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C
osta Rica has an extraordinary refuge of life and plenty of natural surprises. While small enough to embody only .03% of the planet’s surface, the plant and wildlife is so abundant and various that it represents 6% of the world’s biodiversity. There are over 2,000 species of diurnal butterflies, 4,500 nocturnal butterflies, and 220 species of reptiles, 163 species of amphibians, 1,600 species of fish and over 850 species of birds.
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There’s also Toucans, Moose, Deer, Anteaters, Slugs, Monkeys, Pizotes, Otters, Foxes, Jaguars, Ocelots, Pumas, and so many other animals too numerous to mention that inhabit our country. Vegetation here, however, varies according to altitude and in Costa Rica, there are so many different ranges of elevation to handle the 10,000 species of plants and trees. Rainforests in the southwest of the country as well as in the Atlantic lowlands have tall trees and long vines, and the moisture attracts an abundance of plant and animal life. The cloud forests that cover the high volcano slopes and mountains feature thick bromeliads, mosses and ferns. In the North Pacific coast are the tropical dry forests, with their own set of flowers, trees, plants like herbaceous gram Incas, and animals. |
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