Ezweni lethu kunezindawo ezincane, ezinezimila nezilwane ezicebile ukwedlula lezo ezibonwa ezindaweni ezinkulu zamanye ama-latitude. Singasho ukuthi kune-microclimate efanelekile yokuthuthukiswa kwezinhlobo ezihlukile, ezinye zazo okungenzeka ukuthi zinyamalale kwezinye izingxenye zaseMexico.
Idolobha elinikeza igama lalesi sigodi linengxenye yalo emaphakathi isigayo sikashukela negalaji likagesi. Kusuka kubo — hhayi esontweni, njengoba kwenzeka kwamanye amadolobha — izindlu zisatshalaliswa phakathi kwezinhlobonhlobo zamasimu atshalwe ikhofi, ubhanana, umoba ne-chayote. Lokhu kwaba, kuze kube muva nje, idolobha elichumayo lapho konke kwakubonakala kufinyeleleka kalula: amanzi amakristalu, izihlahla zezithelo kanye nomthunzi wezintende ze-coyolera.
Izinhlobo eziningi zama-saurian zithuthukile kulesi sigodi. Omunye wabo ube nesithakazelo esikhethekile: iXenosaurius Grandis. Ukukuthola akunzima, inqobo nje uma sinosizo nomusa wabantu abanjengoDon Rafael Julián Cerón, esasihamba naye ngalolo suku ekuseni saya ngasezintabeni zegquma elihlaba umxhwele elilawula lesi sigodi, njengokungathi wayengumnakekeli waso. Ngaleyo ndlela sifike emthambekeni lapho amadwala amakhulu aqhamuka phansi: sasisezweni le-xenosaurus. Ububanzi bezintaba bunezindawo eziphakeme zeChicahuaxtla, igama elinikezwe igquma eliphakeme ngamamitha ayi-1,400 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle, amanzi alo angabonakala, ngezinsuku ezicacile, kusukela esiqongweni. Igama lalo lisho "ukuhlehla", mhlawumbe kukhunjulwa i-chicauaztli, abasebenzi ababesetshenziswa abapristi bangaphambi kweSpanishi.
Kanye nama-saurian, kunezinye izinhlobo zezilwane ezihuquzelayo nezama-batrachian esigodini, ezihehe izazi zezilwane ezivela emhlabeni wonke kusukela ekuqaleni kwaleli khulu leminyaka. Lezi yizibonelo ezihlukile, njengentulo eyaziwa njenge-linea (Lineatriton Lineola) nezinhlobo ezincane kakhulu zamaxoxo, abantu bendawo abazithatha njengezincane kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Ngaphezu kwe-xenosaurus, sizokhuluma ngamanye ama-saurian esigodini, njenge-bronia (i-Bronia Taeniata) kanye ne-teterete noma i-querreque eyaziwa kakhulu (i-Basiliscus Vittatus). Esokuqala sazo siyingxenye yohlobo lweGerhonotus futhi singalinganisa ngamasentimitha angama-35. Ihlala ezihlahleni nasezihlahleni, lapho idla khona izinambuzane nama-vertebrate amancane. Indoda inesibaya phakathi komphimbo, umbala wayo ushintsha ngokushesha ngokuya ngesimo sesilwane. Ngenkathi yokukhwelana, bathambekele ekuphakamiseni amakhanda abo futhi babonise amathoni ahlaba umxhwele kakhulu kulesi sikhumba esinenkani, esiheha abesifazane. Banolaka uma bephazamisekile, kepha yize beyizihlobo eziseduze zeHeloderma (Gila monster), abanabo ubuthi futhi ukuluma kwabo akunamphumela ngaphandle kobuhlungu obukhulu, ngaphandle kwalapho kunganakiwe futhi kuthelelekile. I-bronia iveza ukulingisa okuthile; ukuzivikela ishintsha imibala kuye ngemvelo. Inemikhuba yokushada futhi izalela amaqanda ayo phansi, lapho imbozwa khona futhi ishiywa. Ukuqothulwa kuza ezinyangeni ezimbili kamuva.
Icala le-teterete liyathakazelisa kakhulu, ngoba le saurian, evela emndenini we-Iguánidae kanye nohlobo lweBasiliscus (okunezinhlobo eziningi eMexico) ihamba phezu kwamanzi. Mhlawumbe ukuphela kwesilwane emhlabeni esingakwenza, yingakho ulimi lwesiNgisi lwaziwa ngokuthi Jesus alligator. Lufinyelela lokhu kubonga, hhayi kakhulu kulwelwesi oluhlanganisa izinzwane zemilenze yalo yangemuva, kodwa ngenxa yejubane elikhulu elihamba ngalo nekhono lokuhamba luqonde, lincike ezithweni zalo zangemuva. Lokhu kuyivumela ukuthi ihambe ngaphezu kwamachibi, imilambo kanye nemisinga, hhayi enamandla kakhulu, yemifula. Ukuyibuka kuwumbukiso impela. Ezinye izinhlobo zincane, ziyi-10 cm noma ngaphansi, kepha ezinye zingaphezu kuka-60 cm. Imibala yabo e-ocher, emnyama futhi ephuzi ibavumela ukuthi bahlangane kahle nohlaza olusogwini lwemifula namachibi, lapho bahlala khona. Badla izinambuzane. Eyesilisa ine-crest ekhanda, ebukhali kakhulu. Izitho zayo zangaphambili zimfushane kakhulu kunangemuva kwayo. Bangabonakala ngokukhuphuka ezihlahleni futhi, uma kunesidingo, bangabatshuzi abahle kakhulu abahlala ngaphansi kwamanzi isikhathi eside, kuze kube yilapho izitha zabo zinyamalala.
