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Puntarenas

explore puntarenas provinceOne Province, Many Pacific Adventures

Puntarenas stretches across very different Pacific settings: a gulf-side city, peninsula communities, central coastal towns and southern rainforest landscapes. Choose the part of the province that fits the way your family wants to explore.

Explore with Pico & Tati
Follow Pico and Tati’s curiosity from a public waterfront to a forest walk. Notice how towns, rivers and the sea connect, and leave time for the communities that make each destination distinct.

Explore the Towns & Cities

Must-See Places

Marino Ballena National Park

This protected coastal and marine landscape provides opportunities to learn about the relationship between beaches, sea life and conservation. Confirm visitor sectors and current entry arrangements before arriving.

Corcovado National Park

Experience Osa Peninsula rainforest through authorized arrangements. Plan logistics, guide requirements and fitness needs before booking.

Carara National Park — Quebrada Bonita Entrance

Explore the park from its main visitor entrance in Garabito. Follow designated routes and wildlife guidance.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve

Look for mosses, layered vegetation and forest birds on designated reserve trails. Check reservations directly.

Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve

A longer outing from Santa Teresa leads to Cabo Blanco’s authorized visitor sector near Cabuya. The reserve protects forest and coastal habitat. Confirm current access, open trails and visitor requirements with SINAC before planning your day.

Finca 6 Archaeological Site

Discover pre-Columbian stone spheres near Palmar Sur and learn about their archaeological context.

Manuel Antonio National Park

Forest paths, coastal views and beaches meet in this protected area. Plan admission through SINAC and follow current entry instructions. Choose open routes suited to your group and let wildlife remain wild: watch quietly without feeding or approaching animals.

Caño Island Biological Reserve

Discover an offshore protected area through authorized boat excursions. Confirm landing and marine activity rules.

Puntarenas Paseo de los Turistas

Walk the waterfront promenade and notice the port city’s shoreline, sea views and local life.

Isla San Lucas National Park

San Lucas is a separate boat outing in the Gulf of Nicoya. It combines protected habitat with a former prison’s difficult history. Confirm SINAC booking, authorized transport and suitability for your family before planning the visit.

More Places to Discover

Montezuma

A southern Nicoya coastal community with beach and nearby nature outings.

Malpaís

A coastal community near Santa Teresa with Pacific shoreline landscapes.

Dominical

A separate coastal community north of Uvita, with surf and beach scenery.

Ojochal

A separate community south of Uvita that can add local food and community experiences to a Costa Ballena visit.

Puntarenas Weather
A local reference forecast. Conditions vary across Puntarenas province.

PUNTARENAS WEATHER

local life + planning tipsA Little Provincial Know-How

The province is much larger than the city of Puntarenas. Santa Teresa and Manuel Antonio belong to it, but they are different bases with different routes. Choose one area at a time and confirm any ferry or boat journey as part of your full itinerary.

Both. The gulf-side city is only one part of a province that includes many Pacific destinations. A listing marked Puntarenas may be far from the city itself.

Yes. Santa Teresa is on the southern Nicoya Peninsula and Manuel Antonio is near Quepos on the Central Pacific coast. They should be planned as separate destinations.

No. Your route depends on your starting point and destination. For a peninsula journey, compare available routes and check the ferry operator’s current arrangements where relevant.

It is better to choose a smaller area and allow time for it. Gulf, peninsula, central coast and southern rainforest destinations have different travel requirements.

Choose a few experiences near your base and leave time between them. Confirm the actual entrance, meeting point, transport and facilities rather than relying only on a map pin.

Use SINAC’s current park information and official reservation service at serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr. Individual sectors can have different access and booking arrangements.

No. The forecast shown here is for the named reference town. Coastal, valley and mountain conditions can differ; check the forecast for your actual destination before each outing.

Use authorized routes, carry out rubbish and observe wildlife without feeding or touching it. Ask permission before entering private property and support hosts who respect local communities and habitats.

things to doLittle Adventures Across Puntarenas

Explore a Pacific Shore

Use an established entrance and compare the coastline without assuming safe swimming.

Plan a Surf Lesson

Choose an instructor and conditions appropriate to your group.

Notice Coastal Birds

Observe birds from permitted areas without approaching nests or feeding them.

Discover a Forest Trail

Check current access and choose a route for your family’s ability.

Learn About a Mangrove

Ask a guide how tidal roots and channels support coastal habitats.

Pause at a Waterfront

Use public visitor areas and stay clear of working docks and vessels.

Explore a Town’s Story

Ask about local food or history rather than rushing between distant attractions.

Plan a Boat Journey

Confirm the route, conditions and equipment for your family before booking.

Explore Nature Field Guide cards from this province and the surrounding travel regions named below. Habitats and species vary by locality.

Nature Field Guide

Nature in Puntarenas’s Pacific and Highland Regions

Explore wildlife, plants and trees. Learn what to look for and where to find them.

100 profiles

Nature Field Guide

Acorn Woodpecker

Spanish name
Carpintero careto
Scientific name
Melanerpes formicivorus
Birds Cloud Forest · Oak Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That face has bold black, white and red shapes!”

Tati: “Let’s look for clues on the tree without touching them.”

Identification

Key Features of the Acorn Woodpecker

  • Red cap, pale face and black patch around the bill.

  • White wing patches and white rump in flight.

  • Straight bill and stiff supporting tail.

Habitat & range

Mainly middle and high elevations in the Central and Talamanca ranges, especially oak landscapes. South Pacific refers to upland slopes, not the coastal plain.

Conservation & care

Stay on authorized trails or viewing routes. Give birds space, keep voices low and leave nests undisturbed. Observe without bait, feeding or recorded calls.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Almendro de Rio

Spanish name
Almendro de río / Almendro de montaña
Scientific name
Andira inermis
Trees Rivers & Streams · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Purple flower clusters stand out against a dense green crown.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Almendro de Rio

  • Pinnate compound leaves

  • Clusters of lavender-purple flowers

  • Oval fruits and a dense leafy crown

Habitat & range

Dry and humid forests across both slopes, including Guanacaste, Nicoya, the Central Valley, Caribbean lowlands and Osa.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

American Crocodile

Spanish name
Cocodrilo americano
Scientific name
Crocodylus acutus
Reptiles Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It blends into the riverbank so well.”

Tati: “We can observe from here with our guide. We don’t need to move closer.”

Identification

Key Features of the American Crocodile

  • A long snout and narrow head.

  • An olive-brown adult body with a long, strong tail.

  • Much of the body may be concealed in water or beside a bank.

Habitat & range

Rivers, estuaries, mangrove channels and other aquatic habitats. Observe only from a guide-approved boat or designated viewing place.

Seasonal Calendar

Egg-laying

General species biology; local schedule unverified

Apr, May

General species reference: April–May egg-laying and about 9–10 weeks of incubation. Tamarindo-specific nesting dates have not been verified. Never approach nests.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Never feed, approach or provoke crocodiles. Stay in the boat, keep hands inside, and follow local signs and guide instructions. Keep children and pets away from water edges.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

American Snail-eater

Spanish name
Caracolera articulada
Scientific name
Dipsas articulata
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the American Snail-eater

  • Slender body and narrow neck

  • Relatively large head and eyes

  • Dark blotches on a lighter background

Habitat & range

Humid forest and foothill vegetation on the Caribbean slope and in southwestern Costa Rica.

Conservation & care

Observe from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Do not touch, catch, corner, feed or move any snake. Keep children and pets away. Colors, head shape and pupil shape must never be used to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect connected habitat and natural shelters. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in place and support responsible observation.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Anhinga

Spanish name
Aninga o pato aguja
Scientific name
Anhinga anhinga
Birds · Coastal Birds · Wetland Birds Freshwater · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A long neck rises above the water like a question mark. Pico waits while Tati looks for the rest of the bird.

Identification

Key Features of the Anhinga

  • Very long slender neck

  • Straight pointed bill

  • Long tail and pale wing markings

  • Often rests with wings spread

Habitat & range

Scan sheltered freshwater wetlands and wooded lagoon margins for swimming birds or a resting bird on a branch. Observe from a permitted viewpoint.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Baird’s Tapir

Spanish name
Danta
Scientific name
Tapirus bairdii
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its nose can reach the leaves!”

Tati: “Let’s keep the path open and give it plenty of room.”

