Discover Costa Rica

14/08/2024

Close up with nature
Evergreen tropical rainforest
Costa Rica
Sky Adventure

06/08/2024

24/03/2024

Tarantula hawk
Pepsis
The female tarantula hawk wasp stings a tarantula between the legs, paralyzing it, and then drags the prey to a specially prepared burrow, where a single egg is laid on the tarantula's abdomen, and the burrow entrance is covered. S*x of offspring is determined by fertilization; fertilized eggs produce females, while unfertilized eggs produce males. When the wasp larva hatches, it creates a small hole in the spider's abdomen, then enters and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organs for as long as possible to keep the tarantula alive. After several weeks, the larva pupates. Finally, the wasp becomes an adult and emerges from the tarantula's abdomen to continue the life cycle.

Adult tarantula hawks are nectarivorous. While the wasps tend to be most active in the daytime in summer, they tend to avoid high temperatures. The male tarantula hawk does not hunt. Both males and females feed on the flowers. Male tarantula hawks have been observed practicing a behavior called hill-topping, in which they sit atop tall plants and watch for passing females ready to reproduce. The males can become resident defenders of the favorable reproduction spots for hours into the afternoon. Females are not very aggressive, in that they are hesitant to sting, but the sting is extraordinarily painful.

26/12/2023

Turquoise banded shoemaker
Archaeoprepona amphimachus
These are extremely fast fliers that have rapid wing beats; they feed mostly on rotting fruits and plant sap. Males often rest on foliage or tree trunks, with head down and wings half open; they periodically chase other males and then return to their original perch.
Caterpillars feed on plants in the avocado family (Lauraceae). They are light brown with some light green (especially when younger),
with two horns on the head, a prominent hump on the thorax, and a pair of eyespots just behind the hump.

27/10/2023

YELLOW-EARED TOUCANET
Selenidera spectabilis
Tucancillo Orejiamarillo
Info by Alexander F Skutch
DESCRIPTION. 14½" (36cm); 220g. The only sexually dimorphic Costa Rican toucan, and the only one with solid black breast and belly.
Adult : head and most of underparts glossy black, except long yellow ear-tufts; large tufts of yellow-orange on flanks; crissum red; thighs chestnut; upperparts olive-green; primaries blackish; tail bluish-slate. Iris deep red; facial skin bright yellow-green, shading to turquoise above eye and to yellow-orange on malar area; upper mandible mostly pale, dull greenish-yellow, a broad stripe along tomia and entire lower mandible dusky-horn, shading to blackish near tip; inside of bill vermilion; legs blue-gray. f: similar except forehead, crown, and hindneck deep chestnut; no ear-tufts. Young: duller, below more sooty-black; belly tinged with olive; little or no orange on flanks or (male) yellow on head; crissum paler red; crown and nape of female dark sooty-brown.
HABITS. Prefers canopy of tall wet forest, descending lower in adjacent old second growth or shady semi-open; during most of year in pairs or small groups of 3 or 4, sometimes alone; following breeding sometimes in groups of 4-8; eats fleshy and arillate fruits (Hampea, Protium, Dendropanax, Guat-teria, aroids), occasional large insects or small lizards, possibly nestling birds.

VOICE. Calling male throws head back to 1 side, flashing vermilion bill lining, and flops tail up and to other side with each croak, as though to disassemble himself; in aggressive encounters, a hoarse sputter; song a hoarse, low croak, lower and rougher than that of Keel-billed Toucan and with an initial click:
K'Krrruk K'Krrruk K'Krrruk..
NEST. Unknown (?).
STATUs. Resident in foothills of Caribbean slope the length of the country, reaching Pacific slope locally in Cordillera de Guana-caste; breeds mainly 1000-4000ft 300-1200m). In mid to late wet season, from September through January, occasionally into March, many descend to adjacent lowlands.
RANGE. SE Honduras to NW Colombia.

