One interesting thing about living in Costa Rica is the unusually dense abundance of wildlife.
Here is a comprehensive list (thus far) of all the animals I have seen in my front yard. (Note: since some animal sightings happened very fast, I didn't get a chance to take pictures. Therefore, I have just pulled stock photography of these animals for your amusement and enjoyment. Yes, I have seen every one of these animals with my own eyes, live and in person.)
Perhaps the most iconic of local Costa Rican animals, this is a Tajalin (pron. Ta-ha-LEAN) crab. They live in the hills and scamper down to the beaches to mate after the rains. At the moment, there are tons of babies running around (I think it's the Costa Rican springtime down here) but usually these guys grow to be the size of yo-yo's (plus legs). Insects are their preferred diet, but they have also been known to eat whatever's available, such as paper pages of books, plastic wrappers, and the occasional leather shoe.
The second most common and interesting animal around here is the howler monkey. They generally travel in families, with one male tending to two or three wives, with a few babies clinging here and there to the trees. They rarely come down to the ground on purpose, and they can be pretty aggressive with their vocalization. Their howling is not like a wolverine sound, though-- in fact, it has been described as a cross between a garbage disposal and the Screams from the Bowels of Hades. If you don't know what you're hearing, it can be pretty frightening, but these little guys' bark is a lot stronger than their bite. They will try to scare you away if you're standing under their tree and there are babies present, but they won't come down from the tree or pull a knife on you or anything. However, they have been known to drop mango pits on people. So be careful.
This is a white-faced capuchin. They're less common than the howler monkeys and they usually travel in small families. Sometimes restaurants put out bananas for them to eat (much to the delight of the photo-snapping tourists) but this breeds aggression, and these cute little loveable creatures can quickly turn into unpredictable bacteria-laden biting machines. Best to keep your distance.
These are very unique variegated squirrels which are much more red in real life than they appear here. I have never seen a squirrel with this type of markings (red fur, regular squirrel tail), and they are unique to this part (the southernmost tip) of the Nicoya Peninsula. Super cute and super fast.
This is a bufo toad. They're pretty big (slightly larger than softballs) and very stubborn. Unlike the tajalin crabs, which are so high-strung that they can be swept out easily with a broom, these toads will dig their little feet in and refuse to move. your best bet is to wait until night (they're nocturnal) when they become active and leave the door open. Chances are, they'll hop out of your bathroom or kitchen. Or not.
This is a black iguana. There are also green iguanas, but these guys are more interesting. They can grow to be the size of small cats-- plus two feet of tail. Also pretty skittish, they generally just shuffle through the underbrush when they see you coming.
This is a wild parrot. At times, the trees are full of them. Though you can't really see them in the trees, because their color camouflages them so well, they're noisy little mothers and you can hear the whole tree erupting with their squeaks and squawks whenever they pass through.
I was watching a movie one night on the outdoor movie screen, and I saw what I thought was a grasshopper (which I have also seen) land on the screen. When I moved in for a closer look, I saw that it wasn't a grasshopper....
This pretty much says it all. Scorps are a bit of a problem down here and I've seen a few. They like to hide in folded clothes (fresh out of the dryer is their favorite) so it's smart to shake out your shoes and clothes before you put them on.
These bad boys are pretty awesome. They change colors depending on their surroundings, but they like to hang out by light fixtures and munch on little bugs. They make a very loud smacking noise with their throats, and I'm not sure why, because it totally alerts you to exactly where they are... They're fun little guys to have around, but they do have a tendency to shit on everything, without regard for others.
Not sure if this is the exact type of bat we have here, but it's a close approximation. These guys come out at dusk and cruise around in circles (that's how you can tell they're not birds), snatching bugs out of the air for their supper. They never get caught in hair or anything, and they only very occasionally find themselves inside the rancho, but they quickly cruise out, back to their bug buffet.
Just the other night, the dogs started barking at something and wouldn't stop. Finally, annoyed by their persistence, I went over to check it out with a flashlight. One of these little guys looked stunned in the bright light and quickly hobbled away.
There are local ranchers nearby with large herds of cows. It's pretty surreal to look at the shore when you're out on the water and see a long line of cows slowly tromping across the beach. Sometimes they lose their way and end up in the yard. They're pretty giant (and generally not very aggressive) but the dogs go wild, so it's best to sorta shoo them away if possible.
Some people also own horses. Every so often, I'll look up and see some random horses on the property.
This is a picture I actually did take of a strange futuristic caterpillar. I have no idea what this thing grows up to look like.
Maybe it becomes something like this. Not sure if this is exactly what we have here but it's meant to represent the giant moths (giant = wingspan the length of an adult human hand. Look at your hand right now and you will see how just how big that really is. See what I mean? Huge.)
BONUS: Rumor has it that there's a little snake that lives in our garden. I've never seen him, but if you do, please give me a call!
The funny thing about Costa Rica is that it has really caused me to reevaluate my idea of what "creepy" is. In the States, cockroaches, spiders, and other strange things would always totally freak me out. But here, as long as it's not a snake, tarantula or scorpion, I gently scoop it up and hurl it out into the yard. Ah, gentle creatures of the forest....