Endangered

Identification

Key Features of the Baird’s Tapir

  • Large dark body and short flexible snout.

  • Pale edges around the ears.

  • Young calves have pale spots and stripes.

Habitat & range

Corcovado National Park’s forest and wetland landscape, including the Sirena area. Puerto Jiménez, Bahía Drake and Carate are gateways.

Conservation & care

Keep a respectful distance and leave an open route for the animal. Stay on authorized paths, secure food and rubbish, and observe without feeding, touching, baiting or chasing.

Threats & pressures

Habitat clearing and fragmentation, hunting and vehicle collisions threaten tapirs. Slow reproduction limits rapid recovery.

Conservation assessment

Global IUCN category as reported by the linked source, checked 7 October 2026. The source does not give an assessment year here. National legal protection and local abundance are separate questions.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Baltimore Oriole

Spanish name
Bolsero norteño
Scientific name
Icterus galbula
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Did that bird travel here?”

Tati: “Baltimore orioles connect Costa Rica with places farther north.”

Identification

Key Features of the Baltimore Oriole

  • Male orange body and black head

  • White wingbar

  • Slender pointed bill

Habitat & range

A migrant and nonbreeding visitor, generally September to early May. Occurs on both slopes, especially the northern Pacific and Central Valley, in wooded gardens, edges and plantations.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Migrants depend on suitable habitat across their full annual journey. Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Banana

Spanish name
Banano
Scientific name
Musa spp. (dessert banana cultivars)
Agriculture & Crops Farms & Cultivated Land

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That banana plant looks like a tree!”

Tati: “Its stem is made from layers of leaf bases.”

Identification

Key Features of the Banana

  • Very broad elongated leaves

  • A thick pseudostem made from leaf bases

  • Fruit arranged in hands within a hanging bunch

  • New shoots near the base

Habitat & range

Humid cultivated lowlands. CORBANA documents farms in the Caribbean, Sarapiquí and Parrita; these correspond to Caribbean, Northern Plains and Central Pacific tags.

Conservation & care

Visit farms only with permission and follow the host's instructions. Stay clear of machinery, chemical applications and working areas. Do not pick or taste plants without a responsible adult and the host's approval.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Barberfish

Spanish name
Mariposa barbero
Scientific name
Johnrandallia nigrirostris
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It looks like a little yellow disc.”

Tati: “The black markings and the small pointed mouth give us more clues.”

Identification

Key Features of the Barberfish

  • A flattened, oval, disc-like body.

  • A yellow body and fins with contrasting dark head markings.

  • A small mouth at the end of a short pointed snout.

Habitat & range

Reef-associated settings in the eastern Pacific, with documented occurrence at Isla del Coco.

Conservation & care

Follow park rules and qualified guides. Do not feed, touch, chase or collect marine wildlife. Maintain distance and avoid contact with reef habitat.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Bare-necked Umbrellabird

Spanish name
Pájaro sombrilla
Scientific name
Cephalopterus glabricollis
Birds Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That crest makes such an unusual shape!”

Tati: “We can learn about a shy bird without following it.”

Endangered

Identification

Key Features of the Bare-necked Umbrellabird

  • Large dark bird with a heavy crest.

  • Short, square tail.

  • Male and female throat structures differ.

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean-facing foothills and adjacent lowlands, with seasonal movement into montane breeding forest. Guanacaste refers to humid mountain slopes, not its dry coastal plain.

Conservation & care

Stay on authorized trails or viewing routes. Give birds space, keep voices low and leave nests undisturbed. Observe without bait, feeding or recorded calls.

Threats & pressures

UCAN identifies forest fragmentation and climate pressures on seasonal fruit availability as conservation concerns.

Conservation assessment

UCAN identifies the species as Endangered. Source checked 7 October 2026. This is a global species category, not a count of birds in the tagged towns.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Spanish name
Garza tigre cuellinuda
Scientific name
Tigrisoma mexicanum
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wonders where the tiger is hiding. Tati points to the fine patterns on a very watchful heron.

Identification

Key Features of the Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

  • Bare yellow throat patch

  • Adult finely barred neck and body

  • Gray cheeks and greenish legs

  • Young birds have bold brown bands

Habitat & range

Scan shallow water, quiet mangrove channels and vegetated wetland margins from an established viewpoint. Follow a local guide’s directions around estuaries.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Beach Morning Glory

Spanish name
Churristate de playa / Pudre oreja
Scientific name
Ipomoea pes-caprae
Other Plants Beach

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “These flowers grow right across the sand!”

Tati: “Let’s look at the shape of the leaves without stepping on the vine.”

Identification

Key Features of the Beach Morning Glory

  • Creeping stems extending across beach sand.

  • Simple leaves with a notch giving a goat’s-hoof appearance.

  • Pink-purple flowers with a joined, funnel-like corolla.

Habitat & range

Upper sandy beaches in tropical coastal habitats. Observe vegetation from established access routes rather than stepping across vines.

Seasonal Calendar

Main flowering window

Costa Rican coastal populations

Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov

ACG reports abundant flowers July–November and seed maturation December–April on Costa Rican coasts. Typical seasonal windows, not exact dates.

Event source ↗

Seed maturation

Costa Rican coastal populations

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec

ACG reports abundant flowers July–November and seed maturation December–April on Costa Rican coasts. Typical seasonal windows, not exact dates.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Do not uproot vines, pick flowers or taste plant parts. Use existing beach paths and avoid trampling coastal vegetation.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Big-headed Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de cabeza ancha / Anolis jaspeado
Scientific name
Anolis capito
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Big-headed Anole

  • Broad relatively large head

  • Mottled brown, olive or greenish body

  • Stout build and bark-colored camouflage

Habitat & range

Shaded Caribbean-slope forest and southwestern rainforest; also documented in humid forest at Rincón de la Vieja.

Conservation & care

Observe with an adult from permitted paths. Do not catch, chase, touch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, logs, rocks and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and allow animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Bigeye Trevally

Spanish name
Jurel ojón
Scientific name
Caranx sexfasciatus
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its eye looks extra big!”

Tati: “Check the small dark gill-cover spot too.”

Identification

Key Features of the Bigeye Trevally

  • Large dark eye

  • Small dark upper gill-cover spot

  • Forked tail

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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Nature Field Guide

Black Guan

Spanish name
Pava negra
Scientific name
Chamaepetes unicolor
Birds Cloud Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “A big bird is moving through the branches!”

Tati: “Look for its face and legs as well as its feathers.”

Least Concern

What does Least Concern mean?

In the linked conservation assessment, this species does not qualify as threatened or near threatened with extinction. It still needs care: local populations and habitats can face problems even when the species has a lower extinction risk overall.

This label describes conservation status. It does not tell us whether a plant is safe for children or pets. Select the status button to read the assessment.

Identification

Key Features of the Black Guan

  • Black body without a curassow’s curled crest.

  • Blue bare skin around a red eye.

  • Reddish legs.

Habitat & range

Montane forest, generally from about 1000 m to the upper forest limit. South Pacific refers to high Talamanca slopes, not coastal lowlands.

Seasonal Calendar

Resident presence

Costa Rica; suitable highland forest

Year-round

Resident nationally; presence and detectability vary among local sites.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Stay on authorized trails or viewing routes. Give birds space, keep voices low and leave nests undisturbed. Observe without bait, feeding or recorded calls.

Threats & pressures

Dependence on forest makes clearing and fragmentation relevant pressures despite the global Least Concern category.

Conservation assessment

BirdLife gives Least Concern, last assessment 2021. Source checked 7 October 2026. This is a global species category, not a count of birds in the tagged towns.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Black Mangrove

Spanish name
Mangle negro / Palo de sal
Scientific name
Avicennia germinans
Trees Estuary & Mangroves

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Pencil-shaped breathing roots rise from the mud around this mangrove.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Black Mangrove

  • Opposite oval leaves with pale undersides

  • Upright pencil-shaped roots

  • Small pale flowers

Habitat & range

Coastal mangroves; Pacific documentation includes Guanacaste and Tivives near the Gulf of Nicoya. Gandoca provides a documented Caribbean example.

Conservation & care

Explore mangroves only with an adult on permitted paths or a guided route. Do not step on roots, collect seedlings or enter mud and tidal channels. Leave leaves and wildlife undisturbed.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Black Marlin

Spanish name
Marlín negro
Scientific name
Istiompax indica
Billfish · Marine Fish · Marine Life Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “How can we tell this marlin apart?”

