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Unique Species |
Various mammals which might seem less exotic
to tourists, but are nevertheless
unique to Central America, are some species
of raccoons, opossums, and squirrels.
Costa Rican raccoons (mapache in
Spanish) look and act in a similar way
than their northern relatives,
but they are a different species.
There are also white-tailed deer and brocket
deer which are smaller than
some other species; they prefer the dry
forest areas as their habitat, such
as the La Amistad International
Park of Costa Rica.
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Education
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Literature
& eBooks
Children's Classic Literature by Twain,
Bronte, Fitzgerald, Hawthorne, Thoreau and
more.
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Interesting Mammals in Costa Rica
Costa
Rica is indeed a "rich coast" (as its name suggests)
when it comes to its
biodiversity. However, the country doesn't offer a
large quantity of mammals
as other places do. There are 200 species of
mammals, half of which are bats.
There are several exotic mammals that may not be so
abundant, but they're
still fascinating.
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Agouti
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Paca
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Some of the more unusual mammal species include the
agouti and paca, which are small rodents. The
adorable coatimundi (pizote), and kinkajou are known
to be just as mischievous as their raccoon and
weasel cousins. And of course,
sloths
tapirs, anteaters, and armadillos are
interesting.
Wild pigs or peccaries can display very aggressive
behavior, and since they
forage in packs, it's advisable to climb up a tree
when encountering them.
Not all peccaries will attack, but their temperament
is hot and unpredictable
sometimes. §
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Kinkajou
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Coatimundi (Pizote)
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Bats,
which make up half of all of the species of mammals,
vary in size, appearance
and diet. The largest ones are fruit eaters, while
the notorious vampire
bats are among the smallest.
The fascinating fishing bulldog bat of Tortuguero
fishes with a radar system
that detects ripples in the water that are produced
by fish; having located
its prey, the bat plunges down and grabs the fish
with its claws. §
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