It is not known what is more in the life of this bird - luck or, conversely, misfortune. Indeed, throughout Latin America it is considered a sacred bird, with which many legends and beliefs are associated. This fact simultaneously saved and almost destroyed the bright bird.
Both the Mayans and Aztecs considered the quetzal the patron of the air, a symbol of goodness, light, spring and plants, and depicted him next to the gods. To harm this bird was a terrible sin. When they saw the quetzal, they tried to please it - bring food, decorate the tree on which the nest was located. But pulling a few bright feathers from the tail was not considered harmful, and only the “highest ranks” of the tribe could decorate themselves with these feathers. But the Indians considered the quetzal a bird of freedom that wasted away in captivity, and they always released it.
There is one beautiful legend, associated with the quetzal. The Indian leader Tekut Uman fought with the conquistadors, and his patron, the quetzal, hovered above him. During the decisive battle, Tekut Uman was killed. And the quetzal fell dead on his bloody body. Since then, the Indians believe that the quetzal has a red breast.
But when the conquistadors realized what this bird meant to the Indians, they began to hunt it. In addition, over the next few centuries, the territories in which the quetzal lived - tropical and mountain forests - continued to be developed. As a result, the bird almost disappeared, and today it is included in the Red Book of Central America. Finding a quetzal is not easy, despite its size (including its tail, it can reach 80 cm). However, this does not stop curious tourists who travel tens of kilometers along mountain paths to see sacred bird. The quetzal lives in the territory from southern Mexico to Panama, usually high in the mountains, on the tops of trees. And his quiet chirping, as the Mayans say, still brings to us the speeches of the gods.
The first magazine about Mexico in Russian “Arminas News”, autumn 2013
Photo: Riek, also from the Internet. For questions regarding authorship, please contact the company office
Mexico: upcoming tours
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Returning to Mexico....
In the evening of the first day we reached the town of Valladolid without complications. And I must say, we all fell head over heels in love with him from the very first evening walk!
Valladolid is a small colonial city with a calm, leisurely atmosphere, narrow cobbled streets with two or three-story houses, although the latter is already a rarity. The city turned out to be quite touristy, and therefore with a large selection of restaurants and eateries different levels. We tried several and were pleased with all of them! I must admit that I adore these small provincial towns in Latin America, although Valladolid is a little large and touristy. And in the Andean mountain towns there is a truly peaceful atmosphere, especially around the central square, where the whole life of the townspeople takes place. Here they gather in the evening (apparently to gossip), sit on benches and in cafes on the street, music often plays.... No advertising, no fuss, no one is in a hurry (this is sometimes alarming), no one pushes, in a hurry to overtake. On Friday and Saturday evenings there is a constant orchestra and, of course, dancing (not a disco!).
Valladolid is located in a strategic position favorable to us, approximately in the center of the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula. From here it is easy to get both to the north - to the coast, and just a stone's throw to Chichen Itza, where we, of course, could not help but stop. In the vicinity of Valladolid there are also ruins and popular synots, and once we were even offered to go there, but we preferred the northern part of Yucatan - where there are mangroves, sun and sand. As a result, we saw the sand only from afar; with the sun, everything worked out as never before - i.e. Everything burned down, but the mangroves almost passed by..... though that's a different story!
The next day we set off into the arid coastal badlands. In a previous post, I already mentioned that a number of land areas in the Caribbean, particularly in Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia, are more reminiscent of dry shrub savannas, especially if they are periodically grazed by livestock, although technically this is a zone of tropical dry forests.
Where there are no fields and pastures, everything is occupied by a not very tall, but very dense deciduous forest, with a mass of thorny bushes intertwined with herbaceous vines and, for greater happiness, also cacti, which, as you understand, are incredibly prickly. I couldn’t find any photos to illustrate the seaside area where we arrived, maybe Sergey user_elis with Oleg chernyshov_oleg delve into the archives)))). I only have it with a bird, the Aztec aratinga, Aratinga astec sitting on top of the bushes.
But despite the dull appearance, it is this part of the peninsula that seems most interesting to the naturalist. Those tropical forests that begin further south and stretch into Central America are not particularly unique, but here in the badlands, surrounded on all sides by either tropical forest or the Caribbean Sea, a number of species have formed on the island that are not found anywhere else in the world. Mexico, but throughout America, not to mention the rest of the world. Aratinga in the first photo is just one of them.
In the same bushes, a mass of small grain-eaters of all stripes rustled - euphonia, millet grass, cardinals.....
