landowner,” they used to say in the old days. Let us remember how Natalya Pavlovna, the heroine of Pushkin’s poem “Count Nulin,” bored on her estate in the absence of her husband who had gone hunting, amused herself “in front of the window with a fight between a goat and a yard dog.” A few moments later, a new sight opens up to her eyes:
Meanwhile, it’s sad under the window
The turkeys came out screaming
Following a wet cock...
Many nations have a habit of comparing people to turkeys. “Puffed up like a turkey,” we say about a swaggering or touchy person. “The turkey thought so too, but ended up in the soup,” we laugh at the slow-witted guy.
And in Spanish there is an expression “to turn red like a turkey,” which means the same thing as “to turn red like a lobster.” When a girl, unable to find a partner, leans her back against the wall on the dance floor, they say that she “ate the turkey.” A turkey is a name given to a stupid, simple-minded person, and in some Latin American countries it is also called a “hare,” a stowaway passenger.
However, people tend to attribute negative traits to other domestic animals: our donkey is always stupid, the pig is dirty, the cat is lascivious...
If you think about it, however, this is about nothing more than the transference of human vices and shortcomings onto uncomplaining creatures who do not know how to defend themselves. But turkeys, like other animals and birds, are sinless: simply living nature is a mirror into which we humans look...
MULTIPURPOSE DOGS
The Spanish conquerors were greatly impressed by Mexican dogs, which were completely different from European ones. And their names were such that you couldn’t pronounce them right away.
The Aztecs bred different breeds of dogs that were used for different purposes. The Tepeitzcuintli, or forest dog, was intended for hunting ferrets, squirrels, moles and other small animals. And the “holoitzcuintli,” otherwise known as a page dog, was used as a pack animal for transporting light loads and accompanying people on long journeys.
The offspring of the Holoitzcuintli, although very few in number, have survived to this day. This dog, highly valued by dog handlers, is called “bald” because, unlike its four-legged relatives, it has no hair at all. But she has a very high body temperature - 40.5°. The Aztecs took advantage of this circumstance and used a hairless dog as a living heating pad to warm the sick.
Holoitscuintli also has other unique properties: she cannot bark like other dogs, but only moans and whines; much more willing to eat fruits and vegetables than meat. 
Describing local markets, Hernán Cortés reported in 1520 to the Spanish king Charles V that he saw for sale “small dogs that are castrated and fattened for food.” We are talking here, apparently, about the humpbacked dog “Itzcuintepozotli”. Its meat was considered a delicacy and was consumed by the Aztecs as a prelude to the main course during large feasts hosted by the rich.
The custom of eating dogs seems disgusting and disgusting to us today. But at that time this was considered a completely ordinary matter. It must be borne in mind that the Aztecs were practically omnivorous creatures. They ate rattlesnakes and lizards, grasshoppers, beetles and worms... They did not disdain cannibalism. By the way, the final disappearance of the humpbacked dog as a species was greatly facilitated by the Spanish conquerors, who also began to eat it for lack of other meat...
Another important function assigned by the Aztecs to humpbacked dogs was accompanying the dead to the afterlife. The underworld, according to the ideas of the ancient Mexicans, was located on the lowest of the nine floors of the universe and was called Mictlan. On the way there, the dead man had to cross the Chicanhuapan River (literally, “nine waters”). This river flowed underground from west to east and connected the waters of the sea on which the land stood. It was believed that it was along this river that the setting sun sailed at night, only to rise again in the morning. The purpose of the dogs, which were sacrificed and buried along with the ashes of the deceased, was to transport the dead on their backs through Chicanhuapan. Here a parallel arises from ancient Greek mythology with the underground river Acheron and three-headed dog Cerberus, sitting at the entrance to hell.
However, Cerberus did not transport anyone anywhere, but performed purely guard functions.
Perhaps the most amazing dog breed that has come down to us from ancient times is the Chihuahua. These dogs are sometimes mistakenly called "Chinese" dogs, but they actually originate from Mexico. Even the ancient Toltecs considered them sacred animals and kept them in their temples. This breed is named after one of the states of the country.
The Chihuahua is the smallest dog in the world. It is slightly larger in size than a rat, and weighs from 0.9 to 2.7 kg. This is a very heat-loving animal that constantly shivers from the cold. Chihuahuas are sometimes taken for walks on a leash, and sometimes carried out in a basket.
It is curious that this breed gained wide international fame largely thanks to... musicians. In 1890, the President of Mexico gave the famous Italian opera singer Adelina Patti a huge bouquet of flowers, inside which, as a surprise, a Chihuahua was hidden. Naturally, the attention of those present immediately switched from the coloratura soprano to the squealing of the dog.
And the Spanish composer Javier Cugat, who often performed in the United States, became famous - and at the same time glorified Chihuahua - for conducting an orchestra while holding a dog under his arm. Citing this fact, I cannot help but mention one mysterious linguistic coincidence: “armpit” is “dog” in Spanish...
