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Wildlife Encounters

A rustle in the leaves. A flash of colorful feathers. Tiny tracks across the sand. Join Pico and Tati as they discover the animals that share Costa Rica’s forests, shores, and skies. Every encounter is an invitation to look closely, ask questions, and appreciate the wonders of God’s creation.

wildlifelearningDiscover the Wildlife Around Us

Some animals are easy to spot. Others reveal themselves through a call, a footprint, or a gently moving branch. Learning about wildlife begins with slowing down and paying attention.

Explore with Pico and Tati as they discover how animals find food, build homes, raise their young, and live alongside other species. From the smallest insect to a sea turtle swimming offshore, every creature has a story worth exploring.

keep an open eyeLook Closely. Discover More.

Look Up into the Trees

Watch for birds, monkeys, and sloths among the branches. Take your time. An animal resting quietly may be harder to spot than one on the move.

Discover Life Along the Shore

Look for crabs, coastal birds, and tracks in the sand. Explore with an adult and leave nests, eggs, and resting animals undisturbed.

Notice the Smallest Creatures

Butterflies, ants, beetles, and other tiny animals invite us to see nature differently. Observe their colors, movements, and busy lives without handling them.

Listen to Nature’s Sounds

ause and listen. Birdsong, buzzing insects, and calls from the forest can reveal wildlife you cannot yet see. What do you notice when everyone stays quiet?

Follow Clues with Curiosity

A footprint, a feather, or a hole in a tree can start a new question. Look at what animals leave behind without collecting it or disturbing their homes.

Observe with Kindness

Give wildlife space and let animals choose where to go. Watch quietly. Avoid feeding, touching, or chasing them. A respectful encounter is a better experience for everyone.

the peopleMeet the People Who Understand Wildlife

Naturalist guides, park rangers, researchers, and local communities help us understand the animals around us. They teach us where to look, what to listen for, and how to explore responsibly.

Join Pico and Tati in learning from people who spend time observing wildlife. Their knowledge reminds us that discovering an animal is only the beginning. Understanding its needs helps us care for its home.

Discover Wildlife Areas

Sarapiquí Birdwatching

Choose a guided birdwatching visit at La Selva or another local reserve. Bring binoculars and explore rainforest habitats with a naturalist who can identify birds and explain their place in the forest.

Sarapiquí River Wildlife Outing

Arrange a guided wildlife boat outing on the Sarapiquí River. Explore forested banks and river habitats with an operator who can explain the local landscape. Wildlife sightings vary with conditions and season.

View All Discoveries ↗

Nature Field Guide

Discover Wildlife & Animals

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

287 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

Alexander’s Spiny Brittle Star

Spanish name
Ofiura espinosa de Alexander
Scientific name
Ophiocomella alexandri
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Stars & Brittle Stars Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati discover that a brittle star’s scientific name can change as scientists learn more about its relatives.

Identification

Key Features of the Alexander’s Spiny Brittle Star

  • A clearly defined central disc

  • Long flexible arms

  • Check both current and older scientific names when reading a reference

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.

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.

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Nature Field Guide

American Pebble Crab

Spanish name
Cangrejo piedra americano
Scientific name
Daira americana
Coastal Life · Crabs & Hermit Crabs · Marine Life Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A crab can blend into a rocky neighborhood. Pico watches patiently while Tati compares the outline with the stones around it.

Identification

Key Features of the American Pebble Crab

  • A compact crab body

  • A textured carapace

  • Confirm the identification from a detailed photograph

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

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.

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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

Annulated Tree Boa

Spanish name
Boa arborícola anillada
Scientific name
Corallus annulatus
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 Annulated Tree Boa

  • Brownish body with dark ringlike markings

  • Broad head and climbing posture

  • Tail used around branches

Habitat & range

Caribbean lowland wet forest and adjoining northern humid lowlands, including studied populations in northeastern 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

Arbacia Sea Urchin

Spanish name
Erizo Arbacia
Scientific name
Arbacia stellata
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Urchins Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico sees a spiny shape. Tati asks how many different kinds of urchin might share a coast.

Identification

Key Features of the Arbacia Sea Urchin

  • A rounded body covered with spines

  • Observe the proportions of the body and spines

  • Use a species reference to compare similar urchins

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

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.

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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

Banded Serpent Brittle Star

Spanish name
Ofiura de brazos anillados
Scientific name
Ophionereis annulata
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Stars & Brittle Stars Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Patterns help Tati remember a discovery. Pico sketches the bands he can see along a slender arm.

Identification

Key Features of the Banded Serpent Brittle Star

  • A small central disc

  • Long flexible arms

  • Darker bands along the arms

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.

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.

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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.

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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

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.

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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.

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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 Brittle Star

Spanish name
Ofiura negra espinosa
Scientific name
Ophiocoma aethiops
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Stars & Brittle Stars Marine Reef · Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A thin arm at the edge of a shelter can be an entire discovery. Pico waits quietly; Tati draws only what is visible.

Identification

Key Features of the Black Spiny Brittle Star

  • A central disc distinct from the arms

  • Long slender arms with visible spines

  • Only part of the animal may be visible naturally

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.

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.

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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 Wood Turtle

Spanish name
Tortuga negra
Scientific name
Rhinoclemmys funerea
Reptiles Freshwater · Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the black wood turtle. Draw the major shell scutes from a photograph. Compare the outline with the painted wood turtle.

Identification

Key Features of the Black Wood Turtle

  • Dark shell and dark head.

  • Feet adapted to life around freshwater.

  • A hard shell divided into visible scutes.

Habitat & range

Humid lowland freshwater habitats such as streams, ponds and swamp forest, particularly Caribbean drainage 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-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

Bradley’s Sea Star

Spanish name
Estrella de mar de Bradley
Scientific name
Mithrodia bradleyi
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Stars & Brittle Stars Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A sea star can look still while its place in the reef is full of life. Pico wants to sketch its outline; Tati wants to compare its arms.

Identification

Key Features of the Bradley’s Sea Star

  • Arms radiating from a central body

  • A textured upper surface

  • Compare the whole outline with a verified species photograph

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

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 Basilisk

Spanish name
Basilisco café
Scientific name
Basiliscus vittatus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the brown basilisk. Make a three-column comparison of the common, green and brown basilisk using verified photographs.

Identification

Key Features of the Brown Basilisk

  • Brown or olive body with pale side stripes.

  • Long tail and slender limbs.

  • Adult males can have a head crest without the green basilisk’s tall body sails.

Habitat & range

Lowland forest edges, streamside vegetation and disturbed wooded habitats, including Caribbean 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.

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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 Wood Turtle

Spanish name
Tortuga de bosque / Montañera
Scientific name
Rhinoclemmys annulata
Reptiles 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 Brown Wood Turtle

  • Domed brown shell

  • Strong walking legs with claws

  • Forest-floor rather than open-water setting

Habitat & range

Caribbean-drainage rainforest and northern lowland habitat; Tortuguero is a documented protected-area example.

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

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

Bull Shark

Spanish name
Tiburón toro
Scientific name
Carcharhinus leucas
Marine Life · Sharks Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Marine Reef · Ocean · Rivers & Streams

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That shark looks strong and stocky!”

Tati: “It can move between salt water and fresh water.”

Identification

Key Features of the Bull Shark

  • A stocky gray body with a pale belly.

  • A short, broad rounded snout and small eyes.

  • A large triangular first dorsal fin.

Habitat & range

Tropical and subtropical coastal waters, estuaries and some freshwater systems.

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

Capture in fisheries affects bull sharks. Coastal development and damage to estuarine nursery habitats can put young animals under additional pressure.

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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

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

Caribbean Least Gecko

Spanish name
Gequito caribeño
Scientific name
Sphaerodactylus homolepis
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 Caribbean Least Gecko

  • Tiny body and rounded head

  • Narrow tapering tail

  • Small feet unlike a large wall gecko’s broad pads

Habitat & range

Caribbean-slope lowland forest and northern humid lowlands, including the Sarapiquí area.

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

Carpenter’s Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de Carpenter
Scientific name
Anolis carpenteri
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 Carpenter’s Anole

  • Small delicate greenish body

  • Relatively short limbs

  • Slender tail and narrow perch use

Habitat & range

Caribbean-slope humid forest and foothills, including the Reventazón valley and northern Caribbean lowlands.

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 Agouti

Spanish name
Guatusa / Guatuza
Scientific name
Dasyprocta punctata
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It is carrying something from the forest floor!”

Tati: “A stored seed might become a tree.”

Identification

Key Features of the Central American Agouti

  • Rounded back, long legs and almost invisible tail.

  • Warm orange-brown to dark brown fur.

  • Often handles food with the forepaws.

Habitat & range

Sierra Zapote’s forest floor in Las Juntas district, Abangares; dry and humid forests can both provide habitat.

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

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.

View full profile →

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

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

Collared Peccary

Spanish name
Saíno
Scientific name
Dicotyles tajacu
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “I can see a pale band near its shoulders!”

Tati: “Let’s step back and leave space for the group.”

Identification

Key Features of the Collared Peccary

  • Pale collar around neck and shoulders.

  • Dark bristly coat and compact hoofed body.

  • Very short tail.

Habitat & range

Reserva Sierra Zapote in Las Juntas district and other dry or humid forest landscapes.

Seasonal Calendar

Breeding possible

Costa Rica; broad natural-history account

Year-round

Reproduction is not confined to a fixed season; local peaks vary with habitat and resources.

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 and fragmentation, hunting and conflict over crops are documented pressures.

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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 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.

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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

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

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

Crown Sea Urchin

Spanish name
Erizo corona
Scientific name
Astropyga pulvinata
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Urchins Coastal Seafloor · Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

One spiny animal is interesting. A gathering of them raises even more questions. Pico and Tati watch without moving closer.

Identification

Key Features of the Crown Sea Urchin

  • Long slender spines

  • Small bright blue body spots may be visible

  • Observe without approaching the spines

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

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

Dusky Sea Cucumber

Spanish name
Pepino de mar
Scientific name
Holothuria fuscocinerea
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Cucumbers Coastal Seafloor · Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

It does not need a star-shaped outline to be related to sea stars. Pico and Tati meet a different kind of echinoderm.

Identification

Key Features of the Dusky Sea Cucumber

  • An elongated body resting on the seabed

  • No radiating arms like a sea star

  • Photograph the animal in place for expert comparison

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

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.

View full profile →

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

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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Nature Field Guide

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Spanish name
Pijije canelo
Scientific name
Dendrocygna bicolor
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That duck has such a long neck!”

Tati: “Let’s compare its colors with the other ducks.”

Identification

Key Features of the Fulvous Whistling-Duck

  • Warm caramel-brown neck and underparts.

  • Dark bill, long neck and long legs.

  • Pale flank markings on a darker body.

Habitat & range

Documented in the Tempisque and Palo Verde wetland landscape. Freshwater marshes, shallow flooded areas and rice-growing wetlands are relevant habitats.

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey

Spanish name
Mono araña / Mono colorado
Scientific name
Ateles geoffroyi
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its tail is holding a branch too!”

Tati: “The forest needs connected treetops.”

Endangered

Identification

Key Features of the Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey

  • Very long limbs and slender body.

  • Strong grasping tail with a bare gripping surface near its tip.

  • Brown to reddish fur; color varies.

Habitat & range

Manuel Antonio’s forest landscape; ACG also documents this species in rainforest at Botarrama.

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, capture for pets and hunting combine with slow reproduction to make recovery difficult.

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

Ghost Anole

Spanish name
Anolis fantasma
Scientific name
Anolis lemurinus
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 Ghost Anole

  • Brown-to-gray coloration

  • Long hind legs and tapering tail

  • Subtle darker body markings

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean lowlands and foothills and southwestern Pacific forest.

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

Giant Damselfish

Spanish name
Damisela gigante
Scientific name
Microspathodon dorsalis
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This damselfish looks almost black!”

Tati: “Adults and young can look different. Let’s compare their fin edges.”

Identification

Key Features of the Giant Damselfish

  • Deep dark blue-gray body

  • Narrow pale fin edges

  • No pronounced forehead hump

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

Giant Green Anole

Spanish name
Anolis verde gigante
Scientific name
Anolis biporcatus
Reptiles Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the giant green anole. Draw the shapes of a branch and the anole’s toes. How might those shapes help with climbing?

Identification

Key Features of the Giant Green Anole

  • Green body, sometimes with a darker appearance.

  • Long tail and climbing toes.

  • An extendable throat fan, especially noticeable during displays.

Habitat & range

Humid forests and wooded vegetation in Costa Rica.

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

Golden Trevally

Spanish name
Jurel dorado
Scientific name
Gnathanodon speciosus
Marine Fish · Marine Life Coastal Seafloor · Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This little jack looks golden!”

Tati: “Older fish look more silver. The yellow fins are a useful clue.”

Identification

Key Features of the Golden Trevally

  • Thick fleshy lips

  • Yellow fins

  • Dark bars strongest in young fish

Habitat & range

Pacific coastal waters over sandy and other soft bottoms near reef areas.

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

Gray Fox

Spanish name
Zorro gris
Scientific name
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “A fox can use trees too?”

Tati: “Different animals use the forest in different ways.”

Identification

Key Features of the Gray Fox

  • Gray back with reddish sides and legs.

  • Triangular upright ears and pointed muzzle.

  • Dark upper surface of the bushy tail.

Habitat & range

Dry-forest and wooded-edge habitat in the Horizontes landscape near Liberia.

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

Graybar Grunt

Spanish name
Roncador almejero
Scientific name
Haemulon sexfasciatum
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Are those bars or stripes?”

Tati: “The adult has broad bars. Young fish can show lengthwise stripes.”

Identification

Key Features of the Graybar Grunt

  • About five or six broad bars

  • Silver-white body

  • Forked tail and low mouth

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

Great Blue Heron

Spanish name
Garzón azulado
Scientific name
Ardea herodias
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A tall, patient hunter can make the whole shoreline feel still. Pico counts its slow steps while Tati watches its folded neck.

Identification

Key Features of the Great Blue Heron

  • Large blue-gray body

  • Long legs and a heavy yellowish bill

  • Pale head with a dark stripe above the eye

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

Great Curassow

Spanish name
Pavón
Scientific name
Crax rubra
Birds Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those head feathers curl forward!”

Tati: “Let’s stay still while it searches the forest floor.”

Vulnerable

Identification

Key Features of the Great Curassow

  • Curled feathers form a forward-facing crest.

  • Male: black body, white belly and yellow bill swelling.

  • Female plumage varies; no yellow bill swelling.

Habitat & range

Local surviving forest populations include Santa Rosa, Rincon de la Vieja, Braulio Carrillo and Corcovado. Present distribution is patchy; historical lowland range is not a promise of local occurrence.

