If you like your wildlife encounters with a splash of colour and playful personality, you’ve come to the right place. While many animals native to Costa Rica appear cute and cuddly, remember that they are wild – and in many cases endangered – so should not be touched. It’s best to admire from a safe distance, stay on marked trails, and enlist the expertise of a guide. Here are nine of the most interesting Costa Rican animals and where you can find them.
1. Sloth
It’s nearly impossible not to smile when you spot a sloth. With their cartoonish faces, long limbs, and exceptionally slow pace, they seem to embody that easygoing pura vida vibe. If sloths are at the top of your must-see wildlife in Costa Rica list, keep your eyes planted on the trees where they spend the majority of their time.
Both the brown-throated three-toed sloths and Hoffman’s two-toed sloths can be found in several regions, including La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio, and Caño Negro, but if you’re headed to higher elevations, such as Monteverde, you’ll encounter the two-toed sloth only. Two-toed sloths are nocturnal, so it’s worth joining a night hike in Monteverde for a chance to see them in action, albeit slo-mo sloth action.
2. Sea turtle
Costa Rica’s protected coastal areas provide nesting grounds for six out of the world’s seven endangered marine turtles, including hawksbills and leatherbacks, which are critically endangered. If sea turtles are on your wishlist, put Tortuguero on your itinerary. You’ll find green turtles and occasionally hawksbills nesting from July to October while leatherbacks might emerge to lay their eggs from March to May.
Whether you’re there to witness them hauling their hefty shells ashore to dig their nests and lay their eggs or you arrive in time to watch tiny turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean, it’s sure to be a magical experience.
3. Red-eyed tree frog
These cute and boldly coloured critters are common in many regions of Costa Rica, including Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, and Tortuguero. But they are nocturnal, so when they’re sleeping during the day — with their red eyes hidden behind leaf-coloured lids and their orange feet and blue legs tucked under their bodies — you could easily pass right by (or step on them, so watch where you walk).
Red-eyed tree frogs live for that jungle nightlife, so if you want to get a good look at them, you need to go out after dark. Keep in mind that not all nocturnal wildlife in Costa Rica is as adorable and harmless to humans, so it’s best to have a knowledgeable guide by your side to keep you safe and help you spot other jungle creatures hidden amongst the foliage.
4. Coati
The coati (or pizote as Costa Ricans call them) is part of the raccoon family, but unlike a raccoon, its snout and tail are longer, its body is leaner, and it’s active day and night. The coati is neither a picky eater nor an introvert, so it can live in a variety of climates and terrains, even in some towns and cities.
As one of the most common animals in Costa Rica, you may not find them compelling after an initial encounter, but the coati’s playful and bold approach often leads to shenanigans that are worth watching, even if only for entertainment. They are also an important part of the ecosystem, serving the role of farmers (by spreading digested fruit seeds), management (controlling their prey populations) and as the entree for larger predators.
5. Resplendent quetzal
Indigenous communities have long revered the resplendent quetzal as sacred, and, if you’re fortunate enough to see one in the wild, you’ll understand why. You need not be an avid birder to appreciate the iridescent plumage, the bright red breast, and elongated tail feathers of a male resplendent quetzal. (The females display more subdued colours.)
But you will need some patience and preferably a guide with a keen eye and a spotting scope, as these birds tend to spend their time in the upper canopy of the cloud forests, and they can be shy. One of the best places to find the resplendent quetzal is in Monteverde, particularly from February to July during their breeding season.
6. Jaguar
Although the fearsome jaguar is endangered, efforts to protect their habitat in Costa Rica’s national parks and reserves, such as Tortuguero, Corcovado, Monteverde, and Rio Macho, have helped give them safe havens. Jaguars are skilled at fishing, and unlike a typical housecat, they love to swim, so they’re often attracted to swamplands, rivers, and other bodies of water. Jaguars are known to be stealthy, so there’s a good chance they’ll spot you and run off into the jungle before you see them.
7. Monkey
Despite their cheeky behaviour (or perhaps because of it), monkeys are a favourite amongst travellers. As one of the most common animals in Costa Rica, there’s a high likelihood of seeing — and hearing — them. You might awake to the sound of howler monkeys (whether you wanted that early alarm or not!) in Arenal, Sarapiqui, and many other regions.
Search for spider monkeys while trekking in Corcovado National Park or cruising the canals of Tortuguero. Hide your lunch from the white-faced capuchin monkeys in Manuel Antonio National Park. These monkeys are highly intelligent and mischievous, so it’s best to keep food and personal items secured in a zippered bag.
8. Baird’s tapir
One of Costa Rica’s most unique animals, Baird’s tapirs look like a mix between a rhino and a pig wearing a mini elephant trunk. They can reach up to about two metres (six feet) and weigh up to around 363 kg (800 pounds). Despite being the largest land animals native to Costa Rica, they are not easy to find because of their low numbers.
Only around 1,000 Baird’s tapirs exist in Costa Rica and could be spotted in a variety of habitats that include swamps, marshes, the rainforests of Corcovado National Park, and the cloud forests of Monteverde.
9. Eyelash viper
Whether or not you’d like to encounter snakes on your journey through Costa Rica, you might gain a newfound respect for the many species here and their important role in the ecosystem. Learning about animals native to Costa Rica can also keep you safe. Of the more than 130 species of snakes in the country, only 23 are considered venomous.
The eyelash viper is small and, as its name suggests, deceptively pretty with striking colours and scales that protrude above the eyes, giving the appearance of lengthy lashes. Although it’s not considered aggressive, it is venomous and can bite if startled or threatened. Eyelash vipers are often found coiled atop leaves, around vines or tucked into small nooks, and as a nocturnal creature, they sleep during the day, so it’s wise to watch where you sit and be mindful about touching trees.
