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.

This guy is worth the post for the name alone. From the front, these birds appear uniformly black, but when at the right angle, and if they move their wings out of the way, that flame rump can be spectacular. Photographed in La Selva, Costa Rica. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/125th of a second.

Depending on how you look at it, this is either a really small monkey or those are really big leaves. I suppose it’s a bit of both. Not sure of the exact species of tree but they looked like giant oak leaves. The monkey is the smallest of the four species found in Costa Rica. Including the tail (which is slightly longer than the body) squirrel monkeys only grow to about 26 inches in total length. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second.

I’ve only spotted a few of these green and black poison dart frogs in my Central American travels — this one in Costa Rica. They are considered on the lower end of toxicity but still have enough poison to stop the beating of a human heart. That said, they need to really feel threatened to release any toxins. Interesting fact: they lose their toxicity in captivity leading scientists to believe they get their poison from a diet of mites and other insects in the wild. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm — with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 100, f/8 at 1.5 seconds.

Not all Panamanian white-faced capuchin monkeys are found in Panama. Like this one that I photographed in Costa Rica. In fact, they can be found in much of Central America and into the northern regions of South America. These monkeys are highly intelligent. They’re also very common. They are the traditional organ grinder monkey, the monkey that is most often seen in movies (like Pirates of the Caribbean) and they’ve even been known to assist paraplegic humans. This particular white-faced capuchin kind of looked like he was brushing his teeth with a palm frond. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 135mm) ISO 500, f/4 at 1/100th of a second.