Seasonal Calendar

Nesting

ACG / Costa Rican lowland forest

Mar, Apr, May

Legacy natural-history account reports egg laying; local dates and other regions can differ.

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

La Amistad’s management plan identifies hunting and forest pressures on the Pacific boundary. These are habitat-level concerns; no local curassow decline percentage is assigned.

Conservation assessment

ACG describes the species as Vulnerable; this is not a local population estimate. Source checked 7 October 2026. This is a global species category, not a count of birds in the tagged towns.

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Nature Field Guide

Great Egret

Spanish name
Garceta grande
Scientific name
Ardea alba
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico calls it a bright white shape in the green. Tati checks the bill and feet before giving it a name.

Identification

Key Features of the Great Egret

  • White plumage and long slender neck

  • Yellow bill

  • Black legs and dark feet

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

Great Green Macaw

Spanish name
Lapa verde
Scientific name
Ara ambiguus
Birds Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That green bird almost matches the treetops!”

Tati: “Its forest needs room for feeding and nesting.”

Critically Endangered

Identification

Key Features of the Great Green Macaw

  • Mainly green plumage with a reddish forehead.

  • Blue in the wings and a long tail.

  • Large, powerful bill.

Habitat & range

Humid northern and Caribbean lowland forest. Birds move with food availability. Northern Plains and Caribbean are broad browsing areas, not claims of continuous occupation.

Seasonal Calendar

Breeding

Costa Rica; broad national window

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec

Costa Rican dry-season breeding window; individual sites vary.

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

Habitat disturbance, logging of important nesting trees and illegal capture threaten this species.

Documented impact

BirdLife’s 2021 Red List update reported a 99% decline over three generations for Nicaragua/Costa Rica. This historical regional estimate is not a 2026 local census.

Protection & recovery

World Parrot Trust reports 50 chicks fledged from artificial nests in the Ara Manzanillo project in 2022, and more than 60 in 2023. These are project breeding outcomes, not the total wild population.

Conservation assessment

World Parrot Trust reports IUCN Critically Endangered. Source checked 7 October 2026. This is a global species category, not a count of birds in the tagged towns.

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Nature Field Guide

Great Kiskadee

Spanish name
Bienteveo grande
Scientific name
Pitangus sulphuratus
Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Gardens · Open Woodland · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It sounds like it is calling its own name!”

Tati: “Let’s also check its bold eyebrow and strong bill.”

Identification

Key Features of the Great Kiskadee

  • Black-and-white head pattern

  • Bright yellow belly

  • Heavy bill and reddish-brown wings

Habitat & range

Open wooded country and settled areas, often near water, on both slopes, mainly below about 1500 m. Less frequent in some southern Pacific areas; not a high-mountain specialist.

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

Great Tinamou

Spanish name
Tinamú grande / Gallina de monte
Scientific name
Tinamus major
Birds Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “I can hear a whistle, but the leaves hide the bird!”

Tati: “We can listen without leaving the trail.”

Identification

Key Features of the Great Tinamou

  • Rounded body with almost no visible tail.

  • Gray-brown, dark-barred plumage.

  • A clear whistle from the forest floor.

Habitat & range

Humid lowland and foothill forest on the Caribbean slope and southern Pacific, north toward Carara. Guanacaste refers to humid forest sectors, including documented ACG rainforest, not dry coastal forest.

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Greater Bulldog Bat

Spanish name
Murciélago pescador mayor
Scientific name
Noctilio leporinus
Mammals Estuary & Mangroves · Rivers & Streams

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The greater bulldog bat is one of the bats that regularly catches fish.

Identification

Key Features of the Greater Bulldog Bat

  • Prominent folded lips and pointed ears.

  • Large clawed hind feet adapted for fishing.

  • Short fur that can be reddish, brown or grayish.

Habitat & range

Rivers, ponds and suitable coastal waters near roosting habitat.

Conservation & care

Observe bats from a distance with an adult or guide. Do not touch, feed or handle any bat, including one found on the ground. Leave roosts undisturbed, avoid direct flash and ask local wildlife professionals for help if an animal appears injured.

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Nature Field Guide

Greater Grison

Spanish name
Grisón
Scientific name
Galictis vittata
Mammals Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The greater grison has a long low body, short legs and a striking pale stripe separating its dark face and underside from its grizzled back.

Identification

Key Features of the Greater Grison

  • Long slim body carried on short legs.

  • Grizzled gray back with dark face, belly and legs.

  • Pale stripe across the forehead and down the sides of the shoulders.

Habitat & range

Forests, wooded edges and other suitable landscapes, often near freshwater.

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

Greater Sac-winged Bat

Spanish name
Murciélago listado de sacos mayor
Scientific name
Saccopteryx bilineata
Mammals Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Two pale wavy stripes down a dark back are a starting clue for the greater sac-winged bat.

Identification

Key Features of the Greater Sac-winged Bat

  • Dark brown coat with two narrow pale wavy back stripes.

  • Small bat with pointed ears and dark membranous wings.

  • Similar species need expert comparison; never handle a bat to inspect wing sacs.

Habitat & range

Suitable tropical wooded habitat with undisturbed roosting surfaces.

Conservation & care

Observe bats from a distance with an adult or guide. Do not touch, feed or handle any bat, including one found on the ground. Leave roosts undisturbed, avoid direct flash and ask local wildlife professionals for help if an animal appears injured.

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Nature Field Guide

Green Basilisk

Spanish name
Basilisco verde
Scientific name
Basiliscus plumifrons
Reptiles Freshwater · Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the green basilisk. Compare an adult male photograph with a juvenile. Which features change as the animal grows?

Identification

Key Features of the Green Basilisk

  • Green body with pale or bluish spots.

  • Long tail and long hind toes.

  • Large head, back and tail crests in adult males.

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean lowland forests and suitable wooded stream corridors.

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

Green Heron

Spanish name
Garcilla verde
Scientific name
Butorides virescens
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A small hunched shape almost disappears among the roots. Pico and Tati learn that patient looking beats noisy searching.

Identification

Key Features of the Green Heron

  • Small hunched silhouette

  • Greenish back and chestnut neck

  • Straight pointed bill and yellowish legs

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

Green Iguana

Spanish name
Iguana verde
Scientific name
Iguana iguana
Reptiles Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the green iguana. Sketch the outline of a distant iguana. Compare its throat fan with the spiny-tailed iguana card.

Identification

Key Features of the Green Iguana

  • Large hanging throat fan.

  • Long tail and a row of dorsal spines.

  • Large round scale below the ear opening.

Habitat & range

Lowland forests and wooded waterways on both Costa Rican slopes.

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

Green Ratsnake

Spanish name
Ratonera / Culebra ratonera
Scientific name
Senticolis triaspis
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest

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 Green Ratsnake

  • Long body and elongated head

  • Adults may be tan, golden or olive-brown

  • Juveniles show darker blotches

Habitat & range

Northwestern and western Pacific-slope woodland and forest, including the San Luis de Monteverde area.

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

Green Sea Turtle

Spanish name
Tortuga verde / Tortuga negra
Scientific name
Chelonia mydas
Marine Life · Reptiles Beach · Marine Reef · Ocean

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 Green Sea Turtle

  • Smooth oval carapace

  • Rounded rather than sharply hooked head

  • Four pairs of lateral shell scutes

Habitat & range

Pacific and Caribbean coastal waters; Tortuguero and Cahuita are documented Caribbean examples.

Conservation & care

Never touch, chase, ride or feed a sea turtle. Keep clear of nesting females, eggs and hatchlings. Follow local beach rules and authorized guides; avoid lights and flash photography during nesting observations. Leave shells and wildlife products out of your purchases.

Threats & pressures

Protect nesting beaches and marine habitats. Reduce plastic waste, avoid disturbing wildlife and do not buy turtle products.

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Nature Field Guide

Green Spiny Lizard

Spanish name
Lagartija espinosa verde
Scientific name
Sceloporus malachiticus
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Forest Edge · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the green spiny lizard. Compare a photo of its rough scales with a smooth-looking anole. Describe texture without touching either animal.

Identification

Key Features of the Green Spiny Lizard

  • Pointed, strongly textured body scales.

  • A dark shoulder marking.

  • Adult males often show green coloration.

Habitat & range

Costa Rican uplands, including suitable forest edges and rocky or open perches.

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

Green Vine Snake

Spanish name
Bejuquilla verde
Scientific name
Oxybelis fulgidus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest · 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 Green Vine Snake

  • Very slender green body

  • Elongated pointed snout

  • Exceptionally long tapering tail

Habitat & range

Wooded lowlands and foothills on both slopes, including Pacific and Caribbean forest edges.

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

Groove-billed Ani

Spanish name
Garrapatero piquiestriado / Tijo
Scientific name
Crotophaga sulcirostris
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its beak has tiny lines!”

Tati: “Those grooves are helpful, but we need a clear view.”

Identification

Key Features of the Groove-billed Ani

  • All-black plumage

  • Long loosely held tail

  • Heavy upper bill with grooves

Habitat & range

Open and shrubby country, pasture margins and settled areas across Costa Rica, reaching middle elevations. It is less frequent in much of the southern Pacific, where Smooth-billed Ani predominates.

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

Guineafowl Puffer

Spanish name
Tamboril negro
Scientific name
Arothron meleagris
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Is the yellow puffer a different kind?”

Tati: “This species has different color forms. Shape matters too.”

Identification

Key Features of the Guineafowl Puffer

  • Blunt head and heavy body

  • White dots on the dark form

  • Rounded tail and small rear 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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Nature Field Guide

Halloween Land Crab

Spanish name
Cangrejo arlequín
Scientific name
Gecarcinus quadratus
Coastal Life · Crabs & Hermit Crabs · Marine Life Estuary & Mangroves · Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Not every coastal crab lives underwater. Pico and Tati look at the ground beside the path without leaving it.

Identification

Key Features of the Halloween Land Crab

  • A crab walking on land near coastal vegetation

  • Burrows may be present in suitable ground

  • Confirm the species from the whole animal, not a burrow alone

Habitat & range

Coastal vegetation and adjacent ground. Stay on established routes and do not search inside burrows.

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

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Spanish name
Tortuga carey
Scientific name
Eretmochelys imbricata
Marine Life · Reptiles Beach · Marine Reef · Ocean

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 Hawksbill Sea Turtle

  • Narrow hooked beak

  • Overlapping patterned shell scutes

  • Often a serrated rear shell edge

Habitat & range

Pacific and Caribbean coastal waters and reefs; documented sites include Cahuita and Tortuguero.

Conservation & care

Never touch, chase, ride or feed a sea turtle. Keep clear of nesting females, eggs and hatchlings. Follow local beach rules and authorized guides; avoid lights and flash photography during nesting observations. Leave shells and wildlife products out of your purchases.

Threats & pressures

Protect nesting beaches and marine habitats. Reduce plastic waste, avoid disturbing wildlife and do not buy turtle products.

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Nature Field Guide

Heavy-footed Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de patas robustas
Scientific name
Anolis pachypus
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Oak 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 Heavy-footed Anole

  • Compact brown mountain anole

  • Stout-looking feet

  • Camouflaged body and long tapering tail

Habitat & range

Middle and upper elevations of the Talamanca mountain system in southern Costa Rica.

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

Helmeted Iguana

Spanish name
Iguana de casco / Lagartija de casco
Scientific name
Corytophanes cristatus
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 Helmeted Iguana

  • Tall helmetlike casque

  • Long tail and grasping limbs

  • Mottled bark-colored camouflage

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean and Pacific forests and foothills, including northern wet forests and the southwest.

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

High Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de altura
Scientific name
Anolis altae
Reptiles Cloud 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 High Anole

  • Small slender brown body

  • Relatively short legs

  • Long tail and subtle camouflage

Habitat & range

Central volcanic highlands, including the Barva, Irazú and northern Alajuela mountain areas.

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

Hoffmann’s Earth Snake

Spanish name
Culebra de tierra de Hoffmann
Scientific name
Geophis hoffmanni
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 Hoffmann’s Earth Snake

  • Small head and dark slender body

  • Usually plain dark upper surfaces

  • Paler underside; young may have a pale neck mark

Habitat & range

Humid lowland and foothill habitats and central mountain slopes, including the Monteverde area.

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

Hoffmann’s Woodpecker

Spanish name
Carpintero de Hoffmann
Scientific name
Melanerpes hoffmannii
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its back looks like a striped pattern!”

Tati: “Look at the crown too. Males and females differ there.”

Identification

Key Features of the Hoffmann’s Woodpecker

  • Black-and-white barred back

  • Yellow nape

  • Male has a red crown

Habitat & range

Strongest in the northern Pacific and Central Valley, extending south toward Tarcoles and locally into Rio Frio. Occurs along parts of the Reventazon corridor; avoid treating all Caribbean rainforest as typical habitat.

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

Hoffmann’s Two-toed Sloth

Spanish name
Perezoso de dos dedos
Scientific name
Choloepus hoffmanni
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Is this the same kind of sloth?”

Tati: “We need more than its color to tell.”

Identification

Key Features of the Hoffmann’s Two-toed Sloth

  • Two long claws on each forelimb.

  • Long shaggy fur and a prominent rounded snout.

  • Identify with a guide; color alone is unreliable.

Habitat & range

The studied FINMAC cacao and riverside-forest landscape at Pueblo Nuevo / Villa Francia, Limón.

Seasonal Calendar

Births across the year

FINMAC cacao landscape, Pueblo Nuevo / Villa Francia

Year-round

Study births were spread across months; none was recorded in August. This is asynchronous reproduction, not an August exclusion rule.

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

Deforestation removes feeding trees and canopy routes. Sloth research emphasizes connected habitat and avoiding removal of wild animals.

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Nature Field Guide

Honduran White Bat

Spanish name
Murciélago blanco
Scientific name
Ectophylla alba
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those white shapes are bats under a leaf!”

Tati: “Their leaf tent is a home we leave untouched.”

Identification

Key Features of the Honduran White Bat

  • Tiny pale or white-furred bat.

  • Yellowish ears and nose.

  • May rest in groups beneath a leaf tent.

Habitat & range

Tirimbina Biological Reserve at La Virgen de Sarapiquí, Heredia.

Conservation & care

Leave leaf tents and surrounding vegetation untouched. Follow a guide’s viewing distance and light guidance; never handle bats or expose a resting group for a photograph.

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Nature Field Guide

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Spanish name
Zarapito trinador
Scientific name
Numenius hudsonicus
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico curves his pencil line to match the bill. Tati checks the striped head for another clue.

