Costa Rica

Most famous of the amphibian species known solely from Costa Rica is the recently extinct Golden Toad (ARKive WM). Endemic frogs also include the Golfo Dulce Poison Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Granular Poison Frog (iNaturalist), the Blue-sided Leaf Frog (IUCN), the Rufous-eyed Stream Frog (IUCN), the Shaman Fringe-limbed Frog (iNaturalist), the South Fork Tree Frog (ARKive WM), the Green-eyed Frog (iNaturalist), the Spotted-belly Dink Frog (IUCN), Diane's Bare-hearted Glass Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Pass Stubfoot Toad (AmphibiaWeb), and the Lightning Flesh-bellied Frog (AmphibiaWeb). Other amphibians unique to Costa Rica include the Monteverde Moss Salamander (AmphibiaWeb), the Los Diamantes Worm Salamander (Biofotos WM), the Moravia de Chirripo Salamander (CalPhotos), the San Jose Caecilian (CalPhotos), and the Airstrip Caecilian (AmphibiaWeb).

Reptiles exclusive to Costa Rica include the White-tailed Hog-nosed Pitviper (iNaturalist), the Talamancan Palm Pitviper (iNaturalist), the Striped Litter Snake (CalPhotos), Zeledon's Earth Snake (flickr), Myers' Graceful Brown Snake (iNaturalist), a forest racer Dendrophidion crybelum (ResearchGate), the Cocos Pygmy Gecko (CalPhotos), the Green-bellied Lesser Galliwasp (iNaturalist), the Lesser Forest Galliwasp (CalPhotos), the Cocos Anole (CalPhotos), the Swift Anole (CalPhotos), the Osa Anole (iNaturalist), the Pouched Anole (ResearchGate), the Arenal Anole (GBIF), and the High Anole (CalPhotos).

Cocos Island has two genera of birds found nowhere else: the Cocos Flycatcher (eBird) and the Cocos Finch (eBird). Other endemic birds include the Mangrove Hummingbird (eBird), the Coppery-headed Emerald (eBird), the Guanacaste Hummingbird (ResearchGate), the Gray-tailed Mountaingem (Wikipedia) (eBird), the Cocos Cuckoo (eBird), the Black-cheeked Ant-tanager (eBird), the Tawny-chested Flycatcher (eBird), and the Costa Rican Ground Sparrow (eBird).

Mammals found only in Costa Rica the Variable Pocket Gopher (flickr) (Fig. 9c at David Villalobos-Chaves pdf), the Mountain Spiny Pocket Mouse (GBIF) (Oxford WM pdf), the Cloud-dwelling Spiny Pocket Mouse (BHL), Rodriguez's Harvest Mouse (AMNH WM pdf), Musser's Harvest Mouse (Smithsonian pdf), the Costa Rican Harvest Mouse (GBIF), and the Monteverde Small-eared Shrew (ResearchGate). Harris' Olingo (p. 3 of Deep Blue pdf) has been determined to be a synonym of the widely ranging Northern Olingo (ZooKeys).

Freshwater fish species restricted to Costa Rica include the T-Bar Cichlid (IUCN), the Diquis Cichlid (IUCN), the Semaphore Tetra (FishBase), the Savage Tetra (FishBase), the Creek Tetra (IUCN), Ilse's Tetra (FishBase), the Pygmy Catfish (BHL), the Blue Rivulus (Google Books), the Arenal Rivulus (It Rains Fish), Berlin's Bloodworm Eel (BioOne), Lebiasina boruca (fig. K at ResearchGate), the Cocos River Goby (iNaturalist), the Cocos Stream Clingfish Gobiesox fulvus (SciELO), the Cocos Sleeper (BHL), the Striped Livebearer (FishBase), the Orange-finned Flasher (iNaturalist), and the Santa Elena Toothcarp (OTS WM pdf).

Marine fish found exclusively around Cocos Island include the Cocos Barnacle Blenny (Discover Life), the Cocos Stargazer (STRI WM), the Red-striped Wrasse (STRI WM), the Cocos Triplefin (STRI WM), the Insular Armored Searobin (STRI WM), Woods' Clingfish (STRI WM), the Cocos Brotula (STRI WM), the Pandemic Blenny (Species New to Science), the White-starred Goby (STRI WM), and the Knave Goby (STRI WM).

Butterflies unique to Costa Rica include Dynamine hecuba (Butterflies of America) (iNaturalist), Lymanopoda euopis (tropicleps.ch), Opsiphanes jacobsorum (ACG), Mesotaenia barnesi (ACG) (iNaturalist), Memphis marylena (tropicleps.ch), Mnasaicles browni (Butterflies of America), and Oxynetra stangelandi (Butterflies of America). Endemic moths include the day-flying Erbessa albilinea (BOLD), a saturniid Xanthodirphia amarilla (iNaturalist) and a tiger moth Leichosila talamanca (ResearchGate).

Other endemic insects include the dragonflies Epigomphus bosquenuboso (iNaturalist) and Libellula mariae (ARKive WM), the damselflies Palaemnema chiriquita (iNaturalist) and Philogenia peacocki (iNaturalist), a termite-mimic ant Pheidole nasutoides (AntWiki), a bumblebee Bombus digressus (iNaturalist), a hister beetle Nymphister kronaueri (Species New to Science), Quammen’s Green Mountain Beetle Quammenis spectabilis (ResearchGate), the longhorn beetles Cerrostrangalia solisi (iNaturalist) and Kozlovellus bicolor (GBIF), a jewel beetle Callimicra prenai (Zootaxa pdf), a flower beetle Cotinis olivia (BOLD), a leaf-footed bug Bitta podalica (iNaturalist), the grasshoppers Caenolampis osae (iNaturalist) and Ampelophilus coeruleus (GBIF), the katydids Markia nicolasi (iNaturalist) and Scopiorinus impressopunctatus (iNaturalist), a pygmy mole cricket Ripipteryx biolleyi (iNaturalist), a king cricket Glaphyrosoma stephanosoltis (GBIF), a stick insect Oncotophasma laetitiae (iNaturalist), and the cicadas Proarna cocosensis (iNaturalist) and Muraoides costaricensis (GBIF).

