# Macuiltepetl

Macuiltépec or Mackuiltépec or Macuiltépetl is the name of a volcano and ecological park, located in the center of the city of Xalapa, Mexico.

## Toponymy

The meaning of Macuiltépetl in Nahuatl could be (the) 'fifth hill' or 'hill five', while the variant Macuiltépec (<māk$^w$il-tēpe-k) would be 'on hill five'.
On the other hand, a recent research funded by the Patronato del Parque and based on field, topographical, pictorial and iconographic studies (Aguilar-Rodríguez, S.H., 2009) He mentions that the correct name should be "The Mountain of the Five Peaks". On plans from the end of the 19th century (such as that of Manuel Rivera Cambas) it has been possible to verify that the hill had five promontories that stood out from some point on the horizon. Currently, due to erosion and various causes, only two of the 5 peaks mentioned above are perceived.

## Geography

Macuiltépec is a small monogenetic volcano with a conical shape and a steep slope (15 to 20 degrees). Its origin dates back to the Late Pleistocene, up to 30,000 years before the present, and the Holocene. The volcanic cone is covered by andesitic or basaltic scoriaceous material, sometimes covered by volcanic ash.
Extension: the extension exclusively of the Macuiltépec Ecological Park (PEM) 31 ha
Altitude: 1500 m.s.n.m. (base of park) to 1600 m.s.n.m. (pyramid mausoleum)
Geographic Location: 19°32′54″N 96°55′15″W﻿ / ﻿19.54833°N 96.92083°W﻿ / 19.54833; -96.92083

## Climate

It is considered as (A) C (fm) Semi-warm-humid: average annual temperature between 18 °C and 29 °C and that of the coldest month less than 5 °C.
Rainfall is abundant throughout the year, with the driest month having a rainfall greater than 40mm.
It is located in the middle and northern portion of the municipality of Xalapa. This type of climate covers an area of 78 km2 (25%). The extreme maximum temperature is between 10 and 20 days, the number of frost days from 1 to 10 days and the number of days with hail from 0 to 1 day, the number of cloudy days between 100 and 150 days, the number of clear days is less than 100 days.

## Flora

Shrubby vegetation is constantly pruned in areas where the "grass" grows too large. In these areas, an infinite number of wild plants flourish with flowers of multiple and appreciable colors. An estimated 45 species of showy shrub flowers bloom annually (some visitors even harvest them at some point). Some plant species, such as the bighorn dahlia (which blooms in late summer) are crucial for numerous butterfly species (at least 15 morphospecies). Balsamine (Impatiens sp.) is another of the species naturalized in the PEM that add an aesthetic element to the forest with its various colors of flowers. Among the fruit trees planted, avocado (Persea americana), orange (Citrus sinensis), guava (Psidium spp.) and loquat (Eryobotria japonica), which has become profusely naturalized, predominate.
Among the most common ornamental species are: the African tulip (Spathodea campanulata), the rubber (Ficus elastica), the jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), the walnut (Juglans piriformis), the thunder (Ligustrum lucidum), the liliana (Syzygium samaranguensis), the maize (Dracaena flagrans), the warneke (D. deremensis), the coleus (Coleus blumei), (Cassia didymobotria), bougainvillea (Buganvillea glabra), hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), the fern comb (Nephrolepsis exaltata), and bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea). Parasitic plants are commonly represented by the corrigüela (Psittacanthus schiedeanus) in the tree stratum and by the longanicilla (Cuscuta xalapensis). Among the most common polyporaceous fungi are Pleurotus ostreatus, Auricularia spp) and Polyporus sanguíneus among others.

