|
|
|
|
|
|
Costa Rica has two kinds of large lizard-like reptiles: green iguanas and
"black iguanas" (which are not technically an iguana). These ground nesting
reptiles can be found high in the treetops, feeding on leaves and basking
in the sun. Juvenile iguanas eat grubs and other invertebrates, while adults
are mostly plant eaters but will occasionally eat small mammals and nesting
birds.
Reptiles are restricted to living on land, since all throughout
their lives they are air-breathing creatures.
|
| Habitat
|
There are an amazing variety of lizards of many different kinds in Costa
Rica. They live everywhere, mostly in leaf piles and dry underbrush. One
of the best places to find lizards is on the beach, where they hang out around
driftwood logs and eat insects.
|
|
Education
|
Literature & eBooks
Children's Classic Literature by Twain, Bronte, Fitzgerald, Hawthorne, Thoreau and more.
|
|
|
|
Iguanas and Lizards in Costa Rica
On the beach, lizards with long back legs scamper and leap among the logs.
They are one of the most commonly seen creatures here, but they can be difficult
to get pictures of, because they rarely sit still for the camera. When they
see you approach, they bolt and hide in the brush, making them extremely
difficult to photograph. §
|
|
|
| Jesus Christ Lizard
|
Some of the lizards here are cabable of amazing feats of acrobatic skill. For instance, the so-called Jesus Christ Lizard
can actually walk on water. Well, what it can do is run on water, to be precise.
They run very very fast on their hind legs, with a kind of slapping motion
of the back feet. It's pretty amazing to watch.
Geckos can climb on sheer smooth walls, using the sticky
pads on their feet. They hunt mosquitos, making them a favorite among people.
Other kinds of lizards can jump and climb amazingly well, hopping from branch
to branch in the undergrowth. There are also some fairly large iguanas and
related large lizards. They are fairly rare, but they are still to be found,
and can even be seen sometimes in the undergrowth near the beach. §
| Crocodiles in Costa Rica
|
|
|
|
|
|
Success with Endangered Crocodiles
Reptiles are also numerous and interesting in Costa Rica. Crocodiles, which
have a longer snout than alligators, live in several rivers of the area.
Their smaller relatives, the caimans, are also present near the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts and in some rivers in the interior part of the country.
Famous places for spotting these creatures include Tortuguero and Corcovado
parks. In past years these animals reached dangerously low numbers, which
encouraged breeding and protection programs. However, these programs were
so efficient that the sightings of crocodiles have increased tremendously,
and there have also been some attacks. Attacks have always occurred in rivers
that are known to contain a large population of these creatures; the unfortunate
swimmers were aware of the danger but they simply ignored it. §
|
