... Mammals ...
by Infocostarica Staff

Costa Rica is indeed a “rich coast” (as its name suggests) when it comes to its biodiversity. However, the country doesn’t offer a large quantity of mammals as other places do. There are 200 species of mammals, half of which are all bats. There are several exotic mammals that may not be so abundant, but they’re still fascinating.

There are four species of monkeys in Costa Rica, all of which are descendants of Asian and African monkeys that evolved into the New World monkeys about 40 million years ago. The capuchin or cebus monkey is probably the smartest primate in the region and it eats a varied and nutritious diet - insects, lizards, eggs and even some mollusks that it splits open against rocks. The cebus monkey’s habitat is ample, since they live in rainy lowlands as well as in dry forests. Two main places for spotting them are the Santa Rosa and Manuel Antonio parks. The spider monkey has a copper or orange fur and it’s one of nature’s most impressive stuntmen, swinging back and forth from branches with the help of its long limbs and tail. They are very social at night, when they sleep in groups in order to feel protected, but they are pretty solitary during the day. Unfortunately, this monkey has suffered significantly from deforestation and human invasion and its population has decreased. Squirrel monkeys, or “titi” are the smallest of the Costa Rican monkeys and they are so gregarious that they even forage with groups of capuchin monkeys. They inhabit the Southern Pacific lowlands. Last but not least, the biggest primate in Costa Rica is the howler monkey; it also happens to be the loudest one! This monkey is properly named, since it emits extremely loud noises at certain hours of the day and whenever it wants to inspire some respect. They can weigh up to 12 pounds, but their diet is limited mostly to leaves.

Apart from the playful, acrobatic or loud primates, there are several more species of interesting tropical mammals. The sloths are very unusual animals, which look like something from Star Wars or Dune. They have a flat face and beady eyes, a strange fur and long arms that end in menacing claws. In Costa Rica there are two kinds of sloths: the two-toed sloth which is nocturnal, and the three-toed sloth which is active during the daytime. The particularity of sloths isn’t limited to their appearance- they also happen to be a personification of the phenomenon of symbiosis (mutual gain from living together). Their strange fur is covered with algae (that serves as camouflage), and full of colonies of insects, beetles, and even moths. Sloths are definitely lazy, since they sleep 18 hours per day and they have a metabolism that’s half that of most animals. While sleeping or hanging from branches on canopies of trees, they can be picked out by one of their predators - eagles. Jaguars also catch them when they descend from the trees about once a week to go to the bathroom (yes, that’s right, once a week!) Besides the sloth, there are tapirs in Costa Rica. Tapirs or “dantas” in Spanish, are solitary creatures that look like a mixture of a pig and a miniature hippopotamus with a small trunk instead of a regular nose. They love to wade in watery areas such as swamps and to pluck leaves from plants, which constitute all of their diet. Another interesting mammal is the Costa Rican version of anteater, called the “Tamandua”. It feeds entirely on ants and termites, and since it doesn’t have any teeth, it swallows the insects which are ground by sand and gravel in its stomach. The anteater, the tapir and the sloth, all seem to be a hybrid of several animals, which makes them even more exotic.

Other mammals which might seem less exotic to tourists, but are nevertheless unique to Central America, are some species of raccoons, wild pigs and deer. Costa Rican raccoons look and act in a similar way than their northern relatives, but they are a different species. They’re just as mischievous, though. Wild pigs or peccaries can display very aggressive behavior, and since they forage in packs, it’s advisable to climb up a tree when encountering them. Not all peccaries will attack, but their temperament is hot and unpredictable sometimes. There are also white-tailed deer and brocket deer which are smaller than some other species; they prefer the dry forest areas as their habitat.

A truly cute-looking Costa Rican mammal is the manatee, which looks like a walrus except that it doesn’t have any tusks. This chubby swimmer once inhabited several waterways in Costa Rica and in many areas of the American continent; however, it was hunted almost to extinction because of its tender meat and its hide. Today, it can only be found near the South of the United States and in a few places of Central America.

Bats, which make up half of all of the species of mammals, vary in size, appearance and diet. The largest ones are fruit eaters, while the notorious vampire bats are among the smallest. Regardless of their size, vampire bats cause great losses in the cattle industry, since they transmit rabies and other illnesses to the animals. The fascinating fishing bulldog bat of Tortuguero fishes with a radar system that detects ripples in the water that are produced by fish; having located its prey, the bat plunges down and grabs the fish with its claws.

Even though Costa Rica doesn’t have as many mammals as insects, reptiles or birds, the country does offer unique and fascinating mammals. Whether they are the more common monkeys or the shy and endangered tapirs or manatees, these creatures are being appreciated for their biological value, and efforts are being made by foreigners and locals to secure their survival.