Despite its diminutive size, the Chihuahua is a very brave dog, it is distinguished by its bite and stubbornness, and is ready not only to bark at an elephant, but also to fight with a lion, if, of course, a lion, in an unkind hour, crosses its path.
LIFEBUO FOR DOLPHINS AND TURTLES
The conservation of animal wealth is considered in today's Mexico as a matter of national importance. At the same time, much attention is paid to marine fauna, in particular, one of its most amazing species - dolphins, for the protection of which the authorities have developed a special program.
Concern for the fate of marine mammals, which are often considered similar in intelligence to humans, has good reason.
According to data cited in the Mexican press, over the past three decades, more than six million dolphins have died in the Pacific Ocean due to the fault of the crews of fishing vessels. If in the 60s and early 70s the main organizer of their genocide was the United States, then the sad palm passed to Mexico. Next on the list of “dolphin killer” countries are Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama and the small poisonous state of Vanuatu.
In most cases, dolphins are not destroyed out of malicious intent: they become “collateral victims” in tuna fishing - in particular, “yellowfin” tuna, which is considered the most valuable variety of this fish. The reason is that “obeying an instinct, the exact meaning of which is not clear to scientists, dolphins - like shepherds guarding their flock - accompany large concentrations of tuna in the ocean. Seeing dolphins “playing” on the surface of the water, fishermen receive information about the presence of large quantity fish. Along with tuna, dolphins inevitably end up in cast nets: in each of them, on average, four of these animals die...
Another species of fauna that is in dire need of patronage and protection is sea turtles. Mexico has passed a law making those who catch, kill or mutilate these reptiles, or illegally sell products made from them, subject to prison sentences ranging from six months to three years. At the same time, a broad outreach campaign is being carried out among the population, with the goal of convincing people of the need to save one of the most valuable species of the animal world from destruction.
Since time immemorial, the country's coastline, stretching for thousands of kilometers, has been chosen by sea turtles as one of the main breeding grounds. Tropical beaches Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea These heat-loving animals are attracted primarily by high temperatures. It is here, in the coastal waters of Mexico, that their largest concentrations in the world are believed to be located.
Females, preparing to give birth to offspring, crawl out of the sea onto the shore at night. Like miniature tractors, they climb up the beach, probing the sand with their noses in the squeaks of a suitable place where they can build a nest. Then, using its hind flippers as “sapper blades,” the animal digs a pit shaped like a jug and reaching a depth of 40 to 70 cm, and lays dozens of eggs in it, usually a total of one hundred. All this requires a lot of effort. The turtle is breathing heavily, tears flowing from his eyes.
IS IT possible to remain indifferent to these tears invisible to the world?
Environmentalists are sounding the alarm: the number of sea turtles is declining sharply. Firstly, because industrial construction, urbanization and tourism are aggressively advancing on the once wild and deserted coastline. This means that less and less people remain calm, deserted beaches where turtles could nest. Even electric lighting scares off pinniped reptiles: when they see lights on the shore, they prefer to swim further into the ocean.
Secondly, sea turtles are subject to rampant hunting. Their mass catching began in the 20s of our century; the next “fishing boom” occurred in the 60s. If in 1960 20 thousand turtles were caught, then in 1968 - already 360 thousand. In recent decades, millions of these animals were exterminated (Mexico accounted for about 80% of their world catch), until in 1990 the government announced a complete ban on turtle fishing.
A ban is a ban, but fishing - although now illegal - continues because, from a commercial point of view, it is an extremely profitable business. Turtle skin is profitably used in the haberdashery industry. The shell is used for scallops and other crafts; it is also used for inlaying furniture. Meat is especially valued - a product famous not only for its sophistication, but also for its nutritional value.
Turtle eggs are tasty and healthy. Some Indian tribes still have the custom of bringing them during a wedding ceremony as a gift to the newlyweds - as a symbol of fertility. At the same time, the ritual “turtle dance” is performed. Although scientists deny that turtle eggs are a sexual stimulant, many people believe in it. Egg prices have recently increased, which was facilitated, in particular, by prohibitive measures taken by the authorities. At the time when their collection was allowed, a hundred (that is, the contents of one nest) cost about three dollars, and now, on the “black market” pursued by the police, the price has risen to thirteen. 
Now in Mexico there are dozens of specially equipped points dedicated to the protection of turtles and at the same time - scientific research in the field of zoology and ecology. Naval ships patrolling along the coast provide assistance in the fight against poachers.
However, not only turtles deserve sympathy, but also the attackers who attempt their lives. Most of them are poor, semi-literate Indians. Catching a turtle, digging it out of the sand, and then eating or selling its eggs is often the only way for them not to die of hunger or to earn some money. Therefore, the adopted environmental programs necessarily emphasize the social aspect: it is necessary to help the poor, give them other, alternative sources of livelihood. It goes without saying that saving people has always been and remains a matter much more complex and important than protecting animals.
CROCODILE HEATING IS A PROMISING INDUSTRY
The term “crocodile farming” is not yet in Russian explanatory and encyclopedic dictionaries, but it is possible that over time it will take its rightful place in them.