## Fauna

To date, 3 species of amphibians, 7 species of reptiles, 182 species of birds (of which more than 40% are migratory) have been recorded. and it is estimated that there are about 30 species of flying and flightless mammals.
Among the most common species of amphibians are forest frogs (Leptodactylus spp.) and tlaconetes (Bolitoglossa platidactyla). Among the reptiles are the anolis (Anolis sericeus), the common lizard (Sceloporus variabilis), the sleepy snake (Ninia diademata), the false coral (Geophis sp.) and the king snake or false coral (Lampropeltis triangulum).
Resident birds include: spring (Turdus grayi), woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons), mulatto (Melanotis caerulescens), chivizcoyo (Dendrortyx barbatus), which were reintroduced in July 1995, monk (Euphonia elegantissima) and sparrows (Aimophila rufescens).
Among the migratory species are: the black-crowned warbler (Wilsonia pusilla), the lindatarde (Seiurus aurocapillus), the chupasavia woodpecker ( Sphirapicus varius), the poito (Sethophaga ruticilla), the sparrowhawk (Accipiter striatus) and the sparrowhawk (Accipiter cooperi). The PEM is a transit site for migratory birds. Birds of prey stand out in this group and more than 51,000 individuals have been counted migrating from the tower's viewpoint. Most of these migratory birds of prey belong to the following species: vulture aura (Cathartes aura), broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus), Lenten eagle (Buteo swainsoni) and lilis or kestrels (Falco sparverius). Among the mammals are: the opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), the squirrel (Sciurus aureogaster), the cacomixtle (Basariscus astutus), wildcats (lynix rufux), insectivorous bats (such as Molossus ater and Tadarida brasiliensis which is migratory), fruit muciels (Artibeus spp.) and nectivorous bats (Glossophaga soricina). On the banks of the EMP it is also possible to find common rats (Rattus norvegicus).

## Road to the summit

In 1922, William K. Boone, a benefactor of the city and then president of the local Chamber of Commerce, devised and directed the construction of a road for automobiles to the summit. In connection with this project, he wrote and documented an article that was published by the magazine Popular Mechanics in April 1923.
* Boon, William Kenneth (1923). "Spiral twin paths to the crater of a volcano" (PDF). Counterpoint 12 Vol. 4 (Sep-Dec 2009). Government Editor of the State of Veracruz, pp. 36-42. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2010. (Translation of the article "Twin Roads Spiral into Crater of Volcano", en Popular Mechanics Magazine, Chicago, Ill., Vol. 39, N° 4).
* Boone Canovas, Carmen (2009). "Macuiltépetl, A hill with a lot of history to tell" (PDF). Counterpoint 12 Vol. 4 (Sep-Dec 2009). Editor of the Government of the State of Veracruz, pp. 43-53. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2010.
* Bazarte Martínez, Alicia: Traces of a Life, Sketches of a City. The painter Carlos Rivera and Xalapa. Mexico, Instituto Politécnico Nacional / Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, 2009 (pp. 173-).

## Xalapa-Macuiltépetl Heritage

Xalapa, Veracruz, February 1, 2010.- Protected Natural Area, space for sports, environmental recreation; Vestiges of a volcano that lived 30,000 years ago, pre-Hispanic roots and a nesting site for birds of prey, reptiles and remains of ancient agrarian heroes, are part of the intangible heritage that today constitute the Macuiltépetl Ecological Park.
In fact, says its director, Jesús Zúñiga, in this space of about 32 hectares, which is located at an altitude of 1570 m a.s.l., native vegetation of the mesophilic forest can still be observed, such as sweetgum trees, cedars, beeches, ashes, citrus, and shrubs such as blackberry.
There are also cacomixtles, nearly 100 species of birds, including birds of prey, hummingbirds, the screaming sparrowhawk, squirrels, false corals, snakes, lizards, 15 or 20 species of amphibians and countless insects.
At the foot of the staircase that leads to the Fauna Museum, one of the most visited points, there is a colony of stingless bees known as meliponas, which are the ones that produce Campeche wax and honey with medicinal properties.
"Something important is that the hill has a volcanic origin, it is a small volcano that was formed 30,000 years ago, when there was activity in the area and presumably the crater we visited is the main chimney where there was volcanic activity."
On the other hand, the Mausoleum, where the remains of characters such as Úrsulo Galván and Carolino Anaya were deposited, explains Jesús Zúñiga, is a pyramid that was built in the 1940s to house the remains of some agrarian heroes.
The Macuiltépetl Ecological Park is open 365 days a year, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (See Article 10 of the Internal Regulations).
The access is through Colonia Aguacatal, next to the State Cancer Center, which was inaugurated on November 29, 2004, by the then governor of the state, Mr. Miguel Alemán Velasco at the request of the state Secretary of Health, Dr. Mauro Loyo Varela, having as the first director and precursor of said construction the distinguished doctor, Dr. Pedro Guillermo Coronel Brizio, who during his period was accredited for the program of catastrophic expenses of breast cancer, cervical cancer and leukemias in children under 17 years of age. He was later certified by the General Health Council.