Identification

Key Features of the Hudsonian Whimbrel

  • Long downward-curved bill

  • Striped brown head with a pale central crown stripe

  • Brown patterned body and long legs

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Humble Anole

Spanish name
Anolis humilde
Scientific name
Anolis humilis
Reptiles Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the humble anole. Study a photograph and sketch how brown markings blend with fallen leaves.

Identification

Key Features of the Humble Anole

  • Small brown body with variable darker markings.

  • Slender tail.

  • An anole throat fan may be displayed by males.

Habitat & range

Shaded understory and leaf-litter edges in humid forest.

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

Humpback Whale

Spanish name
Ballena jorobada
Scientific name
Megaptera novaeangliae
Mammals Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A humpback whale is a mammal that breathes air through blowholes and nurses its young with milk.

Identification

Key Features of the Humpback Whale

  • Very long pectoral flippers and bumps on the head.

  • Small dorsal fin on a raised hump.

  • Broad tail flukes with variable underside patterns.

Habitat & range

Costa Rican marine waters; arrange viewing with a responsible operator using current local knowledge.

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

Jabiru

Spanish name
Jabirú / Galán sin ventura
Scientific name
Jabiru mycteria
Birds Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That bird is standing so tall in the wetland!”

Tati: “Its shape tells us more than size alone.”

Identification

Key Features of the Jabiru

  • Large white body with black bare head and neck.

  • Red band at the lower neck.

  • Massive dark bill and very long legs.

Habitat & range

The Tempisque basin is the principal nesting landscape. Cano Negro and Rio Frio receive seasonal visitors; not all wetlands in either region support Jabirus.

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Jaguar

Spanish name
Jaguar / Tigre
Scientific name
Panthera onca
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “A forest can hide a very large cat!”

Tati: “A camera-trap record helps us learn without approaching it.”

Protected Near Threatened

Identification

Key Features of the Jaguar

  • Broad head and muscular body.

  • Rosettes often contain smaller dark spots.

  • Relatively thick limbs and shorter tail than a puma.

Habitat & range

Tortuguero National Park’s protected forest landscape; ACG camera traps also document the species in Pitilla.

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, hunting of prey and retaliatory killing after livestock conflict are documented pressures.

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

Jaguarundi

Spanish name
Yaguarundí / León breñero
Scientific name
Herpailurus yagouaroundi
Mammals Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That outline is different from the spotted cats!”

Tati: “A brief view still needs careful identification.”

Protected 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 Jaguarundi

  • Long low body and short legs.

  • Plain gray-brown or reddish coat, not rosettes.

  • Small rounded ears and long tail.

Habitat & range

Reserva Sierra Zapote in Las Juntas district, Abangares, Guanacaste.

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

Loss of suitable habitat and prey is a documented concern even where the global species category is Least Concern.

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

Keel-billed Toucan

Spanish name
Tucán pico arco iris / Pico canoa
Scientific name
Ramphastos sulfuratus
Birds Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its bill has so many colors!”

Tati: “Let’s look at the throat and body too.”

Near Threatened

Identification

Key Features of the Keel-billed Toucan

  • Large bill with several bright colors.

  • Yellow throat and dark body.

  • Compare the entire silhouette with other toucans.

Habitat & range

Most frequent in wooded Caribbean lowlands. Also occurs in suitable northern Pacific woodland, Nicoya hills, foothills and parts of the Central Valley; generally less frequent there.

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.

Conservation assessment

Costa Rica’s government wildlife guide reports IUCN Near Threatened and a decreasing trend; the page does not supply the assessment year. Source checked 7 October 2026. This is a global species category, not a count of birds in the tagged towns.

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Nature Field Guide

King Angelfish

Spanish name
Ángel real / Ángel bandera
Scientific name
Holacanthus passer
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That fish has a bright stripe!”

Tati: “Let’s compare the adult pattern with a young fish before deciding what we see.”

Identification

Key Features of the King Angelfish

  • A deep, flattened body and small mouth.

  • Adults have a narrow white bar against a dark blue-gray body.

  • A yellow tail; juveniles have a different barred pattern.

Habitat & range

Reef-associated eastern Pacific marine habitats. Costa Rican records used here include Isla del Coco, the Salinas/Santa Elena area of Guanacaste, and Isla del Caño in the South Pacific. These are documented examples, not a complete range map.

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Kinkajou

Spanish name
Martilla / Mico de noche
Scientific name
Potos flavus
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It looks a little like a monkey!”

Tati: “It is actually related to coatis and raccoons.”

Protected 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 Kinkajou

  • Golden-brown coat and rounded ears.

  • Long grasping tail without a raccoon’s bold rings.

  • Tree-dwelling mammal, not a monkey.

Habitat & range

Wooded South Pacific landscapes; a documented wildlife rescue occurred beside the Río Abrojo near Abrojo.

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 gaps can interrupt treetop travel. A Costa Rican rescue record also documents injuries associated with dogs.

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

Laughing Falcon

Spanish name
Guaco
Scientific name
Herpetotheres cachinnans
Birds Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It sounds like a laugh!”

Tati: “That call explains its name. Its wide eye mask helps us recognize it too.”

Identification

Key Features of the Laughing Falcon

  • Creamy head and underparts

  • Broad black eye mask

  • Dark upperparts

Habitat & range

Lowland forest edges, secondary woodland and partly open country on both slopes. Occasional higher-elevation records do not make high mountain forest core habitat.

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

Laughing Gull

Spanish name
Gaviota reidora
Scientific name
Leucophaeus atricilla
Birds · Coastal Birds · Seabirds Beach · Ocean · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico hears a call that sounds like laughter. Tati checks the season before expecting a black hood.

Identification

Key Features of the Laughing Gull

  • Dark gray back and pale body

  • Blackish wingtips

  • Breeding adults have a dark hood

  • Winter head is paler with gray smudges

Habitat & range

Scan coastal waters and undisturbed shoreline resting places from a safe public viewpoint. Keep boats and people away from nesting or resting colonies.

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

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Spanish name
Tortuga baula
Scientific name
Dermochelys coriacea
Marine Life · Reptiles Beach · Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those ridges make its back look so different.”

Tati: “Let’s find out how this turtle’s life connects the ocean with the beach.”

Identification

Key Features of the Leatherback Sea Turtle

  • A dark, leathery back rather than large hard shell plates.

  • Seven lengthwise ridges along the back.

  • Long front flippers on a very large sea turtle.

Habitat & range

Open ocean feeding habitats and nesting beaches. SINAC identifies Playa Grande, Ventanas and Langosta as nesting areas within Las Baulas.

Seasonal Calendar

Nesting

Las Baulas: Playa Grande, Ventanas and Langosta

Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec

SINAC lists October–February as the park’s nesting season. Eggs incubate approximately two months; hatching follows individual laying dates. Nesting is distinct from migration. Follow current park access rules; this is not a tour schedule.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Never touch a turtle, eggs or hatchlings. Respect beach closures and avoid lights near nesting habitat. Keep plastics and other litter out of the sea.

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Nature Field Guide

Leopard Roundray

Spanish name
Raya redonda leopardo
Scientific name
Urobatis pardalis
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Rays Coastal Seafloor · Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A quiet shape on the seabed might be easy to miss. Pico and Tati give rays space and let a marine guide help them observe.

Identification

Key Features of the Leopard Roundray

  • A rounded disc

  • Small dark spots and short wavy markings on a pale brown upper surface

  • A relatively short tail with a rounded fin

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

Observe rays without approaching, touching, feeding, cornering or following them. Stay with a qualified local guide and follow their instructions about entering and moving in the water.

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Nature Field Guide

Lesson’s Motmot

Spanish name
Momoto coroniazul
Scientific name
Momotus lessonii
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its tail has tiny paddles!”

Tati: “They are feather tips. Let’s compare the crown with our other motmot.”

Identification

Key Features of the Lesson’s Motmot

  • Blue crown with dark center

  • Dark eye mask

  • Long central tail feathers with racket tips

Habitat & range

Pacific lowlands and middle elevations, the Central Valley and locally northern areas. In the dry northwest it is associated especially with gallery forest. Most Caribbean lowlands are outside its usual 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

Lichen Anole

Spanish name
Anolis liquenoso
Scientific name
Anolis pentaprion
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 Lichen Anole

  • Gray-and-cream bark camouflage

  • Short limbs

  • Relatively short tail with a serrated ridge

Habitat & range

Caribbean lowlands and northern humid lowlands, including the Los Chiles/Guatuso and Sarapiquí areas.

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

Linnaeus’s Sipo

Spanish name
Bejuquilla verde de bosque
Scientific name
Chironius exoletus
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 Linnaeus’s Sipo

  • Long green-to-olive body

  • Large eyes and elongated head

  • Very long tapering tail

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean and Pacific forests and adjoining foothills in 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.

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Nature Field Guide

Little Blue Heron

Spanish name
Garceta azul
Scientific name
Egretta caerulea
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico expects every Little Blue Heron to be blue. Tati discovers that young birds tell a different color story.

Identification

Key Features of the Little Blue Heron

  • Adult slate-blue body and purplish neck

  • Two-toned bill with a dark tip

  • Juveniles are white, unlike the illustrated adult

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

Long-tailed Manakin

Spanish name
Saltarín toledo
Scientific name
Chiroxiphia linearis
Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Two birds are moving together on the branches!”

Tati: “We can watch the rhythm without interrupting.”

Identification

Key Features of the Long-tailed Manakin

  • Adult male: black body, blue back and red crown.

  • Long central tail feathers in males.

  • Female: less conspicuous greenish plumage.

Habitat & range

Gallery forest, mature secondary woodland and mangrove edges in the northern Pacific, extending toward Carara, the Central Valley and suitable Dota slopes. Shaded woodland is essential.

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Long-tailed Weasel

Spanish name
Comadreja de cola larga
Scientific name
Neogale frenata
Mammals Farms & Cultivated Land · Open Woodland · Rivers & Streams · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A long-tailed weasel has a narrow flexible body that helps it move through cover and investigate small spaces.

Identification

Key Features of the Long-tailed Weasel

  • Very slender body with short legs and a small head.

  • Brown upper coat and pale underside.

  • Long tail with a black tip.

Habitat & range

Wooded edges, scrub and other suitable partly open 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

Lowland Paca

Spanish name
Tepezcuintle
Scientific name
Cuniculus paca
Mammals Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its white spots make neat rows!”

Tati: “A burrow is someone’s home; we leave it alone.”

Identification

Key Features of the Lowland Paca

  • Stocky brown body with rows of pale side spots.

  • Short legs and almost no visible tail.

  • Large rounded head and cheeks.

Habitat & range

La Amistad’s forest landscape, accessed from Biolley; ACG also has Quica, Pitilla camera-trap records.

Seasonal Calendar

Breeding possible

Costa Rica; broad natural-history account

Year-round

ACG describes reproduction through the year, not a fixed local birth season.

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

Hunting, habitat destruction and conflict over crops are documented pressures.

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Nature Field Guide

Magnificent Frigatebird

Spanish name
Rabihorcado magnífico
Scientific name
Fregata magnificens
Birds · Coastal Birds · Seabirds Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico draws a bird that barely seems to flap. Tati adds a deeply forked tail to finish its sky silhouette.

Identification

Key Features of the Magnificent Frigatebird

  • Very long angular wings

  • Deeply forked tail

  • Adult male dark with red throat skin

  • Adult female has a white chest

Habitat & range

Scan coastal waters and undisturbed shoreline resting places from a safe public viewpoint. Keep boats and people away from nesting or resting colonies.

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

Mahi-mahi (Dorado)

Spanish name
Dorado
Scientific name
Coryphaena hippurus
Marine Fish · Marine Life Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It looks green, blue and gold!”

Tati: “Dorado is another name for mahi-mahi—it is a fish, not a dolphin.”

Identification

Key Features of the Mahi-mahi (Dorado)

  • An electric green-blue back with golden sides.

  • A long continuous dorsal fin.

  • A deeply forked tail and spotted body.

Habitat & range

Tropical and subtropical surface waters offshore.

Seasonal Calendar

Regional presence

Costa Rican Pacific waters

Year-round

FECOP reports mahi-mahi throughout the year on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Regional presence does not imply constant abundance or guaranteed viewing.

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

Mahi-mahi are harvested directly and can also be caught incidentally in tuna and swordfish fisheries. Fast growth does not remove the need to monitor fishing pressure.

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Nature Field Guide

Managua Skink

Spanish name
Escinco de Managua
Scientific name
Mesoscincus managuae
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest

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 Managua Skink

  • Smooth elongated brown body

  • Dark lengthwise lines

  • Short legs and a long tapering tail

Habitat & range

Seasonally dry northwestern Costa Rica, with documented records from Guanacaste including the Ocotal and Diriá areas.

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

Mangrove Tree Boa

Spanish name
Boa arborícola del Pacífico
Scientific name
Corallus ruschenbergerii
Reptiles Estuary & Mangroves · 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 Mangrove Tree Boa

  • Long branch-climbing body

  • Brown-to-tan camouflage

  • Gripping tail and a distinct head

Habitat & range

Southwestern Costa Rican forests and wooded coastal habitats, including the South Pacific.

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

Mantled Howler Monkey

Spanish name
Mono congo / Mono aullador
Scientific name
Alouatta palliata
Mammals Estuary & Mangroves · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “We heard the monkeys before we could see them!”

Tati: “Let’s stay quiet and see what they’re doing in the branches.”

Identification

Key Features of the Mantled Howler Monkey

  • A mostly dark coat with a lighter mantle along the sides.

  • A long, grasping tail used while moving through trees.

  • Deep calls that may carry beyond the visible group.

Habitat & range

Tropical forest canopy and wooded corridors. Around the estuary, observe canopy habitat from a guided route rather than following animals into the forest.

Seasonal Calendar

Breeding

General species biology; local schedule unverified

Year-round

Mantled howlers breed throughout the year. Species-level biology, not a schedule of births in a particular troop.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Never offer food or try to touch a monkey. Avoid playback and shouting, and give groups space to move through the canopy.

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Nature Field Guide

Many-scaled Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de muchas escamas
Scientific name
Anolis polylepis
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 Many-scaled Anole

  • Slender brown body

  • Long hind legs and a fine tail

  • Orange male throat fan when naturally displayed

Habitat & range

Humid Central and South Pacific forests and foothills, including San Vito. Osa populations have also been treated as Anolis osa in some references.

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

Margay

Spanish name
Caucel / Tigrillo
Scientific name
Leopardus wiedii
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Could a cat move down a tree like that?”

Tati: “Its climbing adaptations belong in a connected forest.”

Protected Near Threatened

Identification

Key Features of the Margay

  • Small spotted cat with a relatively long tail.

  • Large eyes and rounded ears.

  • Agile climbing; verify identity with a guide.

