ANURA Park - Day and Night Walk La Fortuna

16/04/2026

At ANURA Ecological Park, La Fortuna, Costa Rica, this image brings together two linked stories of forest recovery. The plant is hot lips / labios ardientes (Psychotria poeppigiana), a shrub that ANURA reintroduced locally after it had disappeared from the area. Its bright red display is not made of petals, but of bracts (modified leaves) that surround and highlight the true flowers, which are small, tubular, and yellow. This strategy allows the plant to remain visually striking even when the actual flowers are minimal.

This species is typical of humid and secondary forests, where it can flower for extended periods and provide consistent resources for wildlife. Beyond its visual appeal, it plays a functional role in restoration by rebuilding plant–insect interactions that had been lost.

On that same plant, a juvenile katydid (family Tettigoniidae) is feeding. Katydids are mostly nocturnal insects, and their long antennae are one of their most important adaptations. These structures are highly sensitive sensory organs that allow them to explore space, detect subtle air movements, and react quickly to potential threats. In dense forest environments, this sensory system is essential for survival.

Katydids also rely heavily on acoustic communication. Many species produce sound through stridulation, and in tropical forests some have evolved ultrasonic signals, interacting with predators such as bats in a complex sensory landscape.

Psychotria poeppigiana is also part of a wider ecological network. It is a host plant for Rubiaceae-feeding metalmark butterflies, including species in the genus Mesosemia. This means that a single restored plant can support multiple trophic levels at once: herbivores feeding on it, larvae developing on it, and predators interacting around it. In restoration, these small interactions are what rebuild a functioning ecosystem.

13/04/2026

At first glance, it may look like just a bird on a board. But this Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is doing something very practical and very natural. It is using a perch placed in the lake at ANURA Ecological Park, La Fortuna, Costa Rica, as a resting point and as a hunting station. Green Herons are patient sit-and-wait hunters that often stay still at the water’s edge or on low branches before striking prey in a single fast movement.

This species is also famous for another reason: it is one of the world’s few tool-using birds. It can drop twigs, insects, or feathers onto the water as bait to bring fish closer. That makes the green heron a very good example of how intelligent, adaptable wildlife can make use of simple structures in the landscape.

What ANURA added here is small, but meaningful. A perch like this can support birds without changing the lake in a harmful way. It offers a place to rest, hunt, and stay close to the water, and similar low-cost perches have been shown to increase hunting rates in kingfishers. Sometimes conservation is not about big constructions; sometimes it is about one small idea that makes life easier for wildlife.

08/04/2026

Today at ANURA Ecological Park, La Fortuna, Costa Rica, we welcomed representatives from Fundación Abuela Ecológica and shared native plant material for restoration work.

We donated seeds collected at ANURA so they can be used in their reforestation projects, along with rubber tree (Castilla elastica) and other native plants.

This kind of collaboration matters because ecological restoration becomes stronger when local organizations work together. ANURA contributes not only by receiving support, but also by sharing seeds and plants that can help rebuild habitat in other areas. That exchange strengthens the living network behind biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration in Costa Rica.

Thank you to Fundación Abuela Ecológica for the visit and shared commitment, and thank you to the Municipalidad de San Carlos for supporting transportation and making this collaboration possible. Partnerships like this connect seed sources, nurseries, and restoration sites into one functional network.

08/04/2026

04/04/2026

Two baby common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) were delivered from ANURA Ecological Park, La Fortuna, Costa Rica to Centro de Rescate Asís for professional evaluation. Thank you to the rescue team for receiving them and supporting wildlife care in Costa Proyecto Asis Costa Rica Wildlife Sanctuary. Thank you to everyone involved in their rescue.

Didelphis marsupialis has some very interesting survival strategies. One of them is death-feigning: when strongly disturbed, opossums can enter a rigid, catatonic state that helps them escape predators. In a classic study on D. marsupialis, this response was documented as a stereotyped behavior triggered mainly by grabbing and shaking, not by every kind of disturbance.

It’s a surprisingly effective survival strategy… not exactly something we would try ourselves, but in the wild, sometimes playing dead is the smartest move.

03/04/2026

This is a sad story.

A neighbor found these two baby common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) on the body of their mother after she was hit by a vehicle and brought them to ANURA. They are the only survivors. In Costa Rica, this species is known as the zorro pelón.

It belongs to Didelphimorphia, which means it is a marsupial, not a rodent.

Common opossums are nocturnal, solitary, and highly adaptable. They can live in forests, agricultural areas, and human-modified landscapes, and they often shelter in tree cavities, in palm or fig trees, or in abandoned nests during the day. Their broad diet is a textbook example of opportunistic omnivory: invertebrates are a major staple, but they also consume fruits, nectar, leaves, carrion, and small vertebrates.

This feeding behavior matters ecologically. By eating carrion and many invertebrates, opossums contribute to nutrient recycling and help clean the forest floor. They are also important seed dispersers; Didelphis marsupialis has been documented dispersing seeds after eating fruits such as Cecropia.

An important detail: as marsupials, they are biologically different from most placental mammals. This separation means they are not part of the same disease dynamics as many other mammals that humans usually worry about. Their role in ecosystems tends to reduce, not increase, certain disease risks. But wild animals should always be respected, not disturbed, and handled only by trained professionals.

Their tail is one of the clearest examples of convergent evolution in the forest. Similar grasping tails evolved in kinkajous (Potos flavus), prehensile-tailed porcupines (Coendou spp.), and some New World monkeys. The forest canopy often selects for the same answer in unrelated animals: grasp, balance, and move with precision.

Tomorrow they will be taken to Centro de Rescate Asís for veterinary evaluation.

Thanks to the neighbor who found them and to everyone helping them get a chance.

31/03/2026

Ischnocodia annulus is a good example of why macro photography matters.

