Costa Rica's Incredible Critters

More than 500,000 species of animals and plants exist in Costa Rica. If that figure sounds inconceivable, then consider that Costa Rica has the highest biodiversity of any country in the world.

A few more eye-popping statistics:

250 species of mammals make Costa Rica their home. These include four species of monkeys from the White-headed Capuchin to the noisy Howlers. Tapir, jaguars, sloths, deer, anteaters and bats round out this group.

Two-Toed Sloth

Jaguar

894 bird species — more than all of the U.S. and Canada combined -- make Costa Rica a haven for birdwatchers. Seven of these are considered endemic; they exist nowhere else on earth.

Chestnut Mandible Toucan

Black-Necked Stilt

There are 175 amphibians, 85% of which are frogs. 225 reptiles include various turtles, lizards, iguanas and crocodiles, along with 120 species of snakes — 5 types of boas and 20 venomous snakes.

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Iguana

1,251 species of butterflies and another 8,000 species of moths flutter around the country. In total, there are 300,000 species of insects in Costa Rica.

Blue Morpho Butterfly

Glass-Winged Butterfly

The biodiversity within Costa Rica is attributed to the variety of ecosystems within the country. Tropical rain forests, deciduous forests, the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines, cloud forests and Mangrove forests are all represented throughout the 19,730 square miles of Costa Rica’s landmass. The ecological regions comprise an astounding twelve distinct climactic zones, which in turn, have created an unequaled diversity of species.

Here then are a few of Costa Rica’s incredible array of critters!