Tati: “Its stiff side fins are a useful clue.”

Identification

Key Features of the Black Marlin

  • Rigid pectoral fins that do not fold flat against the body.

  • A substantial head and comparatively stout bill.

  • A powerful streamlined body.

Habitat & range

Offshore Pacific waters.

Conservation & care

Observe marine wildlife without feeding, touching or chasing it. Keep litter and discarded fishing line out of waterways. Follow qualified guides and current local rules.

Threats & pressures

Fishing capture is a conservation concern for billfish. Tracking catches and releases helps assess pressures across a migratory range.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

Spanish name
Garrobo
Scientific name
Ctenosaura similis
Reptiles Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the black spiny-tailed iguana. Use a photograph to compare this tail with the smooth-looking outline of a green iguana tail.

Identification

Key Features of the Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

  • Rings of pointed scales on the tail.

  • Gray or brown adults with dark body bands.

  • Raised scales along the back.

Habitat & range

Pacific-slope dry forest, rocky ground and open wooded areas.

Conservation & care

Watch wildlife with an adult from a safe path. Do not touch, feed, capture or move reptiles, and keep pets away. Leave eggs, shelters and vegetation undisturbed.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Black Vulture

Spanish name
Zopilote negro
Scientific name
Coragyps atratus
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Which vulture is that one?”

Tati: “Look for the short tail and pale patches just at the wingtips.”

Identification

Key Features of the Black Vulture

  • Bare dark head

  • Short rounded tail

  • White patches at outer wingtips

Habitat & range

Widespread over towns and open landscapes from the coast into the mountains, becoming less frequent above about 2000 m. A regional tag does not identify a nesting site.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Black-bellied Plover

Spanish name
Chorlito gris
Scientific name
Pluvialis squatarola
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico expects a black belly. Tati’s winter bird has a pale belly and a very different outfit.

Identification

Key Features of the Black-bellied Plover

  • Large round-headed plover

  • Short stout dark bill

  • Gray upperparts and pale nonbreeding belly

  • Dark armpit patch visible in natural flight

Habitat & range

Scan exposed shoreline feeding areas and nearby resting places with binoculars. The tide changes which flats are available; remain on a safe established route.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Spanish name
Martinete coroninegro
Scientific name
Nycticorax nycticorax
Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This heron looks shorter and rounder than the others!”

Tati: “It may be resting now and feeding later.”

Identification

Key Features of the Black-crowned Night-Heron

  • Stocky body and short-looking neck.

  • Adult: black crown and back, gray wings.

  • Young: brown plumage with pale spots.

Habitat & range

Wetland and mangrove populations include the Tempisque and Gulf of Nicoya landscape and local Caribbean lowlands. Resident birds and seasonal visitors both occur.

Conservation & care

Stay on authorized trails or viewing routes. Give birds space, keep voices low and leave nests undisturbed. Observe without bait, feeding or recorded calls.

Threats & pressures

Wetland drainage, development and contaminated runoff can degrade habitat and water quality.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Black-faced Solitaire

Spanish name
Jilguero / Solitario carinegro
Scientific name
Myadestes melanops
Birds Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “The song seems to be coming from a different place now!”

Tati: “Listening is a discovery, even without a photograph.”

Identification

Key Features of the Black-faced Solitaire

  • Slate-gray body and dark face.

  • A distinctive, varied mountain-forest song.

  • Singer may stay low and move within vegetation.

Habitat & range

Humid mountain forest on both slopes; after breeding some birds descend into Caribbean foothills and lowlands. Broad lowland tags represent seasonal forest habitat, not general abundance.

Conservation & care

Stay on authorized trails or viewing routes. Give birds space, keep voices low and leave nests undisturbed. Observe without bait, feeding or recorded calls.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Black-necked Stilt

Spanish name
Cigüeñuela cuellinegra
Scientific name
Himantopus mexicanus
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Those pink legs look almost too long for Pico’s page. Tati turns the journal upright to draw the whole bird.

Identification

Key Features of the Black-necked Stilt

  • Very long pink legs

  • Thin straight black bill

  • White underparts with dark back and hindneck

Habitat & range

Scan exposed shoreline feeding areas and nearby resting places with binoculars. The tide changes which flats are available; remain on a safe established route.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Blue Marlin

Spanish name
Marlín azul
Scientific name
Makaira nigricans
Billfish · Marine Fish · Marine Life Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its back is such a deep blue!”

Tati: “Let’s compare its fin and bill with the other marlin.”

Identification

Key Features of the Blue Marlin

  • A long spear-shaped bill.

  • A cobalt-blue back and silvery underside.

  • A pronounced front dorsal fin and crescent-shaped tail.

Habitat & range

Warm tropical and subtropical open water.

Seasonal Calendar

Regional presence

Costa Rican Pacific waters

Year-round

FECOP reports year-round Costa Rican Pacific presence and a historical May–September Guanacaste fishing peak. Catch patterns are not exact migration or breeding dates.

Event source ↗

Reported fishing peak

Guanacaste offshore waters

May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

FECOP reports year-round Costa Rican Pacific presence and a historical May–September Guanacaste fishing peak. Catch patterns are not exact migration or breeding dates.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Observe marine wildlife without feeding, touching or chasing it. Keep litter and discarded fishing line out of waterways. Follow qualified guides and current local rules.

Threats & pressures

Blue marlin can be caught incidentally in longline fisheries targeting tuna and swordfish. Fishing pressure needs monitoring across its migratory range.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Blue Sea Star

Spanish name
Estrella azul
Scientific name
Phataria unifascialis
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Stars & Brittle Stars Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

An ocean star can turn a quiet look underwater into a new question. What details would help you recognize it again?

Identification

Key Features of the Blue Sea Star

  • A central body with spreading arms

  • Record the visible color and pattern

  • Confirm the species using several features together

Habitat & range

Suitable underwater coastal habitat. Use a permitted guided snorkeling or viewing activity appropriate to your family; do not enter the sea just to find this animal.

Conservation & care

Watch without touching, lifting, feeding or collecting. Keep fingers and equipment away from spines and other surface structures. Leave the animal submerged and its habitat undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Blue-gray Tanager

Spanish name
Tangara azuleja
Scientific name
Thraupis episcopus
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It looks like a piece of the sky!”

Tati: “Let’s see where the blue is pale and where it is brighter.”

Identification

Key Features of the Blue-gray Tanager

  • Powder blue-gray body

  • Brighter blue wings and shoulder

  • Dark eye and stout bill

Habitat & range

Widespread in gardens, towns and semi-open wooded areas, mainly below about 2000 m. In the dry northwest it is less frequent and associated with moister sites near homes.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Bluebarred Parrotfish

Spanish name
Loro de bandas azules
Scientific name
Scarus ghobban
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Why is it called a parrotfish?”

Tati: “Its teeth join into plates that look like a beak.”

Identification

Key Features of the Bluebarred Parrotfish

  • Parrot-like dental beak

  • Blue bars in initial phase

  • Large visible scales

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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Nature Field Guide

Bluefin Trevally

Spanish name
Jurel aleta azul
Scientific name
Caranx melampygus
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those blue fins really stand out!”

Tati: “The tiny blue-black spots are another clue in adults.”

Identification

Key Features of the Bluefin Trevally

  • Electric blue fins

  • Blue-black body spots in adults

  • Deeply forked tail

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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Nature Field Guide

Blunt-headed Tree Snake

Spanish name
Serpiente bejuquillo cabezona
Scientific name
Imantodes cenchoa
Reptiles Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the blunt-headed tree snake. From a photograph, compare the widths of the head and neck. Do not move foliage to look for a snake.

Identification

Key Features of the Blunt-headed Tree Snake

  • Very slender body.

  • Head noticeably wider than the neck.

  • Large eyes and brown blotches on a pale background.

Habitat & range

Humid forest understory, vines and shrubs.

Conservation & care

Never approach, touch, catch or try to move any snake, even if it appears harmless or dead. Keep children and pets away, step back calmly and tell an adult or guide. Do not use colors, head shape or this card to judge safety.

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Nature Field Guide

Blunthead Triggerfish

Spanish name
Chancho fisgón
Scientific name
Pseudobalistes naufragium
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Can you see the little white gill opening?”

