Guatemala

Amphibians unique to Guatemala include the Finca Chiblac Salamander Bradytriton silus (ARKive), Monzon’s Moss Salamander Cryptotriton monzoni (EDGE), the Jalapa False Brook Salamander Pseudoeurycea exspectata (EDGE), the Cuchumatanas Bromeliad Salamander Dendrotriton cuchumatanus (EDGE), a recently described mushroomtongue salamander Bolitoglossa omniumsanctorum (p. 15 of UMMZ 3 MB pdf file), the Cerro Pozo de Agua Moss Salamander Nototriton brodiei (ARKive), the Las Palmas Spikethumb Frog Plectrohyla quecchi (ARKive), the Guatemala Stream Frog Ptychohyla panchoi (UTA), Bocourt’s Robber Frog Eleutherodactylus (or Craugastor) bocourti (AmphibiaWeb), and the Xucaneb Robber Frog Eleutherodactylus (or Craugastor) xucanebi (AmphibiaWeb).

Reptiles known solely from Guatemala include an endemic genus of colubrid snake Chapinophis xanthocheilus (Ik' bolay Serpentarium), Dary's Burrowing Snake Adelphicos daryi (Internet Archive), Baird's Blackhead Snake Tantilla bairdi (UMMZ), Stadelman's Graceful Brown Snake Rhadinaea stadelmani (UMMZ), Stuart’s Coral Snake Micrurus stuarti (p. 48 of AMNH Digital Library pdf file), the Guatemalan Black Iguana Ctenosaura palearis (IRCF), a subspecies of the Beaded Lizard (IRCF), Salvin's Anole Norops (or Anolis) salvini (fig. A at Biologia Centrali-America), and two alligator lizards: Abronia campbelli (Reptile Database) and Abronia fimbriata (Reptarium).

Mammals found only in Guatemala include the Maya Mouse Peromyscus mayensis (Vladimir Dinets), the Big Deer Mouse Peromyscus grandis (p. 4 of AMNH Digital Library pdf file), the Guatemala Little Brown Bat Myotis cobanensis (AMNH Digital Library pdf file), and two recently described shrews:  Cryptotis lacertosus and Cryptotis mam (both at Smithsonian pdf file). 

The nation's only bird endemic was the recently extinct Atitlan Grebe Podilymbus gigas (Mayan Birding).

Freshwater fish known exclusively from Guatemala include Scolichthys greenwayi (FishBase), the Comma Swordtail Xiphophorus signum (FishBase), Poecilia rositae (Zool. Abh. pdf file), Bramocharax baileyi (FishBase), the Grijalva Studfish Xenodexia ctenolepis (p. 33 of Deep Blue pdf file), a catfish Potamarius izabalensis (Smithsonian), and three cichlids: Archocentrus spinosissimus (Cichlid Room Companion), Astatheros margaritifer (Cichlid Room Companion) and Vieja (or Paratheraps) melanurus (Cichlid Room Companion).

Beetles restricted to Guatemala include the jewel scarab beetles Chrysina pehlkei (New World Scarab Beetles) and Chrysina prototelica (New World Scarab Beetles), a longhorned beetle Lochmaeocles laticinctus (Smithsonian), and a bess beetle Petrejoides caralae (Florida Entomologist pdf file). Other endemic invertebrates include a land snail Euglandina huehuetenangoensis (Univ. Florida), the Guatemalan Redrumped Tarantula Brachypelma sabulosum (giantspiders.com), a grasshopper Phaneroturis tantillus (OSF), a bee Caupolicana wileyi (ZooKeys), a skipper Decinea zapota (Butterflies of America), the butterflies Cyllopsis nelsoni (Butterflies of America) and Calephelis guatemala (Butterflies of America), and a silkmoth Hylesia hawksi (BOLD).

Among the over 1100 species of vascular plants restricted to Guatemala are many orchids including Epidendrum sobralioides (IOPSE), Trichocentrum splendidum (SOF), Lepanthes isabelae (IOPSE), and Dresslerella archilae (OrchidPhotos.org). Other endemic species include Begonia crassicaulis (BioLib), a cycad Zamia tuerckheimii (Cycad Pages), a bromeliad Tillandsia harrisii (Anwyl Bromeliads), a palm Chamaedorea castillo-montii (p. 69 of CONCYT pdf file), Anthurium armeniense (Int'l Aroid Soc.), an avocado Persea zentmyerii (avacodosource.com pdf file), Justicia sangilensis (CAS pdf file), Dicliptera guttata (Internet Archive), and four cacti: Disocactus quezaltecus (Les Cactees Epiphytes), Myrtillocactus eichlamii (Au Cactus Francophone) and Opuntia eichlamii and Pachycereus lepidanthus (both at Phil Ganter). Endemic plant genera include Megalostoma (JSTOR), Neeopsis (JSTOR), and Cuchumatanea (Internet Archive).

Guatemala is part of the Mesoamerica biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots) and its coast forms a portion of the Western Caribbean coral reef hotspot (Reef Guardian pdf file). The Motagua Valley Thornscrub ecoregion (EoE) is located entirely within Guatemala. Important freshwater ecoregions include the Grijalva-Usumacinta (FEOW) and the Upper Usumacinta (FEOW).