12/08/2023

polychromatic species where you can find colors of this species in our forests
Eyelash Palm pitviper

15/04/2023

Kinkajou,
Potos flavus
La fortuna …
Often hangs upside down suspended by tail alone. Feeds on fruit, nectar, insects, and small vertebrates. Known to capture bats from mid-air. Forages mostly solitarily but congregates and dens in stable social groups that forage together at large fruiting trees, often in Malay Apple (Syzygium malaccense), mango, figs, ice-cream bean (Inga sp.), and wild passion fruit vines. Also frequents flowering trees such as Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale), Ceibo (Pseudobombax septenatum), and Ylang-Ylang (Cananga odorata). Kinkajous are important seed dispersers and pollinators. Dens in tree holes or in palm fronds during the day. Very agile; moves quickly and noisily through treetops. Often scent marks branches using mandibular, throat, and abdominal scent glands. which can be heard from quite a distance.
Commonly vocalizes with loud, high-pitched wick-a-wick-a-wick-a,

15/04/2023

Sylvan Leaf Katydid (Mimetica mortufolia)

Species in this genus have front wings that resemble dead or partially dead leaves, complete with wing venation that simulates leaf veins. The hind wings are reduced.
Natural history:
As the name Mimetica suggests, these katydids are incredibly good leaf mimics. What's more, even within a given species, nearly all individuals differ- some resemble a green leat, others a damaged leaf, still others a dead leaf. This is to prevent monkeys, one of their main predators, from easily learning what they look like. At night they feed on foliage and males make short buzzing calls to attract females.

11/04/2023

Bothriechis schlegeli
(Eyelash Palm Pit viper)
some colors of this species of viper.
Arboreal snake

11/04/2023

Howler monkey eating columnea sp

29/03/2023

interesting creatures in the forests of Costa Rica
Orange mouth tarantula

13/02/2023

Howler mankey ( Mantled Howler)
Allouata palliata
HB 380-580 mm, T 520-670 mm, Wt 3.6-7.6 kg. Large, with a long prehensile tail. Body black, with long yellowish-brown hairs forming a mantle on the sides. Males have a long beard and conspicuous white sc***um. Diurnal, arboreal. Feeds primarily on leaves during rainy season but relies on flowers and fruit during dry season. Most lethargic of all Costa Rican monkeys due to the abundance of low-energy leaves in their diet. Travels with head held low. May spend up to 75% of the day and all night resting or sleeping. Howlers are famous for their call. Both males and females howl, but only male monkeys have a thunderous roar. Scientists theorize their intimidating call may serve to attract females and to alert rival troops to their presence, thus ensuring adequate spacing. Howlers live in troops of up to 45 monkeys, with males dominant over females. Breeding takes place year-round; females birth one young after a 6-month gestation. Young howlers cling to their mother immediately after birth and remain completely dependent for the first 2 months of life. They may continue to ride on the mother's back until about 5 months of age, becoming increasingly independent all the while. Both male and female Mantled Howlers leave their birth troop by the time they are 3 years old, eventually joining a new troop.

27/01/2023

Genus: Espadarana

Espadarana prosoblepon occurs from eastern Honduras to northern Colombia and western Ecuador. In Costa Rica it is found in a variety of habitats along the Atlantic and Pacific slopes, but is absent from the dry Pacific northwest; near sea level to 6,225 ft (1,900 m).

