Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

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shanicy
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Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by shanicy »

Hi!

Since I was a child I've been dreaming about Costa Rica.
I've been traveling with my girlfriend from Mexico to Panama for 4 months (Sept - Jan 14-15) - Super exited to see CR - and those are my herping highlights of the trip.

I didn't used any private guide or tour. Google is the best ;)
None of the herps was harmed or moved out of its habitat.

Enjoy!

At first, a bit from the neighbour countries:
Mexico:
Black Iguana:
ImageBlack Iguana - Ctenosaura similis by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Juvenile Iguana
Imagejuvenile Spiny Tailed Iguana by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Painted Turtle
ImagePainted Turtle by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Dragonfly
ImageDragonfly by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Belize - Cockscomb reserve:
Coffee Snake
ImageRedback Coffee Snake - Ninia sebae by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Mud Turtle - Kinosternon genus:
Image

Big Green anole from Guatemala - Neotropical Green Anole (Anolis biporcatus)
ImageGreen Anole by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Hungry Anole - Ghost Anole (Anolis lemurinus)
ImageBrown Anole: During lunch by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Nicaragua:
3 different racers were crossed my road and I didnt managed to get a photo.
Cane Toad:
Image

Neotropical Wood Turtle - at one volcano summit (Ometepe)
Image

Panama - Due a storm I couldnt go to the places I really wanted:
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog - Oophaga pumilio
ImageStrawberry Poison Dart Frog - Oophaga pumilio by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Finally: Costa Rica
Arenal Area
I became crazy for looking yellow spots in the jungle so I was super happy to see this golden beauty at the entrance to Arenal NP:
ImageYellow Eyelash Pit Viper - Bothriechis schlegelii by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

One tree to the right was another one hidden very well:
ImageCamouflage - Eyelash PitViper - Bothriechis schlegelii by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Anole
Image

At Monte Verde I found this AWESOME unique tree frog which identified as melanistic Pristimantis cruentus
ImageUnique Tree Frog - Pristimantis cruentus by Shani Cohen, on Flickr
ImageUnique Tree Frog - Pristimantis cruentus by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

I took a night tour for a chance to see side-striped palm viper (Bothriechis lateralis) (lora venenosa locally)
We have found this rare cool frog - Red Eyed Stream Frog - Duellmanohyla uranochroa:
ImageRed Eyed Stream Frog - Duellmanohyla uranochroa by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

And by the moment Ive seen the snake the guide forbid me to come closer into the bushes.
Damn I was sp pissed about the guide.
Bothriechis lateralis
Image

Chilamate lodge:
Blunt Headed Tree Snake‏ - Imantodes cenchoa, That snake was everywhere!
ImageBlunt Headed Tree Snake‏ - Imantodes cenchoa by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Juvi:
Imagejuvenile Blunt Headed Tree Snake‏ - Imantodes cenchoa by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Those amazing frogs were pretty common at night. Red eyed tree frog
Got this printed on Canvas in my office :)
ImageRed Eyed Tree Frog - Agalychnis callidryas by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

ImageRed Eyed Tree Frog - Agalychnis callidryas by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

One night I tried other property. No snakes were seen but this beautiful Masked tree frog:
ImageMasked Tree Frog - Smilisca phaeota - ID not sure by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Green Basilisk sleeping in the bush:
ImageEmerald Basilisk - Basiliscus plumifrons by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

The Sleeping Beauty - Anolis capito:
ImageThe Sleeping Beauty - Anolis capito by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Dart frogs:
ImageBlue Jeans Dart Frog - Dendrobates pumilio by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

ImageBlack and Green Dart Frog - Dendrobates auratus by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Gladiator Tree Frog(?)
ImageGladiator Tree Frog - Hypsiboas rosenbergi by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Smoky Jungle Frog:
Image

Rhaebo haematiticus (Litter Toad)
Image

Craugastor fitzingeri (or related species)
Image

Scinax elaeochroa (Olive-snouted Treefrog)
Image

Rana warszewitschii (Brilliant Forest Frog)
Image

Tortugero NP:
Brownish Eyelash PitViper - Bothriechis schlegelii:
ImageEyelash PitViper - Bothriechis schlegelii by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

In-situ:
Image

Parrot Snake - Leptophis ahaetulla:
After a big one escaped in Belize and another one in the same park, I finally managed to get a good one:
ImageParrot Snake - Leptophis ahaetulla by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Image

UNKNOWN Golden Frog
Image

Night walk in a private property (Look for ASVO) didn't resulted anything interesting. bummer.

Cahuita NP: This park is a snake paradise at day time. Just imagine hw awesome it is at night... (Entrace is forbidden)
Another yellow beauty:
ImageYellow Eyelash Pit Viper - Bothriechis schlegelii by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

ImageYellow Eyelash Pit Viper - Bothriechis schlegelii by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Image

Challenge! Find the snake (in-situ)
Image

Rainforest Hognosed Pit Viper - Porthidium nasutum
Apparently, those guys can JUMP! My girlfriend almost did what the snake didnt (She wanted to kill me haha)
The coloration of this individual wasn't too impressive...
ImageRainforest Hognosed Pit Viper - Porthidium nasutum by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Brown Vine Snake - One of my favorites!
When this snake feels stress, it can stick out its tongue and move with the wind like a vine. Truly Awesome!
ImageBrown Vine Snake - Oxybelis aeneus by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

ImageBrown Vine Snake - Oxybelis aeneus by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

ImageBrown Vine Snake - Oxybelis aeneus by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

ImageBrown Vine Snake - Oxybelis aeneus by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Yellow-spotted Night Lizard:
Image

