The Wildlife of Costa Rica

Fortunately,Costa Rica’s wildlife is so extensive that I cannot provide an exhaustive list. However, this will provide you a great introduction to the animals you will find here.

Located in the heart of the Americas, Costa Rica has set aside the largest percentage of its total surface area for protected lands of any other country on earth. Costa Rica is one of the biologically wealthiest nations in the world. The country's varied natural environments include lowland rainforests, coral reefs, active volcanoes, pristine beaches, sultry swamps and exuberant cloud forests and each one of them is home to a wealth of animal life. This treasure trove of tropical flora and fauna is exemplified by the more than 9,000 different kinds of flowering plants, including 1,200 orchids. Approximately 850 species of birds have been identified here, more than are found in the United States and Canada combined. This country is also home for 205 species of mammals, 376 species of reptiles and amphibians and about 10 percent of the world's butterfly species.

Over 80% of the earth’s terrestrial animals live in tropic regions. This explains why small Costa Rica has over 600 species to offer (excluding insects)! Ecologically, this is connected with the rainforest because photosynthesis and production of organic matter is much faster than in temperate regions, there is space for more plant-eating animals (herbivores). Because carnivorous predators have more to eat, a larger amount of species can thrive in the tropics.

THE AMPHIBIANS

The class of Amphibians developed around 400 million years ago, in the Paleozoic Era. They developed from fish and were probably the first animals to walk on land. Water, however, is still essential for them today: as the term “Amphibian” indicates, they spend one part of their lives (mostly the juvenile stage) in water and another on land. Amphibians not only breathe through lungs, but also have thin skins that assist oxygen conversion. All amphibians are carnivores. They seem defenceless at first, but many species developed toxin production in the skin that make them less tasty for predators (the most famous example being the Poison Dart Frog).The 7 species of Costa Rican poison dart frogs are poisonous but not lethal for humans.

Amphibians are usually found in or around moist places (near streams, puddles or in wet forests). The best time are wet nights, particularly during rainy season. Most frog families live in semi-tropical or tropical zones, but the “true frogs” (ranidae) are found in temperate regions and Africa. Frogs are actually spread all over the world except Antarctica.

The eggs of most species can survive with little water and are laid on the forest floor. Poison Dart Frogs actually show the most interesting breeding behaviour: after hatching, the tadpoles are carried by the female (or male) adult up to the canopy in a bromeliad containing water. In these protected pools the tadpoles develop into froglets. The female frog even returns to feed them with unfertilized eggs. No other non-mammal (or bird) shows similar parental care to their offspring!

THE REPTILES

Reptiles arose in the Palaeozoic Era, 300 million years ago. Today there are over 6000 reptile species, sharing the following traits: they are of mostly inconspicuous colours and behaviour; their heart is divided into several chambers to increase blood pressure (and hence muscular activity); most reptiles’ skin is covered with scales to reduce water loss from their body surface.

A fascinating attribute of reptiles is that their sex is largely determined by the temperature at which the eggs develop in the ground.This is because all crocodilians and many turtles and lizards do not have the sex-determining X or Y chromosomes. Hence, temperature conditions decide for their sex. Some turtle eggs, for instance, develop as females when incubated at temperatures above 30° C, and as males when incubated at temperatures between 24-28° C!

Some 23 crocodile species (crocodiles, alligators, caimans) dwell in most sub-tropical and tropical areas of the world. They spend most of their time in water (but breathe through lungs) and are exclusive meat-eaters.

A specific characteristic of sea turtles is that their legs developed into flippers. Four sea turtle species can be found in Costa Rica: the green, hawksbill, olive ridley and leatherback turtles All sea turtles are endangered because of overhunting (which is a diminishing, but still existing problem) and beachside development. Marine turtles are probably most famous for their breeding habits: every 2-4 years the females come ashore the same beaches they have been born on to lay eggs.

Lizards are mostly carnivorous and insectivorous but some larger ones eat plants. Snakes probably evolved from lizards (when their legs retreated due to unemployment) and are exclusively carnivores. Lizards can best be seen on sunny days, when they are active.Of about 600 iguanid species, 38 can be found in Costa Rica.

Snakes are coldblooded animals and their lives are ruled by the outside temperature: they can only be active when their bodies are heated up by sunlight.

