There is so much to see and do when you visit Costa Rica once you leave the beach and the city. Surprised? Well, dont be! Despite what you might have heard, the real attraction in Costa Rica isnt the nightlife. Its the wildlife.
Costa Rica is one of the most ecologically diverse nations in the world and thats not just lip service. Its fact. Costa Rica is home to more than 10,000 varieties of plants, 1,000+ fish, hundreds of amphibians and reptiles, and tens of thousands of insect species. To get an idea of just how much wildlife there is in Costa Rica, think of it this way: There are approximately 16 unique species within every square kilometer of Costa Ricas rich land. Some of my favorites include the Sloth, Leatherback Sea Turtle, Vampire Bat, Costa Rican Tapir, and Three-wattled Bellbird. Bet you havent heard of any of those, have you? I hadnt either until I started visiting Costa Rica.
Well, heres a crash course on Costa Ricas exotic wildlife:
A Sloth is a species of animal thats kin to the anteater and armadillo. The two varieties of Sloth that still exist in Costa Rica are the Brown-throated, Three-toed Sloth and the larger Hoffmanns Two-toed Sloth. Meanwhile, the Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest species of turtle in the world. Leatherback Sea Turtles can weigh up to 1100 pounds!
The Costa Rican Tapir is a unique site to see because it will remind you of animals that youre familiar with but youll still know that youre looking at something completely new. The Costa Rican Tapir (aka Bairds Tapir), if you can imagine it, looks like a cross between a hog and a short-trunk elephant. Its not actually a cross between the two but thats what it looks like. Despite their size and girth-Costa Rica Tapirs can weigh as much as 600 pounds-Tapirs are typically gentle creatures. Other types of Tapirs are indigenous to other parts of Central and South America as well as other countries.
Moving on to exotic winged animals that are part of Costa Ricas wildlife, the Three-wattled Bellbird hides out in Costa Ricas cloud forests. Sightings, because of the cloud cover, are rare. However, hearing these exotic birds is quite common. If you take a daylight eco-tour to a cloud forest, youll know the Three-wattled Bellbird is nearby when you hear the males call, which sounds like the high-pitched clang of two pieces of metal hitting one another.
Finally, the Vampire Bat; theyre just what youd think of when you think of a vampire except Vampire Bats dont sleep in coffins. Instead, Vampire Bats live in dark caverns. The Vampire Bats, like vampires often portrayed in movies, do thrive in the night and feed on the blood of mammals. But dont worry. Youll be safe if you visit Costa Rica because the mammals the vampire bats feed on tend to be domesticated animals, poultry and cattle.
Where Costa Ricas exotic animals are found is just as diverse as the type of wildlife. Cloud forests, as I mentioned earlier, as well as rainforests, jungles, wetlands, and natural parks are just some of the nature-rich areas that the wildlife inhabits. In all, there are more than two-dozen unique wildlife habitat regions situated across the country. If youre planning on visiting Costa Rica anytime soon, the major exotic animal havens are Corcovado National Park, Amistad International Park, Turrialba Volcano National Park, and Las Baulas National Marine Park.
by David Lovendahl, Developing Paradise
About AuthorParadise Brokers www.paradisebrokers.comis developing paradise in Costa Rica as a full service, turnkey real estate, development and property management company.
For more information, contact 1-877 CRLand1, (1 877 275-2631) or in Dominical, Costa Rica call 506 787-0181. Grab your FREE 12-page report, Amazing Guide to Costa Rica Riches now by visiting www.DevelopingParadise.com
Source: ArticleTrader.com
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