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Barva

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Location

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Central Valley

Towns & nearby places
Barva

explore barvaHighland Traditions & Forest Adventures

Barva combines a traditional town center with access to Heredia’s mountain landscapes. Begin around the square and church, then plan a separate excursion into the hills for coffee or forest trails. The town and the volcano share a name, but they are different stops with different travel needs.

Explore with Pico & Tati
Explore the town first, then choose one highland experience that suits your family. A coffee visit can explain the farms around you, while a prepared mountain walk introduces mossy forest and volcanic scenery. Leave room for a local meal between activities.

Barva Masquerade Traditions

Discover Barva’s traditional masquerades and their place in community celebrations. Ask about scheduled public events or arranged artisan visits; performances and workshop access are not daily attractions.

Barva Town Square

Explore Barva’s central square and traditional streets. Combine a town walk with the nearby church and a local café or bakery for an introduction to this Heredia highland community.

Barva Volcano Forest Trails

Plan a separate mountain outing to the Barva Volcano sector of Braulio Carrillo National Park. Explore cool forest on an open route suited to your group. Confirm road access, admission and trail conditions before traveling.

Café Britt Coffee Experience

Arrange a coffee tour in Mercedes Norte, outside Heredia’s city center. Learn how coffee cherries become roasted beans and explore the growing, processing and preparation of Costa Rican coffee.

Laguna Barva

Explore the trail toward Barva’s crater lagoon on a prepared mountain visit. The route passes highland forest and requires suitable footwear and rain protection. Check current access and choose the hike according to your family’s ability.

San Bartolomé Church — Barva

Visit the church beside Barva’s central square as part of a town-center walk. Appreciate its architectural details and allow space for prayer, services and community activities.

Museo de Cultura Popular

Explore everyday traditions and cultural heritage at this Universidad Nacional museum in Santa Lucía de Barva.

BARVA WEATHER

local life + insider tipsA Little Local Know-How

Do not confuse Barva town with the national park’s Barva Volcano sector. The mountain approach and walking conditions require separate planning. Confirm vehicle access, reservations and trail status with SINAC before setting out; bring rain protection, warm layers and suitable shoes.

Barva combines a traditional town center with access to Heredia’s mountain landscapes. Begin around the square and church, then plan a separate excursion into the hills for coffee or forest trails. The town and the volcano share a name, but they are different stops with different travel needs.

Do not confuse Barva town with the national park’s Barva Volcano sector. The mountain approach and walking conditions require separate planning. Confirm vehicle access, reservations and trail status with SINAC before setting out; bring rain protection, warm layers and suitable shoes.

Explore the town first, then choose one highland experience that suits your family. A coffee visit can explain the farms around you, while a prepared mountain walk introduces mossy forest and volcanic scenery. Leave room for a local meal between activities.

things to doThings to Do Around Barva

Explore Barva’s Town Square

Begin with the central square and the Church of San Bartolomé. Explore the surrounding streets for traditional architecture and include a café or bakery stop in your town walk.

Discover Local Mask Traditions

Explore Barva’s association with traditional masquerades. Ask local cultural contacts about artisan demonstrations or public celebrations during your visit; workshops and festivities require advance confirmation.

Visit a Coffee Experience

Arrange a coffee tour in the surrounding Heredia highlands. Discover how elevation, farming and processing connect the green hills with one of Costa Rica’s best-known products.

Hike Toward Laguna Barva

Plan a separate excursion to the Barva Volcano sector of Braulio Carrillo National Park. Its mountain trails and crater lagoon offer a forest experience for families prepared for the route’s demands.

Explore Mountain Forest

Choose a suitable open trail in the Barva Volcano sector to experience moss-covered trunks, ferns and highland vegetation. Bring rain protection and check the route with park staff before starting.

Try a Local Meal

Pause at a local soda or bakery around town. A traditional lunch or fresh pastry provides a simple way to include local flavors without packing the day with scheduled activities.

Combine Barva with Heredia City

Plan the two town centers as separate stops. El Fortín and Heredia’s central park complement Barva’s square and traditional streets, with time between them for transport and meals.

