The Fantastic Wildlife of Monteverde

You'll often hear about this love for wildlife surrounding destinations as distant within the same country as Corcovado and Tortuguero. And it’s true: both places have wildlife teeming everywhere. Or the fantastic wildlife experiences in Manuel Antonio where they still claim to have more monkeys than people!

But what about Monteverde? Are you expected to see the same amount of wildlife up in the cloud forests? 

Yes. And no. 

If we define wildlife as all life that lives in a non-domesticated environment, you will be immersed in wildlife. If wildlife is a synonym of animals, then keep on reading, please, and we will tell you a bit about seeing animals in Monteverde. 

First, The Fantastic Nature of Monteverde! 

Cloud forests are only 1% of all woodlands on the planet. These unique life systems depend on a particular sort of weather and topographic conditions. 

They are very humid, misty, a bit chilly at times, and quite often, you will find a thin drizzle covering the environment with the glow of a thousand diamonds. 

And you will see plants and more plants! Giant ficus trees will take your breath away, along with tiny orchids, bromeliads of all sizes, and great arborescent ferns. The botanical side of Monteverde is almost infinite. 

Monteverde is home to about  2.5% of the total number of species on the planet. That is insane! It is estimated there are over 3,000 plant species and over 700 species of trees and counting, and that’s before you get into animals and other life!

Whatever I tell you here, though, cannot compare to the absolute magic of walking in the depth of the cloud forest.  

It is luscious and beautiful, yes. When you are hiking in the most strenuous trails, all alone and in silence -be it the Caño Negro trail in the Santa Elena Reserve or El Roble in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve-, the experience goes beyond words.

Surrounded by a primary forest with no human tracks other than the trail you are on, this is an experience that is as thrilling as it is peaceful. Trees are covered with layers and layers of vegetation, each a habitat in itself! They are thick and dark, and when the wind blows, they whisper as if they were saying something. If you take the time to breathe in all the essence around you, this may well turn into a life-changing experience. 

And, of course, there are birds. Lots of them! 

Monteverde alone has almost half the species of all Costa Rica. When you are hiking in the forest, now and then, you will notice groups of dozens of birds in different colors, sizes, and shapes foraging together. Comprised of  species as different as the bright woodpeckers or tiny hummingbirds, the mixed flocks are designed to survive possible predators and are a great thing to witness. 

You can also hear the metallic and sort of discordant sound of the Three Wattled Bellbird, and if you are lucky, you can watch it up on the top of the highest trees calling. And, of course, the Resplendent Quetzal with its iridescent feathers up in the Ocotea trees.  

(Read here about the beautiful birds of Monteverde: Birdwatching in Monteverde)

But then, the question remains… 

Are There Many Animals in Monteverde? 

Yes! Plenty! 

There are over 100 mammal varieties, 400 bird species, 161 amphibia, and reptile varieties.

These are some of the animals that you may see in any of the reserves in the region of Monteverde. Some of them are only seen at night by the camera traps, others are usual sightings, part of the life in the sustainable community of Monteverde. 

Bats

Bats account for more than half of the mammals in Monteverde's  cloud forest. In this area, you'll find at least 58 species.

Bats are underrated, to say the least! These tiny winged dog-faced hyper-interesting mammals are very varied, and fascinating too! Their adaptative differences may go as far as very long hummingbird-like tongues that can catch nectar or those with huge noses or huge ears (for their sizes, of course). They are as well very relevant to our ecosystems, serving as the main pollinators of the vast majority of forests. Move over birds and bees!

You may want to see them in the bat jungle. This unique exhibition will take you to see them live in all their glory. You will also learn a lot about them as specialized guides will take you through the place.  

Oh, and right in the same building, you will find a delicious chocolate store called Cabure. 

The Wildcats

Monteverde is also the home to all six of Costa Rica's wildcat species.

Large cats in the tropics are highly endangered due to habitat loss and indiscriminate hunting. After all, in the past, fur traders used to hunt them. However, hunting has been penalized as a crime in Costa Rica since 2012, after a pledge signed by hundreds of thousands of Costa Ricans. 

Cats, of course, had been the primary victims of hunters up until then. But twelve years after the law passed, wildlife sightings have been more common than before. 

In general, cats are tough to see, but after the pandemic, sightings have been more often, especially at night.  

Hard to spot in the trails, our recommendation for seeing these is through the numerous cameras placed in the different preserves. 

Except for the jaguarundi, all of them have nocturnal habits, and they don't thrive in disturbed environments or places losing habitat. (01)

Ocelot

The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is only outgrown by the Jaguar and Puma. It has enormous paws, thus the Costa Rican name manigordo (fat hand). 

Margay

The margay is a spotted cat (Leopardus wiedii) similar in appearance to the ocelot. And like the ocelot, it is arboreal and nocturnal, living in the trees, hunting monkeys and other arboreal creatures. The margay has lately even been revealed to imitate its prey's vocalizations. 

Jaguar

Jaguars are the only Panthera species found in the Americas. One of Costa Rica's only "large cats", jaguars can reach over two meters long and weigh 250 kg, but the loss of habitat and unlawful poaching has made them vulnerable. They usually dominate over vast ranges of territory, where this "pouncing killer" stalks its target before pouncing on it. You can keep a lookout, but you won't know if one is around (though fortunately, they’re scared as heck of humans!)