Tati: “Yes. That and its blunt head are useful clues.”

Identification

Key Features of the Blunthead Triggerfish

  • Thick gray body

  • Pale white gill slit

  • Faint bars and blunt head

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Keep clear of tail-base structures and strong jaws. Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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Nature Field Guide

Boat-billed Heron

Spanish name
Chocuaco o picocuchara
Scientific name
Cochlearius cochlearius
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

That broad bill looks unlike the pointed bills Pico has drawn. Tati adds a new shape to the explorer journal.

Identification

Key Features of the Boat-billed Heron

  • Very broad boat-shaped bill

  • Large dark eyes and black crown

  • Stocky body with gray back

Habitat & range

Scan shallow water, quiet mangrove channels and vegetated wetland margins from an established viewpoint. Follow a local guide’s directions around estuaries.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Bridled Anole

Spanish name
Anolis con bridas
Scientific name
Anolis frenatus
Reptiles Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Bridled Anole

  • Large tree anole with long legs

  • Dark oblique markings on greenish tones

  • Pale interorbital head bar

Habitat & range

Lowland wet forest at scattered Caribbean-slope and southwestern Pacific localities.

Conservation & care

Observe from permitted paths with an adult. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, stones, logs and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and give animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Brown Pelican

Spanish name
Pelícano pardo
Scientific name
Pelecanus occidentalis
Birds Beach · Ocean · Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Look at that enormous bill!”

Tati: “Let’s compare its shape with the other birds by the water.”

Identification

Key Features of the Brown Pelican

  • A long bill with a pouch beneath the lower jaw.

  • A large gray-brown body and broad wings.

  • Head and neck colors change with age and breeding condition.

Habitat & range

Coastal waters along the Pacific, with less frequent nonbreeding visitors on the Caribbean coast. Regional tags refer to coastal habitat, not inland towns.

Seasonal Calendar

Resident presence

Isla San Lucas, Costa Rica

Year-round

SINAC lists Brown Pelican as a resident at Isla San Lucas on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. This regional pattern does not guarantee a Tamarindo sighting or establish a local breeding calendar.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Do not feed birds or approach resting groups. Dispose of fishing line responsibly and leave nests undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth

Spanish name
Perezoso de tres dedos
Scientific name
Bradypus variegatus
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That shape looks like part of the tree!”

Tati: “Let’s use binoculars and give it time.”

Identification

Key Features of the Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth

  • Three claws on each forelimb, if naturally visible.

  • Rounded face with a dark eye mask.

  • Gray-brown fur may have a greenish appearance.

Habitat & range

Manuel Antonio National Park and the studied cacao landscape at FINMAC, Pueblo Nuevo / Villa Francia, Limón.

Seasonal Calendar

Observed birth concentration

FINMAC cacao landscape, Pueblo Nuevo / Villa Francia

Jan, Feb, Mar

In 2010–2012, 59% of observed births occurred in these months; births also occurred outside this window.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Keep a respectful distance and leave an open route for the animal. Stay on authorized paths, secure food and rubbish, and observe without feeding, touching, baiting or chasing.

Threats & pressures

Forest loss breaks canopy connections. Caribbean research identifies risks from domestic dogs and emphasizes retaining riverside forest and living fences.

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Nature Field Guide

Bumphead Parrotfish

Spanish name
Loro jorobado
Scientific name
Scarus perrico
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Does every fish have that forehead bump?”

Tati: “The hump becomes clearer in large individuals of this species.”

Identification

Key Features of the Bumphead Parrotfish

  • Blue beak

  • Green body and darker fins

  • Forehead hump in large fish

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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Nature Field Guide

Buttercup Tree

Spanish name
Poro poro
Scientific name
Cochlospermum vitifolium
Trees Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the tree’s silhouette. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Buttercup Tree

  • Large open yellow flowers

  • Simple leaves with three to five lobes

  • Roundish capsules with fluffy seed fibers

Habitat & range

Seasonal woodland and open dry landscapes.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.

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Nature Field Guide

Buttonwood

Spanish name
Mangle botoncillo / Botoncillo
Scientific name
Conocarpus erectus
Trees Beach · Estuary & Mangroves

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Small buttonlike fruit heads help identify this coastal tree or shrub.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Buttonwood

  • Simple alternate leaves

  • Round buttonlike fruit heads

  • Often at the landward mangrove edge

Habitat & range

Coastal margins, including documented mangrove-edge habitat at Tivives and the North Pacific. Gandoca provides a documented Caribbean example.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

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Nature Field Guide

Cacao

Spanish name
Cacao
Scientific name
Theobroma cacao
Agriculture & Crops Farms & Cultivated Land

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Chocolate starts with a tree!”

Tati: “Let's look for pods growing on the trunk.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cacao

  • Large oval leaves

  • Ribbed pods attached to trunk or large branches

  • Tiny flowers on woody parts of the tree

  • Opened pods reveal seeds surrounded by pale pulp

Habitat & range

Humid cacao farms in the Caribbean, Northern Plains and South Pacific. The national cacao plan identifies Talamanca, Upala and Limón among important production cantons.

Conservation & care

Visit farms only with permission and follow the host's instructions. Stay clear of machinery, chemical applications and working areas. Do not pick or taste plants without a responsible adult and the host's approval.

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Nature Field Guide

Cacomistle

Spanish name
Ostoche
Scientific name
Bassariscus sumichrasti
Mammals Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A cacomistle's long ringed tail is a memorable clue.

Identification

Key Features of the Cacomistle

  • Slender body, pointed face and relatively large ears.

  • Very long bushy tail with alternating pale and dark bands.

  • Usually associated with wooded habitat and climbing.

Habitat & range

Evergreen and mountain forests, with some use of seasonally dry forest.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult or local guide. Observe quietly from a distance, stay on established trails and leave shelter undisturbed. Do not feed, touch, capture or corner wildlife. Keep pets away.

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Nature Field Guide

Calcinus Hermit Crab

Spanish name
Cangrejo ermitaño Calcinus
Scientific name
Calcinus obscurus
Coastal Life · Crabs & Hermit Crabs · Marine Life Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico thinks a shell has moved. Tati waits until a small leg appears before writing down what she has seen.

Identification

Key Features of the Calcinus Hermit Crab

  • A marine hermit crab in a borrowed shell

  • Visible legs and claws at the shell opening

  • The shell species and crab species are separate identifications

Habitat & range

Rocky shore and naturally visible tidal habitat. Choose a permitted observation point with an adult; do not turn rocks or reach into holes.

Conservation & care

Give claws and burrow entrances space. Do not handle, feed, chase or collect crabs. Leave rocks and shells where they are, and follow your adult’s route and local signs.

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Nature Field Guide

Carpenter Bees

Spanish name
Abejas carpinteras
Scientific name
Xylocopa spp. — genus card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the carpenter bees!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Carpenter Bees

  • Robust body

  • often shiny abdomen

  • some nest in wood

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Cassava / Yuca

Spanish name
Yuca
Scientific name
Manihot esculenta
Agriculture & Crops Farms & Cultivated Land

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Where is the yuca hiding?”

Tati: “Its storage roots grow beneath the soil.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cassava / Yuca

  • Leaves divided into several narrow lobes

  • Shrubby stems above the soil

  • Thick elongated storage roots below ground

  • Harvested roots have brown skin and pale flesh

Habitat & range

Cultivated farms in the Northern Plains, with documented production in the Caribbean and South Pacific.

Conservation & care

Do not taste raw yuca or its leaves. Preparation must be handled by a knowledgeable adult using appropriate food-processing guidance. Do not pull up farm plants.

Visit farms only with permission and follow the host's instructions. Stay clear of machinery, chemical applications and working areas. Do not pick or taste plants without a responsible adult and the host's approval.

