In rain forests all over Costa Rica, it’s not difficult to find Leafcutter Ants (Atta cephalotes) parading in a line, and carrying leaf pieces they’ve extracted from a tree. The vegetation is not eaten by the ants, but rather is used to fertilize a special fungus that only grows within the Leafcutter’s colony. Thus, this agrarian society of insects grows its own food!
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
Neither shouts nor whistles would wake this sleepy Silky Anteater.
On the last day of my most recent visit to the Osa Peninsula, I noticed and photographed this fuzzy little ball in a tree not far from Luna Lodge. Without a guide, I wasn’t sure what I was seeing. I knew it wasn’t a sloth as it didn’t have thick matted fur, and lacking a black “vest,” it couldn’t be a Northern Tamandua. Later that day, when I saw expert guide Nito in Puerto Jimenez, I tried to describe the creature, mentioning a black stripe on its back. Nito was confused until I showed him this snapshot, and then his eyes grew wide. “That’s a Silky Anteater,” he exclaimed. Silky Anteaters (Cyclopes didactylus) are the rarest of the three anteater species in Costa Rica, and Nito told me he had only seen it one or two times himself. He was not surprised that my shouts and whistles failed to wake the animal so it would show its face. Strictly nocturnal, Silky Anteaters roll into a ball to sleep away the day. The genus Cyclopes – derived from the Greek words kyklos, meaning “circle”, and opsis, “appearance” – alludes to this distinguishing behavior.
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
Male Pale-billed Woodpecker
The characteristic double-rap sound made by Pale-billed Woodpeckers (Campephilus guatemalensis) drilling for wood-boring insects is often heard before the birds are seen. While both the males and females of the species have red heads, the females are distinguished by black on their foreheads. Long, stiff tail feathers provide support for Pale-billed Woodpeckers as they hang vertically on tree trunks while hunting bugs. This pair was photographed along the hiking trail between La Tarde and Serena on the Osa Peninsula.
Females of the Pale-billed Woodpecker species have a black forehead, as seen on the bird on the right.
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
Tanagers are a very large New World family of birds with more than forty species in Costa Rica. Although tanagers come in many colors and patterns, there are only two species with all red males. Unlike the much rarer Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava), the Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) has a light-colored bill. Summer Tanagers can be found all over Costa Rica, except in the highest elevations.
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
During breeding season, male Red-legged Honeycreepers (Cyanerpes cyaneus) are fairly easy to spot with their bright red legs, sapphire blue body, and turquoise crown. In the off season, however, they look more like the olive green females of the species, but keep their black wings and tails.
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
Resplendent Quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno) are part of the trogon family, and while the females of this dimorphic species do look like other trogons, male Resplendent Quetzals are, well, quite resplendent! I’ve always thought they looked more like elaborate women’s hats than birds, with their frizzy heads, extra long upper-tail coverts, and fancy shoulders. Resplendent Quetzals live in limited regions of the central highlands, and I’ve only seen them in one area near the upper Savegre River valley where these dandies were photographed.
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
The author of my fiercely scientific guidebook about amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica doesn’t believe in common names. “Poison Frogs of the Genus Phyllobates” is about as close to a vernacular description as I can find in the text for this shiny little gem. This particular specimen (Phyllobates vittatus) was found in a tiny mud cave in the Corcovado National Park by expert guide, Nito. The species is endemic to the area near the Osa Peninsula and the Golfo Dulce, and so I’ve assigned it the not-very-scientific appellation “Golfo Dulce Poison Frog.”
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
Female Black-throated Trogons (Trogon rufus) are colored differently than the males of the species. Instead of a green hood and a black throat, the females are a lovely brown. Although pairs of these wide-eyed birds are never far apart, I’ve rarely seen them sitting together.
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
With the discipline of a yogi, this Bare-throated Tiger Heron holds its pose and warms its wings in the evening sunlight near Tortuguero.
Bare-throated Tiger Herons (Tigrisoma mexicanum) are distinguished from other tiger herons by the yellow skin below their long beaks. These striped birds are common in the low wetlands, marshes, and mangroves, of Costa Rica, especially on the Caribbean side.
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
Central American Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) are found mostly in Costa Rica’s protected areas of primary rain forest. Their arms are longer than their legs, and they have no thumbs on their hands, which makes it possible for them to brachiate, or swing branch to branch with only their arms. They have an incredibly strong prehensile tail with a palm-like pad on the end. When these primates maneuver through the forest canopy looking for ripe fruit, they often get all five limbs in action, and truly look like spiders in a web of branches.
This Central American Spider Monkey demonstrates its full arachnid-like range, using arms, legs, and tail to travel through among the slender branches of the rainforest canopy.
All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.
