Black River Turtles (Rhinochlemmys funerea) are often seen basking on fallen logs along the banks of rivers during the day. At night the web-footed retiles are known to travel on land to forage for food. This turtle was photographed along the Tortuguero River.
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The Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) is Costa Rica’s most notorious poisonous snake. I have only seen this pit viper species once, and it was during my most recent visit to Costa Rica. The good people at La Tarde knew where this one had staked out a place on the rainforest floor. We took a night hike to find it, and used our flashlights to illuminate it for this photograph.
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Smaller than the American Crocodile, the Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) is the only other member of the Crocodylidae family that lives in Costa Rica. The primary distinguishing feature is a transverse ridge in front of the eyes. Caimans are common in lowland rivers, streams, ponds, and mangroves, where there is a lot of rainfall. This one was photographed from a kayak near Tortuguero.
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The Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) in the above photo is furious because it just lost an epic battle with its lunch. Wrestling in the mud of the rainforest floor near Serena, the unidentified frog (possibly a member of the genus Phrynohyas) kept scrambling, and the writhing reptile just couldn’t get a solid grip. After several minutes, the amphibian finally slipped free and made a break for it!
A Parrot Snake winds and twists in its attempt to grab ahold of a slippery frog.
The frog’s body appears to swell and secrete a mucus that aids in its escape.
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Apparently stuffed, a motionless American Crocodile holds his next bite – a large fish – in his toothy jaws.
Crocodilians, along with birds, are the closest living relatives of the dinosaurs. The American Crocodile can be found in large rivers and streams of Costa Rica, and often in the tidal, brackish water where rivers meet the sea. This crocodile was resting on a flat of mud one evening near the mouth of the Tortuguero River.
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A basilisk poses on a stump near Tortuguero.
Every time a guide has pointed out one of these reptiles, it has been described as a “Jesus Christ Lizard” for its ability to run on the surface of water using only its hind legs. I just learned from my new reference book on amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica, however, that there is actually more than one basilisk species capable of “bipedal locomotion across water.” The particular species in this photo, Basiliscus vittatus, while it can run on water, tends to be more terrestrial, and is commonly spied near the ground and further away from water than other basilisk types that frequent trees.
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Fully exhibiting its prehistoric form, this handsome iguana basks in the bright sun of the Pacific coast.
I just discovered that there are a few different species of iguanas living in Costa Rica. I think this one is is a Green Iguana (Iguana iguana), based on the very large smooth scale in the lower head area. Solitary adult Green Iguanas are usually spotted in trees near the canopy, and live in lowland rain forests, often at the edges, and, in drier areas, near rivers.
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A young boa constrictor waits for something to eat on the Osa Peninsula.
Boa constrictors live on both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes of Costa Rica, from sea level to around 1000 meters. This small boa was found hanging among some roots along the beach between Carate and the Corcovado National Park. If you look closely just below the snout, you can see the blur of its flickering tongue. Unlike other snakes in Costa Rica, the boa constrictor is not poisonous, and while they grow very large, pose no real threat to people.
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