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Nature Field Guide

Ceiba Kapok Tree

Spanish name
Ceiba / Puri
Scientific name
Ceiba pentandra
Trees Rivers & Streams · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Huge buttress roots help make a mature ceiba unforgettable.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Ceiba Kapok Tree

  • Large buttress roots on mature trees

  • Palmate leaves with several narrow leaflets

  • Seed capsules containing silky fibers

Habitat & range

Dry, humid and very wet lowland forests on both slopes, including Pacific, Caribbean and northern lowland landscapes.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

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Nature Field Guide

Cenizaro Rain Tree

Spanish name
Cenízaro
Scientific name
Samanea saman
Trees Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “An umbrella-shaped crown shelters a world beneath its branches.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cenizaro Rain Tree

  • Broad umbrella-shaped crown

  • Twice-divided compound leaves

  • Pink-and-white brushlike flowers and dark pods

Habitat & range

Pacific lowlands and open landscapes, also documented in the Northern Plains and around San Ramón.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

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Nature Field Guide

Central American Banded Gecko

Spanish name
Geco bandeado centroamericano
Scientific name
Coleonyx mitratus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Central American Banded Gecko

  • Dark bands on yellow-tan tones

  • Movable eyelids

  • Clawed toes without broad wall-climbing pads

Habitat & range

Northwestern and western Pacific-slope forests, including Guanacaste and San Luis de Monteverde.

Conservation & care

Observe from permitted paths with an adult. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, stones, logs and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and give animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Central American Boa

Spanish name
Boa o béquer
Scientific name
Boa imperator
Reptiles Farms & Cultivated Land · Rivers & Streams

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the central american boa. Using a photograph, draw three saddle-shaped markings and explain how patterns can blend with a background.

Identification

Key Features of the Central American Boa

  • Heavy body with large brown saddle-like markings.

  • Broad head and a tapering tail.

  • Color and pattern vary between individuals.

Habitat & range

Forests, forest edges and other suitable habitats across Costa Rica.

Conservation & care

Never approach, touch, catch or try to move any snake, even if it appears harmless or dead. Keep children and pets away, step back calmly and tell an adult or guide. Do not use colors, head shape or this card to judge safety.

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Nature Field Guide

Central American Coral Snake

Spanish name
Coral macho
Scientific name
Micrurus nigrocinctus
Reptiles Farms & Cultivated Land · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the central american coral snake. Create a ring-pattern drawing from a verified photograph. Write the rule: observe snakes from a distance and tell an adult.

Identification

Key Features of the Central American Coral Snake

  • Red, pale and black rings encircling the body.

  • Relatively small head with little separation from the neck.

  • A slender-to-moderately robust cylindrical body.

Habitat & range

Pacific-slope lowlands and premontane areas, including parts of the Central Valley.

Conservation & care

Never approach, touch, catch or try to move any snake, even if it appears harmless or dead. Keep children and pets away, step back calmly and tell an adult or guide. Do not use colors, head shape or this card to judge safety.

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Nature Field Guide

Central American Eyelash Pitviper

Spanish name
Bocaracá / Oropel / Toboba de pestañas
Scientific name
Bothriechis nigroadspersus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Central American Eyelash Pitviper

  • Raised eyelash-like scales above the eyes

  • Compact body resting on branches

  • Highly variable colors, including yellow

Habitat & range

Humid lowland and foothill forests on the Caribbean slope and in the Central and South Pacific.

Conservation & care

VENOMOUS. Observe only at a distance with a qualified guide. Never approach, touch, catch or provoke this snake. Keep children and pets well away and do not reach into nearby vegetation or hiding places.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

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Nature Field Guide

Central American Indigo Snake

Spanish name
Sabanera / Mica
Scientific name
Drymarchon melanurus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Central American Indigo Snake

  • Large robust body

  • Smooth-looking scales

  • Color can become darker toward the tail

Habitat & range

Lowland woodland and open habitats, including Guanacaste and the Pacific slope.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Do not touch, catch, corner or attempt to move any snake. Step back and tell your adult; keep children and pets away. Do not use colors, head shape or pupil shape to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

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Nature Field Guide

Central American Rattlesnake

Spanish name
Cascabel / Crótalo
Scientific name
Crotalus simus
Reptiles Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Central American Rattlesnake

  • Dark diamondlike back markings

  • Strongly keeled scales

  • Segmented rattle at the tail tip

Habitat & range

Dry lowlands of Guanacaste and northern Puntarenas, especially forest edges and less disturbed ground.

Conservation & care

VENOMOUS. Observe only at a distance with a qualified guide. Never approach, touch, catch or provoke this snake. Keep children and pets well away and do not reach into nearby vegetation or hiding places.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

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Nature Field Guide

Central American Squirrel Monkey

Spanish name
Mono tití / Mono ardilla
Scientific name
Saimiri oerstedii
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “The little monkeys are moving together!”

Tati: “Let’s watch the troop without following it off the trail.”

Protected Endangered

Identification

Key Features of the Central American Squirrel Monkey

  • Small slender monkey with pale facial markings.

  • Warm reddish or yellow-brown back.

  • Long tail and rapid movements through vegetation.

Habitat & range

Manuel Antonio National Park near Quepos; this species also occupies parts of the southern Pacific lowlands.

Conservation & care

Keep a respectful distance and leave an open route for the animal. Stay on authorized paths, secure food and rubbish, and observe without feeding, touching, baiting or chasing.

Threats & pressures

Forest destruction is a serious pressure for a species with a restricted geographic range.

Protection & recovery

Costa Rica’s government wildlife guide explicitly identifies this species as protected nationally. This legal designation is separate from its global IUCN category.

Conservation assessment

Global IUCN category as reported by the linked source, checked 7 October 2026. The source does not give an assessment year here. National legal protection and local abundance are separate questions.

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Nature Field Guide

Chameleon Wrasse

Spanish name
Señorita camaleón
Scientific name
Halichoeres dispilus
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This wrasse has so many colors!”

Tati: “Start with the shoulder blotch, then check its other markings.”

Identification

Key Features of the Chameleon Wrasse

  • Slender wrasse body

  • Dark shoulder blotch

  • Blue markings in colorful adults

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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Nature Field Guide

Charles Myers’s Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de Charles Myers
Scientific name
Anolis charlesmyersi
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Charles Myers’s Anole

  • Very short limbs

  • Lichenlike pale and dark mottling

  • Relatively short tail with a low serrated ridge

Habitat & range

Pacific lowland and adjoining foothill habitats in Costa Rica, including the Central and South Pacific.

Conservation & care

Observe from permitted paths with an adult. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, stones, logs and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and give animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Cherrie’s Ground Skink

Spanish name
Eslaboncillo pardo / Escinco de Cherrie
Scientific name
Scincella cherriei
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cherrie’s Ground Skink

  • Smooth glossy-looking scales

  • Dark lateral stripe

  • Short legs and a tapering tail

Habitat & range

Pacific-slope forest floor and wooded edges, including southwestern Costa Rica and the Monteverde foothill area.

Conservation & care

Observe with an adult from permitted paths. Do not catch, chase, touch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, logs, rocks and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and allow animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

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Nature Field Guide

Cicadas

Spanish name
Chicharras
Scientific name
Cicadidae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the cicadas!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cicadas

  • Large transparent wings

  • broad head

  • loud calls from some males

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Clay-colored Thrush

Spanish name
Mirlo pardo / Yigüirro
Scientific name
Turdus grayi
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That brown bird has a beautiful song!”

Tati: “That is the yigüirro. We can learn its voice as well as its colors.”

Identification

Key Features of the Clay-colored Thrush

  • Warm brown plumage

  • Yellowish bill

  • Fine throat streaks and orange-brown eye

Habitat & range

Widespread across Costa Rica from lowlands to about 2450 m, in gardens, farms, secondary growth and wooded urban areas. Less numerous in the dry northwest and higher mountains.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Clouded Snail-eater

Spanish name
Caracolera nublada
Scientific name
Sibon nebulatus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Clouded Snail-eater

  • Slender climbing body

  • Large rounded head and prominent eyes

  • Irregular dark markings on a lighter body

Habitat & range

Caribbean and Pacific humid forests and edges, including northern lowland wet forest.

Conservation & care

Observe from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Do not touch, catch, corner, feed or move any snake. Keep children and pets away. Colors, head shape and pupil shape must never be used to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect connected habitat and natural shelters. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in place and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Cocos Booby

Spanish name
Piquero de Cocos
Scientific name
Sula brewsteri
Birds · Coastal Birds · Seabirds Ocean · Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico meets a familiar-looking seabird with a newer name. Tati keeps the scientific name beside the illustration.

