Costa Rica Endangered Animals

Wildlife is one of the key assets of Costa Rica’s tourism. However, despite of its unique habitat, many species of plants and animals are decreasing in number. To be exact, there are a total of 155 endangered species in this country including rare plants, exotic birds, mammals and other aquatic animals. The primary threat to Costa Rica’s wildlife is destruction of habitat, followed by illegal hunting and trapping for exportation. 

Here we have listed some of Costa Rica’s endangered animals and the reasons of its declining number. 

BIRDS

894 species of birds flock over the skies of Costa Rica more than that of America and Canada. The country provides habitat to critically-threatened birds which could have been extinct to other places primarily because of deforestation. Exotic members of this class like the Quetzal and Scarlet Macaws are conserved in protected areas of Costa Rica. Other endangered birds include the Great Curassow and Toucans or “flying bananas”. Several conservation parks in the country offers an excellent view of these threatened birds. 

MAMMALS

Everyday offers new chances for deterioration in number of certain mammals in Costa Rica. First on the list is the Black Panther which is totally extinct by this time. Jaguars and ocelots are also becoming lesser and lesser each day. Maybe it’s the sharing or competition in territories between wildlife and men that brought these animals to being endangered. Significantly, one should be superior in power over the other. 

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

The Monte Verde golden toad is considered to be extinct since 1989. Endangered others would include five-keeled spiny-tailed iguana, lemur leaf frog, Starrett's treefrog, and El Empalme worm salamander. On a brighter note, turtles have now recovered because of the campaign against illegal collection of its eggs. It has been believed that foods from turtle eggs have aphrodisiac properties. 

INVERTEBRATES

There are two species of freshwater crabs that are on the endangered list. Several species of shadowdamsels are also threatened. This includes chiriquita, black-backed, cacao and many others. 

So what’s the bottom line?

Perhaps with this, humans are just proving that we are born to destruct. That wherever man will go, there’s always that sort of disturbance maybe among other men or even the environment and the creatures living in it. We should always remember that in everything we do, take both sides. There is always the means on how to move forward without sacrificing other aspects around us.