Puma

Catamount, cougar, puma, or panther are common names for the Mountain Lion. Pumas are lonely creatures — they typically patrol a range of around 207 square kilometers. However, they are incredibly versatile, which explains why they can live in such a wide variety of settings.

This considerable predator is an obligate carnivore, eating agoutis, pacas, coatis, olingos, raccoons, porcupines, opossums, hares, and tiny reptiles.

Jaguarundi

The jaguarundi is one of the country's oddest cats (Puma yagouaroundi). It has a large torso and short legs, like a puma. Its unspotted coat and tiny legs make it more like a weasel than a cat. It prefers to live near water. Fish, frogs, and other small mammals make up its food. The jaguarundi is the only wild cat in Costa Rica that is active during the day and is allegedly well adapted to human settings.

Oncilla

The oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) is shy and lonely, and its tracks resemble those of a domestic cat, so it can hunt in peace if humans are nearby. The oncilla eats birds and rats. It has two pairs of strong black bands on either side of the neck and is usually pale in color. 

Three Species of Monkeys

In Monteverde, there are three different species of monkeys, although the most common are the Yellow Mantled Howler Monkey and the White-Faced Capuchin monkey. Spider monkeys, present in the region, are much more elusive. 

Yellow Mantled Howler Monkeys

You can easily hear them in the morning at dawn, howling to the wind, a faraway storm, or a truck passing by. It may be a bit intimidating when you don't know what that sound is that covers the forest.  

When I was a tour guide, sometimes I would tell people just for the fun of it that it was a T-Rex, and I can swear I could see a tiny fear spark in their eyes before they burst out laughing. 

The males of the mantled howler can weigh up to 9.8 kg, making it one of the biggest Central American monkeys (22 lb). It is the only Central American monkey that eats a lot of leaves, and because leaves are difficult to digest and supply less energy than most diets, the mantled howler spends most of his time resting and sleeping. 

The male mantled howler has an enlarged hollow bone near the vocal cords that intensify the male's sounds and gives rise to the term "howler." This is actually so monkeys can find each other by howling instead of accidentally risking violent confrontation. 

White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys

This is a 3.9 kg medium-sized, brilliant monkey (8 lb 10 oz) predominantly black, with a pink face and white on the front of the body, hence the name. It has a long prehensile tail that it uses to hold itself when feeding beneath a limb.

The Panamanian white-faced capuchin is a versatile wild animal that eats fruit, other plant material, insects, and small vertebrates. 

Among the monkeys in Monteverde, these are the most common sighting as they are usually close to hotels and restaurants on the lookout for fruit put for birds or organic waste. 

White Nosed Coatimundis

There are several huge groups of white-nosed coatimundis, females, and babies, and you will also see the lonely males looking for food wherever they may find it. 

The white-nosed coati is a member of the raccoon family. Unlike most raccoons family members, the coatimundi is active during the day. However, adults may slumber upon a tree. (04)

Agouti Pacas

And of course! You will see the usual agouti pacas. These small, harmless rodents inhabit the jungle floor looking for seeds and grains they can eat or hide for later. In fact, they are some of the most important seed dispersers in the ecosystem. 

Together with the Coatis, Agoutis are probably the most common wild animal you can spot while walking on any trail. 

Nine Banded Armadillos

The Texan official animal came all the way to Costa Rica and decided to stay! And not just stay, thrive! They are quite small and always dig the jungle floor for insects. 

Quite elusive and shy, armadillos are a surreal sighting, coming from a time when exoskeletons were the trend. You can see the lonely males quite easily, but the best is when you find them with their offspring, the two or three extremely cute pinkish babies following the mother. 

You may also watch anteaters, porcupines, olingos, easels, white-nosed peccaries, and Baird Tapirs. 

 And That’s Just the Mammals!

And here we are only talking about mammals! Monteverde is home to some of the rarest frogs in the World, and if we are to talk about invertebrates, there are many more! 

In future articles, we’ll take some time to explore the many, more creatures of Monteverde. But isn’t it great to know that such a wild, beautiful world is thriving around you?

Perhaps most amazing is that it’s just a short trip from the center of town out to these deep, primary forests. So you can rest assured when you stay at the Ocotea Boutique Hotel, or anywhere else in town, you will be very close to all the different places where you can witness the unique wildlife of Monteverde!

(01)Margarita, Elisabeth, Sierra Schmidt. "Wildlife of Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica." The Wildlife Diaries. 7 Sept. 2019. Web. 8 Dec. 2021. <https://www.thewildlifediaries.com/wildlife-watching-in-monteverde/>

(02)Wikipedia Contributors. "Howler monkey." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2021. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howler_monkey>

(03) Wikipedia Contributors. "Panamanian white-faced capuchin." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Nov. 2021. Web. 25 Nov. 2021. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panamanian_white-faced_capuchin>

(04)Wikipedia Contributors. "White-nosed coati." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Nov. 2021. Web. 25 Nov. 2021. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-nosed_coati>