Identification

Key Features of the Cocos Booby

  • Brown adult upperparts and white belly

  • Strong pointed pale bill

  • Short legs and broad webbed feet

  • Identification may require close expert comparison

Habitat & range

Scan Pacific coastal waters and offshore rocks from a safe viewpoint or responsible boat trip. Do not approach seabird colonies or land on nesting islands.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Cocos Island Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de la Isla del Coco
Scientific name
Anolis townsendi
Reptiles Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cocos Island Anole

  • Small anole with a long tail

  • Brown-to-olive camouflage

  • Naturally restricted to Isla del Coco

Habitat & range

Isla del Coco, an offshore island administratively within Puntarenas province. It is separate from the Gulf of Nicoya islands and mainland regions.

Conservation & care

Observe from permitted paths with an adult. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, stones, logs and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and give animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Coffee

Spanish name
Café
Scientific name
Coffea arabica
Agriculture & Crops Farms & Cultivated Land

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “The coffee bean starts inside a fruit!”

Tati: “Let's find the cherry before we think about the bean.”

Identification

Key Features of the Coffee

  • Glossy leaves arranged in pairs

  • Small fruits clustered along branches

  • Ripe cherries are often red, though some varieties ripen yellow

  • Small white flowers when flowering

Habitat & range

Cultivated farms in several Costa Rican coffee zones, including the Central and Western Valleys, Los Santos, Turrialba, Orosi, Tres Rios, Guanacaste and Brunca. ICAFE also documents production in San Carlos and Sarapiqui, mapped here to Northern Plains. Coffee requires suitable elevation and local growing conditions; a regional tag does not mean all climates within that region are suitable.

Conservation & care

Visit farms only with permission and follow the host's instructions. Stay clear of machinery, chemical applications and working areas. Do not pick or taste plants without a responsible adult and the host's approval.

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Nature Field Guide

Collared Aracari

Spanish name
Tucancillo collarejo
Scientific name
Pteroglossus torquatus
Birds Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Is that a little toucan?”

Tati: “An aracari belongs to the toucan family. Its shape and bill give us clues.”

Identification

Key Features of the Collared Aracari

  • Dark head and throat

  • Yellow chest with red and black marks

  • Patterned pale upper bill

Habitat & range

Commoner in Caribbean lowlands and foothills; also occurs locally in the northern Pacific, including Nicoya woodland and lower Guanacaste slopes. Central Valley records are exceptional rather than a core range.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Common Basilisk

Spanish name
Basilisco común
Scientific name
Basiliscus basiliscus
Reptiles Rivers & Streams · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the common basilisk. Draw the tail and hind feet from a reference photograph. Never frighten a basilisk to make it run.

Identification

Key Features of the Common Basilisk

  • Very long tail.

  • Brown or olive body with pale stripes and dark bands.

  • Adult males have prominent crests on the head, back and tail.

Habitat & range

Pacific lowland dry and moist forests near streams and rivers.

Conservation & care

Watch wildlife with an adult from a safe path. Do not touch, feed, capture or move reptiles, and keep pets away. Leave eggs, shelters and vegetation undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Common Beans

Spanish name
Frijoles
Scientific name
Phaseolus vulgaris
Agriculture & Crops Farms & Cultivated Land

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “The beans are inside a pod!”

Tati: “Let's count the seeds in a sample the farmer shares.”

Identification

Key Features of the Common Beans

  • Leaves made of three leaflets

  • Small flowers with a butterfly-like shape

  • Elongated pods containing seeds

  • Seed color and growth habit vary by variety

Habitat & range

Cultivated farms in the Northern Plains and South Pacific, with documented producer support in Santa Cecilia, La Cruz, Guanacaste. Household gardens and farms elsewhere may also grow beans; these tags are selected cultivation examples rather than a complete crop census.

Conservation & care

Do not eat raw or undercooked dry beans. Let an adult prepare food samples properly. Keep small seeds away from young children who may put them in their mouths.

Visit farms only with permission and follow the host's instructions. Stay clear of machinery, chemical applications and working areas. Do not pick or taste plants without a responsible adult and the host's approval.

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Nature Field Guide

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Spanish name
Delfín nariz de botella
Scientific name
Tursiops truncatus
Mammals Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The common bottlenose dolphin has a short thick beak and a generally gray body.

Identification

Key Features of the Common Bottlenose Dolphin

  • Short thick beak and robust gray body.

  • Curved dorsal fin and paler underside.

  • Horizontal tail flukes; other dolphin species require careful comparison.

Habitat & range

Suitable Costa Rican coastal and offshore waters.

Conservation & care

Use a responsible local wildlife operator and follow site rules. Give aquatic mammals room to feed, rest and travel. Do not feed, touch, chase or enter the water to approach them. Keep waste and fishing line out of waterways.

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Nature Field Guide

Common House Gecko

Spanish name
Geco casero común
Scientific name
Hemidactylus frenatus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Common House Gecko

  • Pale gray-to-beige coloration

  • Broad spreading toe pads

  • Often on walls near night lighting

Habitat & range

Buildings, gardens and disturbed habitats across much of Costa Rica, especially warm lowlands and settled areas. Documented at Tirimbina and San Luis de Monteverde.

Conservation & care

Observe with an adult from permitted paths. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, logs, stones and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and allow an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Prevent accidental transport of introduced geckos and their eggs in belongings or plant materials. Protect native reptile habitats and avoid moving animals between places.

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Nature Field Guide

Common Monkey Lizard

Spanish name
Lagartija de dosel
Scientific name
Polychrus gutturosus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the common monkey lizard. Look at a reference photograph and mark the outline of the tail. Compare its proportions with a basilisk.

Identification

Key Features of the Common Monkey Lizard

  • Laterally flattened body.

  • Long limbs, toes and whip-like tail.

  • Greenish coloration and an expandable throat region.

Habitat & range

Primarily humid forest canopy. A documented Hojancha record extends coverage into Guanacaste, where persistent streamside vegetation provides a moist refuge within the dry landscape. Also documented at Reserva Los Campesinos in San Jose province. Regional occurrence depends on suitable wooded microhabitat.

Conservation & care

Watch wildlife with an adult from a safe path. Do not touch, feed, capture or move reptiles, and keep pets away. Leave eggs, shelters and vegetation undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Common Opossum

Spanish name
Zorro pelón común
Scientific name
Didelphis marsupialis
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The common opossum is a marsupial: its young complete an important part of their development attached to their mother's teats, protected in her pouch.

Identification

Key Features of the Common Opossum

  • Coarse gray to dark fur and a pale pointed face.

  • Dark, largely hairless ears and a pink nose.

  • Long mostly bare tail; other opossums can look similar.

Habitat & range

Forests, wooded edges and some human-modified landscapes.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult or local guide. Observe quietly from a distance, stay on established trails and leave shelter undisturbed. Do not feed, touch, capture or corner wildlife. Keep pets away.

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Nature Field Guide

Common Squirrel-Cuckoo

Spanish name
Cuco ardilla
Scientific name
Piaya cayana
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That tail is longer than I expected!”

Tati: “Follow its movement through the branches without chasing it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Common Squirrel-Cuckoo

  • Rusty upperparts

  • Very long graduated white-tipped tail

  • Greenish-yellow bill

Habitat & range

Widespread in wooded habitats on both slopes, including forest canopy, secondary growth, plantations and tree-rich gardens. It can occur well above the lowlands where trees remain.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Cope’s False Coral Snake

Spanish name
Falsa coral de Cope
Scientific name
Pliocercus euryzonus
Reptiles Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cope’s False Coral Snake

  • Slender banded body

  • Long fine tail

  • Dark head and contrasting reddish markings

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean-slope forests and southern Pacific forest habitats; documented at Tirimbina.

Conservation & care

Observe from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Do not touch, catch, corner, feed or move any snake. Keep children and pets away. Colors, head shape and pupil shape must never be used to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect connected habitat and natural shelters. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in place and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Cope’s Parrot Snake

Spanish name
Lora falsa
Scientific name
Leptophis depressirostris
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cope’s Parrot Snake

  • Slender green body

  • Large eyes with a dark eye stripe

  • Long fine tail

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean and northern lowlands and southwestern Pacific rainforest.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Do not touch, catch, corner or attempt to move any snake. Step back and tell your adult; keep children and pets away. Do not use colors, head shape or pupil shape to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

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Nature Field Guide

Copper Anole

Spanish name
Anolis cobrizo
Scientific name
Anolis cupreus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Gardens · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Copper Anole

  • Tan-to-coppery brown body

  • Variable spots, bars or darker markings

  • Long tail and low-perching posture

Habitat & range

Northwestern and western Pacific slope, including Guanacaste, Monteverde and Quepos, with populations in the Central Valley.