Pacific Coast: Gulfito:
Camron Climbing Salamander - Bolitoglossa lignicolor
ImageCamron Climbing Salamander - Bolitoglossa lignicolor by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Rain Frog - Pristimantis family
ImageRain Frog - Pristimantis family by Shani Cohen, on Flickr

Hacienda Baru - Dominical
Beautiful place to finish 4 month trip in!
Cat eye snake:
Image

Image

And after hearing dreadful stories all over about this snake, finally I found it.
My girlfriend almost stepped on it at the first time I was letting her to lead at night.
The mighty Fer De Lence!
Image

I couldnt get a better photo as it turned aroung to the bushes and vanished. Same happend with the second one.
Image

Cappuchin Monkeys
Image

Stream Turtle
Image

Bad-ass looking UNKNOWN toad
Image

Black Iguana:
Image

Green Iguana:
Image

Till the next time...
ImageRunning Home - Baby Olive Ridely Turtle by Shani Cohen, on Flickr


There are some other species I've seen and their photos are not included here.
4 month is a really, really long time to summarize in one post.

Cheers :beer:
Shani
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cbernz
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by cbernz »

Awesome trip! The last pic is the coolest one to me - still waiting to see a sea turtle.

Your Gladiator Frog looks like a Smilisca, maybe S. puma. Your unknown lizard is a Yellow-spotted Night Lizard. The badass unknown frog is some sort of toad. Do you have any full-body shots?
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shanicy
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by shanicy »

Thanks!
I dont have a body shot of that toad. Its green eyes took my attention.
About the Gladiator, Its hard to tell...

I added a few photos of Unknown frogs.
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Paul Freed
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by Paul Freed »

Great post and nice photos, Shani! [By the way, the turtle you called: "Mud turtle at one volcano summit (Ometepe)" is actually not a mud turtle but rather a Wood Turtle (Rhinoclemmys, likely R. annulata)]. That's a shame the guide wouldn't let you get closer to the Bothriechis lateralis, it's an impressive species. Do you have any other photos of the fourth, unidentified frog? It looks like it might be Lithobates warszewitschii, but without seeing the entire body I can't be sure. Thanks so much for sharing!
-Paul
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Antonsrkn
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by Antonsrkn »

Great trip report you saw tons of cool critters.
And after hearing dreadful stories all over about this snake, finally I found it.
My girlfriend almost stepped on it at the first time I was letting her to lead at night.
The mighty Fer De Lence!
Luckily those stories tend to be exaggerated especially when told by locals. If they were as mean as everyone likes to claim I'd have been in really big trouble several times over. They are much more nervous than other vipers I have encountered and never seem to stay still once I see them, but they're just trying to get away.

Glad you had a good time!
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cbernz
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by cbernz »

That tan frog on the leaf definitely looks more like Smilisca puma or S. sordida than like a Gladiator, and I think your S. phaeota is more likely S. puma or sordida as well. Here's your 4 mystery frogs:

1) Rhaebo haematiticus (Litter Toad)
2) Craugastor fitzingeri (or related species)
3) Scinax elaeochroa (Olive-snouted Treefrog)
4) Rana warszewitschii (Brilliant Forest Frog)
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Cole Grover
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by Cole Grover »

Cool post. Cbernz got your frogs.

Cole
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shanicy
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by shanicy »

Thanks for your comments guys!

I updated the unknown ones. Still got one missing from Tortugero NP.

Cheers
Shani
Jimi
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by Jimi »

Looks like a great trip, major congrats on finding the time, money, friend, and decisiveness to pull it off. I hope you both came back healthy and still good friends. I did this kind of trip once with a friend (same basic trip as yours, but a month shorter); we got married a few years after.
And by the moment Ive seen the snake the guide forbid me to come closer into the bushes.
Damn I was sp pissed about the guide.
Bothriechis lateralis
Ah, a lovely animal, and one that's easier to find at night than in daytime (they don't seem to lay about in the open so much as eyelashes, they hide better). Many species of arboreal vipers & boids will often remain in the same exact spot, or very close by, for a couple of weeks at a time if they aren't molested. Your guide may have been looking ahead to tomorrow's satisfied customer (who he could show the same snake to, I mean). As I think you suggested, it's way easier to go straight to a snake you have already located, than to find a new one. Except for the crazy places like Cahuita anyway, ha ha - that place rocks for daytime eyelash vipers. Anyway, I hope this helps you feel a little better about the guide. Guy's gotta make a living, and you ticked this species off your list. Not the easiest of CR's vipers to see, by a long shot.

cheers,
Jimi
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chrish
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by chrish »

You switched the wrong turtle names.

This turtle is one of the mud turtles in the genus Kinosternon, maybe K. leucostomum or K. scorpiodes. You didn't say where you found it.

Image

The turtle you have labeled as a mud turtle from the volcano summit is Rhinoclemmys sp. (Neotropical Wood Turtle species)

The turtle labeled Stream Turtle looks like a species of Staurotypus maybe?
also....

Your "Painted Turtle" is actually a species of Trachemys (possibly Trachemys venusta, depending again where you found it)

Your Green Anole is the Neotropical Green Anole (Anolis biporcatus).
Your Brown Anole looks like the Ghost Anole (Anolis lemurinus).

I'm not sure what your "Masked Treefrog" is, but I don't think it is Smilisca phaeota.
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shanicy
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Re: Pictures from Central America (Mainly Costa Rica) 2014

Post by shanicy »

Jimi, Thanks for your comment.
Me and my girl friend are still together and everything is great. Cheers for that :)

chrish, Thanks buddy. I updated again.
The 'masked tree frog' is uncertain. I asked a few experts and that what they told.

Still curious about the unknown golden frog.
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