. An ecogeographic analysis of the herpetofauna of the Yucatan Peninsula . FiG. 1.—Map of the Yucatan Peninsula show- ing political subdivisions and major topographic features. stone roofing of subterranian chambers, are important sources of fresh water and support a mesophilic biota. These caves and cenotes have been studied in detail by Cole (1910), Hatt et al. (1953), Mercer (1896), Pearse (1938), and Thompson (1897). Scattered throughout the peninsula are depressions (aquadas) which fill with water during the rainy months, but are frequently dry at other times. A belt of lakes extends acro
. An ecogeographic analysis of the herpetofauna of the Yucatan Peninsula . FiG. 1.—Map of the Yucatan Peninsula show- ing political subdivisions and major topographic features. stone roofing of subterranian chambers, are important sources of fresh water and support a mesophilic biota. These caves and cenotes have been studied in detail by Cole (1910), Hatt et al. (1953), Mercer (1896), Pearse (1938), and Thompson (1897). Scattered throughout the peninsula are depressions (aquadas) which fill with water during the rainy months, but are frequently dry at other times. A belt of lakes extends across southern Campeche and through south- ern Quintana Roo. From west to east these are: Laguna Silvituc, Zoh Laguna, Laguna Chacanbacab, Laguna Om, and Lago Bacalar. Further south, at approxi- mately 17°N, a chain of lakes lies in a major east-west fault. Among these are Laguna Perdida, Lago Macanche, La- guna Yaxha, and Lago Peten Itza; the latter is the largest and deepest lake in the peninsula with a depth in excess of 32 m arid a surface area of 567 km^ (Covich,'l976). The northernmost river of any conse- quence is the Rio Champoton, which drains portions of west-central Cam- peche and enters the Gulf of Mexico at the town of Champoton. In southwest- ern Campeche several rivers flow in a northerly direction into Laguna de Ter- minos, a large bay which is nearly cut off from the Gulf of Mexico by Isla del Carmen. Among these is the Rio Can- delaria, which originates in northwestern El Peten, and the rios Champan and Palizada. By far the largest river is the Usumacinta, which originates in the De- partments of Huehuetenango and Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, and flows north- westward onto the Tabasco lowlands where it joins the Rio Grijalva before entering the Gulf of Mexico. Two of its major tributaries, the Rio de la Pasion and the Rio San Pedro Martir, drain much of El Peten. Draining an esti- mated 102,828 km-, and with an average annual discharge of approximately 28,118,000,
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Keywords: ., book, bookcentury1900, booksubjectamphibians, booksubjectreptiles
