Ashlea M is Excited to See the Kemp's Ridley Turtle

Ashlea says "I am excited to see Sea Turtles, especially the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle. It is the smallest sea turtle. The adult turtle only reaches up to two feet long and only weighs 100 pounds. The Kemp's Ridley sea tutrltes are so adorable and I would love to be able to hold one someday.

Ashlea, I don't know if we will be able to hold one but if we are in the right place at the right time we may see one laying eggs!

Michaela K.Is Most Excited to Study the Tapir

The animal I am most looking forward to studying in Costa Rica is the tapir. There are four species of tapirs: the Brazilian tapir, the Malayan tapir, the Baird’s tapir, and the Mountain tapir. All four species of tapirs are classified as endangered or vulnerable. The Baird’s tapir is the largest mammal in Costa Rica. The tapir is a strange looking animal with a long flexible snout that is closely related to horses and rhinoceroses. The average tapir is around 7 feet long, 3 feet tall, and weighs from 300 to 700 pounds.

Tapirs have short black hair over thick leathery black skin. The lifespan of a tapir is approximately 25 to 30 years. The tapir diet consists of fruit, berries, and leaves. Tapirs normally live in dry land forests, although when near a water source they will spend a great deal of time in and under water. Tapirs will swim and sink to the bottom of a water source to walk along the riverbed to feed on soft vegetation, take refuge from predators, and cool off during hot days. Tapirs also sit in mud pits to keep cool. Costa Rican tapirs are very timid and wary.

Jamie W. is Most Excited to See a Leatherback Turtle

Jamie says "I'm excited most about a sea turtle-specifically the Leatherback sea turtle. They are supposedly the biggest turtles alive".

You are right Jamie and I'll teach you how to identify turtles by their tracks at our training meeting.

Logan M. is Most Looking Forward to Seeing a Kinkajou!

The animal that I am looking forward to seeing in Costa Rica is the Kinkajou. It is a mammal that lives in the rain forest and is a relative of the raccoon. It spends most of its life in the treetops and is mostly nocturnal. It has a long tail and a face that I think looks like a lemur's. They may appear cute, but some have been known to attack their owners holding on with their claws and tail!

Dr V.: I had the chance to see these on a night hike in Belize! Logan is right, they are only active in the dark.

Chris S. Is Most Excited about Seeing a Sloth!

I have always wanted to see a sloth because I hear they are incredibly lazy because they usually spend 18 hrs a day sleeping(Would be fun for a day!)and in Costa Rica, a 3 fingered sloth exists (type of sloth)! At maximum speed a sloth can travel 1 mile in 4 hours!!!!!!!! He can practically fly by you. I cannot wait to see these fun animals XD.

Haylee Smith Is Most Excited to See a Margay!

This cute little cat. I find it cool (and cute) because it supposedly can race up and down trees like squirrels.

I agree with Haylee - this cat is one you would like take home with you but in spite of it's size and cuteness it can be vicious. It is closely related to the Ocelot.

Which animals are you most looking forward to studying in Costa Rica?

In total, Costa Rica harbours 210 species of mammals, around 878 species of birds, 218 of reptiles, and over 35,000 species of insects. For your first assignment on the blog I'd like you to respond to my message by telling us a little about the indigenous animal that excites you most. There are several web sites that can give you a list of the special animals of Costa Rica.

My favorite is the Howler Monkey. I saw (and heard) these incredible primates last summer in Belize and they are amazing. I couldn't believe that such a loud noise was coming from such a small animal. Howler monkeys rarely travel on the ground, instead they per fer the canopy of trees for protection and transportation. One note of caution about these animals - stand too close to their tree and you get rained on - in a very bad way.

Source; Costa Rica Nature and Wildlife