(Fig. 7.2) are common. Jaguars, however, are exceed-
ingly rare throughout the region but are present in
the Penas Blancas valley.
The majority of small mammals at lower elevations
(below 1300 m on the Pacific slope and below 1000
m on the Caribbean slope) are widespread species,
typical of neotropical lowland forests. The species of
higher elevations (above 1500 m) are also typical of
high elevations in other highlands of Costa Rica. In
general, lowland species tend to be broadly distrib-
uted, whereas high-elevation species often have lim-
ited distributions, and many are endemic. Most Costa
Rican endemic mammals are species of middle to
high elevations. The mammal faunas of Costa Rica's
three main mountain ranges (Tilaran, Central, and
Talamanca Cordilleras) are similar, although all three
have some species that are endemic.
7.3. Research on Mammals
in Monteverde
Scientific study on the mammals of the region first
began in the mid-1960s, conducted by researchers
associated with the field courses sponsored by the
Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS). The first
published accounts of mammals from Monteverde
were in 1968. From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, pub-
lications and theses on four categories of subjects ap-
peared on mammals in Monteverde: systematics and
distribution, community structure and reproductive
ecology, mammal-plant interactions, and mammal-
insect interactions.
7.3.1. Systematics and Distributions
Studies on systematics, distributions, and natural his-
tory are the building blocks for conservation. For ex-ample, the discovery and description of the Golden
Toad helped call attention to and conserve the bio-
logically unique Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve
(MCFP; see Savage, "Discovery of the Golden Toad,"
p. 171). Papers on systematic relationships among
species and geographic distributions are especially
important for poorly known regions such as the Monte-
verde region because they identify the species present
in an area, delineate species' distributions, and clarify
relationships between closely related species.
Participants in the courses sponsored by the Coun-
cil on International Educational Exchange and the
Education Abroad Program (University of California)
have carried out research projects focusing on mam-
mals. These include 22 projects on bats (15 of which
dealt with feeding behavior), 9 on rodents, 1 on Two-
toed Sloths, and 1 on White-faced Capuchin monkeys.
Researchers and residents have made observations
which, although anecdotal, add to our knowledge of
the mammals of Monteverde (see Timm and LaVal,
"Observations on Monteverde's Mammals," p. 235).
Starrett and Casebeer (1968) reported on a single
Fringe-lipped Bat caught along the Rio Guacimal,
which was only the second known specimen of this
bat from the country; it is now known as a widely
distributed species. Later that year, Hooper (1968)
reported a sight record of the Water Mouse, a poorly
known animal. Since then, 47 reports have been pub-
lished on Monteverde's mammals as of 1998.
The order of mammals that has received the most
study in Monteverde is Chiroptera (bats), which is
unusual, as bats are generally among the least known
mammal groups. Early surveys reported 24 species of
bats (LaVal and Fitch 1977). LaVal (1973) reported
specimens of the bat Myotis nigricans from the region
in his systematic revision of the genus Myotis in Cen-
tral and South America. Distribution records and in-Figure 7.2. White-tailed Deer
(Odocoileus virginianus). Photograph
by Barbara L Clauson.225 Mammals