This beetle belongs to Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cassidinae, the tortoise beetles. In this group, the body is not just a shell for the organs; it is also part of the defense.

The pronotum and elytra are expanded, and when the beetle pulls itself into a protective position, the head can become partly hidden.

That is why the eyes in this image seem to be peeking through armor.

The metallic, golden look adds to the effect and makes the insect feel like a hidden forest jewel.

In Cassidinae, form and color often work together as part of the defense system.

There is also a plant story here. I. annulus has been recorded on Cordia species and Ocotea veraguensis, and feeding on Cordia alliodora seedlings has been documented as well.

That places it within the daily interactions that help shape forest dynamics.

Thanks to for the macro photo.

27/03/2026

At ANURA, even a resting bat can tell the story of a forest in motion.

This is Artibeus lituratus, a large fruit bat that feeds mainly on fruits, especially figs and other plants in Moraceae. In Neotropical forest networks, bats of the genus Artibeus are among the most important fruit and seed movers.

The real ecological value of this bat starts after feeding. Seeds that pass through its digestive tract are transported away from the parent tree, which helps plants escape concentrated seed predation and disease pressure near the source. In some species, that passage also changes germination. A meta-analysis found that the effect varies by plant-bat combination, but specific studies show clear benefits in some cases, including Cecropia pachystachya. A very important tree species for feeding sloths and other wonderful animals.

That is why bats matter for more than one plant group. They disperse seeds of pioneer and secondary-forest plants such as Cecropia, as well as fruits from Piper, Solanum, and Ficus. In a recovering forest, those movements help connect fruit production with the next wave of vegetation.

And despite the common image of bats in caves, Artibeus lituratus is usually associated with foliage roosts, not cave life. There are records of tent use, but the species is better described as an opportunistic user of modified plant shelters. We are still looking for one of those natural “tents” at ANURA so we can show it in a future post.

Thanks to Shayla for the video.

20/03/2026

Night observations at ANURA Ecological Park, sometimes reveal highly specialized mammals like the kinkajou (Potos flavus). In the dark, the forest reveals animals built for a different kind of light. In this video, the eye-shine visible when the animal turns its head is caused by the tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer that enhances vision in low light. You can also see how it uses its prehensile tail to hold on firmly while moving through the branches.

Although it belongs to the order Carnivora, the kinkajou is mainly frugivorous. Its diet includes ripe fruits, especially figs, but also nectar, flowers, insects, and occasionally small vertebrates. This feeding flexibility makes it an important part of tropical forest dynamics.

Its tail-based climbing ability is a clear example of convergent evolution with other arboreal mammals such as opossums and prehensile-tailed porcupines (Coendou spp.), which evolved similar adaptations for life in the trees.

Thanks to for capturing this record.

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19/03/2026

We found a new Cordyceps species in Anura.
Nature can be beautiful… and ruthless. This fungus, part of the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis complex, is infecting a leafcutter ant (Atta sp.) here at ANURA.
One of the most fascinating details is visible in this image: the ant has bitten firmly into the leaf vein before dying. This is known as the “death grip,” a behavior manipulated by the fungus to ensure the perfect position for its growth. The leaf vein provides stability, humidity, and the right conditions for the fungus to develop and spread. After the ant dies, the fungus continues to grow, eventually emerging from the body to release spores and continue its life cycle. The long filament that comes out of the ant's back is the reproductive structure of the fungus.
These interactions may seem harsh, but they are essential. By controlling host populations, fungi like Ophiocordyceps help prevent imbalances that could affect the entire ecosystem.
Moments like this remind us that restoration is not just about plants and animals, but about restoring the full network of ecological relationships.
📷 Captured at ANURA Ecological Park.

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14/03/2026

Field observation at ANURA Ecological Park:

We photographed a neotropical porcupine (Coendou mexicanus) with a spotting scope. Notice the yellowish quills and the prehensile tail, used for arboreal movement; we have been following a pair that is using the ANURA forest as home.

How the quills work. Porcupine quills are highly modified hairs made of keratin. Many New World porcupines have quills with minute backward-facing barbs or roughened tips; on contact these structures can lodge in predator skin. Quills detach relatively easily from the porcupine but removal from flesh is painful because the barbed tips resist backward extraction, increasing the likelihood of secondary infection.

Quills are defensive, passive structures. They do not “shoot,” but they make predators think twice.

Prehensile tail as convergent evolution. A grasping (prehensile) tail has evolved independently in several groups as an adaptation to tree life. In the Neotropics you can find prehensile tails in porcupines (Coendou), kinkajous (Potos flavus) and howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.), and in marsupials like some opossums (Didelphis spp.). These animals are not closely related yet show similar solutions for moving and feeding in the canopy.

We document these records as part of our wildlife monitoring program. Please observe quietly on trails and avoid sudden movements; telescopes and long lenses are ideal tools for safe observation. Photo captured by one of our guides with a birding scope. Follow for more sightings and updates from La Fortuna.

📷 Many thanks to our guide for documenting this sighting

11/03/2026

A close look at limoncito bees (Paratrigona opaca) guarding the wax entrance of their colony. These tiny workers constantly inspect the entrance, checking incoming bees and protecting the nest.

One interesting detail: stingless bees are very sensitive to CO₂ from our breath. If you exhale directly toward the nest entrance they may quickly hide or retreat inside. In a tropical forest full of predators, detecting the breath of a large animal could mean danger — mammals sometimes raid nests for honey, pollen or larvae. This simple defensive response helps keep the colony safe.

When observing bees in the field, patience and gentle behavior make all the difference. Quiet movement and avoiding direct breath allows these fascinating insects to continue their natural work.

📸 Photo captured by Liam. Thank you for sharing this amazing photo from ANURA.

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