Conservation & care

Observe from permitted paths with an adult. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, stones, logs and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and give animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Coppery-headed Emerald

Spanish name
Esmeralda de coronilla cobriza
Scientific name
Microchera cupreiceps
Birds Cloud Forest · Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Does this tiny bird live only in Costa Rica?”

Tati: “Yes. Endemic means its natural range is limited to one place.”

Identification

Key Features of the Coppery-headed Emerald

  • Male coppery crown

  • White outer tail feathers

  • Small size and slightly curved bill

Habitat & range

Costa Rican endemic of humid northern and central mountain slopes, from the Guanacaste range toward the northern Reventazon valley. Seasonal descent occurs; dry coastal Guanacaste is unsuitable.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Coral Hawkfish

Spanish name
Halcón de coral
Scientific name
Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It looks like it is keeping watch!”

Tati: “Let’s find the blotches and tiny tufts on its dorsal spines.”

Identification

Key Features of the Coral Hawkfish

  • Red-brown blotches on pale body

  • Pointed snout

  • Tufts on dorsal spine tips

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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Nature Field Guide

Corn

Spanish name
Maíz
Scientific name
Zea mays
Agriculture & Crops Farms & Cultivated Land

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “I can see tassels above the leaves!”

Tati: “And the ears grow lower down along the stem.”

Identification

Key Features of the Corn

  • Tall grass with broad leaves along the stem

  • Tassels at the top

  • Ears wrapped in husks along the stem

  • Silks emerging from developing ears

Habitat & range

Cultivated fields and family farms, including Guanacaste, Northern Plains and South Pacific.

Conservation & care

Visit farms only with permission and follow the host's instructions. Stay clear of machinery, chemical applications and working areas. Do not pick or taste plants without a responsible adult and the host's approval.

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Nature Field Guide

Cortez Amarillo

Spanish name
Cortés amarillo / Cortez amarillo
Scientific name
Handroanthus ochraceus
Trees Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Golden trumpet flowers can brighten the branches of an almost leafless tree.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cortez Amarillo

  • Yellow trumpet-shaped flowers

  • Palmately compound leaves

  • Flowering branches may be nearly leafless

Habitat & range

Seasonally dry Pacific forests and wooded edges, including Guanacaste, the Central Pacific and the Térraba valley.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

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Nature Field Guide

Cortez Angelfish

Spanish name
Ángel de Cortés
Scientific name
Pomacanthus zonipectus
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “The young angelfish looks completely different!”

Tati: “The tall body and small mouth are clues in both life stages.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cortez Angelfish

  • Tall flattened body

  • Yellow bands and tail in adults

  • Curved yellow and blue juvenile bars

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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Nature Field Guide

Cortez Rainbow Wrasse

Spanish name
Viejita arco iris
Scientific name
Thalassoma lucasanum
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “How can these two wrasses look so different?”

Tati: “Their colors can change with life phase. Let’s compare more than one picture.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cortez Rainbow Wrasse

  • Slender wrasse shape

  • Striped initial phase

  • Blue head and yellow shoulder bar in terminal phase

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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Nature Field Guide

Costa Rica Forest Rabbit

Spanish name
Conejo de monte de Costa Rica
Scientific name
Sylvilagus gabbi
Mammals Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The Costa Rica forest rabbit is a native forest rabbit, not a domestic bunny living outdoors.

Least Concern

What does Least Concern mean?

In the linked conservation assessment, this species does not qualify as threatened or near threatened with extinction. It still needs care: local populations and habitats can face problems even when the species has a lower extinction risk overall.

This label describes conservation status. It does not tell us whether a plant is safe for children or pets. Select the status button to read the assessment.

Identification

Key Features of the Costa Rica Forest Rabbit

  • Small brown forest rabbit with a compact body.

  • Relatively short ears and an inconspicuous tail.

  • Use locality and expert advice to distinguish similar rabbits.

Habitat & range

Suitable wooded lowland landscapes and forest cover; local distribution varies.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult or local guide. Observe quietly from a distance, stay on established trails and leave shelter undisturbed. Do not feed, touch, capture or corner wildlife. Keep pets away.

Conservation assessment

Global IUCN category reported by the linked specialist or Mammal Diversity Database account, checked October 2026. Least Concern does not mean there are no threats or that every local population is secure.

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Nature Field Guide

Costa Rica Least Gecko

Spanish name
Gequito de garganta rayada
Scientific name
Sphaerodactylus graptolaemus
Reptiles Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Costa Rica Least Gecko

  • Very small gecko

  • Rounded head and narrow tail

  • Fine throat lines require careful expert comparison

Habitat & range

Southwestern Costa Rican coastal forest, including Isla del Caño and the southern Pacific mainland.

Conservation & care

Observe with an adult from permitted paths. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, logs, stones and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and allow an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect connected habitat and natural shelters. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in place and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Costa Rican Oak

Spanish name
Roble / Encino
Scientific name
Quercus costaricensis
Trees Cloud Forest · Oak Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Acorns and leathery leaves belong to this mountain-forest oak.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Costa Rican Oak

  • Acorns in scaly cups

  • Simple leathery leaves

  • Mountain-forest habitat

Habitat & range

Highland forests of the Talamanca range, including Dota, Chirripó and adjoining mountain slopes.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

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Nature Field Guide

Coyote

Spanish name
Coyote
Scientific name
Canis latrans
Mammals Farms & Cultivated Land · Open Woodland · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its ears and bushy tail look different from a fox!”

Tati: “A wild animal should keep finding its own food.”

Identification

Key Features of the Coyote

  • Pointed muzzle and large upright ears.

  • Mixed gray-brown coat with paler underside.

  • Bushy tail usually carried low.

Habitat & range

Sierra Zapote’s forest-edge landscape in Las Juntas, Abangares, and other Guanacaste lowlands.

Conservation & care

Keep a respectful distance and leave an open route for the animal. Stay on authorized paths, secure food and rubbish, and observe without feeding, touching, baiting or chasing.

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Nature Field Guide

Crested Caracara

Spanish name
Caracara cargahuesos
Scientific name
Caracara plancus
Birds Beach · Farms & Cultivated Land · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That bird of prey is walking!”

Tati: “Caracaras often search on foot. Look at those long legs.”

Identification

Key Features of the Crested Caracara

  • Dark cap and pale neck

  • Orange-red bare face

  • Long legs and hooked bill

Habitat & range

Open northwestern landscapes, pasture, farmland and beaches, with local occurrence around Rio Frio and occasional movement into San Carlos. This conservative set omits occasional Central Valley wanderers.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Damselflies

Spanish name
Caballitos del diablo
Scientific name
Odonata: Zygoptera — group card
Other Insects Freshwater

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the damselflies!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Damselflies

  • Slender body

  • widely separated eyes

  • many fold wings above abdomen

Habitat & range

Vegetation near ponds, wetlands and streams; individual species use different waters.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Decorated Anole

Spanish name
Anolis decorado / Lagartija gigante de bandas
Scientific name
Anolis insignis
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Decorated Anole

  • Large anole with a broad head

  • Green body with pale markings

  • Long tail and tree-perching posture

Habitat & range

Humid foothill and montane forests, including the Guanacaste volcanic range and the central mountains. Documented at San Gerardo Biological Station in Área de Conservación Guanacaste.

Conservation & care

Observe with an adult from permitted paths. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, logs, stones and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and allow an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect connected habitat and natural shelters. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in place and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Decorated Forest Snake

Spanish name
Hojarasquera rayada
Scientific name
Rhadinaea decorata
Reptiles Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Decorated Forest Snake

  • Small slender brown body

  • Fine pale and dark lengthwise stripes

  • Forest-floor camouflage

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean and Pacific forests and foothills, including northern lowlands and southwestern Costa Rica.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Never touch, catch, feed, corner or move any snake. Keep children and pets away. Colors, head shape and pupil shape must never be used to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Derby’s Woolly Opossum

Spanish name
Zorro de balsa
Scientific name
Caluromys derbianus
Mammals Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Derby's woolly opossum is a tree-climbing marsupial with soft fur, large eyes and a dark stripe down its pale face.

