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Pacuare River
The Pacuare River, or the Río Pacuare, in Costa Rica has its source in the Cordillera de Talamanca and flows approximately to the Caribbean. It is a popular location for white water rafting, whitewater kayaking and riverboarding. The rainforests that surround the river are home to exotic animal species such as jaguars, monkeys, ocelots, and a very large number of birds. Also it was considered one of the 5 nicest rivers to practice rafting. The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad - Costa Rica's state-owned electricity agency - suggested in 1986 the possibility of building a hydroelectric dam on the river. This plan was finally rejected in 2005 due to concerns about the pollution and other impacts on tourism and the ecology of the river and its surroundings. River Sections The Pacuare River is divided into approximately sixteen sections. Starting from the top the three commonly run sections are known as The Upper Upper, The Upper and The Lower. The Upper Upper Section ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and Maritime boundary, maritime border with Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around five million in a land area of . An estimated 333,980 people live in the capital and largest city, San José, Costa Rica, San José, with around two million people in the surrounding metropolitan area. The sovereign state is a Unitary state, unitary Presidential system, presidential Constitution of Costa Rica, constitutional republic. It has a long-standing and stable democracy and a highly educated workforce. The country spends roughly 6.9% of its budget (2016) on education, compared to a global average of 4.4%. Its economy, once heavily dependent on agricultu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Panther
A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been documented mostly in tropical forests, with black leopards in Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Java, and black jaguars of the Americas in Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Brazil and Paraguay. Melanism is caused by a recessive allele in the leopard, and by a dominant allele in the jaguar. Leopard In 1788, Jean-Claude Delamétherie described a black leopard that was kept in the Tower of London and had been brought from Bengal. In 1794, Friedrich Albrecht Anton Meyer proposed the scientific name ''Felis fusca'' for this cat, the Indian leopard (''P. p. fusca''). In 1809, Georges Cuvier described a black leopard kept in the Ménagerie du Jardin des plantes that had been brought from Java. Cuvier proposed the name '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Little Blue Heron
The little blue heron (''Egretta caerulea'') is a small heron of the genus ''Egretta''. It is a small, darkly colored heron with a two-toned bill. Juveniles are entirely white, bearing resemblance to the snowy egret. During the breeding season, adults develop different coloration on the head, legs, and feet. They have a range that encompasses much of the Americas, from the United States to northern South America. Some populations are migratory. Climate change will probably cause their distribution to spread north. They can be found in both saltwater and freshwater ecosystems. Their preference for either one depends on where they live. Nesting behaviors are documented by numerous sources. The adults build nests in trees, in colonies with other bird species. The number of eggs laid varies from place to place. The young mature quickly, requiring little attention from adults after about nineteen days of age. Both young and adults are sometimes preyed on by other species. Adults ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parakeets
A parakeet is any one of many small to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple genera, that generally has long tail feathers. Etymology and naming The name ''parakeet'' is derived from the French wor''perroquet'' which is reflected in some older spellings that are still sometimes encountered, including paroquet or paraquet. However, in modern French''perruche''is used to refer to parakeets and similar-sized parrots. In American English, the word ''parakeet'' usually refers to the budgerigar, which is one species of parakeet. Summary Parakeets comprise about 115 species of birds that are seed-eating parrots of small size, slender build, and long, tapering tails. The Australian budgerigar, also known as "budgie", ''Melopsittacus undulatus'', is probably the most common parakeet. It was first described by zoologists in 1891. It is the most popular species of parakeet kept as a pet in North America and Europe. The term "grass parakeet" (or ''grasskeet'') refers to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toucan
Toucans (, ) are members of the Neotropical near passerine bird family Ramphastidae. The Ramphastidae are most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five genera and over forty different species. Toucans are arboreal and typically lay 2–4 white eggs in their nests. They make their nests in tree hollows and holes excavated by other animals such as woodpeckers—the toucan bill has very limited use as an excavation tool. When the eggs hatch, the young emerge completely naked, without any down. Toucans are resident breeders and do not migrate. Toucans are usually found in pairs or small flocks. They sometimes fence with their bills and wrestle, which scientists hypothesize they do to establish dominance hierarchies. In Africa and Asia, hornbills occupy the toucans' ecological niche, an example of convergent evolution. Taxonomy and systematics The name of this bird group is derived from the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morpho Menelaus
The Menelaus blue morpho (''Morpho menelaus'') is one of thirty species of butterfly in the subfamily Morphinae. Its wingspan is approximately , and its dorsal forewings and hindwings are a bright, iridescent blue edged with black, while the ventral surfaces are brown. Its iridescent wings are an area of interest in research because of its unique microstructure. Due to its characteristic blue color, ''Morpho menelaus'' is considered valuable among collectors and was widely hunted in the 20th century. Range This neotropical butterfly is found in Central and South America, including the Cerrado which is a vast tropical savanna in Brazil. Other locations include Mexico and Venezuela. Ancestors of the ''Morpho'' ''menelaus'' butterfly may have been distributed in the Andean regions. Morpho menelaus is one of the six species of Morpho in Costa Rica. The genus of Morpho is present in regions beginning in Mexico and throughout South America, except Chile. Moreover, the Morpho menelau ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bothrops
