Tortuguero's Local Flora & Fauna

Fauna:

Blue-Jeans Poison Dart Frog
The “blue-jeans” poison dart frog (Oophaga pumilio), also known as the strawberry poison dart frog, is one of Costa Rica’s most iconic frogs. The frog’s genus was changed in 2006 from Dendrobates to Oophaga after a study discovered certain parenting patterns, including the fact that the tadpoles’ only diet was unfertilized eggs from their mother. The adult amphibian’s bright-orange markings are comprised of 15-30 known color morphs – most common in Costa Rica are all-orange frogs and orange with bright “blue jeans” marking on their toes and legs. Blue-jeans poison dart frogs are diurnal and are usually found on the forest floor, hunting for small insects and spiders.
 
Green Sea Turtle
Named for its diet of sea grass, the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests in Tortuguero between July and October. Weighing 300-400 pounds, these ancient reptiles were nearly hunted to extinction along Tortuguero’s shores for their shells, meat and eggs. By the late 1950’s, conservation programs were put in place, and the turtle population is now on the rise. Today, with a global population of nesting females of approximately 90,000, green sea turtles are classified as an endangered species.

Female green sea turtles have an inherent nesting instinct that drives them back to their natal beach to lay eggs. They typically return every two or three years and will nest three to five times per season, laying anywhere from 80 to 120 eggs each time. Turtle hatchlings are born with a dark grey carapace that acts as camouflage on the sand for their treacherous journey to the sea. Although adult green sea turtles have no natural predators (except for humans), their eggs and hatchlings may fall prey to scavenging animals, vultures and sharks;  only one or two percent of all eggs will mature into adulthood.  
 
Little Blue Heron
Little blue herons (Egretta caerulea) live in marshlands, estuaries, and other wetlands, dining mostly on small fish, frogs, tadpoles, crustaceans, and the occasional rodent. True to their name, full-grown little blue herons are small – about two feet long and weighing approximately 12 ounces – and blue. However, little blue herons are the only heron species in which adults and juveniles show dramatically different coloration – juveniles are white in color, resembling snowy egrets.
 
Spectacled Caiman
The spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) lives in lowland wetland, rivers and estuaries. It is highly adaptable and can tolerate both freshwater and salt water. Because of this trait, it is the most common of all crocodilian reptiles. Males grow up to 8.5 feet in length, while females typically measure a less-intimidating 4.5 feet long. As juveniles, spectacled caiman feast on aquatic invertebrates like crustaceans, mollusks, and insects; as they grow older, the reptiles switch to vertebrates, including fish, frogs, and water birds. Though spectacled caiman populations have suffered at the hands of illegal hunting and the exotic pet trade, they are still common and not yet classified as threatened.  
 
Spider Monkey
The black-handed spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi), also known as Geoffroy's spider monkey, is found throughout Central America and parts of Colombia. The spider monkey’s extraordinarily long limbs are slender and dark in color, with arms stretching 25% longer than legs. Spider monkeys have dark faces, black feet, potbellies, and black, brown, or rust-colored body hair. Males and females are roughly the same size, weighing between 13 and 20 pounds. Their diet is based on ripe fruit, so spider monkeys need large tracts of forest to survive. Deforestation and habitat loss have caused spider monkey populations to decline and the black-handed spider monkey is now classified as endangered.

West Indian Manatee
Manatees (Trichechus manatus) are endangered around the world. They belong to an unusual group of marine mammals distantly related to elephants. The West Indian manatee was thought to be extinct in Costa Rica until a small population was discovered deep within Tortuguero’s canals. Today, there are only a few manatees living in the area’s lagoons and river system. They are threatened by chemical runoff from banana plantations and by the increasing human traffic that passes through their fragile environment.

Learn more about Costa Rica's Wildlife

Flora:

Oil Tree
The oil tree (Pentaclethra macroloba), part of the mimosa family, is the most common tree in Tortuguero.  It is named for its seedpods that resemble a hawk in flight.  Bats pollinate the trees’ white flowers which open at night. The tree is toxic to most animals, has no parasites, and grows uninhibited along the shores of the Tortuguero River.

Buttressed Tree Trunks
Many species of trees found in Tortuguero and other tropical forests form large buttressed root systems.  These are broad woody flanges at the base of the tree that function as structural support mechanisms. The buttressed roots enable expansive root systems to spread out over the forest floor for maximum nutrient intake. Buttresses grow with the tree in order to support the massive height and weight in shallow, tropical soil where nutrients are available only at the surface.