In the north, domesticated grazing animals have pushed the larger wild beasts, such as the puma, wolf, deer, and coyote, into isolated, often mountainous, pockets. Raccoons, armadillos, skunks, rabbits and snakes are still fairly common, however.

Vampire bats live in deep sinkholes, known as sótanos, in the northeast and emerge at night to drink the blood of cattle and horses.

In the south, some of the most endangered mammals in America such as the tapir and manatee, as well as wild cats such as jaguars, pumas, ocelots and jaguarundis live in The Sian Ka'an, an area made up of sea, tropical forests, flood jungles, marshlands, mangroves, lagoons, shallow ocean areas and a coral reef. It is famous for its 62 cenotes or natural wells.

There are spider monkeys, white-tailed deers and 300 species of birds such as the stork , white ibis, the almost extinct jabiru, toucans and the Yucatán parrot. Reptiles like crocodiles and sea turtles also inhabit the area.

Mexico's wildlife varies according to the natural region. In the Rainforest are livingwild cats such as the ocelot, jaguar and jaguarundi; other mammals such as the spider monkey, armadillo, tapir and vampire bat; birds including eagles, toucans, parrots, humming-birds, and the famous and rare Quetzal.

Reptiles such as crocodiles that live in rivers and lagoons, and many varieties of snake; and, of course, a large variety of spiders and insects (including the leaf-cutter ant and the praying mantis).