Wildlife in Costa Rica

Costa Rica means “rich coast” and the country truly lives up to its name. It has a wonderful climate, an advantageous geographic position, and its rich natural resources. If you are a nature lover, you will definitely want to pay this country a visit. The local wildlife is often the main reason why people from all over the world travel to this tropical paradise.

Costa Rica holds two very important titles: first in the Happy Planet Index and most “green” country. The country plans to be carbon neutral by 2021. The people of Costa Rica call themselves “Ticas” are very proud of their country and are very committed to keeping it healthy. They fiercely protect their land and wildlife. As one of the most bio diverse countries in the world, Costa Rica is home to approximately 500,000 species. Many of these can be seen in person at Manuel Antonio National Park, Santa Rosa National Park, or one of the other beautiful parks in the country.

Some of the species that can be found here are scarlet macaws, quetzals, marine turtles, toucans, monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas, snakes and many more.  In terms of sea life, you can usually see dolphins, whales, sharks, jellyfish, manatees and starfish. Some animal species, like the jaguar and tapir, are very elusive and rarely seen by visitors. To maximize the amount of wildlife you will see, it is ideal to have a naturalist guide as they are trained how to find the-hard-to-spot animals like sloths.

Butterfly lovers will be delighted by the amount of butterflies in Costa Rica. There are over 1,250 species of butterfly and 8,000 species of moths in this country and they play an important role in its biodiversity. They also give an interesting look into how the animals and insects of Costa Rica can adapt to their surroundings to survive. For instance, swallowtail caterpillars disguise themselves as bird droppings to hide from predators.

Traveling to Costa Rica will give you an experience like no other, especially if you are a nature lover! Take advantage of the opportunity to see some of the most wonderful native wildlife in the world.