Habitat & range

Forested habitat in Corcovado National Park and other suitable connected landscapes.

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 and fragmentation threaten habitat. Illegal hunting has also affected the species.

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

Mexican Burrowing Python

Spanish name
Boa excavadora / Pitón excavadora
Scientific name
Loxocemus bicolor
Reptiles Tropical Dry Forest

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 Mexican Burrowing Python

  • Stout dark body and pale belly

  • Small wedge-shaped digging head

  • Short tapering tail without a rattle

Habitat & range

Dry and seasonally dry forests of northwestern Costa Rica, particularly Guanacaste.

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

Mexican Hairy Porcupine

Spanish name
Puercoespín
Scientific name
Coendou mexicanus
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

This tree-dwelling porcupine has dark coarse hair that can hide many of its protective quills.

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 Mexican Hairy Porcupine

  • Dark coarse fur with protective quills beneath or among the hairs.

  • Rounded body and a long gripping tail.

  • Usually encountered in trees rather than on the ground.

Habitat & range

Lowland forest, including Guanacaste's tropical 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.

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

Mexican Hogfish

Spanish name
Vieja mexicana
Scientific name
Bodianus diplotaenia
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its tail looks dipped in yellow!”

Tati: “The stripes and sturdy body help us recognize this color phase.”

Identification

Key Features of the Mexican Hogfish

  • Robust wrasse body

  • Two dark stripes in initial phase

  • Yellow tail in initial 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

Mexican Long-nosed Armadillo

Spanish name
Armadillo de nueve bandas mexicano
Scientific name
Dasypus mexicanus
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

This armadillo wears a covering of bony plates, with flexible bands across its middle so it can bend while walking.

Identification

Key Features of the Mexican Long-nosed Armadillo

  • Long tapered snout and upright ears.

  • Flexible bands across the middle of the armored back.

  • Long tail covered with armor; this alone does not confirm the species.

Habitat & range

Forests, forest edges and other suitable wooded landscapes in Costa Rica.

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

The Mammal Diversity Database lists this recently separated species as Not Evaluated, checked October 2026. An older assessment for Dasypus novemcinctus should not be applied automatically.

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Nature Field Guide

Mexican Long-spined Sea Urchin

Spanish name
Erizo de espinas largas
Scientific name
Diadema mexicanum
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Urchins Marine Reef · Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Long spines make a striking silhouette. Pico draws the shape from a distance while Tati notices the shelter around it.

Identification

Key Features of the Mexican Long-spined Sea Urchin

  • Long thin spines extending beyond the body

  • A shelter or opening among rocks may be nearby

  • A silhouette is a clue, not a complete species identification

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

Middle American Ameiva

Spanish name
Ameiva centroamericana
Scientific name
Holcosus festivus
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 Middle American Ameiva

  • Long tail and pointed snout

  • Strong limbs suited to ground movement

  • Contrasting stripes and patterned flanks

Habitat & range

Humid lowlands and forest-edge openings on both slopes, including the southwestern Pacific.

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

Mimic False Coral Snake

Spanish name
Falsa coral imitadora
Scientific name
Erythrolamprus mimus
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 Mimic False Coral Snake

  • Contrasting red, dark and pale bands

  • Slender forest-snake body

  • Coral-snake resemblance

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean and southwestern Pacific forests and foothills, including San Vito.

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

Montezuma Oropendola

Spanish name
Oropéndola de Moctezuma
Scientific name
Psarocolius montezuma
Birds Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those nests hang like long baskets!”

Tati: “We can admire their shape from a distance and leave the colony quiet.”

Identification

Key Features of the Montezuma Oropendola

  • Black head and chestnut body

  • Yellow outer tail feathers

  • Large patterned bill and bare cheek area

Habitat & range

Most frequent in Caribbean lowlands, with distribution through the Reventazon basin and parts of the Central Valley. Local in the northwest, especially near mountain bases; not uniformly common across Guanacaste.

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

Mottled Shore Crab

Spanish name
Cangrejo costero moteado
Scientific name
Pachygrapsus transversus
Coastal Life · Crabs & Hermit Crabs · Marine Life Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico waits for a small movement between rocks. Tati records the difference between a hiding place and a feeding place.

Identification

Key Features of the Mottled Shore Crab

  • A small crab on rocky shore

  • Look for movement near existing crevices

  • Use a verified photograph to compare markings and body proportions

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

Mountain Alligator Lizard

Spanish name
Dragón de altura
Scientific name
Abronia monticola
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Oak 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 Mountain Alligator Lizard

  • Elongated body with short legs

  • Distinct rows of armored-looking scales

  • Brown-gray highland camouflage

Habitat & range

Cool highlands, including the Irazú region and the Talamanca mountain range.

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

Mourning Gecko

Spanish name
Geco enlutado
Scientific name
Lepidodactylus lugubris
Reptiles Forest Edge · Gardens

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 Mourning Gecko

  • Small pale-brown body

  • Paired dark back markings

  • Adhesive toe pads

Habitat & range

Buildings and vegetation in established introduced populations, including documented Pacific coastal areas and Cabo Blanco.

Conservation & care

Observe without catching or moving the gecko. Do not transport reptiles, eggs or occupied plant material between sites. Keep pets away and wash hands after ordinary outdoor exploration.

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

Mussurana

Spanish name
Zopilota / Musurana
Scientific name
Clelia clelia
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 Mussurana

  • Adult dark gray-to-black body

  • Paler underside

  • Juveniles may be red with a dark head and pale collar

Habitat & range

Lowland and lower foothill woodland on both slopes, including humid and secondary forest.

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

Neotropic Cormorant

Spanish name
Cormorán neotropical
Scientific name
Nannopterum brasilianum
Birds · Coastal Birds · Wetland Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico watches a dark swimmer vanish below the surface. Tati looks for its hooked bill when it returns.

Identification

Key Features of the Neotropic Cormorant

  • Dark body and long tail

  • Slender neck

  • Bill with a hooked tip

  • Often dives from the water surface

Habitat & range

Look across sheltered wetlands, lagoons and river margins from permitted trails or a responsible guided boat trip.

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

Neotropical Whipsnake

Spanish name
Sabanera / Corredora de sabana
Scientific name
Masticophis mentovarius
Reptiles Forest Edge · Open Woodland · 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 Neotropical Whipsnake

  • Long slender body

  • Very long whiplike tail

  • Pale chin below a brown-to-olive head

Habitat & range

Northwestern and western Pacific-slope dry and open wooded habitats, including Guanacaste, western lowlands and suitable Central Valley areas.

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

Northern Forest Racer

Spanish name
Corredora de bosque
Scientific name
Dendrophidion percarinatum
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 Northern Forest Racer

  • Slender body and long fine tail

  • Relatively large eyes

  • Narrow crossmarks along the body

Habitat & range

Humid lowland and foothill forests, including southwestern Costa Rica, Monteverde and Caribbean-slope localities.

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

Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo

Spanish name
Armadillo de cola desnuda
Scientific name
Cabassous centralis
Mammals Cloud Forest · Farms & Cultivated Land · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The northern naked-tailed armadillo is a digging specialist.

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 Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo

  • Dark armored body with flexible bands.

  • Mostly unarmored tail with thin, widely spaced plates.

  • Large digging claws and a relatively broad head.

Habitat & range

Forests and wooded edges, including documented Costa Rican secondary-forest sites.

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

IUCN specialist-group account reports Least Concern; checked October 2026. The account stresses limited population knowledge. Least Concern does not mean the animal faces no threats.

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Nature Field Guide

Northern Neotropical River Otter

Spanish name
Nutria mesoamericana
Scientific name
Lontra annectens
Mammals Rivers & Streams

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

This river otter is a water-adapted member of the weasel family.

Identification

Key Features of the Northern Neotropical River Otter

  • Brown streamlined body with a paler throat.

  • Small rounded ears, whiskered muzzle and webbed feet.

  • Long thick tail tapering toward its tip.

Habitat & range

Rivers, streams and wetlands; documented study areas include Tortuguero and the Sarapiquí basin.

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. Stay clear of slippery or unstable banks; do not enter water to follow an animal.

Conservation assessment

Mammal Diversity Database lists this recently separated species as Not Evaluated, checked October 2026. Do not transfer the older Lontra longicaudis assessment automatically.

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Nature Field Guide

Northern Olingo

Spanish name
Olingo norteño
Scientific name
Bassaricyon gabbii
Mammals Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The northern olingo is a forest mammal that moves among branches and eats fruit, with nectar also reported in its diet.

Identification

Key Features of the Northern Olingo

  • Gray-brown fur, rounded ears and a fairly pointed muzzle.

  • Long bushy tail that is not prehensile.

  • Compare several features with a kinkajou; a quick glimpse may be inconclusive.

Habitat & range

Forested canopies, including documented Monteverde sites.

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

Northern Raccoon

Spanish name
Mapache
Scientific name
Procyon lotor
Mammals Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “The rings on its tail are easy to notice!”

Tati: “We keep the rubbish closed so it finds natural food.”

Identification

Key Features of the Northern Raccoon

  • Dark mask across the face.

  • Bold rings along the tail.

  • Rounded ears with pale edges.

Habitat & range

Reserva Sierra Zapote, Las Juntas / Abangares, and other suitable wooded water-edge habitats.

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

Northern Silky Anteater

Spanish name
Hormiguero sedoso norteño
Scientific name
Cyclopes dorsalis
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The northern silky anteater is tiny compared with the northern tamandua already in your guide.

Identification

Key Features of the Northern Silky Anteater

  • Tiny body with soft golden or yellowish fur.

  • Short tapered snout and strong curved foreclaws.

  • Long gripping tail; much smaller than a tamandua.

Habitat & range

Suitable forest canopy, including documented Sarapiquí habitat.

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

Northern Tamandua

Spanish name
Oso hormiguero / Oso colmenero
Scientific name
Tamandua mexicana
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its fur looks like a little vest!”

Tati: “Those claws are tools, so we give it space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Northern Tamandua

  • Pale coat with a dark vest-like pattern.

  • Long narrow snout and strong curved foreclaws.

  • Long grasping tail.

Habitat & range

Corcovado’s forest landscape and other suitable dry or humid woodland.

Seasonal Calendar

Breeding possible

Costa Rica; broad natural-history account

Year-round

ACG describes reproduction possible in any season; no local birth peak is assigned.

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

Road collisions, dog attacks and habitat loss are documented pressures.

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Nature Field Guide

O’Shaughnessy’s Galliwasp

Spanish name
Lagartija de hojarasca
Scientific name
Mesoamericus bilobatus
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 O’Shaughnessy’s Galliwasp

  • Elongated smooth-looking body

  • Four short legs

  • Brown coloration and a long tail

Habitat & range

Humid forests of the Caribbean slope and southwestern Pacific, including a documented population at Tirimbina.

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

Ocellated Anadia

Spanish name
Anadia ocelada
Scientific name
Anadia ocellata
Reptiles Cloud Forest · 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 Ocellated Anadia

  • Elongated body and short limbs

  • Long tapering tail

  • Small eyelike flank markings

Habitat & range

Forested foothill and upland habitats in Costa Rica, including Monteverde, the Aguacate mountains and humid mountain slopes.

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

Ocelot

Spanish name
Manigordo / Ocelote
Scientific name
Leopardus pardalis
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those spots form long patterns!”

Tati: “We can learn from photographs without disturbing a hidden cat.”

Protected 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 Ocelot

  • Dark spots and elongated patterned markings.

  • Rounded ears and large eyes.

  • More robust body than a margay.

Habitat & range

Corcovado forest habitat; ACG also documents Ocelot at Quica, Pitilla.

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, depleted prey, road collisions and illegal hunting are documented pressures.

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

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

Spanish name
Tortuga lora
Scientific name
Lepidochelys olivacea
Marine Life · Reptiles Beach · Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This turtle has plates on its shell.”

Tati: “Comparing different turtles helps us notice the features that tell them apart.”

Identification

Key Features of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

  • An olive or gray-green hard shell.

  • A heart-shaped upper shell with visible plates.

  • A relatively small sea turtle compared with a leatherback.

Habitat & range

Tropical ocean waters, coastal habitats and nesting beaches. The species is recorded by SINAC for Las Baulas.

Seasonal Calendar

Nesting events

Ostional National Wildlife Refuge

Year-round

Ostional reference, not a Tamarindo calendar: arribadas occur across the year, not continuously or on fixed dates. SINAC notes dry-season months may have none and rainy-season months may have multiple events. Confirm timing with the refuge.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Leave turtles, nests and hatchlings undisturbed. Respect closures and do not use lights in nesting habitat. Reduce plastic waste and report distressed wildlife to local authorities.

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Nature Field Guide

Orange-fronted Parakeet

Spanish name
Perico frentinaranja / Catano
Scientific name
Eupsittula canicularis
Birds Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That little flock turns so quickly!”

Tati: “Let’s look for orange above the bill when one lands.”

Identification

Key Features of the Orange-fronted Parakeet

  • Orange forehead above the bill.

  • Pale yellow eye ring and green body.

  • Long pointed tail; agile flock flight.

Habitat & range

Northern Pacific lowlands, Tilaran and Nicoya hills. Occurs locally in the western Central Valley. Regional tags do not imply abundance in every town.

Seasonal Calendar

Year-round presence

Santa Rosa, ACG

Year-round

Source describes presence in nearly any season; La Cruz is the gateway, not the observation site.

Event source ↗

Fledgling family activity

Santa Rosa / lowland ACG

May, Jun

Source describes begging fledglings in May and June; not a fixed date for every nest.

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

ACG documents capture of nestlings for the pet trade outside the protected area. Habitat and safe nesting sites also matter.

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Nature Field Guide

Orangeside Triggerfish

Spanish name
Chancho de costado naranja
Scientific name
Sufflamen verres
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its lower side is orange!”

Tati: “The yellow mark below the mouth helps us compare triggerfish.”

Identification

Key Features of the Orangeside Triggerfish

  • Brown back and orange lower side

  • Yellow diagonal lower-head mark

  • Deep triggerfish body

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

Osprey

Spanish name
Águila pescadora
Scientific name
Pandion haliaetus
Birds · Coastal Birds · Coastal Raptors · Raptors Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico sees a fish hunter high above the water. Tati follows its shape with binoculars while keeping both feet on the trail.

Identification

Key Features of the Osprey

  • White head with broad dark eye stripe

  • Brown back and pale underparts

  • Hooked bill and powerful feet

  • Long angled wings in flight

Habitat & range

Scan exposed branches and the sky above fish-bearing rivers, estuaries and coastal water. Watch from a safe shore 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.

