KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of national parks

Learn the wildlife of Arrecifes de Xcalak National Park

Mexico

336 species have research-grade observations inside Arrecifes de Xcalak National Park on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, so you know what you're looking at before you go.

Start this trip in KnowKi →
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 occidentalis15
  2. Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens13
  3. Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus13
  4. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius10
  5. Double-crested Cormorant Nannopterum auritum9
  6. Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla8
  7. White Ibis Eudocimus albus7
  8. Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violacea7
  9. Osprey Pandion haliaetus7
  10. Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans4

Plants

  1. Sea grape Coccoloba uvifera8
  2. Red mangrove Rhizophora mangle7
  3. Coconut palm Cocos nucifera4
  4. Turtle Grass Thalassia testudinum4
  5. Beach naupaka Scaevola taccada4
  6. Common Purslane Portulaca oleracea3
  7. Manatee Grass Syringodium filiforme3
  8. Beach Morning Glory Ipomoea pes-caprae2
  9. Sea purslane Sesuvium portulacastrum2
  10. Pinecone Algae Rhipocephalus phoenix2

Mammals

  1. Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus5
  2. Common Raccoon Procyon lotor4
  3. Yucatán Squirrel Sciurus yucatanensis2

Insects

  1. Gulf Fritillary Dione vanillae2
  2. Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus2
  3. Seaside Dragonlet Erythrodiplax berenice2
  4. West Indian Mangrove Buckeye Junonia neildi2
  5. Split-banded Owl-Butterfly Opsiphanes fabricii2
  6. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera1
  7. White Peacock Anartia jatrophae1
  8. Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus1
  9. Bordered Patch Chlosyne lacinia1
  10. Tersa Sphinx Xylophanes tersa1

Reptiles

  1. Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Ctenosaura similis16
  2. Brown Anole Anolis sagrei10
  3. Mexican Parrot Snake Leptophis mexicanus3
  4. Brown Basilisk Basiliscus vittatus3
  5. Central American Boa Boa imperator2
  6. Gulf Coast Vine Snake Oxybelis potosiensis1

Fish

  1. Atlantic Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleus37
  2. Caribbean Bluehead Wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatum36
  3. Yellowhead Wrasse Halichoeres garnoti35
  4. Slippery Dick Halichoeres bivittatus28
  5. French Grunt Haemulon flavolineatum22
  6. Atlantic Sergeant Major Abudefduf saxatilis21
  7. Beaugregory Stegastes leucostictus21
  8. Four-eyed Butterflyfish Chaetodon capistratus20
  9. Schoolmaster Snapper Lutjanus apodus20
  10. White Grunt Haemulon plumierii18

Mollusks

  1. Queen Conch Aliger gigas24
  2. Flamingo Tongue Snail Cyphoma gibbosum7
  3. Caribbean Reef Squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea6
  4. Stocky Cerith Cerithium litteratum5
  5. Lettuce Sea Slug Elysia crispata3
  6. Caribbean Vase Volutella muricata3
  7. Spotted seahare Aplysia dactylomela2
  8. Spotted Cowrie Macrocypraea zebra2
  9. True Tulip Fasciolaria tulipa1
  10. Dosinia-like Lucine Callucina keenae1

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.

Start this trip in KnowKi →

Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. Parks outside the U.S. are from the World Database on Protected Areas (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, Protected Planet). KnowKi is not affiliated with the National Park Service or any park's managers. Free, with no ads, no account, and no purchases.