Endemic Animals of Costa Rica

The coppery-headed emerald (Microchera cupreiceps ) is a small hummingbird endemic to Costa Rica. It measures a mere 3 in (7.6 cm) in length, and weighs only 3 g (0.11 oz). The male has distinctive coppery crown and rump with a whole green belly and white vent. The female has a white belly and a narrow black subterminal band on white outer rectrices of the tail. Its noticeably decurved bill sets it apart from similar the allopatric white-tailed eme ...
rald.This species is fairly common at middle elevations on Caribbean Slope, south to Reventazon River; from 600 to 1,500 m (2,000 to 4,900 ft). Also it is fairly common on Pacific slope of Guanacaste and Tilarán Cordilleras; from 1,200 to 1,500 m (3,900 to 4,900 ft).Like all hummingbirds, the coppery-headed emerald feeds on nectar and small invertebrates. Because its bill is short, it forages at small flowers, including those in the genera Besleria, Cavendishia, Clusia, Guarea, Pithecellobium, Quararibea and Satyria. It feeds at all levels in mature wet montane forest and forest edges.Males form small leks at middle levels of forest edges.The coppery-headed emerald was formerly placed with the white-tailed emerald in the genus Elvira. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that these two species were closely related to the snowcap in the monospecific genus Microchera. The three species were therefore placed together in Microchera which has priority. Less

The Cocos finch or Cocos Island finch (Pinaroloxias inornata ) is the only one of the Darwin's finches not native to the Galápagos Islands, and the only member of the genus Pinaroloxias. Sometimes classified in the family Emberizidae, more recent studies have shown it to belongs in the tanager family, Thraupidae. It is endemic to Cocos Island, which is approximately 360 miles (580 km) south of Costa Rica.It is a chunky 12 cm long finch, weighing ar ...
ound 12.5 g and with a black decurved pointed bill. The male is entirely black, while the female is a heavily streaked brown, with a paler underside. The young are similar but have yellow bills. The standard clutch is two brown-spotted white eggs, which are hatched in a roughly spherical nest built at the end of a tree branch. Less

The mangrove hummingbird (Amazilia boucardi ) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found only in Costa Rica. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mangrove forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. The mangrove hummingbird feeds primarily on nectar from the flowers of the tea mangrove Pelliciera rhizophorae. Mangrove hummingbirds are occasionally seen in adjacent non-mangrove habitats. Nesting for these birds has ...
been recorded during the months of October through February. The mangrove hummingbird is on average approximately 10 cm (3.9 in) long. Less

Cabanis's ground sparrow or Costa Rican ground sparrow (Melozone cabanisi), is an American sparrow. It previously was considered a subspecies of the Prevost's ground sparrow. Cabanis's ground sparrow is endemic to central Costa Rica. Less

Holdridge's toad (Incilius holdridgei, formerly Bufo holdridgei ) is a species of toad endemic to Costa Rica. In October 2008, it was declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in its Red List since the species had not been seen since 1987, despite years of extensive searches. However, the species was rediscovered in 2010 by a Costa Rican herpetologist and is now classified as critically endangered. It is believed ...
that the species is most threatened by the presence of the chytrid fungus in its habitat. Less

The Golfodulcean poison frog or Golfodulcean poison-arrow frog (Phyllobates vittatus ) is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae endemic to Costa Rica. Less

Dermophis costaricense is a species of caecilian in the family Dermophiidae. It is endemic to Costa Rica and is found on the Atlantic versant of Cordillera de Tilarán, Cordillera Central, and Cordillera de Talamanca. Its taxonomic status is in need of a review. Less

The rufous-eyed brook frog or rufous-eyed stream frog (Duellmanohyla rufioculis), is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to the mountains of Costa Rica. Its natural habitats are premontane wet forests and rainforests. Tadpoles are found in pools with standing water. Habitat loss is posing some threat to the species, although the overall population is stable. Less

Oscaecilia osae is a species of caecilian in the family Caeciliidae. It is endemic to Costa Rica and is only known from the Golfo Dulce area, on the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica. The specific name osae refers to its type locality, the airstrip at La Sirena, being located on the Osa Peninsula. It is also known as the airstrip caecilia or airstrip caecilian. Less

Dermophis occidentalis is a species of caecilian in the family Dermophiidae. It is endemic to south-western Costa Rica and occurs in the Pacific lowlands and premontane slopes, extending to the western part of the central valley. Its taxonomic status is unclear. Less

Hyalinobatrachium talamancae is a species of frog in the family Centrolenidae. It is endemic to the Limón Province, Costa Rica. Its common name is Talamanca glass frog.Its natural habitats are premontane wet forests. It is a regularly seen frog in suitable habitat. Less

Nototriton major is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is also called the Plantanillo Gorge salamander.It is endemic to the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica.Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests.It is threatened by habitat loss. Less

Diasporus tigrillo is a species of frog in the family Eleutherodactylidae. It is endemic to the valley of the Rio Larí in Limón Province, Costa Rica. Less

