Costa Rica

Most famous of the amphibian species known solely from Costa Rica is the recently extinct Golden Toad Bufo periglenes (ARKive). Endemic frogs also include the Golfo Dulce Poison-dart Frog Phyllobates vittatus (ARKive), the Blue-sided Leaf Frog Agalychnis annae (INBio), a treefrog Duellmanohyla rufioculis (ARKive), the Pass Stubfoot Toad Atelopus senex (ARKive), and a robber frog Eleutherodactylus (or Craugastor) persimilis (ARKive). Other amphibians unique to Costa Rica include the Monteverde Moss Salamander Nototriton gamezi (AmphibiaWeb), the Moravia de Chirripo Salamander Bolitoglossa alvaradoi (ARKive), the Los Diamantes Worm Salamander Oedipina carablanca (ARKive), and the Airstrip Caecilian Oscaecilia osae (AmphibiaWeb).

Reptiles exclusive to Costa Rica include the Black-headed Bushmaster Lachesis melanocephala (CalPhotos), the White-tailed Hog-nosed Pitviper Porthidium porrasi (CalPhotos), the Striped Littersnake Rhadinaea serperastra (flickr), the Blotched Snaileater Sibon argus (CalPhotos), the Green-bellied Lesser Galliwasp Celestus cyanochloris (INBio), the Short-legged Water Lizard Neusticurus apodemus (CalPhotos), the Costa Rican Tropical Night Lizard Lepidophyma reticulatum (CalPhotos), the Cocos Anole Norops townsendi (eol), and the High Anole Norops altae (CalPhotos).

Cocos Island has two genera of birds found nowhere else: the Cocos Flycatcher (IBC) and the Cocos Finch (ARKive). Other endemic birds include the Mangrove Hummingbird (Neotropical Birds), the Coppery-headed Emerald (INBio), the Cocos Cuckoo (ARKive), and the Black-cheeked Ant-tanager (IBC).

Mammals found only in Costa Rica include Harris's Olingo (p. 3 of Deep Blue pdf file), Underwood's Pocket Gopher (eol), Cherrie's Pocket Gopher (Planet' Mammiferes), the Variable Pocket Gopher (INBIO), the Mountain Spiny Pocket Mouse (Mammalian Species pdf file), Rodriguez's Harvest Mouse (AMNH pdf file), the recently described Musser's Harvest Mouse (AMNH pdf file), and the recently described Cloud-dwelling Spiny Pocket Mouse (AMNH pdf file)..

Freshwater fish species restricted to Costa Rica include the T-Bar Cichlid (World Cichlids), the Pearl Cichlid Amphilophus rhytisma (Cichlid Room Companion), the Semaphore Tetra (FishBase), the Savage Tetra (FishBase), a headstander Roeboides ilseae (FishBase), a creek tetra Bryconamericus terrabensis (FishBase), an olomina Brachyrhaphis rhabdophora (FishBase), a topminnow Poeciliopsis paucimaculata (FishBase), and the recently described topminnow Poeciliopsis santaelena (OTS pdf file). Marine fish found exclusively around Cocos Island include the Cocos Barnacle Blenny (Discover Life), the Cocos Stargazer (STRI), the Red-striped Wrasse (STRI), the Cocos Triplefin (STRI), an armored searobin Peristedion nesium (Practical Fishkeeping), and the Knave Goby (ARKive).

Butterflies unique to Costa Rica include Dynamine hecuba (eol), Cissia drymo (eol), Paratrytone browni (Butterflies of America), and Perisama barnesi (eol). Other endemic invertebrates include a tiger moth Leichosila talamanca (Wikispecies), Quammen’s Green Mountain Beetle Quammenis spectabilis (eol), a flower beetle Cotinis olivia (eol), the Chiriquita Shadowdamsel Palaemnema chiriquita (ARKive), a termite-mimic ant Pheidole nasutoides (Discover Life), the Volcano Knobtail Epigomphus echeverrii (Odonata of Costa Rica), a velvet worm Peripatus solorzanoi (Guardian), and a tarantula Megaphobema mesomelas (Birdspiders.com). Endemic molluscs include a landsnail Drymaeus costaricensis (eol), a clam Adrana elizabethae (INBio), and two margin shells: Dentimargo cruzmoralai (eol) and Hyalina chicoi (eol).

Among an estimated 600 plants species found nowhere else are a cactus Hylocereus calcaratus (mobot), Sabazia densa (eol), Heliconia umbrophila (Flora Digital de La Selva), Stenanona costaricensis (eol), Columnea microphylla (Gesneriad Reference Web), Pilea matama (NHM-London), Cestrum irazuense (Solanaceae of Monteverde), Bourreria grandicalyx (eol), and two bromeliads: Tillandsia abdita (mobot) and Puya dasylirioides (PlantSystematics.org). Orchids unique to Costa Rica include Panarica neglecta (IOPSE), Reichantha rolfeana (pleurothallids.com), Epidendrum insulanum (Epidendra), and Maxillaria costaricensis (IOPSE). Endemic plant genera include Utleya (NYBG), Osa (mobot), Povedadaphne (Internet Archive), and Gamanthera (La Nacion).

Costa Rica is part of the Mesoamerica biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots) and forms a portion of the Western Caribbean coral reef hotspot (Reef Guardian pdf file). Important ecoregions include the Talamancan Montane Forests (EoE) and the Cocos Island Moist Forests (EoE). Accounts of over 200 of Costa Rica's endemic plants and animals can be found at INBio (INBio).