Make a Highland Travel Journal

Sketch a town building, coffee leaf or forest fern during your outing. Label each drawing with its location and add a short memory of the day to keep the town and mountain experiences connected.

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

Nature Field Guide

Nature & Wildlife Around Barva

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

100 profiles

Nature Field Guide

Almendro de Rio

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Almendro de Rio

  • Pinnate compound leaves

  • Clusters of lavender-purple flowers

  • Oval fruits and a dense leafy crown

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

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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.

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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

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

Barva Volcano

Spanish name
Volcán Barva
Scientific name
Volcanoes Volcanic Landscape

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Join Pico and Tati to discover Volcán Barva and learn how volcanoes help shape Costa Rica.

Identification

Key Features of the Barva Volcano

  • A crater lake surrounded by forest.

  • Mossy trees and damp vegetation.

  • Mist around rounded forested slopes.

Habitat & range

Heredia province, in the Barva sector of Braulio Carrillo National Park.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult. Follow staff instructions, authorized trails, barriers and closures. Leave rocks, plants and wildlife in place and carry out litter. Stay on marked forest trails and out of the crater lake.

Plan Your Visit

Braulio Carrillo National Park — Barva sector entrance

Get Directions ↗

Getting There

Approach via Heredia, Barva, San José de la Montaña, Paso Llano and Sacramento. SINAC recommends a four-wheel-drive vehicle. From the entrance, walk the marked trails toward Laguna Barva.

Before You Go

Check the final road conditions and reservation requirements before leaving. This is a cool, wet mountain hike; bring suitable footwear and rain protection.
Visit information reviewed October 8, 2026. Confirm current access before travel.

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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

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.

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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.

View full profile →

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.

View full profile →

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.

View full profile →

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

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

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Carpenter Bees

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Carpenter Bees

  • Robust body

  • often shiny abdomen

  • some nest in wood

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Ceiba Kapok Tree

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Ceiba Kapok Tree

  • Large buttress roots on mature trees

  • Palmate leaves with several narrow leaflets

  • Seed capsules containing silky fibers

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

View full profile →

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 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.

View full profile →

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Cicadas

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Cicadas

  • Large transparent wings

  • broad head

  • loud calls from some males

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

Clay-colored Thrush

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Clay-colored Thrush

  • Warm brown plumage

  • Yellowish bill

  • Fine throat streaks and orange-brown eye

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

View full profile →

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Coffee

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Coffee

  • Glossy leaves arranged in pairs

  • Small fruits clustered along branches

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

  • Small white flowers when flowering

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

Collared 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 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 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

Cortez Amarillo

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Cortez Amarillo

  • Yellow trumpet-shaped flowers

  • Palmately compound leaves

  • Flowering branches may be nearly leafless

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

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Nature Field Guide

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

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

Damselflies

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Damselflies

  • Slender body

  • widely separated eyes

  • many fold wings above abdomen

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

Decorated Anole

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Decorated Anole

  • Large anole with a broad head

  • Green body with pale markings

  • Long tail and tree-perching posture

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

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Nature Field Guide

Decorated Forest Snake

Spanish name
Hojarasquera rayada
Scientific name
Rhadinaea decorata
Reptiles Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Decorated Forest Snake

  • Small slender brown body

  • Fine pale and dark lengthwise stripes

  • Forest-floor camouflage

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

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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

Dragonflies

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Dragonflies

  • Large eyes

  • two pairs of wings

  • wings usually held open at rest

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

Dung Beetles

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Dung Beetles

  • Compact beetle body

  • digging legs

  • some species roll dung balls

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

Elephant Beetle

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Elephant Beetle

  • Large rounded beetle

  • fine golden body hairs

  • males have a forward horn

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

Expanded Lobster Claw

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Expanded Lobster Claw

  • Broad banana-like leaves

  • Upright open inflorescence

  • Separated orange-to-red bracts holding small flowers

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

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Nature Field Guide

Firebush

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

Identification

Key Features of the Firebush

  • Narrow orange-red tubular flowers

  • Simple leaves often arranged in whorls

  • Small rounded fruits that darken with age

Habitat & range

Clearings, roadsides, forest edges and gardens.

