KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of national parks

Learn the wildlife of Carara National Park

Costa Rica

924 species have research-grade observations inside Carara National Park on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, so you know what you're looking at before you go.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. White-whiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis224
  2. Black-hooded Antshrike Thamnophilus bridgesi217
  3. Graceful Black-throated Trogon Trogon tenellus158
  4. Chestnut-backed Antbird Poliocrania exsul131
  5. Great Tinamou Tinamus major106
  6. Orange-collared Manakin Manacus aurantiacus104
  7. Pale-billed Woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis102
  8. Gray-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata100
  9. Orange-billed Sparrow Arremon aurantiirostris75
  10. Yellow-throated Toucan Ramphastos ambiguus67

Plants

  1. Shingles plant Monstera dubia131
  2. Erythrochiton gymnanthus61
  3. Heliconia osaensis50
  4. Aristolochia leuconeura35
  5. Aphelandra lingua-bovis30
  6. Pacaya palm Chamaedorea tepejilote29
  7. Peacock flower Caesalpinia pulcherrima26
  8. Pelican flower Aristolochia grandiflora26
  9. Justicia urophylla20
  10. Sweet wild banana Musa balbisiana18

Mammals

  1. Central American White-faced Capuchin Cebus imitator224
  2. Central American Agouti Dasyprocta punctata186
  3. Northern Ghost Bat Diclidurus albus109
  4. Mantled Howler Monkey Alouatta palliata51
  5. White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus41
  6. White-nosed Coati Nasua narica36
  7. Northern Tamandua Tamandua mexicana34
  8. Greater Sac-winged Bat Saccopteryx bilineata33
  9. Variegated Squirrel Sciurus variegatoides21
  10. Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth Bradypus variegatus14

Insects

  1. Shimmering Golden Sugar ant Camponotus sericeiventris131
  2. Urania Swallowtail Moth Urania fulgens73
  3. Oculate Dancer Argia oculata54
  4. Banded Peacock Anartia fatima48
  5. Cream-spotted Tigerwing Tithorea tarricina33
  6. Lemon-tipped Helicopter Mecistogaster ornata25
  7. Iphidamas Cattleheart Parides iphidamas25
  8. Polymnia Tigerwing Mechanitis polymnia24
  9. Montezuma's Cattleheart Parides montezuma20
  10. Amathonte Morpho Morpho amathonte19

Spiders and kin

  1. Golden Silk Spider Trichonephila clavipes116
  2. Pretty Orbweaver Eriophora nephiloides13
  3. Micrathena sexspinosa7
  4. Silver Garden Orbweaver Argiope argentata6
  5. Costa Rican orangemouth tarantula Psalmopoeus reduncus5
  6. Micrathena duodecimspinosa4
  7. Arrowhead Orbweaver Verrucosa arenata2
  8. Mangora passiva2
  9. Sylvan Jumping Spider Colonus sylvanus2

Reptiles

  1. Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Ctenosaura similis632
  2. Delicate Ameiva Holcosus leptophrys317
  3. Common Basilisk Basiliscus basiliscus197
  4. Copper Anole Anolis cupreus98
  5. Helmeted Iguana Corytophanes cristatus53
  6. Many-scaled Anole Anolis polylepis47
  7. Yellow-headed Gecko Gonatodes albogularis43
  8. Brown Forest Skink Scincella cherriei38
  9. Neotropical Green Anole Anolis biporcatus36
  10. Terciopelo Bothrops asper35

Amphibians

  1. Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates auratus618
  2. Giant Toad Rhinella horribilis18
  3. Masked Tree Frog Smilisca phaeota9
  4. Savage's Thin-toed Frog Leptodactylus savagei6
  5. Milk Frog Trachycephalus macrotis6
  6. Yellow Treefrog Dendropsophus microcephalus5
  7. Drab Tree Frog Smilisca sordida4
  8. Rainforest Toad Incilius aucoinae4
  9. Red-eyed Tree Frog Agalychnis callidryas2
  10. Pacific Worm Salamander Oedipina pacificensis2

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. Parks outside the U.S. are from the World Database on Protected Areas (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN, Protected Planet). KnowKi is not affiliated with the National Park Service or any park's managers. Free, with no ads, no account, and no purchases.