I’ll immediately apologize for the quality of the pictures, the very harsh sun didn’t leave a chance)))
Bush euphonia, Euphonia affinis(Thraupidae) .
Unlike most of its relatives inhabiting the humid tropics, this species prefers dry tropical forests and scrub, which is enshrined in the species name in both the English (Scrub Euphonia) and German (Buschorganist) versions, and of course in Russian. By the way, if you noticed the German name, it is not at all accidental - euphonies are not bad singers, which is generally a rather unique case among tanagers, to which family they belonged until recently.
This photo is a male.
Collared millet, Sporophila torqueola(Thraupidae).
This is a female. Pay attention to the beak. It really does look like the beaks of our finches - greenfinches, bullfinches, linnets! However, milletweeds are very distant relatives of our finches and acquired this similarity in parallel, mastering a similar resource - hard cereal seeds.
Dark blue cardinal, Cyanocompsa cyanoides(Cardinalidae). 
photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
From time to time, small turtle doves flew up from the side of the road along which we were leisurely strolling.
When I say small, I mean very small. 2-2.5 times smaller than our smallest Russian turtle dove.
Sparrow dove, Columbina passerina(Columbidae), it is smaller in size than the starling - from beak to tail only 17 cm, i.e. like our house sparrow.
They're a couple. 
photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
And here Oleg spotted another columbine, or ground dove, among the tangle of branches - brown turtle dove,
Columbina talpacoti.
She is also the size of a sparrow.
photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
Quite soon after the start of the route, another endemic appeared - Yucatan woodpecker, Melanerpes pygmaeus.
Unfortunately, he did not deign to fly close, so he sat for half a day on a dry peak, filling the surroundings with a ringing cry.
Photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
The dry coastal badlands of Yucatan are the habitat of a very interesting endemic species of hummingbird - the Mexican sparktail. At first he teased us a little, appearing for a split second from an unpredictable side, and since the participants stretched out from each other for almost a kilometer, it was probably interesting to observe from the side the high-speed movements of the vanguard to the rearguard, and the marching of the rearguard to the forward positions following the flickering shadow of a flying cloud over the tundra. Then, nevertheless, these hummingbirds took pity, or the rule “whoever seeks will always find” played out (I was always confused by one point in this saying - will he find what he was looking for or, in general, hypothetically anything?....), but suddenly they showed up on all bushes.
Mexican sparktail, Doricha Eliza(Trochilidae).
Here it sits sideways, like a completely nondescript bird... yes, it’s three times smaller in size than a sparrow, and even if it’s in weight, it’s five times smaller)
And the usual hummingbird trick - we turn the head and the trousers turn, the throat flashes crimson.
And from a different angle - purple!
But in this photo Oleg took it with his face. The long forked tail is clearly visible, which is why the Enthummingbird got its unusual name.
The female, as usual, looks more modest, but no less cute... 
photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
In addition to the sparktail, we met several small hummingbirds discreet green color.
Forktail emerald, Chlorostilbon canivetii(Trochilidae). 
photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris(Trochilidae).
Although the name is bright, all these hummingbirds, which we regularly came across in many places in the future, were extremely dull in their winter plumage.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Mexico is a center of diversity for wrens - an incredibly interesting group of birds that deserves its own story... and it certainly will! Throughout Eurasia, throughout our vast territory, we have only one single species of wrens, which came to us in the recent past from North America, and in Mexico alone there are more than 30 (!) species. Very different, showing the widest range of adaptations.
On this route we saw a very interesting species of the cactus wren, Campylorhynchus. This large birds, the size of a small thrush, but just as expressive and just as noisy as our wren, although due to their large size it is more difficult for them to hide under dead wood.
Yucatan wren, Campylorhynchus griseus(Troglodytidae).
This bird should have been talked about earlier, since grackles, apparently the most noticeable birds of Mexico, gravitate towards human settlements, both small villages and major cities. Grackles are quite large birds - slightly smaller and slightly less long-tailed than magpies. In terms of ecology, these are analogues of small corvids of the Old World, although they are not at all related to them, but no less smart!
In sunny weather, it is always difficult to photograph such birds with black or dark blue shiny plumage; those who have tried to photograph, for example, ravens or rooks, know!
Torment!
Great-tailed grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus(Icteridae).
They have this peculiarity that they like to form communal overnight stays, and always next to the hotel where we were staying! Such roosts involve more than one or two birds, and not even twenty or thirty; as a rule, several hundred of them flock from all the cracks to the chosen roosting tree. And for some reason, some of them cannot sleep at all at night, and since they cannot sleep, then everyone around them has no right to sleep!
