KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of marine protected areas

Learn the wildlife of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Mexico

1,082 species have research-grade observations in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, from fish and seabirds to the life along the shore.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis311
  2. Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens256
  3. Osprey Pandion haliaetus216
  4. Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias131
  5. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma mexicanum117
  6. Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja104
  7. Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus96
  8. Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus89
  9. Tropical Mockingbird Mimus gilvus87
  10. Red-throated Ant-Tanager Driophlox fuscicauda84

Plants

  1. Red mangrove Rhizophora mangle75
  2. Christina’s Ant-loving Orchid Myrmecophila christinae45
  3. Sea grape Coccoloba uvifera41
  4. Pine Pink Bletia purpurea41
  5. Beach naupaka Scaevola taccada37
  6. Coconut palm Cocos nucifera36
  7. Florida Thatch Palm Thrinax radiata36
  8. Vase bromeliad Aechmea bracteata30
  9. Sea lavender Tournefortia gnaphalodes29
  10. Lanceleaf arrowhead Sagittaria lancifolia22

Mammals

  1. Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus104
  2. White-nosed Coati Nasua narica73
  3. West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus31
  4. Common Raccoon Procyon lotor29
  5. Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus17
  6. Central American Agouti Dasyprocta punctata15
  7. Yucatán Squirrel Sciurus yucatanensis15
  8. Lesser Dog-like Bat Peropteryx macrotis13
  9. Deppe's Squirrel Sciurus deppei9
  10. Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat Artibeus jamaicensis4

Insects

  1. Dark Kite-Swallowtail Eurytides philolaus42
  2. Malachite Siproeta stelenes22
  3. Peten Dancer Argia gaumeri22
  4. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera15
  5. Red Postman Heliconius erato15
  6. Gray Cracker Hamadryas februa12
  7. Ruddy Daggerwing Marpesia petreus11
  8. Common Morpho Morpho helenor11
  9. Faithful Beauty Composia fidelissima11
  10. White Peacock Anartia jatrophae10

Spiders and kin

  1. Golden Silk Spider Trichonephila clavipes23
  2. Slender Brown Scorpion Centruroides gracilis11
  3. Spinybacked Orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis5
  4. Silver Garden Orbweaver Argiope argentata5
  5. Yucatán Rust-rump Tarantula Tliltocatl epicureanus5
  6. Centruroides ochraceus4
  7. Gray Wall Jumping Spider Menemerus bivittatus3
  8. Micrathena funebris3

Reptiles

  1. Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Ctenosaura similis205
  2. Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas81
  3. American Crocodile Crocodylus acutus77
  4. Brown Anole Anolis sagrei41
  5. Brown Basilisk Basiliscus vittatus37
  6. Central American Boa Boa imperator27
  7. Yellow-spotted Spiny Lizard Sceloporus chrysostictus24
  8. Mexican Parrot Snake Leptophis mexicanus23
  9. Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus21
  10. Morelet's Crocodile Crocodylus moreletii20

Amphibians

  1. Mexican Treefrog Smilisca baudinii9
  2. Central American Gulf Coast Toad Incilius valliceps8
  3. Browns' Leopard Frog Lithobates brownorum7
  4. Sheep Frog Hypopachus variolosus5

Fish

  1. Redhead Cichlid Vieja melanurus29
  2. Checkered Puffer Sphoeroides testudineus27
  3. Mayan Cichlid Mayaheros urophthalmus26
  4. Bluestriped Grunt Haemulon sciurus23
  5. Great Barracuda Sphyraena barracuda21
  6. Grey Angelfish Pomacanthus arcuatus21
  7. Schoolmaster Snapper Lutjanus apodus20
  8. Hogfish Lachnolaimus maximus18
  9. Atlantic Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleus18
  10. Bay Snook Petenia splendida18

Mollusks

  1. Queen Conch Aliger gigas19
  2. Beaded Periwinkle Cenchritis muricatus11
  3. Four-toothed Nerite Nerita versicolor6
  4. Scaly Chiton Chiton squamosus5
  5. Flamingo Tongue Snail Cyphoma gibbosum4
  6. Caribbean Reef Squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea4
  7. West Indian Fuzzy Chiton Acanthopleura granulata4
  8. Caribbean Crown Conch Melongena melongena4
  9. West Indian Top Shell Cittarium pica3
  10. Zebra Nerite Puperita pupa3

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. KnowKi is not affiliated with NOAA or any area's managers. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.