Costa Rica vacations are quite famous due to the beautiful rainforest with over 500,000 flora and fauna species. It is known as one of the top 20 countries with unique biodiversity and abundant wildlife.
Exploring untouched wildlife is one of the top things to do in Costa Rica. Thus, it is quite the opportunity of a lifetime, if you get to visit and take a firsthand look at the amazing wildlife of Costa Rica.
The National Geographic has called the Osa Peninsula’s Corcovado National Park ‘the most biologically intense place on Earth’ as it contains about 5% of all wildlife species found on our planet.
Quick Fact
Costa Rica Snakes
Hognosed Pit Viper
The snout-like nose is the standout feature for this native Costa Rican rainforest snake. This venomous beauty’s bite does not cause death but leads to a lot of pain and swelling.
Parrot Snake
This slender snake is a bright green, bronze, or golden colored mildly venomous reptile. It feeds on lizards, small birds, and frogs.
Eyelash Viper
Known for its beautiful ‘eyelash’, this venomous snake’s bite will inject a potent hemotoxic venom that can kill an adult human. Eyelash viper is an aggressive snake and strikes when threatened.
Costa Rica Birds
Trogon
Trogons are hole nesters and feed on wasps, termites and their larvae. It has long blue-green plumes on the tail, black blue or gold-green breasts, red belly, and a gold-tinged mantle.
Keel-billed Toucan
Also called the sulfur-billed toucan or rainbow-billed toucan, it is the national bird of Belize. It is a social bird that lives in a small flock of 6-12.
Great Green Macaw
Also known as the great military macaw, it is the largest parrot, the 2nd heaviest macaw species, and the 3rd heaviest parrot species in the world.
Mammals of Costa Rica
Three-Toed Sloths
Known as the slowest mammal on earth, the three-toed sloth is covered in algae. It spends most of its time hanging on tree branches motionless for hours.
Jaguar
This endangered large cat is shy and mostly nocturnal. It hunts monkeys, agouti, deer, birds, peccary, fish and other animals.
Mantled Howler Monkey
That unusual echo you hear in a forest, is that of a mantled howler monkey, famous for its loud vocalization. Its calls are often heard at sunrise or sunset, which it uses to communicate with the troop.
Weird and Exotic Animals of Costa Rica
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog
This is a weird yet amazing animal of Costa Rica. It can change its color from red bodied blue legs to green with black spots to navy blue.
Golden Orb Weaver
This amazing spider of Costa Rica can spin gold silk that is strong enough to catch small birds. It is also the oldest surviving species of spider with a venomous bite that is rarely fatal.
Tapir
Tapirs may look like mini-elephants with a trunk. These solitary animals use their elongated upper lip to grab food such as fruit, leaves, and twigs.
From Basilisco to Capuchin monkeys, from the massive American Crocodiles to the evasive Puma, you have a long list of amazing animals of Costa Rica. Do visit this country and encounter wilderness like never before.