Oleg took this photo in a completely different place, but don’t put off the visualization of the image painted above))))
photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
And these are the closest relatives of grackles - corpses, much more modest in behavior, but noticeably brighter, one might even say flashy birds. Anglophones indiscriminately call them all orioles, probably because of the similarity in the color of the plumage, although they care about orioles as much as I care about walking to China!
Tie troupial,Icterus gularis(Icteridae).
photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
Golden troopial,Icterus auratus(Icteridae). 
photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
Another representative of an exclusively American group is mockingbirds. Surely everyone has heard about these birds, and probably more than once.
A characteristic feature of almost all mockingbirds is their amazing ability to imitate all kinds of sounds. Under normal conditions, males simply borrow phrases from the songs of other bird species and incorporate them into their song. In the city, however, this ability often turns into comical consequences when birds begin to insert into their singing the howl of sirens, the boring screeching of alarms and other urban sounds. I doubt that such singing could attract outside listeners! ...I just wonder how it will affect the “city” and “country” female mockingbirds?
tropical mockingbird, Mimus gilvus(Mimidae).
Royal tyrant, Tyrannus melancholicus(Tyrannidae).
It’s not for nothing that he earned his specific Latin name with his ability for rather boring singing.
Well, then - perhaps the most desirable view in this part of Mexico. Very, very rare, so much so that the thought of meeting him was purposefully festering in the subconscious. And without expecting anything at all, literally passing by a recently harvested piece of some local collective farmer’s garden, which he had reclaimed from solid bush thickets, out of the corner of our eye we discern movement right in the middle of the garden and dacha lands. The bird also undoubtedly noticed us and pretended to try to hide.....slowly and reluctantly, but apparently curiosity at some point began to overcome it and it again appeared in the open space, funny camouflage, using it as cover various natural objects (stones, clumps of cereals, thin trunks) are usually much smaller than the size itself.
Lesser Plantain Cuckoo, Geococcyx velox(Cuculidae).
Well, in conclusion, I was pleased to meet another of the American cuckoos - grey-bellied piaya, Piaya cayana. The British also call it the squirrel cuckoo for its ability to move along branches, very similar to the way squirrels move, i.e. just jumping. It is interesting that many birds, more often jumping in the branches than flying, grow a rather long tail, although throughout the entire previous history of the formation of birds as a class, they tried in every possible way to get rid of this “legacy of their ancestors.”
photo by Oleg Chernyshov.
Well, our day didn’t end there yet; the next point we wanted to move to the coast. And although there is usually no specific fauna on the coasts, i.e. It is, of course, specific to wetlands; most species have an extremely wide distribution. But we consciously made such a populist choice, but more on that in the next post, otherwise there’s already a lot of stuff sketched out here, we even had to delete something.
On August 30, 1967, night watchman Jose Padrín went on duty guarding a construction site in Mexico near Mexico Route 57. At one o'clock in the morning he was in the guard booth, when suddenly his attention was attracted by an incomprehensible sound, some kind of grinding noise coming from outside. Jose took the rifle and went to investigate.
In the moonlight, the guard saw a huge winged monster scratching the metal beams stacked on the ground with its claws. The monster noticed the stunned Padrin and moved towards him. The same one, apparently, decided that the weapon would not save him, and rushed to run to the booth. The creepy guest did not pursue the man, noisily rose into the air and disappeared in an unknown direction.
The watchman sat in his hiding place for the rest of the night, and the next morning he told the people who came to work about his adventure. Engineer Enrique Rueda carefully examined the place where, according to Padrin, the creature was sitting, and indeed found strange marks on the ground.
The prints were photographed and measured: their length was about 30 centimeters and their depth was 12 centimeters. According to the most conservative estimates, the creature that left behind such evidence must have weighed at least 300 kilograms.
Since then, only three or four of the guards went on night guard duty. And then one day the “winged demon,” as the workers dubbed him, appeared again and took his friend with him. The guards from the booth watched the creatures frolic on the site, playing with various building materials.
In the dim light of the moon, people saw their humanoid heads without beaks, with mouths full of teeth. But people didn’t dare go outside to see these monsters from a closer distance.
Of course, one should not completely trust the description of the creatures left by the Mexican watchmen: after all, as you know, fear has big eyes. However, the words of eyewitnesses inevitably make one think about this: almost all peoples of the Earth have legends about such winged monsters with a human head.
