Jaguars and tapirs, for example, are now considered endangered species. Still, their tracks are regularly seen in the more remote, larger expanses of undisturbed forest such as that surrounding the Rara Avis Reserve. Most noteworthy among these are the butterflies. Floating over the rivers, usually on sunny mornings, they are a stunning sight. Such camouflage is prominent in the butterfly community.
Some species look just like the leaves and bark of the trees on which they rest.
Yet others have wings with spots that resemble eyes. Predators occasionally attack their wings, leaving them with only minor injuries, their heads and bodies safe from harm. Costa Rica is home to roughly 150 species of amphibians, some of which are extremely colourful and exotic. There are tree frogs which spend their entire lives above the forest floor, breeding in the water of tank bromeliads or in holes in the trunks of trees. Others, the poison-arrow frogs, are exuberantly colored, ranging from bright red with blue or green legs to bright green with black markings.