These little squirrel monkeys paid a visit to our lodge one afternoon while at Tiskita in Pavones, Costa Rica. Unfortunately, their engaging nature and attractive appearance have made them the target of the illegal pet trade. The good news is that recent efforts at conservation have been responsible for elevating their status from Endangered to the less critical, Vulnerable. Here’s hoping the trend continues.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 180mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/160th of a second

A couple of months ago I posted a young collared peccary. Here’s an adult of the species. These guys are somewhat related to pigs but are no longer classified in the same family. Photographed in La Selva, Costa Rica.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/80th of a second

Here’s a species that I don’t post often but have photographed on numerous occasions. The collared peccary, one of three peccary species, ranges from the southern United States, down into South America. I photographed this one late one afternoon in La Selva, Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/100th of a second

The coati, or coatimundi, is a member of the raccoon family that lives in South and Central America and a few areas of southwestern North America. I photographed this one, along with thirty or so of his friends, deep in the rain forest of Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. Corcovado is an amazing park for wildlife, located down near the Panama border on the Pacific coast.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/3.5 at 1/500th of a second

This is what butterfly lust looks like. I spotted these two lovers (genus heliconius) doing their thing near my tent in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/5 at 1/80th of a second

My sister Mo requested a frog today. My mother wanted anything red and blue — in honor of her beloved Patriots (and as a counter point to the Eagle I posted on Monday). I think this should satisfy both asks. A strawberry poison dart frog. Also known as a blue jeans frog, for obvious reasons. I’ve photographed these tiny frogs in several places in Costa Rica. This one was clinging to a dried leaf in La Selva Biological Reserve, not far from the capital city of San Jose.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) with Canon 500D close up filter attached, ISO 100, f/3.5 at 1/10th of a second

I had a good time with this band of coatis, deep inside Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. There were about 20 to 30 total individuals. After a while, they forgot I was even there and at one point, I was surrounded on all sides as they went about their business of foraging, grooming, playing and resting. I was able to use my wide angle lens to capture a series of environmental images, including this one when one of the coatis took a moment to look my way while eating fruits from the forest floor.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 30mm) ISO 1600, f/4.5 at 1/320th of a second

I mentioned in a recent post that nothing beats the keel-billed toucan for its brilliant color amidst all the green of the Central American rainforest. The scarlet macaw, however, sure does come close. These large parrots are adorned with a generous amount of all three primary colors — red, yellow and blue. Some individuals even have a bit of green mixed in. This guy was feeding on figs, high in a tree along the coastline of Drake Bay in Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second

I like this side view of a red-eyed tree frog because it displays all the nice blue areas that can be found on the legs, sides, upper arms, and around the eyeballs. The frog was just beginning his night of croaking with a quick rest stop inside a heliconia flower, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 75mm with Canon 500D close up filter/lens attached) ISO 200, f/20 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash units

The Baird’s tapir is the largest land mammal in Central America. They can grow to over eight feet in length and weigh almost 900 pounds. This one was a big male that I photographed crossing a river in Corcovado National Park in south western Costa Rica.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 175mm) ISO 3200, f/2.8 at 1/60th of a second