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The Wildlife of Costa Rica is Not to Be Missed

By Ken Ingraham

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 22Mar2012
Word count: 568
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Even before you leave home to study Spanish in Costa Rica, you likely have already heard of the amazing wildlife diversity that this country offers. Many people, for example, are familiar with the country's famous sea turtles that deposit their eggs on the beaches after dark. The reason that there is so much variety has to do with Costa Rica's location, climate and different habitats. After all, most of the planet's terrestrial animals live in the tropics.

No matter what time of year you attend Spanish classes in Costa Rica it is imperative that you spend time outdoors viewing the wildlife. All in all, more than 500,000 species are found in this country, and that means that it has one of the highest levels of biodiversity on the globe. It is interesting to note that of the 500,000 species in Costa Rica, more than half of them are insects. More than 1,000 types of butterflies and 8,000 types of moths can be seen including the banded peacock, zebra longwing and morpho butterfly.

Another remarkable and diverse creature in Costa Rica is the frog. The country has 35 types of elutherodoctylus frogs, 26 types of hyla frogs and 13 species of glassfrogs. The country is perhaps most famous for the Red-Eyed Tree Frog, Poison Dart Frog and Smoky Jungle Frog. Another frog that stands out from the crowd is the Giant toad, which eats everything from mice to small mammals. If you can catch any of these frogs in a photograph, it will make an amazing souvenir to show your friends and family back home.

Although the country is home to some dangerous reptiles, you will likely be completely safe when you attend Spanish classes in Costa Rica if you observe them from a distance. There are 120 species of snakes including 5 boas and 20 venomous snakes.

Of course, the country also has a wide array of types of mammals. Many tourists love the monkeys in particular, which include the White-headed capuchin and Mantled Howlers. Believe it or not, most of the Costa Rica's mammals are bats. Species include the Honduran white bat and Spectral bat.

Those who are birdwatchers are sure to be impressed by the birds in Costa Rica. As there are approximately 894 species, Costa Rica has more diversity than in the United States and Canada combined.

In addition to the forests, you can also see wildlife on the country's beaches. For example, the Caribbean Coast has Tortuguero National Park, which is next to the rainforest, as well as Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. The Nicoya Peninsula is well known for the Playa Grande, which is a great place for viewing leatherback turtles, monkeys and coatimundis. If you are in the Central Pacific Region, be sure to visit Baru National Wildlife Refuge and the Whale Marine National Park. These are just a handful of the sites that will allow you to see the country's remarkable diversity.

If you are planning to study Spanish in Costa Rica some of the most memorable experiences you will have will take place when you are viewing the wildlife. Therefore, make sure that you don't spend all of your time indoors with your books. Take some time to carefully plan your trip so that you don't miss out on one of the best things about this region!

Latin Immersion offers Spanish lessons in Costa Rica year-round, which include cultural exposure through activities and family homestays. To learn Spanish in Costa Rica visit the latinimmersion.com

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