Thus, the ancient Greeks called such creatures harpies, and the Slavs called them the birds of paradise Sirin and Alkonost. What is this? Just fairy tales or stories based on the memory of real creatures living on the planet? Let's talk about a few more interesting cases, which also occurred in Mexico.
In 1984, two friends went on a hiking trip. Approaching the Cerro de la Silla hill, they saw a large tree with streams of blood running down its trunk.
The travelers raised their heads and a terrible picture appeared before their eyes: a boar impaled on a branch was hanging at a height of 10 meters. Who could do this? After all, none of the animals or birds known to science is able to drag a heavy carcass so high.
On July 20, 1994, one of the El Sabino ranch workers was walking through the local cemetery at eleven in the morning. Suddenly it seemed to him that someone was moving on a parallel path.
Having looked more closely, the man froze in amazement: a creature with bird wings and paws, covered with gray feathers, whose shoulders and head were no different from human ones, was waddling along the gravel. The creature, noticing that he was being watched, slowly covered another couple of meters and flew into the air.
A few days later, in the same place, a similar monster was seen by a woman who came to clean up the grave of her relatives. However, journalists and scientists who became interested in all these rumors, no matter how hard they tried, could not find a single piece of evidence confirming the authenticity of the stories about mysterious monsters.
The Mexican states have come a long way in forming a separate state. During this time, various significant events took place in the country, which were reflected on state symbols. Over the years, the flag and coat of arms of Mexico have been depicted in completely different ways. Some things have gone into the distant past, but some have remained unchanged. What do the flag and coat of arms of Mexico look like today? Why were such paintings chosen as distinctive symbols of the country? This will be discussed in more detail in this article.
The Mexican flag, although it has its own distinctive features, compiled in the best traditions of vexillology (the science that studies the history and symbolism of flags and banners) and has similarities with the flags of other countries.
Mexico flag photo
In the photo of the flag of Mexico you can see a tricolor canvas with vertical stripes of bright green, white and bright red. The red stripe shows rising sun rising from the ocean. Bright sun rays occupy half of the flag. In the center on a white background is the coat of arms of the Mexican states.
Flag description
The Mexican flag has stripes of three colors, each of which carries a meaning. Interestingly, since 1821, the colors on the flag have remained unchanged, but their interpretation has changed.
Green color was identified with independence, freedom and hope for a wonderful future. White associated with God and his blessing, as well as with the purity of motives and thoughts. Red symbolized the unification of Mexico, then God's approval.
The modern explanation of the color symbols sounds like this: green - hope, as well as fertile Mexican lands, white - the purity and nobility of the people, red - the blood shed for the Mexican states to gain their freedom.
History of appearance
The Mexican flag has a long history and in the beginning it was not at all the same as it is known today. If the Aztecs, Zapotecs and Mayans, who inhabited the territory of modern Mexico before Columbus, had national banners, they have not survived to this day. The first flag was awarded to Mexico by the King of Spain in 1535 to show that the American colonies belonged to the Spanish state. It depicted a red “Cross of Burgundy” against a white background. Until 1785, the flag remained unchanged.
In 1785, the situation in the New World was heating up, and disagreements among world states over the ownership of territories overseas intensified. Spain did not even think about ceding land to England and, in order to finally assert its rights to Mexico, changed the Mexican flag to one identical to the Spanish one with the image of the rising sun.
In 1821, the Mexican states declared their independence. Since that time, several variants of banners have claimed the status of the main state symbol of Mexico. For example, with three-color stripes located diagonally on a rectangular canvas, on which either yellow stars or three multi-colored stars were placed and in the center a crown with an inscription emphasizing independence. Also at this time, a version of the flag appeared with vertical stripes of three colors and a crowned eagle sitting on a cactus. In 1823, a flag very similar to the modern one was adopted. Over the years, only small details of the Mexican coat of arms in the center of the flag have changed.
Since 1968, the flag and coat of arms of Mexico have remained unchanged.
The Mexican coat of arms is distinguished by its intricacy and the ancient origins of the symbols depicted.
Photo of the coat of arms of Mexico
If you take a closer look at the photo of the coat of arms of Mexico, the main state symbols of the country, you can see the main symbols in the form of an eagle, a cactus, a poisonous snake and oak and laurel branches. The green branches are joined together by a ribbon which bears the Mexican flag, which bears a coat of arms with the flag, etc. It turns out a kind of fractal view into infinity.
