COSTA RICA PART 3 A WILDLIFE ODYSSEY

Costa Rica is a Central American country bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south-east. It has both Pacific and Caribbean coasts with the country split down its length by mountains with slopes running down one side to the Caribbean coast and to the Pacific coast the other side. There are four active volcanoes in Costa Rica.
This small country (about the size of Wales) is renowned amongst naturalists for its rich variety of flora and fauna. Despite covering only 0.1% of the world’s landmass, it contains about 5% of global biodiversity.
A staggering 25% of Costa Rica is protected in national parks and other areas - the greatest proportion of any country. This, in combination with its tropical climate and the multiple different microclimates and habitats on the Pacific and Caribbean mountain slopes, contributes to Costa Rica’s extraordinary natural variety.
Costa Rica has one of the richest avifaunas of any country - nearly 950 species of birds have been recorded, making it an exciting birdwatching destination to explore. In fact, more species have been recorded in Costa Rica than in the whole of the US and Canada combined! As well as being a top birdwatching destination, Costa Rica is home to many other exciting animal and plant species: mammals include two species of sloth, Baird’s Tapir, Northern Tamandua, smaller cat species such as Ocelot and Margay, and four species of primate, including Mantled Howler Monkey.
Four species of turtle nest along its palm-fringed coasts and it is also home to a wonderful variety of other 'herps' including Green Basilisk, Strawberry Poison-dart Frog and the charismatic Red-eyed Tree Frog.