See the full A-Z of Costa Rica’s wildlife species at nationalgeographic.co.uk/costa-rica-wildlife2
JAGUAR
Panthera onca
Once upon a time, jaguars were numerous
across the Americas, but their numbers have
dwindled from 400,000 to just 14,000 over the
past century, with poaching and deforestation
the biggest threats. Although sightings are
rare, the big cats can be spotted stalking the
rainforests and swamplands of Costa Rica.
TOP TIP: To boost your chances of seeing
a jaguar, sign up to a conservation project in
Tortuguero National Park and in the area of
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.4
LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE
Dermochelys coriacea
Growing to over two metres in length and
tipping the scales at 1,200lb when fully grown,
the leatherback is the world’s largest turtle and
can live for up to 80 years. Males spend their
whole lives at sea, while adult females return
to Costa Rica’s shores every two years from
October to March to lay their eggs on a beach
in the region in where they were born.
TOP TIP: Head out on expert-led beach tours
to witness hatching turtles making a break for it
across the sands.5
RED-EYED TREE FROG
Agalychnis callidryas
Bulging red eyes and orange feet with blue
fl ecks: red-eyed tree frogs are the brightly
coloured, nocturnal amphibians that cling to
leaves and trees using tiny suction cups on
their feet. You can spot them in the lowland
rainforests of Tortuguero National Park and
in the cooler regions of the Monteverde Cloud
Forest Reserve.
DID YOU KNOW: Sitting motionless for much
of the day with their eyes shut, the frogs fl ash
their eyes and feet when they sense a predator
is close, startling the hunter and giving
themselves time to make a quick getaway.6
RESPLENDENT QUETZAL
Pharomachrus mocinno
The resplendent quetzal has dazzling emerald
plumage that’s actually not green at all, but an
illusion created by light refl ecting o stripes of
pigment. They’re threatened, so sadly they’re
di cult to spot, but keep a lookout in Arenal
and Poas Volcano National Parks during the dry
season (December to June) when rivers recede
and foliage thins, and you might just get lucky.
DID YOU KNOW: Historically, quetzals have
been revered by indigenous communities.
They inspired the Aztec and Maya snake god,
Quetzalcoatl, whose feathers were thought to
represent the green growth of spring.7
THREE-TOED SLOTH
Bradypus variegatus
There’s something endearing about gazing at
sloths hanging drowsily from a branch. And the
thing about sloths is they’re not in a hurry: spot
one of these treetop-living creatures and you
can stare at it for some time — these sluggish
beasts sleep for up to 20 hours a day. With
incredibly slow digestive systems, sloths can
take up to two weeks to fully digest a meal,
and their sleepy nature has evolved to help
conserve energy.
TOP TIP: To catch sight of both two- and
three-toed sloths, head to the rainforests of the
Osa Peninsular on the Pacifi c coast.3
MANTLED HOWLER MONKEY
Alouatta palliata
Look skywards in any national park (especially
Santa Rosa National Park, Arenal Volcano
National Park and the Monteverde Cloud Forest
Reserve), and you might just catch sight of
a howler monkey hanging from its tail in the
canopy. They’re part of the New World monkey
group of primates (including spider monkeys
and capuchins), all fi ve families of which can be
found in Costa Rica.
DID YOU KNOW: Their yelps and grunts can
be heard from up to three miles away.IMAGES: COSTA RICA TOURISM BOARD; GREY HUTTON; ALAMY
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