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Nature Field Guide

Pacific Chocolate Chip Sea Star

Spanish name
Estrella chocolate del Pacífico
Scientific name
Nidorellia armata
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Stars & Brittle Stars Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Those bumps might remind Pico of chocolate chips, but this star is a living animal. Tati’s rule is simple: look closely and leave it in the water.

Identification

Key Features of the Pacific Chocolate Chip Sea Star

  • A broad star-shaped outline

  • Conspicuous raised knobs on the upper surface

  • Check Nidorellia armata rather than relying on the common name alone

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

Pacific Cubera Snapper

Spanish name
Pargo dientón
Scientific name
Lutjanus novemfasciatus
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That snapper has such a strong head!”

Tati: “Let’s compare the body bars and tail with other snappers.”

Identification

Key Features of the Pacific Cubera Snapper

  • Large head and mouth

  • Olive or copper body

  • Dusky bars that may fade

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

Pacific Flower Sea Urchin

Spanish name
Erizo de flor del Pacífico
Scientific name
Toxopneustes roseus
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Urchins Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A name can sound delicate even when an animal needs plenty of space. Pico and Tati admire this urchin without touching it.

Identification

Key Features of the Pacific Flower Sea Urchin

  • A rounded urchin body

  • Flower-like surface structures may be visible in a verified photograph

  • Observe the complete animal without contact

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

Pacific Ghost Crab

Spanish name
Cangrejo fantasma del Pacífico
Scientific name
Ocypode gaudichaudii
Coastal Life · Crabs & Hermit Crabs · Marine Life Beach

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A tiny trail across the sand gives Pico a clue. Tati wonders whether the animal is nearby or hidden below.

Identification

Key Features of the Pacific Ghost Crab

  • A crab moving over beach sand

  • Eyes carried above the body on stalks

  • Tracks and burrows are clues but not proof of species

Habitat & range

Sandy beach above the wash of the waves. Observe tracks and any naturally visible crabs from a distance.

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

Pacific Graysby

Spanish name
Cabrilla panameña
Scientific name
Cephalopholis panamensis
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “I spotted a dark patch beside its eye!”

Tati: “Now let’s check the narrow bars and rounded tail.”

Identification

Key Features of the Pacific Graysby

  • Narrow dark vertical bars

  • Dark patch behind the eye

  • Rounded 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

Pacific Land Hermit Crab

Spanish name
Cangrejo ermitaño terrestre del Pacífico
Scientific name
Coenobita compressus
Coastal Life · Crabs & Hermit Crabs · Marine Life Beach · Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico calls it a traveling home. Tati remembers that an apparently empty shell may already belong to a crab.

Identification

Key Features of the Pacific Land Hermit Crab

  • A hermit crab walking on land

  • A shell carried over the abdomen

  • Visible legs and claws can retreat inside the opening

Habitat & range

Coastal vegetation and adjacent ground. Stay on established routes and do not search inside burrows.

Conservation & care

Adults are adapted to life on land. Do not place the crab in water, remove its shell, collect it or keep it as a pet. Leave coastal shelters undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Pacific Sailfish

Spanish name
Pez vela
Scientific name
Istiophorus platypterus
Billfish · Marine Fish · Marine Life Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its fin looks like a sail!”

Tati: “That tall fin is our best first clue.”

Identification

Key Features of the Pacific Sailfish

  • A very tall sail-like first dorsal fin.

  • A long slender bill.

  • A slender blue-and-silver body.

Habitat & range

Warm Pacific marine waters, including offshore areas.

Seasonal Calendar

Regional presence

Costa Rican Pacific waters

Year-round

FECOP reports sailfish can be encountered throughout the year in Costa Rica. Concentrations vary between northern and central/southern waters. This is regional presence, not a fixed migration season.

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

Incidental capture in tuna fisheries and other fishing pressure can affect sailfish.

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Nature Field Guide

Pacific White Sea Urchin

Spanish name
Erizo blanco del Pacífico
Scientific name
Tripneustes depressus
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Urchins Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico notices a rounded shape on the seabed. Tati wants to compare its small details with other urchins.

Identification

Key Features of the Pacific White Sea Urchin

  • A rounded body

  • Relatively short spines

  • Confirm the species with a correctly labeled reference image

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

Painted Wood Turtle

Spanish name
Tortuga de bosque pintada
Scientific name
Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima
Reptiles Open Woodland · Rivers & Streams · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the painted wood turtle. Compare its walking feet with a sea turtle’s flippers using photographs. How does each shape suit its habitat?

Identification

Key Features of the Painted Wood Turtle

  • Domed brown shell with variable markings.

  • Red or orange markings around the head and limbs.

  • Walking feet rather than sea-turtle flippers.

Habitat & range

Northwestern Pacific Costa Rica, south toward the Tarcoles and Carara area. Uses seasonally dry woodland, scrub and moist gallery forest near streams. The reviewed natural-range sources do not support a general South Pacific assignment.

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

Panama Hermit Crab

Spanish name
Cangrejo ermitaño panameño
Scientific name
Clibanarius panamensis
Coastal Life · Crabs & Hermit Crabs · Marine Life Estuary & Mangroves · Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A shell can be both a clue and a hiding place. Pico and Tati practice patience while its resident decides whether to appear.

Identification

Key Features of the Panama Hermit Crab

  • Legs or claws extending from a shell

  • An animal carrying the shell as it moves

  • Check the crab’s features with a specialist reference

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

Panamic Fanged Blenny

Spanish name
Blenio de colmillos
Scientific name
Ophioblennius steindachneri
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This fish has a long, low body!”

Tati: “Its blunt head and tiny head appendages give us more clues.”

Identification

Key Features of the Panamic Fanged Blenny

  • Long dark body

  • Short blunt head

  • Small fleshy head appendages

Habitat & range

Shallow Pacific rocky reefs with surge; observe from a safe guided route.

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

Panamic Sergeant Major

Spanish name
Sargento mayor
Scientific name
Abudefduf troschelii
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That fish is wearing stripes!”

Tati: “Those are vertical bars. Let’s count them and check its yellow back.”

Identification

Key Features of the Panamic Sergeant Major

  • Five vertical black bars

  • Yellow upper back

  • Deep silver body and 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

Pencil Sea Urchin

Spanish name
Erizo lapicero
Scientific name
Eucidaris thouarsii
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Urchins Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Why do some spines look more like pencils than needles? Pico and Tati compare photographs before trying to name an urchin.

Identification

Key Features of the Pencil Sea Urchin

  • Thick pencil-like primary spines

  • A compact body among the spines

  • Compare with Eucidaris thouarsii, not an unlabeled aquarium photograph

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

Picado’s Pitviper

Spanish name
Mano de piedra costarricense
Scientific name
Atropoides picadoi
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 Picado’s Pitviper

  • Very robust body

  • Broad head and rough-looking keeled scales

  • Dark angular blotches on a lighter background

Habitat & range

Wet Caribbean-slope forests, including northern foothills and the Central Volcanic and Talamanca mountain systems.

Conservation & care

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

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

Proboscis Bat

Spanish name
Murciélago narigón
Scientific name
Rhynchonycteris naso
Mammals Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The proboscis bat is a tiny insect-eating bat with an elongated muzzle.

Identification

Key Features of the Proboscis Bat

  • Small grizzled gray-brown bat with a long muzzle.

  • Two faint pale back stripes.

  • Pale tufts spaced along the forearms; similar bats require expert comparison.

Habitat & range

Freshwater-associated habitats with suitable exposed roosting surfaces.

Conservation & care

Observe bats from a distance with an adult or guide. Do not touch, feed or handle any bat, including one found on the ground. Leave roosts undisturbed, avoid direct flash and ask local wildlife professionals for help if an animal appears injured.

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Nature Field Guide

Puffing Snake

Spanish name
Pajarera / Culebra pajarera
Scientific name
Phrynonax poecilonotus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest · 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 Puffing Snake

  • Large elongated forest snake

  • Variable colors and darker markings

  • Distinct head and long climbing body

Habitat & range

Forests and wooded edges on both Costa Rican slopes, including lowlands and foothills; documented in the Monteverde area.

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

Puma

Spanish name
Puma / León de montaña
Scientific name
Puma concolor
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This cat has no rosettes!”

Tati: “Its shape helps us tell it apart from a jaguar.”

Identification

Key Features of the Puma

  • Uniform tawny adult coat, without jaguar rosettes.

  • Long tail with a darker tip.

  • Relatively small head and long legs.

Habitat & range

Reserva Sierra Zapote, Las Juntas district, Abangares, and suitable forests elsewhere in Costa Rica.

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 fragmentation and loss of prey are habitat-level pressures relevant to wide-ranging predators.

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Nature Field Guide

Pyramid Sea Star

Spanish name
Estrella pirámide
Scientific name
Pharia pyramidata
Coastal Life · Marine Life · Sea Stars & Brittle Stars Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

How would you draw a star that belongs to the ocean? Pico starts with the outline. Tati adds the small details she notices.

Identification

Key Features of the Pyramid Sea Star

  • A star-shaped body

  • Arms extending from the center

  • Surface details best recorded with a close photograph taken without disturbance

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

Rainforest Hognosed Pitviper

Spanish name
Tamagá
Scientific name
Porthidium nasutum
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 Rainforest Hognosed Pitviper

  • Pointed upturned snout

  • Stout body and short tail

  • Dark blotches and a narrow back line

Habitat & range

Caribbean lowlands and foothills and southwestern Pacific wet forests, mainly below the higher mountain zones.

Conservation & care

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

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

Razor Surgeonfish

Spanish name
Navajón barbero
Scientific name
Prionurus laticlavius
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “A yellow tail behind a gray body!”

Tati: “Look at the shape too. We keep our hands away from the tail base.”

Identification

Key Features of the Razor Surgeonfish

  • Gray oval body

  • Bright yellow tail

  • Bony structures at tail base

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

Red-legged Honeycreeper

Spanish name
Mielero patirrojo
Scientific name
Cyanerpes cyaneus
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Why are its feet so red?”

Tati: “Those red legs help us identify it, even when the body colors differ.”

Identification

Key Features of the Red-legged Honeycreeper

  • Bright red legs

  • Slender decurved bill

  • Breeding male blue with turquoise crown

Habitat & range

Wooded lowlands, forest edges, gardens and plantations. Common in northern Pacific areas and parts of Rio Frio; elsewhere on the Caribbean slope it is more local. Also occurs in the southern Pacific.

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

Red-tailed Squirrel

Spanish name
Ardilla de cola roja
Scientific name
Sciurus granatensis
Mammals Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Red-tailed squirrels are active during the day and move readily through trees.

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 Red-tailed Squirrel

  • Bushy tail and a typical tree-squirrel body shape.

  • Coat and tail may have reddish, brown or darker tones.

  • Color varies; compare locality and multiple features with other squirrels.

Habitat & range

Forests and other suitably 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.

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

Redback Coffee Snake

Spanish name
Dormilona común / Culebra de cafetal
Scientific name
Ninia sebae
Reptiles Farms & Cultivated Land · 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 Redback Coffee Snake

  • Red or brick-colored upper body

  • Dark head

  • Pale neck collar and small eyes

Habitat & range

Lowland and foothill ground cover in suitable wooded and disturbed habitats on both slopes.

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

Resplendent Quetzal

Spanish name
Quetzal
Scientific name
Pharomachrus mocinno
Birds Cloud Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Can you find green feathers among the green leaves?”

Tati: “Let’s watch the fruiting trees quietly.”

Near Threatened

Identification

Key Features of the Resplendent Quetzal

  • Shimmering green upperparts and a red belly.

  • Adult males have very long upper-tail feathers.

  • Look in forest trees, especially where fruit is available.

Habitat & range

Forested mountains from the Tilaran range south through the Central and Talamanca ranges, principally cloud forest at suitable elevations. Lower-elevation seasonal movements need site-specific treatment.

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

Forest loss and fragmentation can remove nesting cavities and interrupt access to seasonal feeding habitat.

Conservation assessment

American Bird Conservancy reports Near Threatened and a decreasing population trend. Source checked 7 October 2026. This is a global species category, not a count of birds in the tagged towns.

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Nature Field Guide

Rhombic Cat-eyed Snake

Spanish name
Culebra ojo de gato / Escombrera
Scientific name
Leptodeira rhombifera
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest · Wetlands

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 Rhombic Cat-eyed Snake

  • Large eyes

  • Dark rhombic or saddle-shaped back blotches

  • Slender body and long tail

Habitat & range

Lowland and foothill habitats, with published Costa Rican observations in Guanacaste and the Pacific landscape.

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

Ringed Snail-eating Snake

Spanish name
Caracolera anillada
Scientific name
Sibon annulatus
Reptiles Cloud Forest · 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 Ringed Snail-eating Snake

  • Slender body with contrasting rings

  • Large eyes

  • Branch-climbing posture

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean-slope forest and foothills, with records around Cartago and northern mountain forests.

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

Roadside Hawk

Spanish name
Gavilán chapulinero
Scientific name
Rupornis magnirostris
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “I can see stripes across its belly!”

Tati: “Those bars and its yellow eye help us check the identification.”

Identification

Key Features of the Roadside Hawk

  • Yellow eye

  • Rufous-and-white barred belly

  • Broad dark tail bands

Habitat & range

Lowland woodland edges, second growth and open country with trees on both slopes. More frequent in northern Pacific lowlands; local in the Central Valley and other areas.

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

Roseate Spoonbill

Spanish name
Espátula rosada
Scientific name
Platalea ajaja
Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Why does its bill widen at the end?”

Tati: “Let’s watch how it moves through the water.”

Identification

Key Features of the Roseate Spoonbill

  • Pink plumage, often paler in young birds.

  • Long bill with a broad, flattened spoon tip.

  • Side-to-side bill sweeping in shallow water.

Habitat & range

Shallow wetlands around Tempisque, Rio Frio and the Gulf of Nicoya, with smaller numbers elsewhere along the Pacific coast. Rare inland or Caribbean records are not used as core regional tags.

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

Altered wetland water conditions can affect feeding habitat. Disturbance at nesting colonies can cause abandonment; keep boats and observers at a respectful distance.

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Nature Field Guide

Rough-clawed Rock Crab

Spanish name
Cangrejo de roca de pinzas rugosas
Scientific name
Eriphia squamata
Coastal Life · Crabs & Hermit Crabs · Marine Life Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico notices the claws first. Tati checks the rest of the body before deciding what to write in the journal.

Identification

Key Features of the Rough-clawed Rock Crab

  • A broad carapace

  • Bumpy or rough-looking claw surfaces

  • Several features must agree for a confident identification

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

Royal Tern

Spanish name
Pagaza real
Scientific name
Thalasseus maximus
Birds · Coastal Birds · Seabirds Beach · Ocean · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico notices an orange bill above the tideline. Tati sketches the crest before the tern returns to fishing.