There are 162 snake species in Costa Rica, of which 22 are poisonous.Despite their bad reputation the chances of actually seeing a venomous snake are rather slim. They are not only sedentary and nocturnal, but also hard to spot for the untrained eye.

There are two main groups of venomous snakes in Costa Rica: Pit Vipers and Coral Snakes.

THE BIRDS

With around 830 bird species, Costa Rica is a veritable paradise for the birdwatchingtraveller.600 species call Costa Rica their home all year round and 200 migrate from temperate zones. Compared to the 700 bird species occurring in North America, this is an amazing variety! The magnificence of tropical birdlife is astonishing, due to highly coloured bodies (the scarlet macaw being the most famous example). So not only the experienced bird spotter, but also first-timers will be enchanted by the colourful avian wildlife expecting you in this natural habitat.

That most tropic birds are frugivorous is an important ecological feature. It contributes to the evolutionary success of birds and trees: fruit is always easily available and does not have to be caught in exhaustive hunts. Trees on the other hand can spread their seeds farther away – as they are carried and “dropped off” by birds. That way, young plants do not have to compete with parents for important sunlight

There are over 350 parrot species(also known as psittacines) worldwide, of which 16 species occur in Costa Rica.Parrotsare currently considered the most intelligent of birds and their brain-to-body ratio is even comparable to that of primates.

Next to parrots, toucans are probably the kind of bird visitors are most eager to spot during a holiday in Costa Rica. Fortunately, they are also very likely to do so. It is not rare to see the remarkable outline of one (or a group) of these birds flying from one treetop to the next.Toucans are important partners for many plants to spread in tropic forests. The seeds of all fruits that toucans eat pass their digestive track unharmed. That way, these frugivorous birds are responsible for many a tree growing in one place and not the other.

The famous quetzalis definitely the most glamorous bird in Central America. Its name derives from the Aztec word for beautiful or precious. This precisely applies to the emerald male tailfeathers that grow during mating season (March-June/July) – which is the best season to watch these birds. “Quetzal” means sacred or precious in various Central American indigenous languages. The male tail plumes were used as headdresses by chiefs of several tribes, thereby symbolizing their superiority. In Mayan culture it was a crime to kill a quetzal; hence the birds had to be captured in order to retrieve their feathers.

Of the existing 330 hummingbird species, over 50 can be found in Costa Rica. Because these small birds inhabit such a huge area, including montane elevations over 4000m to tropical lowlands, they can be found across the country. Their super lightweight and their particular wings are reasons for their unique ability to hover during flight and even fly backwards! Because flying costs so much energy they spend only about 10 % of their time in the air – the rest of the time they are just sitting, watching and digesting.

The roseate spoonbill can be found in marshes and water habitats. They are easy to recognize for their distinctive pink coloring. Mostly you will find them looking for food, stirring their bills in the shallow water. They eat whatever comes in touch with their bill, mostly fish, crustaceans, frogs and snails. Traveling in Costa Rica, you will often spot cows surrounded by tallish birds, pecking around the cattle. These are called cattle egrets because of their habit to follow grazing cattle and feeding on small vertebrates and insects that are stirred up by the moving cows.

Travelling in Central America, one often encounters a variety of vultures. These are large birds with hooked bills and strangely bald heads of a reddish colour. Their feathers are usually brown or black. The wing span of vultures is between 1-2 metres. The most famous representative of this species is the Andean condor, a huge bird with wing spans of up to 3 metres

THE MAMMALS

Here are some important features that distinguish them: Mammals have advanced brains that benefit them in many ways. Hair on their bodies insulates from the cold. Finally, they do not lay eggs, but bear live young (this way, they can stay mobile during pregnancy instead of having to guard eggs). And the production of milk provides an ever available source of food for the offspring. Of around 4,800 mammal species worldwide, 200 can be found in Costa Rica.

Of the five sloth species occurring in Costa Rica, there are two main families of sloths: two-toed and three-toed sloths. As is well-known of them, they are very slow movers, that spend most of their lives on trees, where they feed on leaves. Because their diet consists of this poor nutrition, their metabolism is so low that it calls for their laziness and low body temperature.

