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The tropical rainforest in Costa Rica: incredibly hot and oppressively humid, full of dangerous animals like nasty scorpions, giant tarantulas, deadly hidden snakes, pillaging, biting, stinging insects… not to mention the legions of external and internal parasites waiting to devour you from the inside out.
Or is it not that bad?
In this blog, our colleague Ernest Minnema, professional adventurer and biologist, takes you through the rainforest and tells you about the amazing (and not-so-dangerous) animals that live here.
The streets of a big city and the heart of a tropical rainforest might not seem to have much in common, although both are often considered jungles in the eyes of many. Yet, they share at least one common denominator: an ability to evoke discomfort or fear in the hearts of those who venture into them alone.
For most visitors, the tropical rainforest is an unfamiliar place, and it’s not easy to shake the feeling that humans don’t belong here. All the spectacular stories about animals and plants that can bite, sting, and poison you add to the sense of unease we might feel in these rainforests.
But how dangerous are the animals in Costa Rica really? Are all these creatures out to harm us? Find out in this blog!
Snakes are a major concern for most visitors to the tropics. However, these creatures cause more fear than is justified by the actual risk. Most tropical snakes are not venomous and are not easy to encounter unless you know exactly where and how to look. In reality, seeing a dangerous snake is a rare event, and an accident involving these animals is even rarer.
The Most Dangerous Snake in Costa Rica
There is actually only one type of snake that is dangerous: the one you can’t see. This is also why farm workers are most often affected. A farm worker could not do his job efficiently if he had to check every time where he puts his hands. If he had to look for a hidden snake every time he harvested a bunch of bananas or a stalk of sugarcane, he would never get his work done. Furthermore, most incidents occur during the rainy season, a period that many travelers avoid.
In short, the chances of having an accident with a venomous snake as a visitor to Costa Rica are smaller than the chances of being struck by lightning. As long as you keep your eyes open and don’t put your hands and feet in places where you can’t see them, an encounter with a snake (venomous or not) is, like any other wildlife encounter in the tropics, an opportunity to admire a unique animal you wouldn’t see in the wild at home.
When talking about dangerous animals in the Costa Rican rainforest, you might also immediately think of spiders, scorpions, and other arthropods. The largest spiders are the wolf spiders and tarantulas. Both are big and hairy, which often scares people just by their appearance. But it is precisely these large hairy spiders that we know for sure do not possess venom that can harm a healthy adult, and the stories about the dangers these creatures pose are generally quite exaggerated. The chance of being bitten by a spider is very small, and even then, the likelihood that the bite will actually cause harm is minimal. Although all spiders are venomous, less than 1% of the currently identified spiders have venom that poses a threat to humans.
Impressive but Not Harmful
While certain species of scorpions can indeed be dangerous to humans, none of those species are found in Costa Rica. Despite the fact that these creatures do not pose a direct threat, one should not forget that the bite of some spiders and centipedes, and the sting of most scorpions, can be very painful—more painful than most other arthropods. Therefore, it is always advisable to shake out your clothes and shoes before putting them on to avoid such an experience.
Insects in the tropics are usually not as bothersome as commonly claimed. Anyone who has ever dealt with biting flies and mosquitoes in the northern spring has likely experienced more insect irritation than typically occurs in the tropics. Nonetheless, mosquitoes can be abundant in certain areas. They bite, and some carry malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, or other possible diseases. However, these diseases are often present only in very specific regions, especially here in Costa Rica, where the control of these diseases is generally well advanced.
Itch and Irritation
It is still wise to protect yourself against these insects. Here in the tropics, we have a large diversity of insects, and even within the mosquito population, you encounter many different species. Since our bodies are not accustomed to these insects, reactions can vary greatly—from the classic itchy mosquito bite to a severely irritated swelling that just won’t go away. Therefore, the use of insect repellent and a mosquito net is highly recommended.
One of the most common insects to watch out for during a walk in the tropics are ants. Although not all of them are equally defensive, many different species will not hesitate to attack a large clumsy giant if it happens to disrupt their mission. Therefore, when you stop during your walk to admire those cute monkeys or that stunning bird, always look down first to make sure you’re not standing in an ant trail. Otherwise, you might not notice until they’ve already climbed up your pant leg and started biting and/or stinging.
Big cats are a group of animals that top the list for most visitors to the tropics. These majestic and dangerous creatures evoke a mix of fascination and fear in anyone visiting the rainforest in Costa Rica.
While most people know that smaller big cats, like the margay and oncilla, pose no threat to us, it’s the larger cats, such as the puma and jaguar, that people are eager to see. However, because these large cats are theoretically capable of easily killing humans, they also inspire a certain amount of fear. How justified is this fear? Would a jaguar see us as prey? Are wild cats the most dangerous animals of Costa Rica?
Encounter with a wild cat
There are indeed regions in the world where incidents with large cats are more common, but generally, like most wild animals, they prefer to avoid encounters with humans. Here in the tropics, most big cats have enough space to live contentedly without needing to look for food near us. They generally do not see us as their prey. Does this mean you can approach a jaguar in the wild? Better not! Although they typically do not see us as prey, jaguars and pumas are certainly capable of making an encounter go very wrong. Jaguars attacking humans are extremely rare, but when it happens, such an attack usually ends fatally.
If you are fortunate enough to encounter one of the large cats during a visit to the tropics, much depends on where and in what situation you meet the animal. If you encounter it alone while walking on one of the jungle paths, your guide usually knows what to do. An experienced guide can turn such an encounter into a magical experience you will never forget. In such a case, it is crucial not to startle the animal with sudden movements or noises. A large cat with prey or young, however, may decide to defend itself. If you notice that the big cat is inclined to defend itself, it is vital not to provoke it. Avoid sudden noises and movements, pick up small children without bending over, do not extend your hands or feet toward the animal, and try to walk away calmly without panic or haste.