Cuba & Costa Rica Blog
About this blog
Written by Cuba and Costa Rica expert Christopher P. Baker, this blog will update readers on life in these two diverse and exciting countries.
Recent Posts
- Last blog post on Costa Rica and Cuba
- First-ever group motorcycle tours of Cuba successful
- Cuba’s Mariel port readying for Panama Canal expansion
- Musings on wildlife encounters on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
- Cuba’s Steam Trains puffing their last gasp
- My top five thrilling activities in Costa Rica
- Cuba’s fun February festivals include Harleys, Books, Cigars
- Five top volcano viewing experiences in Costa Rica
- New road along Costa Rica / Nicaraguan border mired
- Cuba’s Hotel Campoamor at Cojímar to be restored?
- Cuban revolutionary Celia Sánchez honored in new book
- Christmas challenge for Costa Rica’s sexually abused girls
- Costa Rica opens Chinatown in downtown San José
- David Soul films Hemingway’s car restoration in Cuba
- National Geographic Expeditions receives license for Cuba tours
Exploring Costa Rica's Bat Jungle in Monteverde
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Costa Rica is home to 109 species of bats, which number fully half the mammal species in the country. You're sure to come across them during a visit. By day, certain species are easy to spot snoozing by clinging like vines to treetrunks. Another species gathers huge banana leaves together and weaves them into a kind of coccoon nest. Others, including Costa Rica's three species of vampire bats, inhabit nooks and crannies in the roofs of caves. All are communal.
My favorite species is the fishing bulldog bat, a mammoth-size critter with a wingspan 24 inches across and great gaff-like claws like eagles. It's so named for its feeding habits. Tortuga Lodge, in Tortuguero, is a great place to spot them swooping low over the lagoon to hook fish.
To learn about the ecology of these amazing creatures, head to Bat Jungle, in Monteverde. This two-year-old museum provides a fascinating insight into the lives of bats. Eight species flit, feed, and mate within a sealed enclosure–the bat flyway–behind a wall of glass. You can even don giant bat ears to gain a sense of their incredible auditory abilities.
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I do know of people who are
Posted by Dog_Fri3nd on February 7, 2012 at 9:02 pm
I do know of people who are so afraid of bats that they may just freak out when they see a bat flying near. Nonetheless, for those who are not so fearful of bats, Costa Rica seems like a good place to learn more about bats and the different bat species. For those who hold some slight fear of the winged mammal, perhaps they can undo their fears after a trip to Costa Rica!
Bats are cute! Im glad there
Posted by charles on August 17, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Bats are cute! Im glad there are places like this set up for bat conservation and awareness - they are a highly intelligent creature who we would benifit greatly to learn more from.
I am totaly agree with you ,
Posted by jardy59700 on November 3, 2010 at 7:11 am
I totally agree with you , this a good travel angle for Costa Rica.
I think bats get a bad rap,
Posted by patrickj on June 24, 2010 at 6:06 pm
I think bats get a bad rap, known as flying mice, its easy to overlook the fact that they have amazing hearing abilities and also the sonar capabilities. If i was stuck in a cave somewhere I'd want to be equipped with these abilities too! Batman was definitely onto something!
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Good travel angle for Costa
Posted by Jason on June 8, 2010 at 1:06 am
Good travel angle for Costa Rica! Especially for those who are interested in animal conservation and doing something a little different rather than the usual beach holiday.
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When I read this article,
Posted by Frances on May 18, 2010 at 7:05 pm
When I read this article, all I could think about was Ace Ventura 2 - shikaka! hehe....
in all seriousness, this is a great article showing the plight of the bats and how awareness can help their presevation.
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I dont like bats too much,
Posted by Juliette on April 18, 2010 at 7:04 pm
I dont like bats too much, so this article is not so much a drawcard for me. However I do understand the importance of raising awareness of the unique ecological systems of the world, so good luck to people who do wish to visit Costa Rica for this reason!
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I have been to costa rica -
Posted by donros on April 12, 2010 at 2:04 am
I have been to costa rica - amazing place!
This article make want to visit there again.. :-)
That's an interesting
Posted by Kalo on January 10, 2010 at 10:01 pm
That's an interesting information. It's not easy hear or receive information above. Thanks for sharing.Find more gov articles
Ideas
Posted by Mark Rochefort on December 16, 2009 at 4:12 am
Now this is one piece of information you don't hear about when you take in the exciting vacation ideas of Costa Rica. I am not a bat person so thank you for the warning about these creatures. casino en ligne
Thank you for this post it's
Posted by joe on March 25, 2010 at 1:03 am
Thank you for this post it's nice to know I do not like it too
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