Description
The central figure of the coat of arms is bird of prey with a snake in its beak. Many believe that this is an eagle or a falcon. But it’s still a caracara carancha. Such birds are quite common in Mexico. Caracaras are very large birds, their body length can be more than 60 cm, and their weight can be up to 2 kg. They feed on a variety of reptiles, such as lizards and snakes. Therefore, a bird with a poisonous snake in its beak is not fiction.
The snake wriggling in the claws and beak of the caracara is a rattlesnake. It can be easily recognized by its yellow tail rattle. Rattlesnakes can be up to 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 7 kg. Their habitat includes the desert, arid areas of Mexico.
Of particular note is the flowering plant of the cactus family, on which the caracara proudly sits. This is napalea or, popularly, prickly pear. Such cacti grow throughout Mexico and are a unique symbol of the country. Cacti are not only widely consumed as food. Also, carmine is made from aphids that live on prickly pears - a natural dye of bright red color, which is used in various fields Mexican activities.
In the image of the coat of arms, a cactus grows on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco, on the shores of which Tenochtitlan, the ancient capital city of the Aztec state, was built.
The coat of arms is framed by green branches of oak and laurel, fastened to each other with a tricolor ribbon.
The symbolic meaning of the coat of arms of the Mexican states is the struggle of good forces with evil with the final triumph of justice.
History of appearance
Mexico's coat of arms, like its flag, evolved gradually before reaching its final version. At first, the bird was depicted with a crown on its head, and its position was different: sideways and frontal.
Ultimately, the crown disappeared, but a snake appeared in its claws and beak, and the bird was hoisted onto a cactus growing on a rock. These symbols were taken from a long-standing Aztec legend about how Tenochtitlan, the main city of the Indians, was founded. The shaman predicted to his tribe that in the place where the Indians would find a caracara eating a snake, they would need to build a city. This will be a sign from above that the capital will receive the blessing of the gods and prosperity. According to legend, the Aztecs actually met such a bird near Lake Texcoco, where they founded the city that later became Mexico City, the capital of the United States of Mexico.
FROM A JOURNALIST'S NOTEBOOK
TURKEY - THE GIFT OF THE INDIANS
Once in America, the Spanish conquistadors were amazed by the diversity of exotic fauna. Of particular interest - and also appetite - was a large, beautiful bird with dark plumage, shimmering with a copper, purple-red and green metallic sheen. Exported to the Old World, it acclimatized perfectly there and to this day is a decoration for any poultry house, and, when fried, for any holiday table.
The homeland of turkeys is Mexico.
The ancient Aztecs knew neither cows, nor sheep, nor goats, nor chickens. Only three species of animals were domesticated by them; dog, bee and turkey, which was especially valued for its excellent culinary qualities.
Mexicans still retain their affection for turkey meat. The main dish of their national cuisine is “mole poblano”: turkey stewed in a sauce made from chocolate, numerous spices and vegetables. In stores you can buy stuffed turkeys with very intricate stuffing and very tasty turkey sausage.
The first European to see the bizarre overseas birds was the Spanish navigator Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. This happened in 1517, on the northern coast of the Yucatan peninsula, which was discovered by him. Some time later, the conqueror of Mexico, Hernán Cortés, reported to Spain about thousands of turkeys being bred in the gardens surrounding the palace of Moctezuma II, one of the last Aztec emperors.
Turkeys were soon brought to Europe. Following Spain, they gained recognition in France. King Francis I used to savor turkey meat in the presence of his courtiers, for whom he broke off small pieces so that they could appreciate the excellent taste of the white meat. The “Sun King” Louis XIV also counted turkey among his favorite dishes.
In England, the popularization of turkey was greatly facilitated by fiction, in particular, the works of the poet John Gay and the novelist Charles Dickens, in which she was praised. And in the USA, this bird was surrounded by such respect that the outstanding politician Benjamin Franklin even proposed placing it - instead of an eagle - on the state emblem of the country.
Little by little, having supplanted lamb and goose, turkey reigned on the European Christmas table as the main holiday dish. In many countries, for several months before Christmas, poultry is fed in a special way to make the meat tasty and tender. To do this, they give her nuts, fruits, almonds, raisins and other sweets, and drink wine.
...Modern Mexicans call the turkey the word “guajolote,” which comes from the Aztec language. The Spaniards - by analogy with the peacock - gave the turkey the name "pavo". The British were completely embarrassed, calling him “grater”, i.e. "Turk". Residents of Foggy Albion believed that there was no land in the world more mysterious and exotic than Turkey, and all foreign wonders were considered to originate from there.
