Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [206]
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Spider Monkey
This New World primate is named for its long and thin legs, arms and tail, which enable it to pursue an arboreal existence in forests. They swing from arm to arm through the canopy, and can hang supported just by their prehensile tail.
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Mantled Howler Monkey
The loud vocalizations of a male mantled howler monkey can carry for more than 1km even in dense rainforest. Variously described as grunting, roaring or howling, this crescendo of noise is one of the most characteristic and memorable of all rainforest sounds.
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White-Faced Capuchin
The small and inquisitive monkey has a prehensile tail that is typically carried with the tip coiled. Capuchins occasionally descend to the ground, where food such as corn and even oysters is part of their diet.
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Squirrel Monkey
This adorable but diminutive monkey travels in small to medium-sized groups during the day, squealing or chirping noisily and leaping and crashing through vegetation in search of insects and fruit.
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White-Nosed Coati
This frequently seen member of the raccoon family is brownish and longer, but slimmer and lighter than your average raccoon. Its most distinctive feature is a long, mobile, upturned whitish snout with which it snuffles around in search of food.
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Jaguar
These big cats are extremely rare and well camouflaged, so the chance of seeing one is remote. They do have large territories, however, so you may see their prints or droppings, or even hear their roar – a sound more like a series of deep coughs.
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Anteater
Anteaters lack teeth and use a long, sticky tongue to slurp ants and termites. The giant anteater reaches almost 2m in length, and has a tongue that protrudes an astonishing 60cm up to 150 times a minute.
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Ocelot
This felid is little more than 1m in length with a short tail and a pattern of many beautiful rosettes. Though it is the most common of the Costa Rican wild cats, it is very shy and rarely seen.
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Baird’s Tapir
This pudgy, pig-like browsing mammal has a characteristic prehensile snout, and lives deep in the tropical forests. Although humans rarely encounter them, past hunting and slow reproduction rates have pushed the species to the edge of extinction.
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MARINE ANIMALS
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Costa Rica has one of the most biologically diverse marine ecosystems in the world and an astounding variety of marine animals. Deepwater upwellings are constant year-round, making these waters extremely productive and creating ideal viewing conditions at any season.
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West Indian Manatee
In a few of the rivers, estuaries and coastal areas, you may catch a glimpse of this endangered manatee, a large marine mammal (up to 4m long and weighing 600kg) that feeds primarily on aquatic vegetation.
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Whales
Migrating whales, which arrive from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, include orca, blue and sperm whale, and several species of relatively unknown beaked whale. Humpback whales are commonly spotted along the Pacific coast by tour boats.
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Dolphins
These charismatic cetaceans are year-round residents in Costa Rica, particularly the common, bottle-nosed and spotted dolphins. They are among the most intelligent animals on the planet, and have been observed exhibiting complex sociocultural behaviors.
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Sea Turtles
The massive 360kg leatherback turtle is a stunning creature. The smaller olive ridley is legendary for its remarkable synchronized nesting, when tens of thousands of females emerge from the sea on the same night. The hawksbill (see picture above) is another impressive species.
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