GAME MAMMALS OF GUATEMALA 
By 
Charlee 0, Handley, Jr. 
Foruerly Biologist 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
dntroduction 
The following information concerns not only the game mammals of Guatemala, but all 
the large mammals, for without restraining rules, all speciss are legal game, An attempt 
will be made to point out which species are the most desirable game and which should be 
given protection, Insofar as possible, the information given was drawn from actual field 
observations in Guatemala, 
Bunting in Guaispels 
Guatemala is fortunate in having a large variety of wild game, much of which is 
abundant and of widespread distribution in the Republic, Perhaps as much as half of the 
country still retains at least a semblance of its original wilderness condition and in these 
wilderness areas, of course, is to be found the best and most varied hunting. 
Wild or semiwild conditions prevail mainly in four general areas: Peten, the 
Caribbean lowlands, the mountains of Alta Vera Pas and northern Quiché, end the Pacific low 
lands. It is difficult to say which of these areas is actually the best for all are good, 
Probably Petén would get the nomination, for it is by far the largest and least settled of 
the four, At the present time the Pacific lowlands, especially in the Department of Escuintla, 
ere the most heavily hunted, both because they are near Guatemala City, and because they are 
easily accessible by good roads, The other areas too, however, which possibly offer even 
better hunting than the Pacific area, are not difficult to reach, though they do require the 
use of miles to reach some of the best sections, The Alta Vera Paz - Quiché area can be 
reached by road to either Cobdn or Nebaj; regular airline schedules are maintained to Peten; 
and the Caribbean lowlands are accessible by a number of means, by road to Panzos, by rail 
from Guatemala City, or by boat from Pansés, livingston, or Puerto Barrios, 
The highlands offer the poorest hunting, and even before settlemen hundreds of 
years ago, probably could not equal the surrounding lowlands. Today the highlands are thickly 
settled, supporting ‘a large portion of the population of the Republic, have been extensively 
cleared for farming except on some of the higher cerros, on the volcanoes, and in some of 
the deepest barrancas, and have been heavily hunted by the natives, many of whom are not able 
to raise enough corn on their farms to support their femilies. All these factors have worked 
almost to exterminats the game mammals in many parts of the highlands, and there appears 
_ to be little hope of restoration. 
An attempt should be made to encourage huntere to utilise the other good hunting 
areas of the country, now largely neglected, so as to rest the Pacific lowland area and 
avoid the poseibility of depleting its present sufficient game supply sometime in the future. 
The large mammals of Guatemala, when considered on the basis of bunting, fall into 
three general groups, .as follows (the total number of mammals, including both large and small, 
which occur in Guatemala is 159): 
1, Large, generally hunted, species, 
Raccoon Yaguarondi 
Coati Jaguar 
Kinkajow Agouti 
Ring-tailed cat Carie 
Tayra Collared pecoary 
Grison White-lipped peccary 
Coyote White-tailed deer 
Ocelot Brocket 
Tiger cat Tapir 
Puma Armadillo (2 species) 