But in the Russian language there was no confusion. The words “turkey”, “turkey”, “Indian rooster”, like the old “Indian”, clearly make it clear that this bird came to us from the Indians.
Turkeys have long been integrated into our rural landscape, taking their rightful place among Russian domestic animals. “Without an Indian rooster, without a greyhound dog, you are not a landowner,” they used to say in the old days. Let us remember how Natalya Pavlovna, the heroine of Pushkin’s poem “Count Nulin,” bored on her estate in the absence of her husband who had gone hunting, amused herself “in front of the window with a fight between a goat and a yard dog.” A few moments later, a new sight opens up to her eyes:
Meanwhile, it’s sad under the window
The turkeys came out screaming
Following a wet cock...
Many nations have a habit of comparing people to turkeys. “Puffed up like a turkey,” we say about a swaggering or touchy person. “The turkey thought so too, but ended up in the soup,” we laugh at the slow-witted guy.
And in Spanish there is an expression “to turn red like a turkey,” which means the same thing as “to turn red like a lobster.” When a girl, unable to find a partner, leans her back against the wall on the dance floor, they say that she “ate the turkey.” A turkey is a name given to a stupid, simple-minded person, and in some Latin American countries it is also called a “hare,” a stowaway passenger.
However, people tend to attribute negative traits to other domestic animals: our donkey is always stupid, the pig is dirty, the cat is lascivious...
If you think about it, however, this is about nothing more than the transference of human vices and shortcomings onto uncomplaining creatures who do not know how to defend themselves. But turkeys, like other animals and birds, are sinless: simply living nature is a mirror into which we humans look...
MULTIPURPOSE DOGS
The Spanish conquerors were greatly impressed by Mexican dogs, which were completely different from European ones. And their names were such that you couldn’t pronounce them right away.
The Aztecs bred different breeds dogs used for various purposes. The Tepeitzcuintli, or forest dog, was intended for hunting ferrets, squirrels, moles and other small animals. And the “holoitzcuintli,” otherwise known as a page dog, was used as a pack animal for transporting light loads and accompanying people on long journeys.
The offspring of the Holoitzcuintle, although very few in number, have survived to this day. This dog, highly valued by dog handlers, is called “bald” because, unlike its four-legged relatives, it has no hair at all. But she has a very high body temperature - 40.5°. The Aztecs took advantage of this circumstance and used a hairless dog as a living heating pad to warm the sick.
Holoitscuintli also has other unique properties: she cannot bark like other dogs, but only moans and whines; much more willing to eat fruits and vegetables than meat. 
Describing local markets, Hernán Cortés reported in 1520 to the Spanish king Charles V that he saw for sale “small dogs that are castrated and fattened for food.” We are talking here, apparently, about the humpbacked dog “Itzcuintepozotli”. Its meat was considered a delicacy and was consumed by the Aztecs as a prelude to the main dishes during large feasts hosted by the rich.
The custom of eating dogs seems disgusting and disgusting to us today. But at that time this was considered a completely ordinary matter. It must be borne in mind that the Aztecs were practically omnivorous creatures. They ate rattlesnakes and lizards, grasshoppers, beetles and worms... They did not disdain cannibalism. By the way, the final disappearance of the humpbacked dog as a species was greatly facilitated by the Spanish conquerors, who also began to eat it for lack of other meat...
Another important function, assigned by the Aztecs to humpbacked dogs, was to accompany the dead to the afterlife. The underworld, according to the ideas of the ancient Mexicans, was located on the lowest of the nine floors of the universe and was called Mictlan. On the way there, the dead man had to cross the Chicanhuapan River (literally, “nine waters”). This river flowed underground from west to east and connected the waters of the sea on which the land stood. It was believed that it was along this river that the setting sun sailed at night, only to rise again in the morning. The purpose of the dogs, which were sacrificed and buried along with the ashes of the deceased, was to transport the dead on their backs through Chicanhuapan. Here a parallel arises from ancient Greek mythology with the underground river Acheron and the three-headed dog Cerberus, who sat at the entrance to hell.
However, Cerberus did not transport anyone anywhere, but performed purely guard functions.
Perhaps the most amazing dog breed that has come down to us from ancient times is the Chihuahua. These dogs are sometimes mistakenly called "Chinese" dogs, but they actually originate from Mexico. Even the ancient Toltecs considered them sacred animals and kept them in their temples. This breed is named after one of the states of the country.
