Animals in Costa Rica

This wildlife guide represents only a small part of the animals in Costa Rica. The small country contains around 5 % of the worldwide biodiversity and boasts several superlativs in terms of animal diversity. In total Costa Rica harbours 210 species of mammals, around 900 species of birds, 218 of reptiles, and over 35,000 species of insects. The huge diversity of animal species is due to the fact that Costa Rica sits on a narrow land bridge between North and South America. The land gap closed around 3 million years ago and has become a convergence zone of migrating animals from both hemispheres.