Flora The permanently inundated swamps are home to stands of the palm
Raphia taedigera and are surrounded by thickets of species in the family
Melastomataceae. Other plants associated with this habitat are the trees
Vochysia ferruginea and
Pentaclethra macroloba and the palm
Socratea exorrhiza.
Pachira aquatica grows in this habitat in more inland swamps.
Zygia confusa borders lakes in dense stands. Dry land contains large amounts of
almendro trees (
Dipteryx oleifera), a favoured food source of the
great green macaw, which may grow to 60m high. Another
emergent tree is
Ceiba pentandra. Other common trees here are
Calophyllum brasiliense,
Vochysia ferruginea,
Pentaclethra macroloba and the palm
Socratea exorrhiza. Intermediate succession lowland woodlands are home to the threatened
taxa Carapa guianensis,
Terminalia amazonica,
Minquartia guianensis and
Qualea paraensis. Non-native trees in secondary woodland are primarily
Gmelina arborea, teak
Tectona grandis and
Terminalia ivorensis (locally known as
acacia). Endangered plants include the
conifer Podocarpus guatemalensis and the trees
Cedrela fissilis,
Sclerolobium costarricense,
Platymiscium pinnatum and
Hymenolobium mesoamericanum. Rare endemic plants include
Quararibea pumila,
Trichilia adolfi and
Vochysia allenii. Rare plants furthermore include
Aspidosperma spruceanum, and threatened lowland trees
Handroanthus guayacan,
Ceiba pentandra,
Sideroxylon capiri,
Copaifera aromatica,
Dalbergia glomerata,
D. melanocardium,
Prioria copaifera,
Terminalia oblonga and the very uncommon
Cynometra retusa. Lake Canaca is surrounded by tall trees of
Pentaclethra macroloba,
Vochysia ferruginea and
Dialum guianense, the bush
Palicourea tomentosa, and smaller trees of
Calophyllum brasiliense,
Cespedesia macrophylla,
Couma macrocarpa and
Virola koschnyi. The palm
Raphia taedigera is dominant, and the palms
Socratea exorrhiza and
Welfia regia grow here too. Lake Colpachi has the large trees
Brosimum utile,
Inga alba,
Pentaclethra macroloba,
Vochysia ferruginea and
Pouteria durlandii surrounding it, interspersed with smaller trees of
Alibertia atlantica,
Byrsonima crispa,
Casearia arborea,
Cordia bicolor,
Croton smithianus,
C. schiedeanus,
Ferdinandusa panamensis,
Laetia procera,
Stryphnodendron microstachyum,
Vismia macrophylla and the
pioneer tree species Simarouba amara,
Tapirira guianensis and
Jacaranda copaia in former clearings, and shrubs of
Zygia confusa. Invasive species include
Gmelina arborea. Lake Maquenque is fringed with shrubs of
Zygia confusa, the large
herbaceous Maranthes panamensis, the shrubs
Miconia punctata and
Mouriri gleasoniana, the walking palm (
Socratea exorrhiza), the smallish trees
Virola sebifera,
Byrsonima crispa,
Eschweilera costaricensis and
E. panamensis, and large trees of
Terminalia amazonica,
Pentaclethra macroloba and
Vochysia ferruginea. Lake Tamborcito has in its surroundings the tall trees
Brosimum utile,
Pentaclethra macroloba,
Swartzia maquenqueana and
Vochysia ferruginea, the smaller trees
Eschweilera costaricensis,
|E. panamensis,
Ferdinandusa panamensis,
Laetia procera,
Licania affinis and
L. belloi, the smallish pioneer tree species
Jacaranda copaia,
Simarouba amara and
Tapirira guianensis, the palm
Socratea exorrhiza, and the shrubs
Hirtella media,
Miconia punctata and
Mouriri gleasoniana. Rare plants include
Elaeoluma glabrescens and
Vantanea barbourii. Fifty meters from the lakes the following plants have been recorded as food plants for the great green macaw: the palms
Iriartea deltoidea,
Raphia taedigera,
Socratea exorrhiza and
Welfia regia, the large shrub
Solanum rugosum, the emergent trees
Balizia elegans and
Dipteryx oleifera, the trees
Byrsonima crispa,
Cespedesia macrophylla,
Croton schiedeanus,
Dialum guianense,
Guarea rhopalocarpa,
Laetia procera,
Pentaclethra macroloba,
Qualea paraensis,
Sacoglottis tricogyna,
Vantanea barbourii,
Virola koschnyi,
Virola sebifera and
Vochysia ferruginea.
