The Talamanca News » Critter of the week

Pictures of the Playa Negra Crocodile

Editor — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:40:53 +0000

A number of people have spotted this crocodile (or is it a caiman?), which is about 6 to 7 feet in length, on Playa Negra.

This shows you how close nature can be in Costa Rica!

They’re really not that dangerous to humans, we’re bigger than the prey they like. While it has been a long while since anyone can remember one of this size in this area, when this has occurred in Manuel Antonio the only time a human has been harmed is when a surfer actually bumped into one in the water.

But I did see it take a small dog in front of my hotel in Manuel Antonio so please take care with your pets and make sure they are on leash on Playa Negra.

The appropriate environmental authorities have been notified at MINAE who will decide if it represents a risk to people and needs to be relocated.

And now the pictures you’ve been waiting for:

And here he is swimming in the surf:

One vibrant iguana!

Editor — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:58:37 +0000

This amazingly vibrant iguana photo is one of a very lovely collection of photos taken by photographer Roy Kaltschmidt while he was in Puerto Viejo. And so we here at The Talamanca News would like to call this guy our “Critter of the Week” as well as award the photo the “Photo of the Week”.

You can learn more about our local iguanas and what you can do to save them by visiting the website of the Iguana Verde Foundation. They are working in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve to protect this animal.

You can see Roy’s photos of Puerto Viejo at his portfolio. Or you can search for other photo albums of Puerto Viejo on the Puerto Viejo Satellite Photos, Blogs and Videos page.

Critter of the week: Heard but not seen

Editor — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:26:38 +0000

It’s like the opposite of a well-behaved child: often heard (loudly!) but not often seen. It’s the Howler Monkey, also known locally for it’s Spanish name as the Congo.

This is the loudest animal on earth and can be heard up to 2 miles away. So you’ll often hear them. They are larger than other monkeys found in Costa Rica too so they can look a little scary. But they aren’t particularly interested in humans (unlike the Caro Blanco who’ll sneak up on you and steal your lunch) so don’t threaten them and they’ll leave you alone.

This picture was taken by a recent visitor to Puerto Viejo, Molly, who took this photo in Cahuita National Park. You can see the rest of her pictures on the Photos and Blogs page.

Critter of the week: Green caterpillar with a sting!

Editor — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:45:21 +0000

When you visit Costa Rica you’ll likely see a lot of wildlife you’ve never seen before. And you’re never quite sure what to make of them. There are bugs the size of small animals but which are harmless. There are cute and cuddly animals but with sharp claws. There are snakes that help keep your garden free of rats and other poisonous snakes and snakes that are to be avoided at all costs. So we introduce a new feature here on The Talamanca News – Critter of the Week — where we’ll give you a little more info on some of our jungle neighbors.

This week’s critter photo and write-up comes courtesy of the newsletter of El Puente-The Bridge (find it on map | website).

This critter is an absolutely cute looking little green crawly thing. See those green pointy things on its back? They’re sharp, and they are coated with a nasty chemical that at best can sting, but which can make you sick, and can even put you in the hospital – the insect version of the lion fish. One of the area women, who works at the local ice cream store, acidentally sat on one, and she learned about it the hard way. She’s loyal, God bless her, and she apparently went to work feeling absolutely rotten, knowing that there would be no one to cover for her if she stayed home. If you’re down here and you see one of these things, enjoy it – at a distance.

You can see another picture of him (from Columbia) here.

Does anyone know the name, scientific or otherwise, for this fellow?