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Conservation in Southern Costa Rica |
Conservation |
With over 25% of the country set aside to preserve wildlife & rainforest Costa Rica has lots to see. This humid region, in the pacific southwest, comprises some of the largest stands of rainforest in central America.
To contribute to a needed conservation effort contact any of the foundations, groups or hotels listed below. Find out about volunteering a few days of your vacation. Opportunities range from collecting turtle eggs, to feeding monkeys and baby sloths to planting trees. You can also work in local villages and help fix up schools and live with Costa Rican families. |
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Species Of Boa New To The Osa |
 On Friday, September the 28th, Sara Sekkenes and Anthony Zenos, guests at Bosque del Cabo, came upon an unusual little snake. They were taking an afternoon walk along one of Bosque del Cabo’s forest trails when a branch fell at their feet. Beside the branch was a small snake — it may or may have descended with the branch. Knowing of our fascination for serpents, they gently nudged it into their water bottle and brought it to us for identification.
 What emerged from their water bottle was a juvenile Central American Dwarf Boa, Ungaliophis panamensis. All literature sources available to us refer to this snake as being very rare. What little is known about the habits of U. panamensis, suggests that it may be a nocturnal, canopy dweller, preying on lizards — this might account for its apparent rarity! Hitherto, U. panamensis has only been recorded from the northeast of Costa Rica.
 Five species of boa are known to occur in Costa Rica: the boa constrictor (Boa constrictor), the rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria), the common tree boa (Corallus ruschenbergerii) of the southern Pacific region, the annulated tree boa (Corallus annulatus) of the Caribbean lowlands, and the Central American dwarf boa (Ungaliophis panamensis). All but the annulated tree boa are now known to occur on the Osa.
Article courtesy of Philip Davison and Mike Boston, Courtesy of El Sol de Osa The Osa Peninsula’s Newspaper
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