Fauna Fish There have been 80 fish species registered as of 2008. The bobo mullet (
Joturus pichardi),
Brachyrhaphis olomina, knife livebearer fish (
Alfaro cultratus) and the tetra (
Astyanax fasciatus) are quite common. The endangered tropical gar (
Atractosteus tropicus), known locally as
pez gaspar, occurs here. The large bull shark (
Carcharhinus leucas) and the
sawfish Pristis pristis and
P. pectinata can also occur. An
endemic fish species is
Priapichtys annectens, found at a range of altitudes here. Threatened fish species include
Cynodonichthys isthmensis and
Dajaus monticola. Other fish include the common snook (
Centropomus undecimalis) and the
chiclids
Parachromis dovii,
Parachromis loisellei,
Parachromis managuensis and
Hypsophrys nicaraguensis.
Amphibians The following amphibians, all considered threatened in Costa Rica, occur here (as of 2001): the
caecilians
Dermophis parviceps and
Gymnopis multiplicata, the toad
Bufo melanochloris, the low elevation
glass frogs
Sachatamia ilex,
Teratohyla spinosa and
Centrolenella magna, the endemic glass frog
Hyalinobatrachium vireovittatum restricted to higher elevations, the low elevation
poison dart frogs
Dendrobates auratus,
D. pumilio and
Phyllobates lugubris, the
salamanders
Bolitoglossa alvaradoi and
B. arborescandens both endemics found only in the higher elevations and
B. colonnea in the canopy at all elevations, and the salamanders
Oedipina alfaroi (endemic),
O. carablanca (endemic),
O. collaris and
O. cyclocauda at low elevations. Threatened
tree frogs include the high elevation
Hyla colymba,
H. miliaria,
H. rufioculis (endemic) and the endangered
Agalychnis annae, the low elevation
A. calcarifer and
A. saltator and those tree frogs with no particular elevation preferences:
A. lemur,
Hyla microcephala and the spiny-headed tree frog (
Anotheca spinosa). There are particularly many rare species of
rain frogs including
Eleutherodactylus altae with low to mid elevation preferences,
E. andi (mid elevations), the endemic
E. angelicus of mid to higher elevations, the low elevation
E. biporcatus,
E. fleischmanni from mid to very high elevations,
E. gollmeri from low to mid elevations, the low elevation
E. mimus,
E. noblei from low to mid elevations,
E. podiciferus from mid to high elevations and
E. rugosus with no particular elevation preferences.
Reptiles Crocodilians are represented by the endangered American crocodile (
Crocodylus acutus) and in reduced numbers the
caiman Caiman crocodilus. Turtles include the Central American mud turtle (
Kinosternon angustipons) and the locally endangered common snapping turtle (
Chelydra serpentina). Snakes include
Boa constrictor, the endemic
Sibon argus, the endemic earth snake
Geophis ruthveni and the
pit viper-eating mussurana (
Clelia clelia). Other boas are the small
Ungaliophis panamensis, and the larger
Corallus annulatus ssp. annulatus and rainbow boa (
Epicrates cenchria).
Tropical ground snakes include
Trimetopon gracile,
T. pliolepis,
T. simile and
T. viquezi, all endemics to Costa Rica. Lizards include the green iguana (
Iguana iguana), the endemic Yautepec tropical night lizard (
Lepidophyma reticulatum), the
gecko Thecadactylus rapicauda,
Ptychoglossus plicatus,
Celestus hylaeus (endemic) and the
anoles
Polychrus gutturosus,
Norops carpenteri,
N. fungosus,
N. lemurinus,
N. pentaprion,
N. sericeus,
Dactyloa frenata and
D. insignis.
Birds Endangered birds include the
great green macaw, the stork
Jabiru mycteria,
sungrebe (
Heliornis fulica), the
motmot Electron carinatum and the
scarlet macaw which is reasonably common here. Other parrots considered locally threatened which occur are
Amazona autumnalis and
A. farinosa. An uncommon bird is the
rufous-vented ground cuckoo (
Neomorphus geoffroyi ssp.
