COSTA RICA’S
DISCOVER
WILDLIFE
Costa Rica has a strong focus on conservation — its 29 national
parks, wilderness and wild landscapes are home to over 500,000
plant and animal species. This thriving wildlife paradise incorporates
a range of habitats, including cloud forests, mangroves, coastlines
and coral reefs. From the smallest invertebrates to the leviathans
of the ocean, our online A-Z highlights just some of the lora and
fauna that call Costa Rica home. Get acquainted with this selection
of seven animals, and head to the website to see all 26 species1
BLUE MORPHO BUTTERFLY
Morpho peleides
The blue morpho is the most famous of this
country’s butterlies, and it’s the name given
to many species of the same Morpho genus in
Costa Rica. As it turns out, these butterlies
aren’t blue at all — the vivid colour is an
optical illusion conjured by microscopic scales
relecting light away from the wings. With a
wingspan of up to eight inches, blue morpho
butterlies are among the world’s largest.
DID YOU KNOW: During light, you might
witness a disappearing and reappearing efect;
blue morphos switch from blue to brownish
hues to confuse predators.PARTNER CONTENT FOR THE COSTA RICA TOURISM BOARD