Costa Rica
DESTINATION GUIDES
All Destinations
National Parks
The Pacific
Mountains
Caribbean
Alajuela
Arenal
Atenas
Barra del Colorado
Cabo Matapalo
Cahuita
Carate
Cartago
Ciudad Quesada
Dominical
Drake Bay
Escazu
Esterillos
Flamingo
Golfito
Golfo Dulce
Grecia
Heredia
Jaco
Liberia
Limon
Mal Pais
Manuel Antonio
Manzanillo
Monteverde
Montezuma
Nosara
Orosi Valley
Osa Peninsula
Papagayo
Parismina
Pavones
Playa Conchal
Playa del Coco
Playa Grande
Playa Hermosa
Playa Hermosa - Puntarenas
Playa Junquillal
Puerto Jimenez
Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui
Puntarenas
Puriscal
Quepos
Rincon de la Vieja
Samara
San Gerardo de Dota
San Isidro del General
San Jose
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Santa Maria de Dota
Santa Teresa
Sarchi
Sierpe
Tamarindo
Tambor
Tortuguero
Turrialba
Zancudo
Zarcero
Irazu Volcano
Cano Island Biological Reserve
Cahuita National Park
Tortuguero National Park
Ballena National Marine Park
Manuel Antonio National Park
Carara National Park
Tenorio Volcano National Park
Celeste River Waterfall
Children's Eternal Rainforest
Arenal Volcano
Arenal Volcano National Park
Barra Honda National Park
Barbilla National Park
Turrialba Volcano National Park
Los Quetzales National Park
Santa Rosa National Park
Las Baulas National Marine Park
Piedras Blancas National Park
Palo Verde National Park
Alajuela
Cartago
Heredia
Monteverde
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui
Puriscal
Rincon de la Vieja
San Jose
San Ramon
Turrialba
Barra del Colorado
Cahuita
Limon
Manzanillo
Parismina
Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui
Tortuguero
TOURS
TRANSPORTATION
WEATHER
TRAVEL
PROPERTIES
MORE
Relocation
Cost of Living
Costa Rica Education
Health Care
Work in Costa Rica
Residency Overview
Reviews
Hotels
Lodges
Restaurants
Sodas
Spas
Weather
15 Day Weather Forecast
Weather Regions
Dry Season vs Wet Season
Culture
Holiday & Festivals
National Flag
Music
Customs & Etiquette
Religion
FAQ
Real Estate
Featured Properties
Properties
Local Real Estate
Before you buy
Real Estate FAQs
Find my Property
Rentals
Find my Rental
Recipes
Tres Leches
Rice with Chicken
Cheese Beans Turnover
Gallo Pinto
Costa Rican Food
Business
Zip Codes
Customs & Etiquette
Before Doing Business in Costa Rica
Setting up a Corporation
Demographics
Economic Indicators
FAQ
Events
Dec. 2-Dec. 4 Sarchi Christmas Fair
Dec. 8-Dec. 8 Fireworks Day
Dec. 12-Dec. 12 La Yeguita Fiesta
Dec. 26-Dec. 26 National Horse Parade
Dec. 27-Dec. 27 San Jose Carnival
Jan. 9-Jan. 27 Palmares Fiestas
Jan. 15-Jan. 15 Santa Cruz Fiestas
All Events
Travel Blog
My First Cup of Coffee
Top Six Extra Things to Pack on Your Next Trip Abroad
Ten Things to do on the beach in Manuel Antonio
Eating Alone in Costa Rica
Nosara Yoga: Switching the Channel
Riding a bus to Sierpe in Costa Rica
High speeds, high waves, high in the air over Manuel Antonio
In-shore fishing off the coast of Manuel Antonio
Enjoying Puerto Viejo on $28 a day
How conservation saved Tortuguero
Living in Costa Rica Blog
Protecting the kinkajous in Manuel Antonio
Learning Spanish at Rancho Margot
Backyard Surf Series on Hermosa Beach
Life in the Monteverde Countryside
Border Crossing: Nicaragua by Boat
The Top 5 Reasons I love living in Tamarindo
A Look Back: Tamarindo, Six Months Later
Fruit of the Month: Cas
E-Voting Info for American Expats
Naturalized Costa Rican Citizenship by Marriage
Wildlife
Red Eyed Tree Frogs
White-faced Monkeys
Scarlet Macaws
Leatherback Sea Turtles
Sloths
Toucans
Itineraries
6 Day Best of Activities
10 Day Nature Lovers
15 Day Best of Destinations
12 Day Honeymoon
Trip Ideas
5 Best Waterfalls
Spectacular Beaches
Best of Activities
Best Kept Secrets
Best of Destinations
Videos
Sky Trek Canopy Tour
Celeste River Waterfall
Superman Canopy Tour
Tortuguero Canal Tour
Journey to Cocos Island
Medical Tourism
Dental Care
Book a Medical Vacation with Us
Cosmetic Surgery
Follow @CostaRicadotcom
Wildlife
>
Search Wildlife
Sort Results
A to Z
Z to A
Filter
Marine Life
Reptiles
Mammals
Birds
Amphibians
Insects & Arachnids
American Crocodiles
The American crocodile can be seen throughout the lowlands of Costa Rica, gliding along rivers or sunning on muddy ...
more >
Anteaters
Costa Rica has three species of anteater — lesser, giant and silky, the most common of which is the lesser anteater (...
more >
Baird's Tapirs
What do you get when you cross a rhinoceros’ build with a horse’s eyes and an elephant’s prehensile snout? A Baird’s ...
more >
Basilisk Lizards
Three basilisk lizard species, the common basilisk, emerald basilisk and brown basilisk live in Costa Rica, and are ...
