Costa Rica's Wildlife: August 2008

Costa Rican Wildlife Basics

Costa Rica supports an enormous variety of wildlife! In large part, the biodiversity is accredited to three main factors:

1) Its geographic position between the North and South American continents

2) Its neotropical climate

3) Its wide variety of habitats.

Costa Rica is home to more than 500,000 species, which represents nearly 4% of the total species estimated worldwide, making Costa Rica one of the 20 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world.

One of the principal reasons why Costa Rica's wildlife is so diverse is because the country, together with the land of Panama, formed a bridge connecting the North and South American continents approximately three to five million years ago. This land bridge allowed the very different flora and fauna of the two continents to mix.

Butterflies And Moths

There are roughly 1,250 species of butterflies and at least 8,000 species of moths found in Costa Rica. Butterflies and moths are common year round but are more present during the rainy season.

Some common butterflies and moths in Costa Rica include:

• Thoas Swallowtail