Isthmohyla pictipes is a species of frog in the family Hylidae.It is found in Costa Rica and possibly Panama.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers.It is threatened by habitat loss. Less

Craugastor fleischmanni is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to Costa Rica where it has been found on the Meseta Central Oriental and Occidental, the Pacific slopes of the Barva and Poás Volcanos, the Atlantic slopes of the Irazú and Turrialba Volcanos, and on the Cordillera de Talamanca. Common name Fleischmann's robber frog has been suggested for this species. Less

Craugastor rayo, also known as the Sabana robber frog, is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is endemic to the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Less

Nototriton picadoi, commonly known as La Estrella salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae.It is endemic to the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica.Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests.It is threatened by habitat loss. Less

Craugastor persimilis is a species of frog in the family Craugastoridae. It is found in the lowlands and premontane Atlantic slopes of central to southeastern Costa Rica.Its natural habitats are lowland and premontane moist rainforest. It lives in leaf-litter and can persist in moderately disturbed areas, including plantations. It is an adaptable species that is not considered threatened, despite severe habitat fragmentation within its ...
range.Craugastor persimilis are small frogs: males grow to a snout–vent length of 13–18 mm (0.51–0.71 in) and females to 13–23 mm (0.51–0.91 in). Less

Isthmohyla xanthosticta is a species of frogs in the family Hylidae. It is endemic to Costa Rica and only known from its type locality on the south slope of Volcan Barba in the Heredia Province. Common name south fork treefrog has been coined for it. Less

The Millville climbing salamander (Bolitoglossa cerroensis ) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Costa Rica. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. Less

Bothriechis nubestris, the Talamancan palm-pitviper, is a species of pit viper native to Costa Rica. The snake was mistaken for Bothriechis nigroviridis . Less

The Pacific least gecko (Sphaerodactylus pacificus ) is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. It is endemic to Cocos Island. Less

The grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus ) is a subspecies of the Central American squirrel monkey. Its range is restricted to the Pacific coast of central Costa Rica. The northern end of its range is the Rio Tulin and the southern end of its range is the Rio Grande de Terraba. South of the Rio Grande de Terraba, it is replaced by the black-crowned Central American squirrel monkey, S. oerstedii oerstedii. ...
Populations are very fragmented, and the subspecies does not occur in all locations within its general range. It is the subspecies of Central American squirrel monkey seen in Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica.The grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey is orange or reddish-orange in color, with a black cap. It differs from the black-crowned Central American squirrel monkey in that the limbs and underparts of the grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey are less yellowish. Some authorities also consider the cap on the grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey to be less black than that of the black-crowned Central American squirrel monkey, but other authorities regard this as a feature that varies by age rather than by subspecies.Adults reach a length of between 266 and 291 millimetres (10.5 and 11.5 in), excluding tail, and a weight between 600 and 950 grams (21 and 34 oz). The tail is longer than the body, and between 362 and 389 mm (14.3 and 15.3 in) in length. Males have an average body weight of 829 g (29.2 oz) and females have an average body weight of 695 g (24.5 oz).The grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey is arboreal and diurnal. It lives in groups containing several adult males, several adult females and juveniles. It is omnivorous, with a diet that includes insects and insect larvae (especially grasshoppers and caterpillars), spiders, fruit, leaves, bark, flowers and nectar. It also eats small vertebrates, including bats, birds, lizards and frogs. It finds its food foraging through the lower and middle levels of the forest.The grey-crowned Central American squirrel monkey was assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Endangered. This was an improvement from prior assessments, in which the subspecies was assessed as "critically endangered". It is listed as endangered to a small and severely fragmented range amounting to only about 3,500 square kilometers (1,400 sq mi), and continuing habitat loss. There are conservation efforts within Costa Rica to try to preserve this monkey from extinction. Less

Cherrie's pocket gopher (Heterogeomys cherriei ) is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. It is threatened by habitat loss. Some authors classify it in the genus Orthogeomys, but recent research has allowed this and its related species to be classified in the genus Heterogeomys. Less

The variable pocket gopher (Heterogeomys heterodus ) is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is endemic to Costa Rica, usually being found in grasslands and tropical forests at higher altitudes, up to 8,000 feet. It is threatened by habitat loss, but are sometimes kept as pets in the United States and elsewhere.The gopher typically has soft and dense fur colored blackish on the posterior and pale on the anterior. Its dentition ...
features a longitudinal groove on outer face of each upper incisor. Large specimens range in length from 12 to 19 inches in length and weigh 16 to 35 ounces.Some authors classify it in the genus Orthogeomys, but recent research has allowed this and its related species to be classified in the genus Heterogeomys. Less

The mountain spiny pocket mouse (Heteromys oresterus ) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to Costa Rica. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. Less

Rodriguez's harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys rodriguezi ) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.It is found only in Costa Rica. Less

Tenaturris merita is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae. Less