''Bothrops'' is a genus of highly venomous pit vipers endemic to Central and South America.McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1''. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. (series). (volume). The generic name, ''Bothrops'', is derived from the Greek words βόθρος, ''bothros'', meaning "pit", and ώπς, ''ops'', meaning "eye" or "face", together an allusion to the heat-sensitive loreal pit organs. Members of this genus are responsible for more human deaths in the Americas than any other group of venomous snakes.Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. . Currently, 48 species are recognized. Description These snakes range from small, never growing to more than , to large at over in total length. Most are characterized by having a sharp ''canthus rostralis'' and an unelevated snout. The arra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lachesis (genus)
''Lachesis'', also known as bushmasters,Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. 2 volumes. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. . is a genus of venomous pit vipers found in forested areas of Central and South America. The generic name refers to one of the Three Fates, Lachesis, in Greek mythology who determined the length of the thread of life. Four species are currently recognized. Description Adults vary in length from , although some may grow to as much as , making it the longest venomous snake in the Western Hemisphere. Bushmasters are the longest type of viper in the world. ''L. muta'' is possibly the largest of the three species currently recognized, although more scant information suggest ''L. stenophrys'' broadly overlaps in size and may average at a similar size, while ''L. melanocephala'' and ''L. acrochorda'' are seemingly slightly smaller than the prior two species. Although they are not the heav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coral Snake
Coral snakes are a large group of elapid snakes that can be divided into two distinct groups, the Old World coral snakes and New World coral snakes. There are 16 species of Old World coral snakes, in three genera (''Calliophis'', '' Hemibungarus'', and ''Sinomicrurus''), and over 65 recognized species of New World coral snakes, in two genera (''Micruroides'' and ''Micrurus''). Genetic studies have found that the most basal lineages have origins in Asia, suggesting that the group originated in the Old World. While new world species of both genera are venomous, their bites are seldom lethal; only two confirmed fatalities have been documented in the past 100 years from the genus ''Micrurus''. Meanwhile, snakes of the genus ''Micruroides'' have never caused a medically-significant bite. North American coloration patterns Experts now recognize that certain coloration patterns and common mnemonics - such as the phrase “Red touch yellow, kill a fellow; red touch black, you’re good, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Howler Monkeys
Howler monkeys (genus ''Alouatta'', monotypic in subfamily Alouattinae) are the most widespread primate genus in the Neotropics and are among the largest of the platyrrhines along with the muriquis (''Brachyteles''), the spider monkeys (''Ateles'') and woolly monkeys (''Lagotrix''). These monkeys are native to South and Central American forests. They are famous for their loud howls, which can travel more than a mile through dense rain forest. Fifteen species are recognized. Previously classified in the family Cebidae, they are now placed in the family Atelidae. They are primarily folivores but also significant frugivores, acting as seed dispersal agents through their digestive system and their locomotion. Threats include human predation, habitat destruction, and capture for pets or zoo animals. Classification * ''A. palliata'' group ** Coiba Island howler, ''Alouatta coibensis'' *** ''Alouatta coibensis coibensis'' *** Azuero howler, ''Alouatta coibensis trabeata'' ** Mantled h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sloths
Sloths are a group of Neotropical xenarthran mammals constituting the suborder Folivora, including the extant arboreal tree sloths and extinct terrestrial ground sloths. Noted for their slowness of movement, tree sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees of the tropical rainforests of South America and Central America. Sloths are considered to be most closely related to anteaters, together making up the xenarthran order Pilosa. There are six extant sloth species in two genera – '' Bradypus'' (three–toed sloths) and '' Choloepus'' (two–toed sloths). Despite this traditional naming, all sloths have three toes on each rear limb-- although two-toed sloths have only two digits on each forelimb. The two groups of sloths are from different, distantly related families, and are thought to have evolved their morphology via parallel evolution from terrestrial ancestors. Besides the extant species, many species of ground sloths ranging up to the size of elep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Capuchin Monkeys
The capuchin monkeys () are New World monkeys of the subfamily Cebinae. They are readily identified as the "Street organ, organ grinder" monkey, and have been used in many movies and television shows. The range of capuchin monkeys includes some tropical forests in Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina. In Central America, where they are called white-faced monkeys ("carablanca"), they usually occupy the wet lowland forests on the Geography of Costa Rica, Caribbean coast of Costa Rica Geography of Panama, and Panama and deciduous dry forest on the Pacific coast. Etymology The word "capuchin" derives from a group of friars named the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, an offshoot from the Franciscans, who wear brown robes with large hoods. When Portuguese explorers reached the Americas in the 15th century, they found small monkeys whose coloring resembled these friars, especially when in their robes with hoods down, and named them capuchins. When the sci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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