Other endemic invertebrates include a scorpion Opisthacanthus valerioi (Arácnidos de Centroamérica), the velvet worms Peripatus solorzanoi (Guardian) and Epiperipatus isthmicola (ResearchGate), a jumping spider Bagheera laselva (flickr), the tarantulas Megaphobema mesomelas (mantid.nl) and Brachypelma fossorium (mantid.nl), a pholcid spider Modosimus coco and a harvestman Eucynorta insularis (both on p. 3 of Field Museum pdf), a land crab Johngarthia cocoensis (iNaturalist), a cave-dwelling freshwater crab Pseudothelphusa puntarenas (Subterranean Biology), a freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium cocoense (BHL), a woodlouse Ischioscia martinae (iNaturalist), a land planarian Rhynchodemus bromelicola (iNaturalist), an earthworm Eutrigaster picadoi (fig. 2 at BHL), and a soft coral Rhodolitica occulta (ZooKeys). A family of mites, the Antennochelidae (PLAZI), is currently known only from Costa Rica.

Endemic molluscs include the freshwater snails Tropinauta sinusdulcensis (WMSDB) and Chiapaphysa pacifica (fig. 33 at ResearchGate pdf), and several land snails: Tikoconus costarricanus (iNaturalist), Helicina talamancensis and Alcadia hojarasca (both at helicina.de), and Incidostoma carmioli (iNaturalist). Endemic marine molluscs include a cone snail Dauciconus shaskyi (WMSDB), a muricid snail Favartia shaskyi (Eddie Hardy), an abalone Haliotis drogini (IUCN), and the margin shells Dentimargo cruzmoralai (WMSDB) and Hyalina chicoi (p. 39 of Olivoidea Scratchpad pdf).

Among an estimated 600 plants species found nowhere else are a cactus Hylocereus calcaratus (mobot), Heliconia umbrophila (La Selva florula digital), Columnea microphylla (Gesneriad Reference Web), Pilea matama (ResearchGate), Anthurium scherzerianum (iNaturalist), Cestrum irazuense (Monteverde Natural History WM), Costus barbatus (IUCN), Drymonia uninerva (iNaturalist), Passiflora soliana (BHL), Utricularia uxoris (iNaturalist), Begonia corredorana (iNaturalist), Zamia gomeziana (Exotica Esoterica), and the bromeliads Puya dasylirioides (iNaturalist) and Tillandsia abdita (mobot). Orchids unique to Costa Rica include Reichantha rolfeana (pleurothallids.com WM), Panarica neglecta (IOSPE WM), Maxillaria costaricensis (IOSPE WM), and Epidendrum insulanum (Epidendra WM).

Endemic trees include Pleodendron costaricense (Osa Conservation), Cecropia pittieri (iNaturalist), Bourreria grandicalyx (eol WM), Magnolia costaricensis (iNaturalist), Swartzia zeledonensis (iNaturalist), Bactris longiseta (Palmpedia), Ocotea monteverdensis (Monteverde Institute WM), Dacryodes talamancensis (iNaturalist), Parmentiera valerii (iNaturalist), Williamodendron glaucophyllum (iNaturalist), Podocarpus costaricensis (iNaturalist), Arachnothryx monteverdensis (iNaturalist), Erythrochiton gymnanthus (iNaturalist), Caryocar costaricense (iNaturalist), Huberodendron allenii (iNaturalist), Klarobelia stipitata (Osa Conservation), Mouriri tuberculata (iNaturalist), Terminalia costaricensis (iNaturalist), and Manilkara spectabilis (iNaturalist). Endemic tree genera include Povedadaphne (BHL) (iNaturalist) and Gamanthera (La Nacion WM) (BHL).

Other endemic vascular plant genera include Utleya (NYBG WM), Osa (mobot) (iNaturalist), Charadranaetes (iNaturalist), Ortizacalia (BHL) (fig. A at ResearchGate), and Standleyanthus (BHL).

Endemic lichens include Ampliotrema cocosense (fig. A at ResearchGate) and Anomomorpha tuberculata (100 New Lichens WM). Fungi known only from Costa Rica include Cora barbatula (Faces of Fungi), Tricholoma costaricense (ResearchGate), and Cyathus tenuicorticalis (ResearchGate). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Breutelia pilifera (BHL) and Pilotrichum rugifolium (BHL) and the liverworts Cryptothallus hirsutus (GBIF) and Lejeunea grolleana (GBIF). Endemic marine macroalgae include Sporolithon pacificum (fig. 64 at BIOMAREZ WM pdf) and Botryocladia beaudettei (fig. 75 at BIOMAREZ WM pdf).

Costa Rica is part of the Mesoamerica biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots WM) and forms a portion of the Western Caribbean coral reef hotspot (Columbia Univ. WM pdf). Important ecoregions include the Talamancan Montane Forests (EoE) and the Cocos Island Moist Forests (EoE). A list of endemic marine species from Cocos Island is at (p. 5 of SciELO pdf).