Identification

Key Features of the Derby’s Woolly Opossum

  • Soft woolly coat, often reddish brown with pale patches.

  • Large eyes and a dark stripe down the center of a pale face.

  • Long gripping tail with a furred base and mostly bare outer portion.

Habitat & range

Humid forests, forest edges and other wooded habitats.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult or local guide. Observe quietly from a distance, stay on established trails and leave shelter undisturbed. Do not feed, touch, capture or corner wildlife. Keep pets away.

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Nature Field Guide

Dice’s Cottontail

Spanish name
Conejo de Dice
Scientific name
Sylvilagus dicei
Mammals Cloud Forest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Dice's cottontail is a mountain rabbit found in Costa Rica and western Panama.

Vulnerable

Identification

Key Features of the Dice’s Cottontail

  • Small brown rabbit with fairly short ears.

  • Often a darker or reddish area around the nape.

  • Highland locality is important; appearance alone may be insufficient.

Habitat & range

Costa Rican highlands, including the Talamanca mountain region.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult or local guide. Observe quietly from a distance, stay on established trails and leave shelter undisturbed. Do not feed, touch, capture or corner wildlife. Keep pets away.

Conservation assessment

Global IUCN category reported by Mammal Diversity Database, checked October 2026. Vulnerable means assessed as facing a high risk of extinction in the wild; it does not mean every local population has the same condition.

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Nature Field Guide

Diomedea Leaf Sea Slug

Spanish name
Babosa marina de hoja
Scientific name
Elysia diomedea
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Slugs Marine Reef · Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico spots a leafy-looking shape. Tati asks how an animal can blend into the algae around it.

Identification

Key Features of the Diomedea Leaf Sea Slug

  • A small soft body with folded sides

  • Greenish coloring with contrasting lines

  • Tentacle-like rhinophores on the head

Habitat & range

Suitable underwater coastal habitat. Use a permitted guided snorkeling or viewing activity appropriate to your family; do not enter the sea just to find this animal.

Conservation & care

Watch without touching, lifting, feeding or collecting. Keep fingers and equipment away from spines and other surface structures. Leave the animal submerged and its habitat undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Dragonflies

Spanish name
Libélulas
Scientific name
Odonata: Anisoptera — group card
Other Insects Freshwater

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the dragonflies!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Dragonflies

  • Large eyes

  • two pairs of wings

  • wings usually held open at rest

Habitat & range

Vegetation near ponds, wetlands and streams; individual species use different waters.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Dung Beetles

Spanish name
Escarabajos estercoleros
Scientific name
Scarabaeinae — subfamily card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the dung beetles!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Dung Beetles

  • Compact beetle body

  • digging legs

  • some species roll dung balls

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Dunker’s Dosinia

Spanish name
Almeja Dosinia
Scientific name
Dosinia dunkeri
Clams & Oysters · Seashells Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A rounded clam shell rewards a closer look at fine surface lines.

Identification

Key Features of the Dunker’s Dosinia

  • Rounded, pale valves.

  • Fine concentric lines curve around the raised area near the hinge.

  • Confirm with hinge details and an identified reference.

Habitat & range

Coastal sand-mud habitat.

Conservation & care

Observe and photograph shells where they are. Leave living animals, occupied shells and empty shells in place. Do not pry animals from rocks, dig in mangroves or put fingers into shell openings. Explore with an adult or guide, follow site rules and stay clear of surf and slippery rocks.

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Nature Field Guide

Ecuadorian Milksnake

Spanish name
Falsa coral / Serpiente de leche
Scientific name
Lampropeltis micropholis
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Ecuadorian Milksnake

  • Young animals may have red, pale and dark bands

  • Smooth-looking scales

  • Appearance can darken with age

Habitat & range

Eastern and southern Costa Rican forest landscapes and mountain slopes; province assignments refer to suitable habitat rather than all parts of each province.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Never touch, catch, feed, corner or move any snake. Keep children and pets away. Colors, head shape and pupil shape must never be used to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Elephant Beetle

Spanish name
Escarabajo elefante
Scientific name
Megasoma elephas
Other Insects Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the elephant beetle!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Elephant Beetle

  • Large rounded beetle

  • fine golden body hairs

  • males have a forward horn

Habitat & range

Most often associated with lowland wooded habitats; larvae develop in decaying wood and damp plant material. A documented Tortuguero record supports Caribbean rainforest habitat. A Costa Rican specialist account places most records below 500 m, with some to 1,500 m. Existing broad region tags require further locality checks and should not be read as presence throughout the highlands.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Expanded Lobster Claw

Spanish name
Platanilla / Caliguate
Scientific name
Heliconia latispatha
Other Plants Forest Edge · Gardens · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “An upright open arrangement of colorful bracts rises among broad green leaves.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Expanded Lobster Claw

  • Broad banana-like leaves

  • Upright open inflorescence

  • Separated orange-to-red bracts holding small flowers

Habitat & range

Both slopes, including Guanacaste, the Northern Plains, Caribbean, Central Pacific and Osa; also cultivated in gardens.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

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Nature Field Guide

Firebush

Spanish name
Coralillo
Scientific name
Hamelia patens
Other Plants Tropical Moist Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the plant’s shapes. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Firebush

  • Narrow orange-red tubular flowers

  • Simple leaves often arranged in whorls

  • Small rounded fruits that darken with age

Habitat & range

Clearings, roadsides, forest edges and gardens.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.

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Nature Field Guide

Fireflies

Spanish name
Luciérnagas
Scientific name
Lampyridae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the fireflies!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Fireflies

  • Soft beetle wing covers

  • some show glowing abdominal segments

  • light patterns vary

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Forest Flame Snake

Spanish name
Falsa coral de bosque
Scientific name
Oxyrhopus petolarius
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Forest Flame Snake

  • Dark head

  • Red-to-orange areas with dark crossbands

  • Slender body with variable markings

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean-slope and southern Pacific forests and their edges in Costa Rica.

Conservation & care

Observe from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Do not touch, catch, corner, feed or move any snake. Keep children and pets away. Colors, head shape and pupil shape must never be used to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect connected habitat and natural shelters. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in place and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Four-lined Ameiva

Spanish name
Ameiva de cuatro líneas
Scientific name
Holcosus quadrilineatus
Reptiles Beach · Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Four-lined Ameiva

  • Four pale longitudinal body stripes

  • Long slender tail

  • Small contrasting flank markings

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean lowlands and suitable Pacific lowlands and edges; a field study documents Cocles, Limón.

Conservation & care

Observe with an adult from permitted paths. Do not catch, chase, touch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, logs, rocks and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and allow animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

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Nature Field Guide

Frangipani

Spanish name
Flor blanca / Sacuanjoche
Scientific name
Plumeria rubra
Trees Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the tree’s silhouette. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Frangipani

  • Thick succulent-looking branches

  • Five-lobed flowers with yellow centers

  • Long simple leaves clustered near branch ends

Habitat & range

Sunny woodland edges, rocky coastal sites and gardens.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species. Avoid contact with milky latex.

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Nature Field Guide

Freckled Porcupinefish

Spanish name
Pez erizo
Scientific name
Diodon holocanthus
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Are those little spines?”

Tati: “Yes. We can study them in a photograph without disturbing the fish.”

Identification

Key Features of the Freckled Porcupinefish

  • Long movable body spines

  • Dark blotches and eye band

  • Pale unspotted fins

Habitat & range

Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.

Conservation & care

Never touch, collect, eat or deliberately inflate puffers or porcupinefish. Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.

Threats & pressures

Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.

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learning adventuresKeep Exploring,
Keep Learning

Explore published Learning Adventures connected with Puntarenas. Choose a shared activity that suits your family and the setting. As more adventures are linked to this province, they will appear here.

Family Story Treasure Hunt with Pico & Tati

Story Cards on the Veranda-2

Costa Rica Rhythm Explorers with Pico & Tati

Pico Learns the Costa Rican Marimba-13

Garden to Table Explorers with Pico & Tati

Pico Harvests a Ripe Tomato-16

get in touchLet's Keep Exploring Together.

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At Tico Explorers™, we encourage families and children to explore with curiosity, learn with kindness, and care for God’s creation.

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