Rara Avis
Rainforest Lodge & Reserve
 Costa Rica

Amphibians and Reptiles
of Rara Avis

Amphibians and Reptiles of Rara Avis

Welcome to the amphibians and reptiles section of the Rara Avis website. In tropical regions these animal groups have reached a dazzling variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and life styles. Just look at the picture of this Green Basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons) below to get an idea ! The herpetofauna (= all reptiles and amphibians combined) of Rara Avis is no different in its amazing diversity.
So far, we have recorded 102 species within the reserve - some are common and you can see them almost every day, but most are seen infrequently. In fact, some species living in Rara Avis are only known from less than 10 sightings ever !  Yes, we also have some venomous snakes, but this has never been a problem. It is probably more dangerous to drive your car to work than to hike through the rainforest in Rara Avis. If you wear boots and pants, and - most importantly - if you look where you put your hands and feet before actually doing so, you will be perfectly fine.

To give you an idea of what you might expect on your visit to Rara Avis we have posted a checklist of the amphibians and reptiles.

AMPHIBIANS (36 SPECIES)
Caecilians
Purple Caecilian	Gymnopis multiplicata  »	Limbless, eyeless and worm-like, caecilians are among the most featureless amphibians around. These interesting creatures live a burrowing life and are rarely seen. Only during strong rains they occasionally leave their burrows and surface.
Salamanders
Alvarado's Salamander	Bolitoglossa alvaradoi
Tree-climbing Salamander	Bolitoglossa arborescandens
Ridge-nosed Salamander	Bolitoglossa colonnea
Toads
Variable Harlequin Frog	Atelopus varius
Green Climbing Toad	Bufo coniferus	Bufo marinus, the Giant Toad, is a real giant and large individuals may weigh as much as 1.5 kg ! It is also a very toxic toad and has very few natural enemies because of that. In areas where this species has been introduced this has led to natural disasters - the toads eat almost anything that fits in their stomach.
Smooth-skinned Toad	Bufo haematiticus
Giant Toad	Bufo marinus  »
Wet Forest Toad	Bufo melanochloris
Gulf Coast Toad	Bufo valliceps
Glass Frogs
Ghost Glass Frog	Centrolenella ilex
Fleischmann's Glass Frog	Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni  »	Glass Frogs owe their common name to the transparent skin on their belly. When seen from below, it is possible to observe the frog's intestines, including the beating of its heart and the circulation of its blood.
Poison-dart Frogs
Strawberry Poison-dart Frog	Dendrobates pumilio
Striped Poison-dart Frog	Phyllobates lugubris
Tree Frogs
Red-eyed Leaf Frog	Agalychnis callidryas
Red-eyed Stream Frog	Duellmannohyla uranochroa
Hourglass Tree Frog	Hyla ebraccata   »	Hyla ebraccata is a small tree frog that is found in the lower parts of Rara Avis. It's call - a loud "creek-eek-eek"- can be heard on rainy nights around El Plastico.
Veined Tree Frog	Hyla phlebodes
Boulenger's Tree Frog	Scinax boulengeri
Olive Tree Frog	Scinax elaeochroa
Masked Tree Frog	Smilisca phaeota
Drab Tree Frog	Smilisca sordida
Leptodactylid Frogs
Broad-headed Rain Frog	Eleutherodactylus biporcatus
Bransford's Litter Frog	Eleutherodactylus bransfordii
	Eleutherodactylus cerasinus
Golden-groined Rain Frog	Eleutherodactylus cruentus	Eleutherodactylus mimus is commonly called the Mimicking Rain Frog because it is so similar to Noble's Rain Frog (Eleutherodactylus noblei) that it took several decades before this particular species was recognized as a separate species.
Common Tink Frog	Eleutherodactylus diastema
Common Rain Frog	Eleutherodactylus fitzingeri
Mimicking Rain Frog	Eleutherodactylus mimus   »
Noble's Rain Frog	Eleutherodactylus noblei
Pygmy Rain Frog	Eleutherodactylus ridens   »	The Pygmy Rain Frog (Eleutherodactylus ridens) is a miniscule frog that spends most of its life in the tree tops. It is therefore not often seen, although they sometimes descend to near the forest floor.
Black-backed Frog	Leptodactylus melanonotus
Central American Bullfrog	Leptodactylus pentadactylus
Narrow-mouthed Frogs
Black Narrow-mouthed Frogs	Nelsonophryne aterrima
		At first glance, Rana warszewitschii is not a very exciting frog - plain brown and inconspicuous. However, when it jumps it displays the brilliant yellow spots on the back of its legs and the red underneath.
True Frogs
Vaillant's Frog	Rana vaillanti
Brilliant Forest Frog	Rana warszewitschii   »