The Chihuahua is the smallest dog in the world. It is slightly larger in size than a rat, and weighs from 0.9 to 2.7 kg. This is a very heat-loving animal that constantly shivers from the cold. Chihuahuas are sometimes taken for walks on a leash, and sometimes carried out in a basket.
It is curious that this breed gained wide international fame largely thanks to... musicians. In 1890, the President of Mexico gave the famous Italian opera singer Adelina Patti a huge bouquet of flowers, inside which, as a surprise, a Chihuahua was hidden. Naturally, the attention of those present immediately switched from the coloratura soprano to the squealing of the dog.
And the Spanish composer Javier Cugat, who often performed in the United States, became famous - and at the same time glorified Chihuahua - for conducting an orchestra while holding a dog under his arm. Citing this fact, I cannot help but mention one mysterious linguistic coincidence: “armpit” is “dog” in Spanish...
Despite its diminutive size, the Chihuahua is a very brave dog, it is distinguished by its bite and stubbornness, and is ready not only to bark at an elephant, but also to fight with a lion, if, of course, a lion, in an unkind hour, crosses its path.
LIFEBUO FOR DOLPHINS AND TURTLES
The conservation of animal wealth is considered in today's Mexico as a matter of national importance. At the same time, much attention is paid to marine fauna, in particular, one of its most amazing species - dolphins, for the protection of which the authorities have developed a special program.
Concern for the fate of marine mammals, which are often considered similar in intelligence to humans, has good reason.
According to data cited in the Mexican press, over the past three decades, more than six million dolphins have died in the Pacific Ocean due to the fault of the crews of fishing vessels. If in the 60s and early 70s the main organizer of their genocide was the United States, then the sad palm passed to Mexico. Next on the list of “dolphin killer” countries are Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama and the small poisonous state of Vanuatu.
In most cases, dolphins are not destroyed out of malicious intent: they become “collateral victims” in tuna fishing - in particular, “yellowfin” tuna, which is considered the most valuable variety of this fish. The reason is that “obeying an instinct, the exact meaning of which is not clear to scientists, dolphins - like shepherds guarding their flock - accompany large concentrations of tuna in the ocean. Seeing dolphins “playing” on the surface of the water, fishermen receive information about the presence of large quantity fish. Along with tuna, dolphins inevitably end up in cast nets: in each of them, on average, four of these animals die...
Another species of fauna that is in dire need of patronage and protection is sea turtles. Mexico has passed a law making those who catch, kill or mutilate these reptiles, or illegally sell products made from them, subject to prison terms ranging from six months to three years. At the same time, a broad outreach campaign is being carried out among the population, with the goal of convincing people of the need to save one of the most valuable species of the animal world from destruction.
Since time immemorial, the country's coastline, stretching for thousands of kilometers, has been chosen by sea turtles as one of the main breeding grounds. The tropical beaches of the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea attract these heat-loving animals primarily high temperature. It is here, in the coastal waters of Mexico, that their largest concentrations in the world are believed to be located.
Females, preparing to give birth to offspring, crawl out of the sea onto the shore at night. Like miniature tractors, they climb up the beach, probing the sand with their noses in the squeaks of a suitable place where they can build a nest. Then, using its hind flippers as “mining blades,” the animal digs a hole shaped like a jug and reaching a depth of 40 to 70 cm, and lays dozens of eggs in it, usually a total of one hundred. All this requires a lot of effort. The turtle is breathing heavily, tears flowing from his eyes.
IS IT possible to remain indifferent to these tears invisible to the world?
Environmentalists are sounding the alarm: the number of sea turtles is declining sharply. Firstly, because industrial construction, urbanization and tourism are aggressively advancing on the once wild and deserted coastline. This means that there are fewer and fewer calm, deserted beaches where turtles could nest. Even electric lighting scares off pinniped reptiles: when they see lights on the shore, they prefer to swim further into the ocean.
Secondly, sea turtles are subject to rampant hunting. Their mass catching began in the 20s of our century; the next “fishing boom” occurred in the 60s. If in 1960 20 thousand turtles were caught, then in 1968 - already 360 thousand. In recent decades, millions of these animals were exterminated (Mexico accounted for about 80% of their world catch), until in 1990 the government announced a complete ban on turtle fishing.
A ban is a ban, but fishing - although now illegal - continues because, from a commercial point of view, it is an extremely profitable business. Turtle skin is profitably used in the haberdashery industry. The shell is used for scallops and other crafts; it is also used for inlaying furniture. Meat is especially valued - a product famous not only for its sophistication, but also for its nutritional value.
