Carara National Park and Villa Lapas, Costa Rica
During our transition day, we got the chance to visit Carara National Park, one of the smallest yet most interesting type of forest: between the hot tropical lowlands of Guanacaste and the humid, more verdant climate of the southern Pacific coast. Consequently, this area teems with wildlife. White-throated capuchin monkeys, owl butterflies, and more unnerving crocodiles lounging in the bank-side mud of the Tárcoles River. When their body temperature gets too high, they enter the water or open their mouth to cool down. They are excellent swimmers and large individuals are known to remain submerged for periods of more than one hour. In general, they feed on all kinds of aquatic animals, including crabs, amphibians and fish; they will rarely consume water birds or small mammals.
The true crocodiles of the family Crocodylidae occur in tropical and some subtropical regions around the globe. They are mostly freshwater species, but many species frequent coastal estuaries and swamps or live in the brackish tidal areas of rivers. The following characteristics clearly distinguish the crocodiles from their cousins the spectacled caimans: massive body with a relatively narrow and elongated head, a slender snout, the upper jaw is indented on both sides, an enlarged tooth on the lower jaw is completely exposed in an indentation in the upper jaw when the mouth is closed, and there is no spectacle-like bony ridge in front of the eyes.
Crocodiles used to be common all through Central America, and until recently, it was not always safe to go swimming in some areas. Nowadays, many populations of them are threatened by habitat destruction and by poachers involved in the hide trade. The future of this species is uncertain. We were very lucky today to be able to watch these “Jurassic Park” creatures in the wild.
During our transition day, we got the chance to visit Carara National Park, one of the smallest yet most interesting type of forest: between the hot tropical lowlands of Guanacaste and the humid, more verdant climate of the southern Pacific coast. Consequently, this area teems with wildlife. White-throated capuchin monkeys, owl butterflies, and more unnerving crocodiles lounging in the bank-side mud of the Tárcoles River. When their body temperature gets too high, they enter the water or open their mouth to cool down. They are excellent swimmers and large individuals are known to remain submerged for periods of more than one hour. In general, they feed on all kinds of aquatic animals, including crabs, amphibians and fish; they will rarely consume water birds or small mammals.
The true crocodiles of the family Crocodylidae occur in tropical and some subtropical regions around the globe. They are mostly freshwater species, but many species frequent coastal estuaries and swamps or live in the brackish tidal areas of rivers. The following characteristics clearly distinguish the crocodiles from their cousins the spectacled caimans: massive body with a relatively narrow and elongated head, a slender snout, the upper jaw is indented on both sides, an enlarged tooth on the lower jaw is completely exposed in an indentation in the upper jaw when the mouth is closed, and there is no spectacle-like bony ridge in front of the eyes.
Crocodiles used to be common all through Central America, and until recently, it was not always safe to go swimming in some areas. Nowadays, many populations of them are threatened by habitat destruction and by poachers involved in the hide trade. The future of this species is uncertain. We were very lucky today to be able to watch these “Jurassic Park” creatures in the wild.