Actually there are a few species of Pinus that reach Nicaragua.

Gene.

On Wed, 11 Oct 1995, Dennis Paulson wrote:

> >Dennis says: <They have come several times into a large western red cedar next
> >door to us to feed on the seeds. They're probably just as talented as
> >crossbills in opening up the cones.>
> >
> >I figured the same. I'd love to watch it, better yet, video it. Not knowing
> >the flora of their native turf, I wonder if there is something comparable to
> >our cone crop.
>
> It's fascinating, really, that they do this, as there are no cone-bearing
> conifers (there are Podocarpus, which are conifers that don't bear cones)
> in their range in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. I think they are good
> generalists.
>
> This particular species has actually increased with deforestation and has
> become much more common in settled areas of Costa Rica over the years (I
> had them in my yard there, too!). It eats fruits of a great variety of
> tropical and subtropical trees in Costa Rica, both native and introduced,
> also flowers of some of them. And, as I wrote before, it is a "pest" of
> sorghum and corn crops.
>
> I think we sometimes forget that it isn't only starlings, House Sparrows,
> Canada Geese, gulls and Republicans that benefit from human endeavors.
>
> Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
> Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
> University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
> Tacoma, WA 98416
>
>
>