more >
Bats
Of the approximate 1,100 bat species on Earth, 110 of them are found in Costa Rica. Most of the bats that live here are ...
more >
Blue Jeans Poison Dart Frogs
The tiny blue jeans poison dart frog, also known as the strawberry poison arrow frog, is one of Costa Rica’s most ...
more >
Blue-Crowned Motmots
There are six species of motmots living in Costa Rica: the blue-crowned motmot, broad-billed motmot, keel-billed motmot,...
more >
Boat-Billed Herons
The boat-billed heron (
Cochlearius cochlearius
) is a solitary species found in mangrove swamps and near ...
more >
Brown Pelicans
It's sunset on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, and the sky is dotted with V formations of birds, their beaks pointing the ...
more >
Butterflies
Costa Rica’s butterfly species make up approximately 90% of all Central American butterflies, 66% of neo-tropical ...
more >
Cane Toads
Covered in bumps and mottled skin, the cane toad's appearance is so exaggerated that it seems to have leapt out of the ...
more >
Coatimundis
White-nosed coatimundis, known locally as pizotes, are a member of the raccoon family. These curious creatures adapt ...
more >
Collared Peccaries
Collared peccaries are also known as javelinas, thanks to their long, pointed tusks that resemble javelins. Another ...
more >
Dolphins
Approximately 25 whale and dolphin species inhabit Costa Rica's oceans. Off the Pacific coast, visitors may spot ...
more >
Eyelash Palm Pitvipers
The eyelash palm pitviper, a venomous viper species, is one of Costa Rica’s most recognized snakes. Known for its ...
more >
Fer-de-lances
The fer-de-lance, a pitviper species, is known as the terciopelo in Costa Rica. It is considered one of the country’s ...
more >
Glass Frogs
Nature's original X-ray machine, the Fleischmann's glass frog has a transparent underbelly that reveals a complex web of...
more >
Great Green Macaws
An endangered member of the parrot family, the great green macaw (
Ara ambiguus
) has limited distribution in the...
more >
Green Iguanas
The largest lizard species in Central America, the adult green iguana (Iguana iguana) can reach six feet in length and ...
more >
Green Sea Turtles
Green sea turtles are named for the green colored fat underneath their shell, which is thought to be the result of their...
more >
Hercules Beetles
One notable species of Costa Rican beetle is the spectacular Hercules beetle, also known as the rhinoceros beetle. ...
more >
Howler Monkeys
Named for their throaty howls that can be heard for up to three miles, howler monkeys are the loudest of all New World ...
more >
Hummingbirds
Vibrantly-colored and energetic, hummingbirds are named for the distinctive sound made by their tiny beating wings. ...
more >
Jaguars
From the Native American word "yaguar," meaning "pouncing killer," jaguars are the only Panthera species found in the ...
more >
Kinkajous
This mammal is also known as the honey bear, due to its proclivity for flower nectar and sweet fruits. In Spanish, ...
more >
Leafcutter Ants
The term “leafcutter ants” can refer to any one of 41 ant species known for their ability to chew leaves in order to ...
more >
Leatherback Sea Turtles
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all marine turtles. These gigantic reptiles can reach up to six feet in ...
more >
Margays
Margays are Costa Rica's second-smallest wildcat, weighing up to 9 pounds. Often confused with the smaller oncilla or ...
more >
Montezuma Oropendulas
Montezuma oropendolas are one of Costa Rica's most iconic bird species because of their unique call. A melodic warble, ...
more >
Neotropical River Otters
Playful snorts, whistles and screeches erupt from the riverbank, where muddy waterslides cut a path through vegetation ...
more >
Olive Ridley Sea Turtles
The Olive Ridley, also known as the Pacific Ridley, is one of only seven sea turtle species in the world. Named after ...
more >
Pacas
What is brown and white, can emit sounds that rival a howler monkey, and resembles a huge guinea pig? The spotted or ...
more >
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs
The humid rainforests of Costa Rica are home to the vibrantly colored red-eyed tree frog, also known as the red-eyed ...
more >
Resplendent Quetzals
The resplendent quetzal has often been called the most spectacular bird in the New World. Known for its vibrant plumage,...
more >
Scarlet Macaws
The scarlet macaw is a member of the parrot family and is native to parts of Central and South America. The Central ...
more >
Sloths
Costa Rica is home to two species of sloth, the brown-throated three-toed sloth and Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth. Black eye...
more >
Spectacled Caimans
Tours through Costa Rica's lowland rivers and wetlands almost always include a stop to gaze at spectacled caimans – ...
more >
Spider Monkeys
Spider monkeys, with their powerful prehensile tails, are the most agile species of monkey found in Costa Rica. The ...
more >
Spotted Eagle Rays
Spotted eagle rays, also known as bonnet rays, are a magnificent diamond-shaped species that can be found among coral ...
more >
Squirrel Monkeys
The Central American squirrel monkey is the smallest of Costa Rica’s four primate species. Known locally as the mono ...
more >
Tayras
The tayra looks like an otter, swims like a fish and climbs like a cat. Known in Spanish as a tolomuco or tejon, the ...
more >
Toucans
Of the 42 toucan species in Latin America, six are found in the lowlands and rainforests of Costa Rica. These flashy, ...
more >
West Indian Manatees
The West Indian manatee inhabits shallow rivers, estuaries and saltwater bays of the Caribbean and Atlantic. This marine...
more >
Whales
Of the world’s 76 dolphin and whale species, an estimated 25 migrate, mate, birth and feed in Costa Rican waters. About ...
more >
White Tip Reef Sharks
White tip reef sharks are by far the most common shark in Costa Rica, frequently encountered along the country's Pacific...
more >
White-faced Monkeys
The capuchin monkey is commonly seen throughout Costa Rica. Also called white-faced monkeys, these small primates are ...
more >