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

Fireflies

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Fireflies

  • Soft beetle wing covers

  • some show glowing abdominal segments

  • light patterns vary

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

Forest Flame Snake

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Forest Flame Snake

  • Dark head

  • Red-to-orange areas with dark crossbands

  • Slender body with variable markings

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

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Nature Field Guide

Four-lined Ameiva

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

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Four-lined Ameiva

  • Four pale longitudinal body stripes

  • Long slender tail

  • Small contrasting flank markings

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

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Nature Field Guide

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.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Golden Trumpet

Spanish name
Campana amarilla
Scientific name
Allamanda cathartica
Other Plants Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

Identification

Key Features of the Golden Trumpet

  • Large yellow funnel-shaped flowers

  • Glossy leaves in whorls

  • Climbing or sprawling woody stems

Habitat & range

Gardens and disturbed moist to seasonally dry sites.

Conservation & care

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

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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 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 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

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 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 Lacewings

Spanish name
Crisopas verdes
Scientific name
Chrysopidae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Green Lacewings

  • Delicate green body

  • finely veined wings

  • long antennae

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

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

Guapinol

Spanish name
Guapinol
Scientific name
Hymenaea courbaril
Trees Rivers & Streams · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Paired leaflets and hard brown pods identify a forest tree with an important wildlife role.”

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

Identification

Key Features of the Guapinol

  • Two leaflets in each compound leaf

  • Thick brown woody pods

  • Large spreading forest-tree form

Habitat & range

Pacific lowlands and western Central Valley; Guanacaste dry forest is one documented setting.

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

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Nature Field Guide

Guaria Morada Orchid

Spanish name
Guaria morada
Scientific name
Guarianthe skinneri
Other Plants Forest Edge · Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Costa Rica’s national flower carries pink-purple blossoms above fleshy leaves.”

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

Identification

Key Features of the Guaria Morada Orchid

  • Pink-purple orchid flowers with a shaped lip

  • Fleshy oblong leaves

  • Thickened stem bases and roots on a support

Habitat & range

Native Central American orchid, also cultivated in Costa Rican homes and gardens. The Greater Metropolitan Area supports both native flora records and a strong garden tradition.

Conservation & care

Do not collect wild orchids, remove roots or climb supporting trees. Observe with an adult from the ground. Any garden plant should come from a documented lawful nursery source.

Threats & pressures

Wild collection and habitat loss are conservation concerns. Leave forest plants in place and support protection of their habitat.

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Nature Field Guide

Hanging Lobster Claw

Spanish name
Platanillo colgante
Scientific name
Heliconia rostrata
Other Plants Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

Identification

Key Features of the Hanging Lobster Claw

  • Hanging zigzag inflorescence

  • Red bracts with yellow-green tips

  • Broad banana-like leaves

Habitat & range

Planted tropical gardens.

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

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

Hot Lips Plant

Spanish name
Labios ardientes / Botón rojo
Scientific name
Palicourea elata
Other Plants Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Two bright red bracts surround tiny pale flowers in the forest understory.”

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

Identification

Key Features of the Hot Lips Plant

  • Two conspicuous red floral bracts

  • Small white or creamy flowers

  • Opposite glossy leaves

Habitat & range

Humid understory and forest edges on both slopes, with records from Guanacaste, Sarapiquí, Talamanca, Cartago and Osa.

Conservation & care

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

Threats & pressures

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

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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

Ice Cream Bean

Spanish name
Guaba
Scientific name
Inga edulis
Trees Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

Identification

Key Features of the Ice Cream Bean

  • Very long ribbed pods

  • Paired leaflets

  • Winged central leaf stalk

Habitat & range

Moist forest margins, farms and planted orchards.

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

Irazú Volcano

Spanish name
Volcán Irazú
Scientific name
Volcanoes Volcanic Landscape

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Join Pico and Tati to discover Volcán Irazú and learn how volcanoes help shape Costa Rica.

Identification

Key Features of the Irazú Volcano

  • Broad crater depressions.

  • Gray volcanic ground.

  • Low vegetation and mist at high elevation.