salvini). Other birds include dusky antbird (
Cercomacroides tyrannina), rufescent tiger-Heron (
Tigrisoma lineatum), keel-billed toucan (
Ramphastos sulfuratus),
Psittacara finschi parakeets,
scaled pigeon (
Patagioenas speciosa), the doves
Geotrygon violacea and
G. veraguensis, the
hummingbird Lophornis helenae, the threatened South American bittern (
Botaurus pinnatus) and least bittern (
Ixobrychus exilis), the vulnerable agami heron (
Agamia agami),
sunbittern (
Eurypyga helias), Muscovy duck (
Cairina moschata), masked duck (
Nomonyx dominicus), the
trogon Trogon clathratus, the quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno at higher altitudes, the
green-and-rufous kingfisher (
Chloroceryle inda) and the
great jacamar (
Jacamerops aureus) at the lowest altitudes, the motmot
Hylomanes momotula, the locally threatened green ibis (
Mesembrinibis cayennensis) and roseate spoonbill (
Platalea ajaja), and the locally threatened
tinamous
Tinamus major and
Crypturellus boucardi ssp. costaricensis. The only bird endemic to Costa Rica found here is the hummingbird
Orcha cupreiceps. Locally endangered
birds of prey include the solitary eagle (
Buteogallus solitarius), the
harpy eagle (
Harpia harpyja), the eagle
Morphnus guianensis, the hawk-eagle
Spizastur melanoleucus,
red-throated caracara (
Ibycter americanus) and the
falcon Falco deiroleucus. Locally threatened birds of prey include the falcons
F. peregrinus and
Micrastur mirandollei, the
king vulture (
Sarcoramphus papa),
crested owl (
Lophostrix cristata),
hook-billed kite (
Chondrohierax uncinatus),
snail kite (
Rostrhamus sociabilis), fishing hawk
Busarellus nigricollis,
tiny hawk (
Accipiter superciliosus),
semiplumbeous hawk (
Leucopternis semiplumbeus),
great black hawk (
Buteogallus urubitinga),
crane hawk (
Geranospiza caerulescens) and the hawk-eagles
Spizaetus ornatus and
S. tyrannus.
Galliformes include the vulnerable
great curassow (
Crax rubra), the threatened
crested guan (
Penelope purpurascens) and the quails
Odontophorus melanotis and
Rhynchortyx cinctus.
Passerine birds which occur here and are rare for Costa Rica are the
yellow-tailed oriole (
Icterus mesomelas),
tawny-chested flycatcher (
Aphanotriccus capitalis),
lovely cotinga (
Cotinga amabilis),
strong-billed woodcreeper (
Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus); the mid-elevation
brown-billed scythebill (
Campylorhamphus pusillus) and
long-tailed woodcreeper (
Deconychura longicauda); the
speckled mourner (
Laniocera rufescens),
Piprites griseiceps,
Carpodectes nitidus and
Lanio leucothorax at lower altitudes; and the
three-wattled bellbird (
Procnias tricarunculatus) and
bare-necked umbrellabird (
Cephalopterus glabricollis) usually found at higher altitudes.
Mammals As of 1997 mammals included endangered
manatees, the paca
Cuniculus paca, the agouti
Dasyprocta punctata, the squirrel
Sciurus deppei, the nationally uncommon
opossum Metachirus nudicaudatus, the locally endangered
giant anteater (
Myrmecophaga tridactyla), silky anteater (
Cyclopes didactylus), the locally reduced Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (
Choloepus hoffmanni), brown-throated sloth (
Bradypus variegatus), the locally threatened armadillo (
Cabassous centralis), jaguar (
Panthera onca), puma (
Puma concolor), jaguarundi (
Herpailurus yagouaroundi), margay (
Leopardus wiedii), ocelot (
Leopardus pardalis), cacomistle (
Bassariscus sumichrasti), olingo (
Bassaricyon gabbii), grison (
Galictis vittata), the locally endangered otter
Lontra longicaudis, tapir (
Tapirus bairdii), the deer
Mazama americana and
Odocoileus virginianus, and both the locally endangered
white-lipped peccary and the
collared peccary. Monkeys included the locally endangered
howler monkey Alouatta palliata, the
spider monkey Ateles geoffroyi and the locally uncommon
Cebus imitator,
White-nosed coati, Bats included the vampire bat
Vampyrum spectrum, and only at low elevations the rare
Cyttarops alecto, the rare disk-winged bat
Thyroptera discifera, the very rare
Micronycteris daviesi and the uncommon Caribbean white tent-making bat (
Ectophylla alba). ==Socioeconomic activities==