I’m sure there’s a good joke in here somewhere. These mating frogs are commonly known as pantless tree frogs. They are also sometimes called hourglass tree frogs but for the purposes of this post, I think the former makes more sense. Photographed in Pavones, Costa Rica. Like most tree frogs, the males are smaller than the females, sometimes giving the appearance of a juvenile riding the mother’s back. At least that’s what I thought at first, before educating myself on the amorous proclivities of amphibians. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/6.3 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.

This one is going back aways to my second trip to Costa Rica in 2007 — a northern ghost bat. It was watching over me, roosting daily just outside my bungalow. The species obviously gets its name from the almost pure white color of its fur. They are fairly rare, so a good find, although I think this one was a bit of a celebrity back in the day due to its preferred roosting spot. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 340mm with 1.7 teleconverter) ISO 200, f/4.8 at 1/8th of a second.

The green honeycreeper can be quite common in its range. That range extends from Mexico down into Brazil. Despite the ubiquity, however, they are a fine specimen to behold. This is the male of the species. The female is more uniformly yellow/green, as opposed to this bluish green, and lacks the black face and bright red eye. I captured this one at close range in central Costa Rica. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm manual focus lens, ISO 400, f/8 at 1/40th of a second.

There are four different species of basilisk lizard that range from southern Mexico into South America. I believe this is the brown basilisk. All of them go by the common name of the Jesus lizard because of their ability to run across water. Photographed on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm manual focus lens, ISO 100, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second.

The chestnut-colored woodpecker ranges from Mexico down into Panama. I’ve seen and photographed them a few times in Costa Rica. This one was right outside my lodge in La Selva, not far from the capital of San Jose. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 330mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/125th of a second.

The Baird’s tapir is the largest land mammal in Central and South America. This impressive male was foraging in the leaf litter as I sat quietly on the ground waiting for his head to rise up for a portrait. There are three species of tapirs native to the Americas. The Baird’s occupies the northern range from Mexico down through the northwestern tip of South America. I photographed this one in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 78mm) ISO 3200, f/2.8 at 1/50th of a second.

I’m not sure on the exact species here, but I believe this to be a type of rain frog. Photographed on a night hike in Corcovado National Park down on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. Nikon D700 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 200, f/16 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units.

I was staying down on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica several years back. I’d take short walks around the property of the lodge at night and came across all sorts of creatures. On one of those walks, I found this little hourglass tree frog tadpole. Back in those days I was using a screw on filter on the end of my lens for macro work. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 135mm with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 400, f/22 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-600 flash units.

The crested guan doesn’t get a lot of respect. At least that’s the way it seemed to me. They were around, but no one was getting too excited about it. They resemble turkeys in a way, especially given their size. This one was giving me a nice look at that red wattle, or dewlap. You also get a good look at the crest that gives these birds their name. Photographed in central Costa Rica. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 3200, f/4.5 at 1/60th of a second.

I met this tarantula many years ago down on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. When it comes to species diversity, tarantulas are hard to beat. There are more than 1200 different species spread across much of the world. That said, I have no clue what species this one is. He/she was perched atop a giant dead leaf in the rain forest and I used a slow shutter speed with the camera resting on the ground for support. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/20th of a second.