Identification

Key Features of the Royal Tern

  • Large orange pointed bill

  • Pale gray back and white body

  • Black legs

  • Dark rear crest, with a white forehead outside breeding

Habitat & range

Scan coastal waters and undisturbed shoreline resting places from a safe public viewpoint. Keep boats and people away from nesting or resting colonies.

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

Ruddy Turnstone

Spanish name
Vuelvepiedras rojizo
Scientific name
Arenaria interpres
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Rocky Shore · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico watches a little bird investigate beach debris. Tati leaves the shells exactly where they belong.

Identification

Key Features of the Ruddy Turnstone

  • Short stout slightly upturned bill

  • Orange legs

  • Stocky body and dark breast patches

  • Nonbreeding back is brown rather than bright rusty

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Spanish name
Colibrí rabirrufo
Scientific name
Amazilia tzacatl
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That hummingbird has a rusty tail!”

Tati: “Let’s check its bill and belly too.”

Identification

Key Features of the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

  • Rusty rufous tail

  • Green head and chest

  • Reddish bill with dark tip

Habitat & range

Widespread on both slopes from sea level locally to about 1850 m. Flowering gardens, secondary growth and river corridors are useful habitat; occurrence is more local in the dry northwest.

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

Sally Lightfoot Crab

Spanish name
Cangrejo zayapa
Scientific name
Grapsus grapsus
Coastal Life · Crabs & Hermit Crabs · Marine Life Rocky Shore

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A shore crab’s careful steps can make a rocky coast feel like a busy neighborhood. Pico and Tati watch from stable ground.

Identification

Key Features of the Sally Lightfoot Crab

  • A crab on coastal rocks

  • A broad low body with legs extending sideways

  • Compare color, outline and other details together

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

Salmon-bellied Racer

Spanish name
Corredora de vientre salmón
Scientific name
Mastigodryas melanolomus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Dry 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 Salmon-bellied Racer

  • Slender long-tailed body

  • Brown-to-olive upper surfaces

  • Pale or salmon-colored underside

Habitat & range

Pacific-slope forest, edges and foothill landscapes, including northwestern Costa Rica, San Luis de Monteverde and the South Pacific.

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

Salvin’s Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de Salvin
Scientific name
Anolis salvini
Reptiles Cloud Forest · 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 Salvin’s Anole

  • Short legs and compact outline

  • Mottled barklike pattern

  • Mountain-forest setting

Habitat & range

Pacific premontane and lower montane forests of Talamanca, from the central-southern highlands toward the Panama border.

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

Scalloped Hammerhead Shark

Spanish name
Tiburón martillo común
Scientific name
Sphyrna lewini
Marine Life · Sharks Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its head is shaped like a hammer!”

Tati: “The curves and notches help us distinguish this species from other hammerheads.”

Critically Endangered

Identification

Key Features of the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark

  • A broad hammer-shaped head with a central front notch.

  • A curved, scalloped front edge to the head.

  • A streamlined body and tall first dorsal fin.

Habitat & range

Warm coastal and offshore waters, including island-associated marine habitats 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.

Threats & pressures

Fishing for fins and meat, incidental capture and pressure on coastal nursery areas affect the species. Sources describe risks across its range; these are not measurements of loss at Isla del Coco.

Conservation assessment

Global IUCN category reported by the Convention on Migratory Species and Florida Museum: Critically Endangered. The linked CMS page does not provide the underlying assessment date. Checked 7 October 2026. This is not a local population count.

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Nature Field Guide

Scarlet Macaw

Spanish name
Lapa roja
Scientific name
Ara macao
Birds Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those wings have three colors to discover!”

Tati: “Let’s listen, look up and give the pair room to fly.”

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 Scarlet Macaw

  • Red body with yellow and blue wing feathers.

  • Long pointed tail and large pale upper bill.

  • Loud calls; birds may fly in pairs.

Habitat & range

Important populations occur around Carara and the Osa Peninsula. Guanacaste includes restored populations around Punta Islita; this does not imply occurrence throughout the region.

Seasonal Calendar

Breeding

Costa Rica; broad national window

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec

Broad reported window, not a dated Carara nesting forecast.

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

Forest loss removes feeding and nesting trees. Capture for the pet trade also affects populations; global status does not describe every local population.

Conservation assessment

World Parrot Trust reports IUCN Least Concern; local declines are still documented. Source checked 7 October 2026. This is a global species category, not a count of birds in the tagged towns.

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Nature Field Guide

Scarlet-rumped Tanager

Spanish name
Tangara de Passerini
Scientific name
Ramphocelus passerinii
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “I saw a bright red flash near its tail!”

Tati: “That rump patch is the clue. The male’s head stays black.”

Identification

Key Features of the Scarlet-rumped Tanager

  • Male black with scarlet rump

  • Pale silvery bill

  • Female plumage differs strongly

Habitat & range

Humid lowlands and foothills, secondary growth and wooded gardens on the Caribbean and Pacific slopes. This profile follows the current Costa Rican checklist's combined Scarlet-rumped Tanager treatment, including the southern Pacific form formerly called Cherrie's Tanager.

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

Semipalmated Plover

Spanish name
Chorlitejo semipalmado
Scientific name
Charadrius semipalmatus
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico follows a run, then a stop. Tati notices one breast band on a small round shorebird.

Identification

Key Features of the Semipalmated Plover

  • Small compact brown-and-white body

  • One dark breast band

  • Short bill and orange legs

  • Run-and-pause feeding

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Side-striped Palm Pitviper

Spanish name
Lora venenosa
Scientific name
Bothriechis lateralis
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge

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 Side-striped Palm Pitviper

  • Thin pale line along each side

  • Adults often green; juveniles may be brown

  • Climbing body with a gripping tail

Habitat & range

Mountain forests and wooded agricultural landscapes of Costa Rica, including Monteverde and the central and Talamanca ranges.

Conservation & care

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

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

Slender Anole

Spanish name
Anolis delgado
Scientific name
Anolis limifrons
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 Slender Anole

  • Slender brown-to-gray body

  • Long limbs and tail

  • Often perched on low narrow twigs

Habitat & range

Humid forest edges and regenerating vegetation on the Caribbean slope and in the Central and South Pacific.

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

Snowy Egret

Spanish name
Garceta patiamarilla
Scientific name
Egretta thula
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Those yellow feet catch Pico’s attention. Tati waits to see whether the bird uses them while feeding.

Identification

Key Features of the Snowy Egret

  • White body and slim black bill

  • Black legs with yellow feet

  • Often active in shallow water

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

South American Snapping Turtle

Spanish name
Tortuga lagarto / Tortuga mordedora
Scientific name
Chelydra acutirostris
Reptiles Freshwater · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

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 South American Snapping Turtle

  • Large powerful head

  • Long tail with raised scales

  • Rough shell and strong clawed limbs

Habitat & range

Freshwater wetlands and rivers in Costa Rican lowlands, on both slopes where suitable habitat remains.

Conservation & care

Observe from a safe distance with an adult. Keep hands and pets away from the head and water’s edge. Do not lift, move, feed or handle a snapping turtle, and never lift any turtle by its tail.

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

Southern Bromeliad Boa

Spanish name
Boa de bromelias
Scientific name
Ungaliophis panamensis
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 Southern Bromeliad Boa

  • Small boa with darker blotches

  • Slender climbing body

  • Often concealed among dense plant growth

Habitat & range

Caribbean-slope humid forest, including Barra del Colorado, and Pacific forests south of the Río Grande de Tárcoles.

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

Southern Spotted Skunk

Spanish name
Zorro hediondo manchado
Scientific name
Spilogale angustifrons
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

This small skunk has a dark coat patterned with broken pale stripes and patches.

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 Southern Spotted Skunk

  • Small slender skunk with contrasting black-and-white markings.

  • Broken pale stripes and patches rather than just two broad back stripes.

  • Bushy tail; markings can vary among individuals.

Habitat & range

Suitable dry-forest and edge habitats, with research records in Guanacaste.

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. If a skunk notices you, give it room and calmly move away.

Conservation assessment

Global IUCN category reported by Mammal Diversity Database, checked October 2026. A global Least Concern category does not replace Costa Rican national threat classifications.

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Nature Field Guide

Speckled Racer

Spanish name
Corredora moteada
Scientific name
Drymobius margaritiferus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Wetlands

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 Speckled Racer

  • Dark body with many pale scale centers

  • Long tail and slender build

  • Speckled rather than broadly banded pattern

Habitat & range

Lowland and foothill habitats on both slopes, including northwestern and western Pacific areas and humid Caribbean landscapes.

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

Spectacled Caiman

Spanish name
Caimán de anteojos
Scientific name
Caiman crocodilus
Reptiles Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the spectacled caiman. Compare verified caiman and American crocodile photographs. Draw the eye ridge without treating it as a field safety test.

Identification

Key Features of the Spectacled Caiman

  • Bony ridge between the eyes.

  • Armored back and muscular tail.

  • Broad crocodilian head and body.

Habitat & range

Suitable lowland freshwater wetlands, rivers and ponds in Costa Rica.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a guide-approved viewing location. Stay away from water edges, never swim or wade where crocodilians may occur, and never feed or approach one. Keep children and pets well away from banks.

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Nature Field Guide

Spinner Dolphin

Spanish name
Delfín tornillo
Scientific name
Stenella longirostris
Mammals Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Spinner dolphins are slender dolphins with long narrow beaks.

Identification

Key Features of the Spinner Dolphin

  • Slender body and a noticeably long narrow beak.

  • Dorsal fin often triangular; shape varies with regional form.

  • Spinning leaps can occur, but behavior alone does not confirm species.

Habitat & range

Costa Rican Pacific marine waters, with locally variable distribution.

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

Spotted Coffee Snake

Spanish name
Culebra cafetalera manchada
Scientific name
Ninia maculata
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 Spotted Coffee Snake

  • Small dark-headed snake

  • Keeled scales and dark crossmarks

  • Spotted underside studied from references only

Habitat & range

Humid forest and foothill habitats on both slopes, including Monteverde, central highland margins 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.

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Nature Field Guide

Spotted Rose Snapper

Spanish name
Pargo de la mancha
Scientific name
Lutjanus guttatus
Marine Life Coastal Seafloor · Marine Reef · Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Meet the fish Yeyo shares with Pico and Tati. Spotted rose snapper lives in the eastern Pacific, including Costa Rica’s coastal waters. Look for a silvery-pink body, fine slanting golden-brown stripes and a dark blotch below the dorsal fin.

This fish eats crustaceans and small fish. Researchers in Costa Rica’s Gulf of Nicoya have studied its diet and its role in local fishing. It connects an underwater food web with the meals coastal families prepare and share.

In our story, Yeyo names his catch before lunch. Tati notices the spot, and Pico learns that there is more to discover about a fish than how delicious it smells.

Identification

Key Features of the Spotted Rose Snapper

  • A moderately deep, oval body with a silvery-pink sheen.

  • Fine oblique golden-brown stripes along the sides.

  • A prominent dark blotch high on the side beneath the dorsal fin; the mark can change in intensity.

  • A continuous dorsal fin and a nearly straight or slightly indented tail.

Habitat & range

Pacific coastal waters, including sandy bays and reef-associated habitats. Young fish often use shallow sandy bays.

Conservation & care

Keep fishing line and plastic out of the sea. Observe fish without feeding or chasing them. If your family fishes, follow current local rules and learn from a responsible local fisher.

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Nature Field Guide

Spotted Sandpiper

Spanish name
Andarríos maculado
Scientific name
Actitis macularius
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Rivers & Streams

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico looks for spots but finds a plain white belly. Tati learns that the name does not describe every season.

Identification

Key Features of the Spotted Sandpiper

  • Brown back and white underparts

  • Frequent tail bobbing

  • Short straight bill

  • Belly spots may be absent outside breeding

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Spotted Sharpnose Puffer

Spanish name
Tamboril bonito
Scientific name
Canthigaster punctatissima
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That puffer has a tiny pointed nose!”

Tati: “Let’s compare its pale dots and snout with other puffers.”

Identification

Key Features of the Spotted Sharpnose Puffer

  • Pointed snout

  • Dense pale blue-white dots

  • Small fins near the rear

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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Nature Field Guide

Starry Grouper

Spanish name
Cabrilla pinta
Scientific name
Epinephelus labriformis
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It looks covered in stars!”

Tati: “The white patches and dark tail-base saddle help identify it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Starry Grouper

  • Olive body with white marks

  • Black saddle on upper tail base

  • Rounded tail and broad mouth

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

Stream Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de quebrada
Scientific name
Anolis oxylophus
Reptiles Rivers & Streams · 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 Stream Anole

  • Slender body and long tail

  • Brownish camouflage

  • Perches close to forest streams

Habitat & range

Caribbean-slope streams and humid northern foothills; the type locality is Sipurio in 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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Striped Glasstail

Spanish name
Hojarasquera de cola frágil
Scientific name
Urotheca guentheri
Reptiles Cloud Forest · 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 Striped Glasstail

  • Slender body with lengthwise stripes

  • Long delicate tail

  • Ground-dwelling forest posture

Habitat & range

Northern and Caribbean-facing wet forests, the Tilarán range on both slopes and southern Pacific-facing Talamanca. Documented near La Fortuna.

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

Striped Hog-nosed Skunk

Spanish name
Zorro hediondo de nariz de cerdo
Scientific name
Conepatus semistriatus
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The striped hog-nosed skunk has a broad bare nose that helps distinguish it from other skunks.

Identification

Key Features of the Striped Hog-nosed Skunk

  • Broad bare hog-like nose on an extended muzzle.

  • Dark body with two broad pale back stripes.

  • Bushy tail, often mostly white.

Habitat & range

Seasonally dry forests, shrublands and suitable open woodland 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. If a skunk notices you, give it room and calmly move away.

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Nature Field Guide

Striped Marlin

Spanish name
Marlín rayado
Scientific name
Kajikia audax
Billfish · Marine Fish · Marine Life Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “I can see blue stripes along its sides!”

Tati: “We should check the shape too—other marlin can show stripes.”

Identification

Key Features of the Striped Marlin

  • A long bill and streamlined body.

  • Vertical blue bars that may vary in intensity.

  • A tall front portion of the first dorsal fin.

Habitat & range

Tropical and subtropical Pacific and Indian Ocean waters.

Seasonal Calendar

Regional presence

Costa Rican offshore waters

Year-round

FECOP reports striped marlin throughout the year in Costa Rican offshore waters. No fixed Tamarindo migration or spawning calendar is established here.

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

Striped marlin are caught incidentally in pelagic longline fisheries. Fishing pressure differs between assessed Pacific stocks.