Habitat & range

Cartago province, in the Central Volcanic Mountain Range.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult. Follow staff instructions, authorized trails, barriers and closures. Leave rocks, plants and wildlife in place and carry out litter. Bring suitable layers for the cold summit and remain behind crater barriers.

Plan Your Visit

Irazú Volcano National Park — Craters sector

Get Directions ↗

Getting There

From Cartago, follow the signed road toward Irazú and the Craters sector. Use the visitor parking and marked paths to the crater viewpoints.

Before You Go

Choose Sector Cráteres when reserving; Sector Prusia is a different forest visitor area. Check current admission arrangements with SINAC.
Visit information reviewed October 8, 2026. Confirm current access before travel.

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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

Katydids

Spanish name
Esperanzas
Scientific name
Tettigoniidae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Katydids

  • Very long antennae

  • leaf-like wings in many species

  • strong jumping hindlegs

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

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

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

La Paz Waterfall

Spanish name
Catarata La Paz
Scientific name
Waterfalls Freshwater · Rivers & Streams

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Join Pico and Tati to discover La Paz Waterfall and learn how water shapes Costa Rica’s landscapes.

Identification

Key Features of the La Paz Waterfall

  • A waterfall framed by forest.

  • A river continuing through a cascade landscape.

  • Roadside and managed viewing contexts.

Habitat & range

Vara Blanca–Cinchona road corridor. Look for the waterfall’s river, rock formations and surrounding vegetation from approved viewing areas.

Conservation & care

Visit with an adult and follow the site’s current access rules and staff guidance. Stay on authorized trails and behind barriers. Wet rocks, steep drops, strong currents and sudden rises in water can be dangerous. Do not jump from waterfalls or climb wet rock faces. Enter water only where explicitly permitted and conditions are approved by site staff. Leave plants, rocks and wildlife undisturbed and carry out all litter.

Plan Your Visit

La Paz Waterfall Gardens — managed visitor reception

Get Directions ↗

Getting There

Navigate to La Paz Waterfall Gardens in the Vara Blanca area and check in at the park reception for its maintained waterfall trail network.

Before You Go

This map selects the managed park entrance, not a roadside stopping point. Confirm admission and current trails; the gardens contain several waterfalls and require walking and stairs.
Visit information reviewed October 8, 2026. Confirm current access before travel.

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Nature Field Guide

Lady Beetles

Spanish name
Mariquitas
Scientific name
Coccinellidae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

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

Identification

Key Features of the Lady Beetles

  • Rounded beetle body

  • hard wing covers

  • spot patterns vary

Habitat & range

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

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

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.

View full profile →

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

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

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 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

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

Monstera

Spanish name
Costilla de Adán
Scientific name
Monstera deliciosa
Other Plants Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Large split leaves with natural holes make this cultivated climber easy to notice.”

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

Identification

Key Features of the Monstera

  • Large heart-shaped mature leaves

  • Natural holes and deep splits

  • Climbing stem with aerial roots

Habitat & range

Cultivated gardens and collections, including plants documented at the University of Costa Rica campus in San José.

Conservation & care

Observe without handling. Do not chew or taste leaves, stems or unripe fruit. Keep children and pets from mouthing plant parts. Ask the garden owner before approaching a planted specimen.

Threats & pressures

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

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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

Mountain Immortelle

Spanish name
Poró gigante
Scientific name
Erythrina poeppigiana
Trees Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

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

Identification

Key Features of the Mountain Immortelle

  • Orange flower clusters

  • Three leaflets per leaf

  • Large shade tree in farm landscapes

Habitat & range

Planted shade areas, farms and disturbed moist landscapes.

Conservation & care

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

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Nature Field Guide

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.

View full profile →

learning adventuresKeep Exploring,
Keep Learning

Choose a Learning Adventure to turn a local outing into shared discovery. These activities offer questions, observation games and ways to care for God’s creation. Pick one that suits your family and the setting.

Family Story Treasure Hunt with Pico & Tati

Story Cards on the Veranda-2

Costa Rica Rhythm Explorers with Pico & Tati

Pico Learns the Costa Rican Marimba-13

Garden to Table Explorers with Pico & Tati

Pico Harvests a Ripe Tomato-16

get in touchLet's Keep Exploring Together.

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