The Arenal Eco Zoo is a nature center located in western
Alajuela Province,
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 no ...
. It is located across
Lake Arenal
Lake Arenal ( es, Lago Arenal) is a lake which is situated in the northern highlands of Costa Rica. It is currently the largest lake in Costa Rica at . Its depth varies between 30 and 60 meters (100–200 feet) seasonally.
The town of Are ...
, west of
Arenal Volcano National Park
Arenal Volcano National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal) is a Costa Rican national park in the central part of the country, part of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area. The park encompasses the Arenal Volcano, the most active in t ...
, right at the border between Alajuela and
Guanacaste Provinces.
Description
The center has a number of educational exhibits, a wide variety of more than 70 snake species, reptiles are also on display, as are more than 30 species of frogs, and a display of spiders and insects. The zoo also organizes naturalist trips and tours to view of over 40 species of butterfly into the surrounding jungle to emulate that of the natural habitats of the species.
The center also has many arachnid and insect species including
tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...
s,
rhinoceros beetles and giant 5 inch
caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
s.
The zoo was founded by Victor Hugo Quesada and his wife Ofelia in 2000. Its original name was El Serpentario Zoologico del Castillo. Today it is known as the Arenal Eco Zoo.
See also
*
List of zoos by country
This is a list of zoological gardens (zoos) around the world. For aquaria, see List of aquaria. For dolphinariums, see List of dolphinariums. For an annotated list of defunct zoos and aquariums, see List of former zoos and aquariums.
Zoos are pri ...
:
Costa Rica zoos
References
Museums in Costa Rica
Nature centers
Buildings and structures in Alajuela Province
Tourist attractions in Alajuela Province
{{Zoo-stub