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Nature Field Guide

Summer Tanager

Spanish name
Tangara veranera
Scientific name
Piranga rubra
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Even its wings are red!”

Tati: “That helps us compare it with the scarlet tanager.”

Identification

Key Features of the Summer Tanager

  • Adult male entirely red

  • Hefty pale bill

  • Female yellowish and young males patchy

Habitat & range

A migrant and nonbreeding visitor, generally mid-September through April. Uses forest, edges and wooded gardens on both slopes, with fewer birds at higher elevations.

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

Sunbittern

Spanish name
Garza del sol
Scientific name
Eurypyga helias
Birds Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its folded wings look so different from its open wings!”

Tati: “We will wait for natural movement instead of startling it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Sunbittern

  • Dark head with white stripes.

  • Long bill and slender neck.

  • Orange-chestnut wing pattern visible in a natural display.

Habitat & range

Wooded streams in Caribbean foothills and adjoining lowlands and the southern Pacific. Usually around 100–1200 m, locally higher in Coto Brus.

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

Smithsonian identifies habitat loss as a pressure on Sunbittern populations.

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Nature Field Guide

Swift Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de montaña
Scientific name
Anolis tropidolepis
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Oak Forest

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 Swift Anole

  • Small brown mountain anole

  • Long tail and slender limbs

  • Subtle darker markings on a camouflaged back

Habitat & range

High-elevation forest in the Costa Rican mountains, including Irazú, Monteverde and the Dota highlands.

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

Swordfish

Spanish name
Pez espada
Scientific name
Xiphias gladius
Billfish · Marine Fish · Marine Life Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its bill looks like a sword!”

Tati: “It is flatter and broader than a marlin’s bill.”

Identification

Key Features of the Swordfish

  • A long broad, flattened sword-like bill.

  • A dark upper body and lighter underside.

  • A streamlined body with a crescent-shaped tail.

Habitat & range

Open-ocean surface and deeper 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

Commercial and recreational fishing affect swordfish. Managing this migratory species requires international cooperation; assessments vary by stock.

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Nature Field Guide

Taylor’s Leaf-litter Lizard

Spanish name
Lagartija de hojarasca de Taylor
Scientific name
Alopoglossus plicatus
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 Taylor’s Leaf-litter Lizard

  • Elongated body with four short legs

  • Lengthwise flank markings

  • Long tail and overlapping scales

Habitat & range

Caribbean-slope wet forest and southwestern Pacific forest, including Turrialba, Limón and the San Vito region.

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

Tayra

Spanish name
Tolomuco
Scientific name
Eira barbara
Mammals Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That animal moves quickly on the ground and in trees!”

Tati: “Let’s watch without trying to keep up.”

Identification

Key Features of the Tayra

  • Long dark body with short legs.

  • Often a paler gray head.

  • Long bushy tail and agile climbing.

Habitat & range

Tortuguero’s Caño Chiquero–Mora aquatic route and surrounding rainforest.

Seasonal Calendar

Breeding possible

Costa Rica; broad natural-history account

Year-round

ACG describes reproduction throughout the year; no fixed Tortuguero birth months are established.

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

Deforestation, forest fires and persecution around poultry or small farm animals are documented pressures.

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Nature Field Guide

Terciopelo

Spanish name
Terciopelo o barba amarilla
Scientific name
Bothrops asper
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the terciopelo. Use a reference photograph to draw one body marking. Practice telling an adult that a snake is present while keeping away.

Identification

Key Features of the Terciopelo

  • Robust body.

  • Dark triangular side markings with lighter edges.

  • A dark stripe behind the eye.

Habitat & range

Especially humid Caribbean and Pacific lowlands; it can also occur in disturbed habitats.

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

Three-wattled Bellbird

Spanish name
Pájaro campana
Scientific name
Procnias tricarunculatus
Birds Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That call sounds like a forest bell!”

Tati: “Let’s look high in the trees without calling it closer.”

Vulnerable

Identification

Key Features of the Three-wattled Bellbird

  • Adult male: white head, chestnut body and three hanging wattles.

  • Females lack the male’s conspicuous wattles.

  • A loud, distinctive call from high forest perches.

Habitat & range

Breeds in mountain forest and moves downslope seasonally. Guanacaste includes mountain habitats; South Pacific includes Talamanca slopes and the General Valley. Not a year-round lowland bird throughout these regions.

Seasonal Calendar

Seasonal presence

Monteverde / Tilarán mountains

Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug

Reported upland presence; not a guarantee of calling, nesting or sightings throughout each month.

Event source ↗

Breeding

Caribbean slope of the Tilarán mountains, east of Monteverde

Feb, Mar, Apr, May

Reported for the Monteverde population; a different area from its later Pacific-slope feeding habitat.

Event source ↗

Post-breeding feeding movement

Pacific slope around Monteverde

Jun, Jul, Aug

Reported movement into fruiting forest; some birds remain into September.

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

Loss of mature forest and breaks in habitat along seasonal movement routes can reduce feeding and breeding opportunities.

Conservation assessment

American Bird Conservancy reports Vulnerable. Source checked 7 October 2026. This is a global species category, not a count of birds in the tagged towns.

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Nature Field Guide

Threebanded Butterflyfish

Spanish name
Mariposa de tres bandas
Scientific name
Chaetodon humeralis
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It looks as thin as a leaf!”

Tati: “Its flattened body and three dark bands give us clues.”

Identification

Key Features of the Threebanded Butterflyfish

  • Flattened oval body

  • Three dark body and head bands

  • Small pointed mouth

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

Tiger Rat Snake

Spanish name
Tigre o serpiente tigre
Scientific name
Spilotes pullatus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the tiger rat snake. Trace the black-and-yellow pattern on a printed reference image. Discuss why identification belongs to trained adults.

Identification

Key Features of the Tiger Rat Snake

  • Long body and tail.

  • Black-and-yellow pattern that varies between individuals.

  • Often seen in vegetation or moving between ground and branches.

Habitat & range

Forests and wooded edges in suitable Costa Rican habitats.

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

Tiger Shark

Spanish name
Tiburón tigre
Scientific name
Galeocerdo cuvier
Marine Life · Sharks Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those stripes explain its name!”

Tati: “They can fade as the shark grows, so shape matters too.”

Identification

Key Features of the Tiger Shark

  • Dark bars or spots, clearest in younger sharks.

  • A broad, blunt snout.

  • A large gray body with a pale underside.

Habitat & range

Warm coastal and offshore seas.

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 and incidental capture can affect tiger sharks. Marine litter also matters because this predator may swallow floating rubbish.

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Nature Field Guide

Tiny Anole

Spanish name
Anolis microtus
Scientific name
Anolis microtus
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 Tiny Anole

  • Large rather than tiny anole

  • Broad head and relatively short legs

  • Green-and-brown camouflage on a long-tailed body

Habitat & range

Premontane and lower montane forest in the Costa Rican highlands, particularly the Talamanca mountain system on both slopes.

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

Tricolored Heron

Spanish name
Garceta tricolor
Scientific name
Egretta tricolor
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico follows a quick turn in the shallows. Tati notices the white belly beneath the darker neck.

Identification

Key Features of the Tricolored Heron

  • Dark blue-gray upperparts

  • White belly and pale front-neck stripe

  • Long slim bill and lively feeding movements

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

Tropical Kingbird

Spanish name
Tirano tropical
Scientific name
Tyrannus melancholicus
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That bird keeps returning to the same branch!”

Tati: “A perch gives a flycatcher a place to watch for food.”

Identification

Key Features of the Tropical Kingbird

  • Gray head without bold white eyebrow

  • Yellow underparts

  • Long dark bill and brown tail

Habitat & range

Widespread in open country, farms, towns and forest clearings, mainly below about 1850 m and less commonly higher. Regional tags apply only where suitable open habitat exists.

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

Turkey Vulture

Spanish name
Zopilote cabecirrojo
Scientific name
Cathartes aura
Birds Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its wings look like a gentle V!”

Tati: “That posture and the pale flight feathers give us clues.”

Identification

Key Features of the Turkey Vulture

  • Red head in adults

  • Pale flight feathers beneath dark wings

  • Longer tail and shallow V in flight

Habitat & range

Widespread over open and wooded landscapes, less numerous at high elevations. Resident birds are joined by migrants, with especially conspicuous passage along Caribbean lowlands.

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

Turnip-tailed Gecko

Spanish name
Geco de cola abultada
Scientific name
Thecadactylus rapicauda
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the turnip-tailed gecko. Compare two verified photographs with different tail shapes. Record a difference without trying to catch a gecko.

Identification

Key Features of the Turnip-tailed Gecko

  • Broad toe pads.

  • Mottled brown or gray body.

  • A thick or swollen tail may be present, especially after regrowth.

Habitat & range

Humid forests, tree trunks and sheltered surfaces in suitable lowland 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.

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Nature Field Guide

Turquoise-browed Motmot

Spanish name
Momoto cejiceleste / Bobo
Scientific name
Eumomota superciliosa
Birds Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “The end of its tail looks like two tiny paddles!”

Tati: “The blue eyebrow gives us another clue.”

Identification

Key Features of the Turquoise-browed Motmot

  • Bright turquoise eyebrow above a dark mask.

  • Long central tail shafts with broad racket tips.

  • Compare head pattern and tail together.

Habitat & range

Dry and gallery woodland in the northern Pacific, south regularly toward Tarcoles. Rare Central Valley occurrences are not used as a core regional tag.

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Two-banded False Coral Snake

Spanish name
Falsa coral de dos bandas
Scientific name
Erythrolamprus bizona
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Dry 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 Two-banded False Coral Snake

  • Dark bands often arranged in pairs

  • Reddish body with narrow pale markings

  • Small head and slender build

Habitat & range

Forest and forest-edge habitats on both slopes; documented in San Luis de Monteverde.

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

Variegated Squirrel

Spanish name
Ardilla variada
Scientific name
Sciurus variegatoides
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This squirrel’s colors are different from the last one!”

Tati: “We should compare shape and tail markings too.”

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 Variegated Squirrel

  • Long bushy tail, often with pale edging.

  • Contrasting ear patches and variable coat color.

  • Tree-dwelling daytime activity.

Habitat & range

The Arenal / La Fortuna landscape, including a documented photograph at Arenal Volcano Lodge.

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.

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

Violet Sabrewing

Spanish name
Ala de sable violáceo
Scientific name
Campylopterus hemileucurus
Birds Cloud Forest · Forest Edge · Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It looked dark until it turned!”

Tati: “Iridescent feathers can change appearance as the light changes.”

Identification

Key Features of the Violet Sabrewing

  • Large hummingbird shape

  • Thick curved bill

  • White outer tail corners

Habitat & range

Humid mountain forest and forest edges on both slopes. Breeding is mainly at middle elevations, with seasonal descent into foothills. Guanacaste means humid mountain habitat, not dry beaches.

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

Virginia Opossum

Spanish name
Zorro pelón de Virginia
Scientific name
Didelphis virginiana
Mammals Farms & Cultivated Land · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Despite its name, the Virginia opossum's native range reaches Costa Rica.

Identification

Key Features of the Virginia Opossum

  • Gray coat, pale face and pink nose.

  • Largely hairless ears, sometimes with pale tips.

  • Long bare tail; ear color alone is not a reliable species test.

Habitat & range

Suitable wooded and edge habitats within Costa Rica; local occurrence 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.

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Nature Field Guide

Water Anole

Spanish name
Anolis acuático
Scientific name
Anolis aquaticus
Reptiles Rivers & Streams · 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 Water Anole

  • Brown body with pale flank markings

  • Long tail

  • Close association with forest streams

Habitat & range

Southwestern Costa Rican stream habitats, with documented records from Osa and research around Las Cruces.

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

Water Opossum

Spanish name
Zorro de agua
Scientific name
Chironectes minimus
Mammals Rivers & Streams · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The water opossum, also called the yapok, is a marsupial adapted to life beside freshwater.

Identification

Key Features of the Water Opossum

  • Silvery gray coat crossed by broad dark markings.

  • Dark facial mask and a long mostly bare tail.

  • Webbed hind feet, best studied in reference photographs.

Habitat & range

Forested freshwater streams and associated riverbanks.

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. Stay clear of slippery or unstable banks; do not enter water to follow an animal.

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Nature Field Guide

West Indian Manatee

Spanish name
Manatí del Caribe
Scientific name
Trichechus manatus
Mammals Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

The West Indian manatee is a large aquatic mammal with a rounded paddle-shaped tail and a whiskered muzzle.

Vulnerable

Identification

Key Features of the West Indian Manatee

  • Large rounded body with gray skin.

  • Blunt whiskered muzzle and two front flippers.

  • Broad rounded paddle tail, without a dolphin's split flukes or dorsal fin.

Habitat & range

Caribbean waterways and wetlands, including Tortuguero.

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.

Conservation assessment

Global species-level IUCN category reported by Mammal Diversity Database, checked October 2026. Subspecies and national categories can differ.

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Nature Field Guide

Western Sandpiper

Spanish name
Correlimos occidental
Scientific name
Calidris mauri
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A tiny gray bird makes Pico slow down. Tati learns that some identifications deserve a question mark.

Identification

Key Features of the Western Sandpiper

  • Very small gray-and-white nonbreeding bird

  • Fine dark bill often slightly downcurved

  • Dark legs

  • Compare carefully with other small sandpipers

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.

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Nature Field Guide

Whale Shark

Spanish name
Tiburón ballena
Scientific name
Rhincodon typus
Marine Life · Sharks Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “A shark with spots—and such a wide mouth!”

Tati: “It is a fish, even though its name includes whale.”

Endangered

Identification

Key Features of the Whale Shark

  • Pale spots and bars across a darker body.

  • A broad, flattened head with a wide front-facing mouth.

  • A very large body with ridges along the sides.

Habitat & range

Tropical and warm marine waters, including offshore feeding areas. Scientific records connect the species to 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.

Threats & pressures

Fisheries and incidental capture, vessel strikes and poorly managed wildlife tourism can affect whale sharks. Threats vary by location.

Conservation assessment

IUCN global assessment dated 31 March 2025, published 2025: Endangered (A2bd). This global assessment is separate from any local count or legal protection in Costa Rica.

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Nature Field Guide

White Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de vientre liso
Scientific name
Anolis laeviventris
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Forest Edge

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 White Anole

  • Small gray-to-brown anole

  • Mottled twig-colored camouflage

  • Fine tapering tail

Habitat & range

Upland forest and edges in Costa Rica, including San Luis de Monteverde and central mountain areas.

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

White Hawk

Spanish name
Gavilán blanco
Scientific name
Pseudastur albicollis
Birds Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “A white shape is circling above the forest!”

Tati: “Let’s compare its wings and tail before naming it.”

