KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of national parks

Learn the wildlife of Tortuguero National Park

Limón · Costa Rica

961 species have research-grade observations inside Tortuguero 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.

Start this trip in KnowKi →
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. Anhinga Anhinga anhinga655
  2. Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa517
  3. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma mexicanum437
  4. Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea389
  5. Green Heron Butorides virescens290
  6. Boat-billed Heron Cochlearius cochlearius235
  7. Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violacea216
  8. Green Ibis Mesembrinibis cayennensis160
  9. Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus132
  10. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus121

Plants

  1. Provision tree Pachira aquatica83
  2. Giant heliconia Heliconia pogonantha56
  3. Raphia taedigera45
  4. Troolie Palm Manicaria saccifera39
  5. Coconut palm Cocos nucifera34
  6. Beach Morning Glory Ipomoea pes-caprae31
  7. Piñuela Bromelia pinguin30
  8. Split Leaf Climber Philodendron radiatum27
  9. Showy cappel Palicourea guianensis24
  10. Yautia madera Montrichardia arborescens24

Mammals

  1. Central American Spider Monkey Ateles geoffroyi402
  2. Mantled Howler Monkey Alouatta palliata316
  3. Central American White-faced Capuchin Cebus imitator197
  4. Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth Bradypus variegatus152
  5. Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth Choloepus hoffmanni134
  6. Central American Agouti Dasyprocta punctata69
  7. Proboscis Bat Rhynchonycteris naso66
  8. Northern Tamandua Tamandua mexicana43
  9. Northern Neotropical River Otter Lontra annectens38
  10. Jaguar Panthera onca32

Insects

  1. Reticulate lubber grasshopper Romalea reticulata51
  2. Rhinoceros Katydid Copiphora rhinoceros30
  3. Screwworm Telchin atymnius26
  4. Banded Owl-Butterfly Caligo atreus25
  5. Hairy-headed leafcutter ant Atta cephalotes24
  6. Large Woodskimmer Uracis fastigiata23
  7. Banded Peacock Anartia fatima22
  8. Common Morpho Morpho helenor22
  9. Urania Swallowtail Moth Urania fulgens21
  10. Leptoscelis tricolor20

Spiders and kin

  1. Golden Silk Spider Trichonephila clavipes113
  2. Spot-legged Bromeliad Spider Cupiennius getazi46
  3. Argiope submaronica22
  4. Micrathena sexspinosa21
  5. Spinybacked Orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis20
  6. Pretty Orbweaver Eriophora nephiloides16
  7. Micrathena funebris9
  8. Red-thighed Bromeliad Spider Cupiennius coccineus7
  9. Costa Rican orangemouth tarantula Psalmopoeus reduncus6
  10. Phiale formosa6

Reptiles

  1. Spectacled Caiman Caiman crocodilus733
  2. Green Basilisk Basiliscus plumifrons537
  3. Green Iguana Iguana iguana524
  4. Brown Basilisk Basiliscus vittatus261
  5. American Crocodile Crocodylus acutus250
  6. Middle American Ameiva Holcosus festivus218
  7. Border Anole Anolis limifrons126
  8. Black River Turtle Rhinoclemmys funerea125
  9. Central American Eyelash-Viper Bothriechis nigroadspersus106
  10. Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas76

Amphibians

  1. Strawberry Poison Dart Frog Oophaga pumilio299
  2. Red-eyed Tree Frog Agalychnis callidryas93
  3. Red-webbed Tree Frog Boana rufitela60
  4. Savage's Thin-toed Frog Leptodactylus savagei49
  5. Olive Snouted Tree Frog Scinax elaeochroa30
  6. Giant Toad Rhinella horribilis24
  7. Green Climbing Toad Incilius coniferus15
  8. Fitzinger's Robber Frog Craugastor fitzingeri10
  9. Tink Frog Diasporus diastema10
  10. Mosquito Coast Tree Frog Smilisca manisorum10

Fish

  1. Checkered Puffer Sphoeroides testudineus12
  2. Blackbelt Cichlid Vieja maculicauda3
  3. Jaguar Guapote Parachromis managuensis2
  4. Tropical Gar Atractosteus tropicus2

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.

Start this trip in KnowKi →

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.