Volcán Atitlán
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| Volcán Atitlán | |
|---|---|
 A view of the volcano from ground level |
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| Elevation | 3,535 metres (11,598 feet) |
| Location | Sololá Department, Guatemala |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | 1853 |
Atitlán is a large, conical, active stratovolcano adjacent to the caldera of Lake Atitlán in the Highlands of Guatemala. The volcano has been quite active historically, with more than a dozen eruptions recorded between 1469 and 1853, the date of its most recent eruption.
Lake Atitlán is also bordered by Volcán San Pedro and Volcán Tolimán.
[edit] Wildlife
Atitlán is home to two particularly rare and beautiful birds that are endemic to the cloud forests of this region. The Horned Guan (Oreophasis derbianus) is a Pleistocene relic of the Cracidae family that persists today only in small fragments of its previous range. Its habitat is limited to cloud forests above approximately 1650 meters. This bird is the size of a turkey and the adult male has a one-inch scarlet-colored "horn" projecting straight up from the top of its head. The Cabanisi's or Azure-rumped Tanager (Tangara cabanisi) is probably the most restricted-range species in the region. It occurs only at mid-elevations within the Sierra Madre del Sur of Chiapas, Mexico and western Guatemala.
[edit] References
- Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program: Volcán Atitlán
- VolcanoWorld information
- Lake Atitlan
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