REPTILES (66 SPECIES)
Snapping Turtles
Common Snapping Turtle	Chelydra serpentina
Mud Turtles
White-lipped Mud Turtle	Kinosternon leucostomum
Gecko's		If you look at this picture it becomes clear why the geckos in the genus Sphaerodactylus are called 'dwarf geckos'. These miniature lizards inhabit cracks in the bark of jungle trees where they hunt for tiny insects.
Litter Gecko	Lepidoblepharis xanthostigma
Brown Dwarf Gecko	Sphaerodactylus homolepis
Spotted Dwarf Gecko	Sphaerodactylus millepunctatus  »
Turnip Tail Gecko	Thecadactylus rapicauda
Casque-headed Iguanas
Green Basilisk	Basiliscus plumifrons
Helmeted Iguana	Corytophanes cristatus
Anoles		Green Tree Anoles (Norops biporcatus) are not always green. When disturbed or if put in direct sunlight they rapidly change color and develop a pattern of dark brown stripes and spots.
Giant Green Anole	Dactyloa frenata
Giant Banded Anole	Dactyloa insignis
Green Tree Anole	Norops biporcatus  »
Pug-nosed Anole	Norops capito
Ground Anole	Norops humilis
Highland Anole	Norops intermedius
Canopy Anole	Norops lemurinus
Slender Anole	Norops limifrons   »	Slender Anoles (Norops limifrons) are among the most commonly seen lizards in Rara Avis
Stream Anole	Norops oxylophus
Canopy Lizard	Polychrus gutturosus
Skinks
Bronze-backed Climbing Skink	Mabuya unimarginata
Litter Skink	Sphenomorphus cherriei
Whip-tailed Lizards		Juvenile Central American Whip-tailed Lizards (Ameiva festiva) are easily recognized by their bright blue tail.
Central American Whip-tailed Lizard	Ameiva festiva
Gymnophtalmid Lizards
Bromeliad Lizard	Anadia ocellata
Keeled Leaf Litter Lizard	Ptychoglossus plicatus
Night Lizards
Yellow-spotted Night Lizard	Lepidophyma flavimaculatum
Anguid Lizards
Rainforest Celestus	Celestus hylaius
Boas		Boa constrictor is by far the largest snake in Rara Avis. Although impressive, they are completely harmless to humans.
Boa constrictor	Boa constrictor
Colubrid Snakes
Ridge-nosed Snake	Amastridium veliferum
Lined Keeled Racer	Chironius carinatus
Green Keeled Racer	Chironius exoletus
Mussurana	Clelia clelia
Brown Debris Snake	Coniophanes fissidens
Lowland Forest Racer	Dendrophidion vinitor
Salmon-bellied Racer	Dryadophis melanolomus	Drymobius melanotropis is a rare snake and is only known from very few localities. It is one of the specialties of the Rara Avis herpetofauna.
Indigo Snake	Drymarchon corais
Speckled Racer	Drymobius margaritiferus
Lower Montane Green Racer	Drymobius melanotropis  »
Diamond Racer	Drymobius rhombifer
False Coral Snake	Erythrolamprus mimus
Gray Earth Snake	Geophis brachycephalus	This super thin body and chunky head belongs undoubtedly to a bluntheaded vine snake of the genus Imantodes. The Brown Blunt-headed Vine Snake is not uncommon in Rara Avis, and this harmless species is regularly seen during night hikes.
Hoffman's Earth Snake	Geophis hoffmani
Brown Blunt-headed Vine Snake	Imantodes cenchoa  »
Tropical King Snake	Lampropeltis triangulum
Satiny Parrot Snake	Leptophis depressirostris
Bronze-striped Parrot Snake	Leptophis nebulosus
Fire-bellied Snake	Liophis epinephalus
Spotted Wood Snake	Ninia maculata
Brown Vine Snake	Oxybelis aeneus
Short-nosed Vine Snake	Oxybelis brevirostris
Calico Snake	Oxyrhopus petola
Bird-eating Snake	Pseustes poecilonotus
Red-bellied Litter Snake	Rhadinaea decorata
Shovel-toothed Snake	Scaphiodontophis annulatus
Ringed Snail-eater	Sibon annulatus
Lichen-colored Snail-eater	Sibon longifrenis
Mottled Snail-eater	Sibon nebulatus
Tiger Rat Snake, Mica	Spilotes pullatus	The False Fer-de-Lance (Xenodon rabdocephalus) closely resembles the  venomous Fer-de-Lance. Although it puts up an impressive show, these toad-eaters are not dangerous to humans.
Degenhardt's Scorpion-eater	Stenorrhina degenhardtii
Brown Centipede Snake	Tantilla alticola
Striped Centipede Snake	Tantilla reticulata
False Fer-de-Lance	Xenodon rabdocephalus  »
Coral Snakes
Allen's Coral Snake	Micrurus alleni
Bicolored Coral Snake	Micrurus multifasciatus
Central American Coral Snake	Micrurus nigrocinctus
		The yellow color form of Bothriechis schlegelii - the Eyelash Pitviper- is recorded once from Rara Avis. However, most individuals here are well-camouflaged in various shades of green and brown.
Pitvipers
Fer-de-Lance	Bothrops asper
Eyelash Pitviper	Bothriechis schlegelii  »
Central American Bushmaster	Lachesis stenophrys
Hog-nosed Pitviper	Porthidium nasutum