Turtle eggs are tasty and healthy. Some Indian tribes still have the custom of bringing them during a wedding ceremony as a gift to the newlyweds - as a symbol of fertility. At the same time, the ritual “turtle dance” is performed. Although scientists deny that turtle eggs are a sexual stimulant, many people believe in it. Egg prices in lately increased, which was facilitated, in particular, by the prohibitive measures taken by the authorities. At the time when their collection was allowed, a hundred (that is, the contents of one nest) cost about three dollars, and now, on the “black market” pursued by the police, the price has risen to thirteen. 
Now in Mexico there are dozens of specially equipped points dedicated to the protection of turtles and at the same time - scientific research in zoology and ecology. Ships provide assistance in the fight against poachers navy patrolling along the coast.
However, not only turtles deserve sympathy, but also the attackers who attempt to kill them. Most of them are poor, semi-literate Indians. Catching a turtle, digging it out of the sand, and then eating or selling its eggs is often the only way for them not to die of hunger or to earn some money. Therefore, adopted environmental programs must emphasize social aspect: we need to help the poor, give them other alternative sources existence. It goes without saying that saving people has always been and remains a matter much more complex and important than protecting animals.
CROCODILE HEATING IS A PROMISING INDUSTRY
The term “crocodile farming” is not yet in Russian explanatory and encyclopedic dictionaries, however, it is possible that over time it will take its rightful place.
Breeding toothed reptiles on an industrial basis is an extremely profitable business, and more and more businessmen different countries the world are investing their capital in it.
According to data cited by the Mexican weekly "Epoch", one square centimeter of crocodile skin used to make fashionable ladies' shoes, handbags and belts costs international market 25 dollars, and crocodile meat, from which exotic dishes are prepared in American restaurants, goes for 9 dollars per pound. The teeth of this animal are also highly valued: they are used to make original women’s jewelry. In addition, some aromatic substances contained in the crocodile's body are used in the perfume industry in the production of perfumes.
Not long ago, one of our television programs, ATV, featured a story about the opening of a crocodile farm in the Moscow region that caused a lot of noise. What was shown turned out to be a clever hoax, and thousands of gullible people who fell for the prank experienced bitter disappointment. Meanwhile, in other countries such as the USA and Japan, such enterprises operate not in jest, but in all seriousness.
20 thousand crocodiles are kept on a farm near the Mexican city of Culiacan, the administrative center of the state of Sinaloa in the north-west of the country. The farm area is 20 hectares. The animals' natural habitat has been recreated: lagoons, ponds, dense thickets.
As the experience of breeding crocodiles in captivity shows, the popular idea of the greed and gluttony of these predators is a clear exaggeration. At a farm in Sinaloa, they are fed only once every three days, with five kilograms of chicken or beef given to each eater. In general, a crocodile, after satisfying its appetite, is able to abstain from food for fifteen or even twenty days.
According to experts, achievements modern science allow you to regulate the sex of the offspring produced by crocodiles. The desired ratio between the number of males and females born is achieved by creating a special temperature regime in incubators where crocodile eggs are placed.
An important condition for working on a farm is strict adherence to “safety precautions.” Crocodiles are known to be very aggressive,” especially when it comes to protecting the eggs they lay from humans. When attacking their prey, they are capable of reaching speeds of 60 km per hour.
But let’s take a moment away from the harsh reality and move into the realms of rosy fantasies. What if the idea invented by the jokers from ATV is destined to come true? An experimental enterprise (possibly a joint venture) for the domestication of crocodiles, created in one of the southern regions of our country, could supply shoe factories with first-class leather. And, at the same time, throw onto the market centners of meat, which is so scarce during these Lenten years. As journalists will write, “there is a significant addition to our meager table.”
Continuing to soar in the empyrean, I will add that the humor magazine “Crocodile” could well become a sponsor of the future farm. There is no doubt that the experimental enterprise should have been named after Korney Chukovsky, who dedicated the best pages of his books to the poeticization of crocodiles. Domestic trademark“Totosha and Kokosha” would eventually begin to successfully compete with the world-famous image of a crocodile, chosen as its emblem by the ubiquitous transnational company Lacoste...
Returning to a more serious tone, I note that the crocodile business also has a very positive environmental impact. Their numbers are currently sharply declining; 14 species are already listed in the Red Book. International Union nature conservation.
Breeding and rationally organized fishing on specially equipped farms and reserves will in the future help save these reptiles from complete extinction from the face of the Earth.
Mexico City — Moscow
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