URafael nabafana bakhe balunguza emifantwini yamatshe, bayazi ukuthi yizindawo ze-xenosaur. Akuthathi isikhathi eside ukuthola owokuqala kulezi zilwane ezihuquzelayo. Njengoba benemikhuba emibi, banomona kakhulu ngendawo yabo, abahlale belwa yona. Ngaphandle kokuthi ziyakhwelana, akubonwa okungaphezu koyedwa ngokuqhekeka ngakunye. Zodwa futhi zondla ama-mollusk nezinambuzane, yize kwesinye isikhathi zingadla ama-vertebrate amancane. Ukubonakala kwabo okusongelayo kubangele abalimi ukuthi bababulale. Kodwa-ke, uRafael Cerón usitshela ngenkathi ephethe eyodwa esandleni sakhe, kunokuba ibe nobuthi, benza okuhle kakhulu, ngoba babulala izinambuzane eziyingozi. Banolaka kuphela uma bephazamisekile futhi noma amazinyo abo emancane, imihlathi yabo iqine kakhulu futhi ingadala isilonda esijulile esidinga ukunakwa. Ziyi-oviparous, njengama-saurians amaningi. Zingalingana zifike ku-30 cm, zinekhanda elimise okwe-alimondi namehlo, abomvu kakhulu, yinto yokuqala ephawula ubukhona bazo lapho sibheka emthunzini womgodi.
Ngaphakathi kweqembu lezilwane ezihuquzelayo, indawo engaphansi komhlaba yase-saurian inezilwane ezisinde ngoshintsho oluncane kusuka ezikhathini zasendulo, ezinye zivela esikhathini seCretaceous, eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-135 edlule. Esinye sezici zabo eziyinhloko ukuthi imizimba yabo imbozwe izikali, ulwelwesi lwama-horny olungavuselelwa kaningana ngonyaka ngokuchitha. I-xenosaurus ibhekwe njengekhophi eliphilayo, elincane, le-Eriops, okusalokhu kukhombisa ukuthi laliphila ezigidini zeminyaka eyedlule futhi ivolumu yalo engaphezulu kwamamitha amabili ayinakuqhathaniswa naleyo yesihlobo sayo samanje. Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi i-xenosaur ayihlali ezindaweni eziwugwadule ezisenyakatho neMexico njengabazala bayo abahlala ezifundeni zaseChihuahua naseSonora, phakathi kwazo okukhona iPetrosaurus (rock saurian), ebukeka ifana kakhulu. Ngokuphambene nalokho, indawo ehlala kuyo inomswakama kakhulu.
Okuwukuphela kwezitha zama-saurian eCuauhtlapan Valley yizinyoni ezidla inyama, izinyoka, futhi-ke, nomuntu. Hhayi nje kuphela ukuthi sithola abantu ababamba futhi bababulale ngaphandle kwesizathu, kepha ukwenziwa kwezimboni kwezigodi ezingomakhelwane ze-Ixtaczoquitlán ne-Orizaba kubeka ingozi enkulu kunazo zonke ezilwaneni nasezilwaneni zaseCuauhtlapan.
Inkampani yamaphepha yalesi sifunda ilahla udaka lwayo olungcolile emhlabathini ovundile owakhiwe amakhulu ezinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo, ngaleyo ndlela icekela phansi indawo yazo yokuhlala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ithululela amanzi angcolile emifudlaneni nasemifuleni lapho onodoli bebhekene nokufa khona. Ngokubambisana kweziphathimandla, impilo ilahleka phansi.
Izinyoni zazivele zimemezela ubusuku lapho siphuma esiGodini saseCuauhtlapan. Kusukela kumibono ezungezile, kunzima ukudlulisela umcabango ezikhathini ezedlule, lapho sibheka phansi izindawo ezakhiwe ama-xenosaurs, ama-bronias kanye nama-teterete; lapho-ke singacabanga ngomhlaba weCretaceous. Ngalokhu bekufanele sibheke enye yezindawo esezivele zingavamile lapho kusenokwenzeka ukukwenza khona; kwakudingeka sibalekele oshimula, izinkwali, izindawo zokulahla udoti ezinobuthi nezindle. Sethemba ukuthi ngokuzayo lezi zindawo zizokhula futhi siyethemba ukuthi ukuthambekela kokuqedwa kwabo ngokuphelele kuzobuyiselwa emuva.
UMA UYA E-VALLE DE CUAUHTLAPAN
Thatha umgwaqo omkhulu cha. 150 ebheke eVeracruz nangemva kokuwela i-Orizaba, qhubeka lapho uye eFortín de las Flores. Isigodi sokuqala osibonayo yiCuauhtlapan Valley, ephethwe yigquma laseChicahuaxtla. Futhi ungathatha umgwaqo omkhulu cha. 150, wedlula idolobha lasePuebla futhi empambanweni yesibili eya e-Orizaba, phuma. Le ndlela ikuyisa ngqo esiGodini saseCuauhtlapan, esingamakhilomitha ayi-10 ukusuka ekuchezukeni. Isimo somgwaqo sihle kakhulu; nokho, esigodini izindlela eziningi ziyimigwaqo ewubhuqu.
Kokubili iCórdoba, iFortín de las Flores ne-Orizaba banazo zonke izinsizakalo.
Umthombo: Engaziwa iMexico No. 260 / Okthoba 1998
