| Animals
living in the rainforests of Manuel Antonio: |
| |
| Squirrel
Monkeys
Photo
courtesy of Sue Boinski
Red-backed
Squirrel Monkey
Photo by Mary
Kline
KSTR HQ, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica |
Photo
courtesy of Sue Boinski
An endangered species of red-backed squirrel monkey, Saimiri
Oerstedii, also
referred to as Mono Titi, is found within the Manuel Antonio National
Park (which is now under threat of being developed). Not only is
the natural habitat of this squirrel monkey in danger, but their
natural "highway" as well. Electrocution from power lines
is the number one cause of death among the squirrel monkeys of Manuel
Antonio. Trying to cross over the street has proven to be a dangerous
commute. |
| The Kids
Saving the Rainforest have been instrumental in construction of many
monkey bridges, designed to provide the monkeys with a safe crossing.
These precious primates are very social in their clans of 30 or more.
With a large and very open- minded appetite, these monkeys will eat
just about anything, even lizards. |
| |
|
In Manuel Antonio you will find an animal with 2 toes, but sometimes
3. The two-toed and three-toed sloths are a sight to see. These lazy
(hence the name "sloth") animals move at a top speed of
1 mile in 4 hours. Sloths can hold food in their stomachs for a week,
so it's no surprise that they only "use the facilities"
once a week. This weekly ritual brings them down to the ground and
away from their natural habitat (trees). After digging a hole, it's
back up to the trees again. A sloth can live for 20 years and most
females above the age of 3 are pregnant once a year, every year. When
the two-toed sloth is in threatened by another animal it will defend
itself by slashing with its fore claws and biting. |
Sloths
Photo
courtesy of
Dr. Hays
Cummins
Valentine,
3 Toed Sloth
Photo
by Craig Price
KSTR
HQ, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica |
| |
Leaf
Cutting Ants
Atta Rodonna
Photo courtesy of Michael L. Smith /cocori.com
Atta
Rodonna
Photo
courtesy of Michael L. Smith /cocori.com
|
Did you know
that it's the female that rules the world? In the ant world, not only
is the queen "the king", but all of her subjects are female
as well. So what use do ants have for males? Well, after fertilizing
the queen, not much. Once male ants have fertilized the queen, they
die. Leaf cutting ants get their name from their job (cutting leaves).
They don't eat the leaves, but they do chew them. These chewed up
leaves form compost that then transforms into a fungus that produces
a fruit-like substance for the ants to eat. A pretty complicated process,
don't you think? So, now you know that in some colonies the queen
rules and fungus is the royal feast. |
| |
| They grow
to just 6 pounds, but the few pounds they accumulate are full of attitude
and character. Social by nature, these animals love to greet new members
of the family, grooming and sniffing each infant that enters the clan.
The males often engage in mock battles, swinging through the trees
with high-pitched howls. Having seen these monkeys up close, I can
truly say that they are the acrobats of the jungle. |
White-faced
monkeys 
http://philip.greenspun.com/
Philip
Greenspun |
| |
Boa
Constrictor
Boa
Constrictor
Photo
Courtesy of Sandy Wiseman
sandy.wiseman@utoronto.ca |
This giant snake reaches up to 18 feet in length when full
grown. Its prey consists of lizards, opossums, young porcupines,
and tanagers. The snake uses its powerful jaws and fangs to strangle
its prey and then swallow it head first. No wonder the boa constrictor
sits near the top of the food chain. |
| |
Fer-de-lance
One of the most lethal and aggressive snakes found in Manuel Antonio
is the Fer-de-lance. Though few people have ever encountered one,
there are some lurking in the jungles, rivers, and overgrown fields.
Not only is this snake venomous, it also has the advantage of blending
in with its natural environment. With its brown, black, and white
"X" pattern, it is difficult to spot amongst the twigs
and leaves. When approached, this aggressive snake will spring forth
and bite rather than retreat. |
Photo courtesy of Dr.
Hays Cummins , 2001
Drakes Bay, Costa Rica
|
| |
Green
Iquana 
Photo
Courtesy of Philip Greenspun
http://philip.greenspun.com/ |
Deforestation
has placed the green iguana on the endangered species list throughout
much of Costa Rica. Unfortunately, this endangered species is also
considered a tasty "tree chicken" by many Central Americans.
Iguanas spend much of their time in trees, munching on leaves so that
they may grow big and strong. Some iguanas reach one meter in length. |
| |
Blue
Morpho Butterfly 
Photo courtesy of www.earthsbirthday.com |
This brilliantly
blue butterfly is one of the most attractive of the 800 species of
butterflies found within Costa Rica. With wings closed it displays
a modest brown, but when predators approach, it will fly away and
flash its brilliant blue to startle the predators away. |
| |
Paca
Photo courtesy/copyright The Belize Zoo
This large rodent can reach 2.5 feet in length and weigh more
than 20 pounds. Pacas have a base coat of brown or black with
4 lines of white dots on each side. Pacas build their own burrows,
but sometimes rob the burrows of armadillos.
|
To protect
itself while sleeping, the paca will clog up the hole to its burrow
with leaves. You are unlikely to see this large rodent during the
day, because as a nocturnal animal it is active mostly at night. Its
nightlife consists of gathering its favorite foods, seeds, fruit,
and nuts. During the day it is best kept at rest in a safe environment,
it is during this time when many poachers come out to hunt and kill
the Paca. Like the Iguana, Paca is considered a delicacy to eat. |
| |
|
Armadillos range from the southern United States to most
of South America, but there is an endangered version called the
eleven-banded armadillo that is rarely spotted in the rainforests.
This little armored animal is protected from predators with its
hard exterior. While it is safe from predators, the armadillo spends
its time searching for food. Its favorite "dish" consists
of insects, eggs, frogs, small reptiles, and fruits. |
Armadillo
Photo
courtesy of the Warren & Genevieve Garst Photographic Collection
http://lib.colostate.edu |
|
|
| Short
Tailed-Fruit Bat
Photo
courtesy of animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
Did
you know that bats are mammals? |
Like other bats,
the short tailed-fruit bat uses a special sonar or echolocation. Bats
emit high frequency sounds through the nose or mouth; these sounds
then bounce off nearby objects and then back to the bat. The sounds
or tones help the bat to determine characteristics of the surrounding
objects. Bats help humans out by eating insects and help the rainforest
by distributing seeds from the fruit they eat. |