Emerald Glass frog.
This common species is regularly encountered in riparian habitats with dense vegetation. Found in a variety of habitats, including streams in pristine cloud forest and remnant vegetation along water courses running through lowland pastures. E. pros-oblepon usually occupies lower calling sites than other glass frogs and is quite vocal throughout much of the year, making this species relatively easy to detect. Males call from upper surfaces of leaves, often in areas of dense vegetation that reaches close to the water level. The characteristic advertisement call, a sharp series, usually of three notes (dik-dik-dik), serves to attract mates and to stake out a male's territory.
Breeding peaks during the rainy season (Mav-lovember) but takes place nearly year-round. mplecting pairs seek out a suitable site for ovipo-tion, usually the upper surface of a leaf, but occa-sonally a moss-covered rock or branch. The small clutches of about 20 dark brown to black eggs are placed up to 10 ft (3 m) above the water. Parents do not tend to the eggs or guard their clutch; tadpoles develop approximately 10 days before dropping into the stream below.
Male E. prosoblepon are very territorial and use their call to space themselves out along streamside vegetation, thus avoiding territorial disputes; calling males tend to be located about 10 ft (3 m) apart.
When an intruder does approach a calling male too closely, physical combat ensues; males will grapple with one another using the humeral hooks on their forearms for leverage and to get a better grip on their opponent. The struggle usually takes place on top of a leaf and ends with one of the males being pushed off; often the two males wrestle with their arms while hanging upside down, dangling by their toes from the underside of a leaf. These territorial scuffles can last upward of 45 minutes.
Populations of E. prosoblepon appear stable, although local declines of this species have been reported (e.g., in Monteverde). Habitat alteration is generally the biggest threat to this species, but localized population declines may have been caused by chytrid fungal infections.

22/01/2023

White faced monkey
Central American White-faced Capuchin, Cebus imitator
Mostly black, with cream on the head, chest, and shoulders. Face pink.
Tail prehensile. Diurnal; arboreal but often descends to the ground.
Common and widespread. Largest brain of all Costa Rican monkeys.
They collect specific plants, including Piper marginatum, the seed pods of Sloanea terniflora, and various citrus fruits and vines, which they rub on their fur. These plants are known to contain antiseptics, fungicides, and insect repellents. Capuchins anoint themselves with stink bugs in Santa Rosa National Park and carpenter ants in Corcovado National Park, harvesting their chemical defenses. In Manuel Antonio National Park they rub themselves with antibacterial hand wipes stolen from unsuspecting visitors. These monkeys are omnivores; their diet consists of insects, small vertebrates, fruit, and other plant matter. In Santa Rosa National Park, they are known to feed on lizards, squirrels, bats, and juvenile coatis, which they sn**ch from their nests. They form troops of up to 30. Females stay with their birth troop and form close bonds, while males disperse at 4.5 to 8 years of age. Male dispersal is usually voluntary but may be the result of an eviction. Young males usually join a new troop peacefully, while adult males may attempt a troop takeover by ousting the alpha male. Several males may cooperate to achieve a takeover. A complete renewal of a troop's male population occurs every 4 years. Individuals may live up to 30 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity. Previously included in Cebus capucinus; that species is presently limited to Colombia, Ecuador, and eastern Panama.

22/01/2023

Spider monkey

18/01/2023

Jumping pitviper

18/01/2023

Jumping pitviper

06/12/2022

Bothriechis schlegelii
Eyelash pitviper

09/11/2022

The Land of pura vida where you can enjoy the landscape and nature with wonderful people who are willing to share with you the flora and fauna of our country.
Pura vida mae

17/12/2021

01/07/2021

We're back.
Pura vida and thanks to all the visitors from other countries for visiting Costa Rica

24/06/2021

Hello everybody.
We are looking for alliances with people who like to be part of an INRESORT hotel project, acquiring shares as a partner and shareholder of a 5-star hotel.
More than 50 hotels in the next 10 to 15 years.

05/01/2020

Tree top

05/01/2020

Arenal lake
Pura vida

03/01/2020

06/03/2019

One Day tour

12/02/2019

Let us be part of your experience.

21/01/2019

Costa Rica, tierra de volcanes formado hace aproximadamente 26 millones de años.
Pura vida

15/12/2018

Visiting the Arenal volcano and the thermal waters of Hotel los Lagos and their delicious meals.



.
Let us be part of your experience

12/11/2018

Nature lover, here you have this amazing photo of our hiking tour.