Breeding toothed reptiles on an industrial basis is an extremely profitable business, and more and more businessmen in different countries the world are investing their capital in it.
According to data provided by the Mexican weekly Epoch, one square centimeter of crocodile skin, used to make fashionable ladies' shoes, handbags and belts, costs $25 on the international market, and crocodile meat, from which exotic dishes are prepared in American restaurants, costs 9 dollars per pound. The teeth of this animal are also highly valued: they are used to make original women’s jewelry. In addition, some aromatic substances contained in the crocodile's body are used in the perfume industry in the production of perfumes.
Not long ago, one of our television programs, ATV, featured a story about the opening of a crocodile farm in the Moscow region that caused a lot of noise. What was shown turned out to be a clever hoax, and thousands of gullible people who fell for the prank experienced bitter disappointment. Meanwhile, in other countries such as the USA and Japan, such enterprises operate not in jest, but in all seriousness.
20 thousand crocodiles are kept on a farm near the Mexican city of Culiacan, administrative center Sinaloa state in the northwest of the country. The farm area is 20 hectares. The animals' natural habitat has been recreated: lagoons, ponds, dense thickets.
As the experience of breeding crocodiles in captivity shows, the popular idea of the greed and gluttony of these predators is a clear exaggeration. At a farm in Sinaloa, they are fed only once every three days, with five kilograms of chicken or beef given to each eater. In general, a crocodile, after satisfying its appetite, is able to abstain from food for fifteen or even twenty days.
According to experts, the achievements of modern science make it possible to regulate the sex of the offspring produced by crocodiles. The desired ratio between the number of males and females born is achieved by creating a special temperature regime in the incubators where crocodile eggs are placed.
An important condition for working on a farm is strict adherence to “safety precautions.” Crocodiles are known to be very aggressive,” especially when it comes to protecting the eggs they lay from humans. When attacking their prey, they are capable of reaching speeds of 60 km per hour.
But let’s take a moment away from the harsh reality and move into the realms of rosy fantasies. What if the idea invented by the jokers from ATV is destined to come true? An experimental enterprise (possibly a joint venture) for the domestication of crocodiles, created in one of the southern regions of our country, could supply shoe factories with first-class leather. And, at the same time, throw onto the market centners of meat, which is so scarce during these Lenten years. As journalists will write, “there is a significant addition to our meager table.”
Continuing to soar in the empyrean, I will add that the humor magazine “Crocodile” could well become a sponsor of the future farm. There is no doubt that the experimental enterprise should have been named after Korney Chukovsky, who dedicated the best pages of his books to the poeticization of crocodiles. The domestic trademark “Totosha and Kokosha” would eventually begin to successfully compete with the world-famous image of a crocodile, chosen as its emblem by the ubiquitous transnational company “Lacoste”...
Returning to a more serious tone, I note that the crocodile business also has a very positive environmental impact. Their numbers are currently declining sharply; 14 species are already listed in the “red book” of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Breeding and rationally organized fishing on specially equipped farms and reserves will in the future help save these reptiles from complete extinction from the face of the Earth.
Mexico City — Moscow
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It is not known what is more in the life of this bird - luck or, conversely, misfortune. Indeed, throughout Latin America it is considered a sacred bird, with which many legends and beliefs are associated. This fact simultaneously saved and almost destroyed the bright bird.
Both the Mayans and Aztecs considered the quetzal the patron of the air, a symbol of goodness, light, spring and plants, and depicted him next to the gods. To harm this bird was a terrible sin. When they saw the quetzal, they tried to please it - bring food, decorate the tree on which the nest was located. But pulling a few bright feathers from the tail was not considered harmful, and only the “highest ranks” of the tribe could decorate themselves with these feathers. But the Indians considered the quetzal a bird of freedom that wasted away in captivity, and they always released it.
There is one beautiful legend associated with the quetzal. The Indian leader Tekut Uman fought with the conquistadors, and his patron, the quetzal, hovered above him. During the decisive battle, Tekut Uman was killed. And the quetzal fell dead on his bloody body. Since then, the Indians believe that the quetzal has a red breast.
But when the conquistadors realized what this bird meant to the Indians, they began to hunt it. In addition, over the next few centuries, the territories in which the quetzal lived - tropical and mountain forests - continued to be developed. As a result, the bird almost disappeared, and today it is included in the Red Book of Central America. Finding a quetzal is not easy, despite its size (including its tail, it can reach 80 cm). However, this does not stop curious tourists who travel tens of kilometers along mountain paths to see the sacred bird. The quetzal lives in the territory from southern Mexico to Panama, usually high in the mountains, on the tops of trees. And his quiet chirping, as the Mayans say, still brings to us the speeches of the gods.
The first magazine about Mexico in Russian “Arminas News”, autumn 2013
Photo: Riek, also from the Internet. For questions regarding authorship, please contact the company office
Mexico: upcoming tours
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