Identification

Key Features of the White Hawk

  • Mostly white plumage, with black wing and tail markings.

  • Broad wings while soaring.

  • Patient perching near forest gaps.

Habitat & range

Forested foothills and uneven terrain on the Caribbean side and southern Pacific, locally to about 1400 m. Dry northwestern lowlands are unsuitable.

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

The Peregrine Fund reports declines where forest is cleared for agriculture and livestock.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

White Ibis

Spanish name
Ibis blanco
Scientific name
Eudocimus albus
Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its bill curves down like a little hook.”

Tati: “I wonder what we can learn by watching how it searches for food.”

Identification

Key Features of the White Ibis

  • A long, downward-curving bill.

  • Adults have white plumage with black wing tips.

  • Reddish legs and bill on adults; younger birds are brown and white.

Habitat & range

Strongest around the Tempisque basin and Gulf of Nicoya, with seasonal occurrence in Rio Frio and local Pacific wetlands. Rare scattered records elsewhere are not used to populate every region.

Conservation & care

Keep enough distance that birds continue their natural activity. Stay out of nesting and roosting areas.

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Nature Field Guide

White-faced Capuchin

Spanish name
Mono carablanca
Scientific name
Cebus imitator
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That troop is searching so many branches!”

Tati: “Our snacks are for us, not for the monkeys.”

Protected Vulnerable

Identification

Key Features of the White-faced Capuchin

  • Pale face, chest and shoulders on a dark body.

  • Pinkish bare facial skin.

  • Long grasping tail, often curled at the tip.

Habitat & range

Manuel Antonio National Park near Quepos, in forest habitat rather than food stalls or rubbish areas.

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

Loss of forest affects habitat. Feeding wild troops can encourage dependence on visitor food and conflict around belongings.

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

White-lipped Mud Turtle

Spanish name
Tortuga de barro de labios blancos
Scientific name
Kinosternon leucostomum
Reptiles Freshwater · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the white-lipped mud turtle. Study a verified photo and draw the pale mouth edge. Describe how a turtle can remain hidden without disturbing its shelter.

Identification

Key Features of the White-lipped Mud Turtle

  • Pale markings around the mouth.

  • Small, domed brownish shell.

  • Short legs and a relatively large head.

Habitat & range

Suitable ponds, slow freshwater and damp lowland habitats.

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

White-lipped Peccary

Spanish name
Chancho de monte / Saíno labiblanco
Scientific name
Tayassu pecari
Mammals Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “There may be more animals behind the ones we see!”

Tati: “We keep far away and let the herd pass.”

Protected Vulnerable

Identification

Key Features of the White-lipped Peccary

  • Pale lips and chin on a dark body.

  • No clear neck collar like a Collared Peccary.

  • Can travel in large, closely associated herds.

Habitat & range

Documented ACG rainforest sectors and Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge’s surrounding habitat.

Seasonal Calendar

Breeding possible

Costa Rica; broad natural-history account

Year-round

ACG describes year-round reproduction; local timing and herd movements vary.

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

Clearing and fragmentation for farming and livestock, plus illegal hunting, threaten herds and their habitat.

Documented impact

A 2016 UNED paper reported that the species’ distribution in Costa Rica had contracted by 89%. This is a historical change in occupied range, not an 89% population count or a 2026 census.

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

White-necked Jacobin

Spanish name
Jacobino nuquiblanco
Scientific name
Florisuga mellivora
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its tail opened like a little white fan!”

Tati: “The white tail and blue hood are useful clues in a male.”

Identification

Key Features of the White-necked Jacobin

  • Male has blue hood

  • White belly and tail in males

  • Green back and white nape collar

Habitat & range

Humid lowlands and lower slopes of the Caribbean and southern Pacific, especially forest canopy, clearings and flowering edges. It is not a general dry-northwest garden hummingbird.

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

White-nosed Coati

Spanish name
Pizote
Scientific name
Nasua narica
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those tails are pointing above the leaves!”

Tati: “Let’s let the group pass without offering food.”

Identification

Key Features of the White-nosed Coati

  • Long pointed, flexible snout.

  • Long tail often held upright.

  • Strong claws and brown-to-gray fur.

Habitat & range

Reserva Sierra Zapote, Las Juntas / Abangares; ACG also records coatis at Quica, Pitilla.

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

White-tailed Deer

Spanish name
Venado cola blanca
Scientific name
Odocoileus virginianus
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “I noticed the white tail before the whole deer!”

Tati: “Let’s stay quiet so it can keep browsing.”

Identification

Key Features of the White-tailed Deer

  • White underside of the tail, visible when naturally raised.

  • Large ears and slender legs.

  • Adult males may have antlers; fawns have pale spots.

Habitat & range

ACG dry-forest habitat, including Horizontes near Liberia.

Seasonal Calendar

Reproduction

Costa Rican seasonally dry forest

Year-round

Camera-trap data from 2011–2017 support reproduction throughout the year, with seasonal peaks rather than one exclusive 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

Hunting and human-caused forest fires are locally documented concerns.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

White-throated Magpie-Jay

Spanish name
Urraca copetona
Scientific name
Cyanocorax formosa
Birds Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its crest curls like a little ribbon!”

Tati: “The blue tail and white throat are other good clues.”

Identification

Key Features of the White-throated Magpie-Jay

  • Long blue tail with pale tips

  • Tall curled crest

  • White throat with dark neck markings

Habitat & range

Northern Pacific dry and gallery woodland, extending toward Orotina and San Mateo. A documented Tamarindo photograph supports that local connection. The public scientific name is corrected to Cyanocorax formosa; the permanent import ID stays unchanged.

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

Whitetip Reef Shark

Spanish name
Tiburón punta blanca de arrecife
Scientific name
Triaenodon obesus
Marine Life · Sharks Marine Reef · Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its fins have little white tips!”

Tati: “We need to compare its whole shape, because other sharks can have white markings too.”

Identification

Key Features of the Whitetip Reef Shark

  • White tips on the first dorsal fin and upper tail fin.

  • A slender gray-brown body.

  • May rest on the bottom in reef shelter.

Habitat & range

Reefs and sheltered bottom habitats. The Isla del Coco connection is supported by park and research records.

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

Willet

Spanish name
Pigüilo o playero aliblanco
Scientific name
Tringa semipalmata
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Rocky Shore · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico sees a plain gray shorebird. Tati learns that a bird can reveal a surprising pattern when it takes flight on its own.

Identification

Key Features of the Willet

  • Sturdy long straight bill

  • Long grayish legs

  • Plain gray nonbreeding body

  • Bold black-and-white wings 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

Wood Stork

Spanish name
Cigüeñón
Scientific name
Mycteria americana
Birds · Coastal Birds · Wetland Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico spots a tall white bird with a very different head. Tati checks its heavy bill before comparing it with the egrets.

Identification

Key Features of the Wood Stork

  • White body with black flight feathers

  • Bare dark adult head

  • Heavy slightly curved bill

  • Long legs

Habitat & range

Look across sheltered wetlands, lagoons and river margins from permitted trails or a responsible guided boat trip.

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

Wood’s Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de Wood
Scientific name
Anolis woodi
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 Wood’s Anole

  • Long legs and a narrow tail

  • Olive-to-brown body

  • Bluish eyes can be a useful supporting clue

Habitat & range

Humid mountain forests of the central volcanic range and Talamanca, including the Poás area and the San Vito/Las Cruces region in southern Puntarenas.

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Yellow Snapper

Spanish name
Pargo amarillo
Scientific name
Lutjanus argentiventris
Marine Fish · Marine Life Marine Reef

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This snapper looks red and yellow!”

Tati: “Look below its eye for another small color clue.”

Identification

Key Features of the Yellow Snapper

  • Red front and yellow rear

  • Blue mark below the eye

  • Strong snapper body

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Yellow-bellied Leaf-toed Gecko

Spanish name
Geco de dedos de hoja
Scientific name
Phyllodactylus tuberculosus
Reptiles Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the yellow-bellied leaf-toed gecko. Use a close-up reference image to draw a leaf-like toe tip. Never handle a gecko to inspect its feet.

Identification

Key Features of the Yellow-bellied Leaf-toed Gecko

  • Paired leaf-like expansions at the toe tips.

  • Small raised bumps among the dorsal scales.

  • Brownish or grayish patterned upper surface.

Habitat & range

Pacific dry-forest habitats, rocks, trunks and sheltered surfaces.

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

Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

Spanish name
Serpiente marina de vientre amarillo
Scientific name
Hydrophis platurus
Reptiles Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to discover a reptile adapted to ocean life. Use a reference illustration to compare its swimming tail with the tail of a land snake.

Identification

Key Features of the Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

  • Dark back and yellow underside, usually separated along the length of the body.

  • Flattened, paddle-shaped tail, often with contrasting dark markings.

  • Small head and slender neck; patterns vary between individuals.

Habitat & range

Pacific marine waters off Costa Rica, including coastal and offshore waters. A mostly yellow population occurs in the inner Golfo Dulce.

Conservation & care

Venomous. Never touch, catch or move a sea snake, including one washed onto a beach or appearing dead. Keep children and pets away, step back and tell an adult or trained guide. Do not attempt to return it to the water. Do not use color patterns to decide whether any snake is safe.

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Nature Field Guide

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Spanish name
Martinete cabecipinto
Scientific name
Nyctanassa violacea
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Rocky Shore · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico reads the word night and expects an invisible bird. Tati learns that feeding can also happen in daylight.

Identification

Key Features of the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

  • Adult gray body

  • Dark face with pale cheek and crown

  • Heavy dark bill

  • Juveniles are brown and spotted

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

Yellow-headed Gecko

Spanish name
Geco cabeza amarilla
Scientific name
Gonatodes albogularis
Reptiles Gardens · Tropical Dry Forest · 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 Yellow-headed Gecko

  • Adult male with yellow-orange head

  • Darker male body

  • Small slender toes and round pupils

Habitat & range

Warm lowland woodland, forest edges and sheltered garden settings on both slopes.

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

Yellow-marked Dwarf Gecko

Spanish name
Gequito de marca amarilla
Scientific name
Lepidoblepharis xanthostigma
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 Yellow-marked Dwarf Gecko

  • Very small forest gecko

  • Granular-looking scales

  • Brown camouflage with small lighter markings

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean-slope and southwestern Pacific forest, including the Limón and Sarapiquí areas.

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Yellow-spotted Night Lizard

Spanish name
Lagartija nocturna de manchas amarillas
Scientific name
Lepidophyma flavimaculatum
Reptiles 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 Yellow-spotted Night Lizard

  • Dark body with yellowish spots

  • Broad head

  • Rough-looking scales and long tail

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean-slope lowlands, including northern Costa Rica and the Upala 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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Yellow-throated Toucan

Spanish name
Tucán pico castaño
Scientific name
Ramphastos ambiguus
Birds Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That bill is enormous!”

Tati: “Its yellow and chestnut areas help us compare it with the keel-billed toucan.”

Identification

Key Features of the Yellow-throated Toucan

  • Large yellow-and-chestnut bill

  • Yellow throat and upper chest

  • Mostly dark body

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean lowlands and foothills and the southern Pacific, north toward Carara. Suitable Talamanca forest extends to middle elevations; dry Guanacaste is not core habitat.

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

Yellowfin Tuna

Spanish name
Atún aleta amarilla
Scientific name
Thunnus albacares
Marine Fish · Marine Life Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its fins are bright yellow!”

Tati: “Its streamlined shape gives us a clue about life in open water.”

Identification

Key Features of the Yellowfin Tuna

  • A streamlined, torpedo-shaped body.

  • Metallic dark blue upper body with a lighter underside.

  • Bright yellow fins and finlets; larger adults may have elongated dorsal and anal fins.

Habitat & range

Tropical and subtropical open-ocean waters. The offshore Costa Rican connection is supported by SINAC’s Isla del Coco information.

Seasonal Calendar

Regional presence

Costa Rican pelagic waters

Year-round

FECOP’s good-practice guide reports year-round presence in Costa Rican pelagic waters. Migratory schools move between areas; regional presence does not imply residence of one school.

Event source ↗

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.

Protection & recovery

NOAA summarizes the Eastern Pacific stock as not overfished and not subject to overfishing based on a 2023 stock assessment. This describes a regional fishery stock, not a Costa Rican endangered-species designation or proof of local recovery.

View full profile →

learning adventuresLet the Story Spark a New Adventure.

Keep exploring with Pico and Tati through activities and discoveries inspired by this story. Ask questions. Try something new. Find little ways to care for God’s creation.

Create Your Sea Turtle Mosaic

Sea turtle mosaic made from reused paper

Butterfly Spotters: Make & Explore

A paper butterfly tag beside a rainforest garden

Shell Seekers: Make & Discover

Paper shell crafts beside a Costa Rica beach

exploreExplore Where Wildlife Lives

Every place offers a different window into the animal world. Discover towns near forests, beaches, wetlands, and protected landscapes where families can learn about wildlife.

Follow Pico and Tati to explore these communities and the habitats around them. Choose a town and discover what you might observe along the way.

View All Towns
Sarapiquí River Town Life-2
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí
Jacó's Crescent Beach and Forested Bay
Jacó
La-Fortuna
La Fortuna
Puerto-Viejo-de-Talamanca
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Tortuguero
Tortuguero
Uvita
Uvita
Quepos
Quepos
Puntarenas
Puntarenas — City
Playas-del-Coco
Playas del Coco
Monteverde
Monteverde
Manuel-Antonio
Manuel Antonio
Santa-Teresa
Santa Teresa
Nosara
Nosara
Tamarindo
Tamarindo

bring the adventure homeDiscover the Stories of Pico & Tati

View All Stories
From ocean shores to rainforest trails, join Pico and Tati as they discover the beauty of Costa Rica and the lessons found in everyday life. Each adventure begins with something that sparks their curiosity. A turtle making its way toward the sea. A distant volcano rising above the clouds.

An afternoon helping Abuela prepare a family meal. Pico brings an eagerness to explore while Tati notices the details that invite them to look a little closer. Together they ask questions, learn from their grandparents and discover how their choices affect the world around them. Through moments of joy, challenge and discovery, their stories invite children to practice kindness, appreciate family and recognize God’s love in His creation. Every story is an invitation to explore with an open heart and care for the people, places and creatures we encounter along the way.

Tortilla surprise by the cove-11Pico & Tati: A Basket Full of Kindness

get in touchLet's Keep Exploring Together.

Have a question or an idea to share? We’d love to hear from you. Connect with us about our stories, family activities or bringing Tico Explorers into your classroom.

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Our Pura Vida Promise

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

Our adventures invite families to notice the world together, respect local communities, and leave the places they visit cared for.

 

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