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Please use the obove link to go to our list of Wildlife in Costa Rica. The primary attractions for many naturalists are the birds, of which some 850 species have been recorded in the country. This is far more than what is found in any one of the continents of North America, Australia, or Europe.
Also, according to figures from INBio, there are more than 260 mammal species (including marine mammals), at least 65,000 classified insect species (with many thousands more remaining to be described), about 180 species of amphibians, 235 species of reptiles (of which more than half are snakes, 18 venomous), and 835 species of fish, of which about 700 are saltwater.
Snakes are much talked about, they are seldom seen. Most are well camouflaged or slither into the undergrowth when people approach, and few travelers catch sight of one. More frequently seen reptiles inelude the common Ameiva lizards, which have a white stripe running down their backs.
Also common, the bright green basilisk lizard (Basiliscus basiliscus) is seen on or near water. The males are noted for the huge crests running the length of their head, body, and tail, which give them the appearance of small dinosaurs almost a meter in length. Nicknamed Jesus Christ lizards, they can literally run across water when disturbed. They do this on their greatly elongated and webbed hind feet, and the behavior is more common in young, light individuals.
The green iguana (Iguana iguana) and blackish ctenosaur (garrobo; Ctenosaura similis) are large iguanid lizards that are often seen, despite being hunted for food. Ctenosaurs are found in the dry lands of the northwest, while iguanas are also found in wetter regions.
Larger reptiles in coastal national parks such as Tortuguero on the Caribbean or Santa Rosa and Las Baulas on the Pacific inelude turtles, crocodiles, and caimans. There are 14 species of turtles, some marine and others freshwater or terrestrial. The freshwater ones are often seen sunning in a row on top of a log; as a boat approaches, they quietly slip off, one by one.
The colonial Montezuma oropendola (oropéndola de Moctezuma; Psarocolius Montezuma) weaves a large sacklike nest, sometimes over a meter in length. Colonies of these nests are often seen hanging from branches of tall trees in open areas of the Caribbean lowlands. It has a chestnut-colored body, black head and neck, and golden-yellow outer tail feathers that are conspicuous in flight. The dark bill is orange-tipped and there is a bluish patch on the face. The less-common chestnut-headed oropendola (Psarocolius wagleri) builds similar nests and has yellow tail feathers, but is black with a chestnut head and pale yellow bill. Both are found mainly on the Caribbean slope and occasionally elsewhere. Their calls are varied, loud, gurgling, and at times mechanical sounding.
Pictures by Angela and Jörn Malek. The team of 1-CostaRicaLink wishes you the best of times in our little paradise called Costa Rica.
Text by Lonely Planet. To buy the complete book
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