No Costa Rican holiday would be complete without encountering these close human relatives. There are 4 monkey species in Costa Rica: Howler Monkeys, Spider Monkeys, Squirrel (Titi) Monkeys and White-Faced (Capuchin) Monkeys. They are important seed dispersers as they feed on a variety of fruit. Note that all monkey species are considered endangered– the squirrel monkey even highly so.

Howler Monkeys are the largest monkey species, growing up to 1m and weighing around 5 kilograms. Spider Monkeys can use their tails like a fifth hand with which they can support their entire body weight. Spider monkeys rarely leave their tree habitats, where they feed on leaves, nuts and fruit. Squirrel Monkey (esp: titi) is a tiny monkey (ca. 0.6 kg), best found in and around Manuel Antonio National Park Their habitat are Pacific wet forests, where they feed on insects and small plants. White-Faced (Capuchin) Monkey is the species you are most likely to encounter closely in Costa Rica. They occur on the Caribbean slope’s wet forests as well as the Pacific side’s drier forest habitats. Capuchins are approx. 50 cm high and eat everything from flowers, fruit, bird-eggs, insects to the sandwich you brought to the beach. Capuchin monkeys are most common at the National Parks of Manuel Antonio, Corcovado and Santa Rosa. Sadly, Capuchin monkeys seem to have undergone a recent rise in pet trade.

Jaquars  are clearly the kings of the local jungle. But they are very shy and avoid humans, so that your chance of actually spotting one is very slim. The highest concentration of jaguars is in Corcovado and La Amistad National Parks, where they have enough territory to hunt. Jaguars – known in Costa Rica as El Tigre – are more common, although it is unlikely to be spotted. They hunt mostly at night, as they have excellent vision due to their big eyes. Their prey consists of 87 species, including birds, small peccaries and iguanas up to sloths, monkeys and caimans!

Ocelots are mid-sized felines, roughly the size of dogs (1 metre length and 10-15 kg weight). Belonging to the Leopardus gene, they can be found all over South and Central America. Ocelots are night-active and hunt on large territories of 18 square kilometres. Their prey consists of reptiles and amphibians and small mammals. In Costa Rica they can be found in the rainforests of Corcovado, Santa Rosa, Monteverde and in the Los Santos Area – though they are rare to spot. Racoons (average size of 40 cm) can easily be recognised by their distinctive “bandit mask” – the black fur around their eyes. The most common racoon is the Northern Racoon, an animal which is active mostly at night. Racoons are omnivorous and feed on fruit and all sorts of animals they can put into their mouth.

Tapirs belong to the order of Perissodactyla: hoofed animals with an odd number of toes on each foot (like rhinos and horses). One recognizes their kinship with horses by their snouts. While the tapir used to be native to many places in Costa Rica, it once was very close to extinction. Many grass swamps, forested hillsides and rainforests have disappeared, thereby dangerously reducing their habitat. Today, tapirs are recovering in the National Parks of Corcovadoand Tenorio.

Peccaries – as pigs, giraffes, bison and cattle - belong to the order of Artiodactyla, that is hoofed animals with an even number of toes on their feet. There are two peccary species in Costa Rica, which live mostly in groups (the White-Lipped Peccaries being more sociable than the Collared Peccaries).

Paca and Agouti are rodents and hence marked by their efficient large incisor teeth, with which they are able to cut and slice an abundance of materials. They are vegetarians that feed on fruit, seeds and nuts and the occasional insect to boost their protein level.

Deer are large mammals, found in many regions of the planet. They are grazers and cud-chewers who regurgitate their meals and chew it again to digest it. Although it surprises many travelers, deer are quite common in Costa Rica and are not seldomly spotted on the edge of a wood.

THE INSECTS

There are about 34,000 insect species in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is home to at least 1,239 species of butterflies. You can spot butterflies all over Costa Rica. But particularly nice is the area around Poas Volcano, where you find the lovely Butterfly Garden at the Cataratas La Paz.

Monteverde is also a good place to see butterflies; there is an old butterfly house there that offers professionally guided tours where you can learn a lot about those colored animals.

Stay tuned for my next segment of this amazing country called Costa Rica. I hope you are learning tons about this wonderful location in real life that we call our home on Second Life.

Cya soon, Brendan Macarthur