Costa Rica is a lovely country that is rich in biodiversity. From stunning beaches to exotic wildlife and scenic landscapes, you can never get enough of this small Central American country. Aside from all of this beauty, one of the things you will notice when you visit the tourist attractions and national parks in Costa Rica is a gorgeous array of lizards that you never once thought existed.
From lizards like basilisks that can run on water and Anoles that can change their skin color to blend with the present environment to Geckos that are able to glow when placed under certain kinds of light and many more with abilities that would leave you wowed as you watch in amazement.
Before now, I did not know much about lizards because I had never been a fan of breeding lizards.
However, my mentality about lizards changed when I visited the Tenorio Volcano National Park in the northern province of Costa Rica, where I saw a lot of lizards.
To share my experience, I have decided to create this guide to provide detailed information about Costa Rican lizards.
Key Takeaways
- The most common and largest lizards in Costa Rica are the Iguanas.
- The lizards with the ability to run on water are the Basilisks.
- The lizards that can camouflage are the water Anoles.
- The nocturnal lizards are the Geckos.
- Iguanas are able to detach their tails in order to flee from predators and turn orange during mating to attract the females.
Common Costa Rican Lizard Species
There are various Lizard species in Costa Rica, each occupying a different habitat from the shoreline of beaches to the floor of an evergreen rainforest.
Below are some common Costa Rican lizard species and all you need to know about them:
Iguanas
The iguana is the most common and most significant lizard species in Costa Rica. It is mainly of two types: the green and black iguana.
The Green Iguana has a calm demeanor and is mainly found in humid, lush evergreen forests, climbing and resting on top of trees, and also in coastal areas resting on the shorelines of beaches. It grows about 1.7 meters long.
They are harmless and love to eat fruits, vegetables, and leaves.
While the Black Iguana has spikes that run from the head to its tail. It is primarily brown and grey in color, aggressive, and prefers to live in a rocky environment, growing to about 1.3 meters in length. And loves to eat small animals, insects, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and leaves.
In general, both iguanas have a little difference. The green iguana has a bony head, while the black has a head shaped like a crocodile. However, they share so many similarities.
- They both have a third eye on top of their heads, called the arietal eye, which helps them detect predators around.
- They are both excellent swimmers, especially the green iguana.
- They love to sunbathe because of their cold-blooded nature, which helps them regulate their body temperature. That is why you must find them on top of trees and rocks.
- They have the ability to detach their tail in order to escape from predators, which does not affect them because the tail will grow back.
- They both have the ability to change their body color to blend in with their environment.
- During the mating period, they change to an orange color to attract the female iguana.
- They both can live up to 40 years.
The Iguanas hardly migrate from one place to another. So you always find them in different parts of the country where they choose to live all year round.
However, if you want to see a lot of them, take a nature hike or tour to places like Playa Flamingo in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, along the Northern Pacific Coast.
You will find many of them lying on the shoreline and treetops.
Basilisks
Also called the Jesus Christ lizard for the ability to run on the surface of water, it is one of the common lizard species in Costa Rica.They are green, brown, or olive, with some stripes for most of them.
The first time I saw a basilisk was on one of my tours in the country, precisely in Rio Celeste.
I was sitting by the free poolside watching the stunning turquoise blue water and the gentle flow of the river currents through small rocks when I saw a basilisk lizard.
As I turned a bit, it became startled and ran over the water’s surface with great speed, then paused and climbed a small rock. I guess to catch some breath and then zoomed off on the water’s surface again to the other side of the river.
It was such a beautiful sight that it left me stunned and piqued my interest in carrying out some research to find out about their water-running ability. I discovered that the basilisk lizard has a toe with a seam of flesh that runs along the length of its toe.
So, when the basilisk lizard hits the water surface with speed, it forms a movable flap that expands against the water and keeps it from sinking. They use this water-running ability to flee from predators.
Basilisks are mainly land and water animals. They can thrive in both habitats. They eat fish, snakes, insects, vegetables, fruits, and leaves and are primarily seen in humid climates, dry forests, and near water.
That is why they are common in Costa Rica because it provides the kind of environment they need.
Anoles
There are two types of anoles, namely, the ground anoles and the water anoles.
As the name implies, ground anoles prefer dark areas in the forest floor or near the base of large trees. You will find them in cocoa farms, under the shredded leaves, or clinging to the trees.
It is active mainly during the day and eats cockroaches, spiders, crickets, flies, beetles, termites, centipedes, etc. However, it does not eat ants. Water anoles are semi-aquatic and live partly on land and partly under water.
When walking on the shores of the Playa Flamingo on one of my numerous tours in Costa Rica, I noticed an anole jump into the water and stayed there for more than 20 minutes.
Then it came out and jumped in again, staying still underwater. The water Anoles can wait that long underwater because they form an air bubble that clings to their head and helps to recycle the air supply while it remains underwater.
Another interesting thing about water Anoles is their ability to camouflage to suit their environment. This mostly occurs when they feel the presence of predators.
Like the ground Anoles, they eat growth cockroaches, crickets, beetles, and so on.
Geckos
One common lizard species in Costa Rica is the Geckos. There are about 13 species of these geckos in Costa Rica, but the most commonly seen ones are the house geckos found in almost every home in Costa Rica and other tropical parts of the world.
My experience with the house Gecko was not a funny one. When I first visited Costa Rica, I remember that night like yesterday. My girlfriend (now my wife) and I were about to retire to sleep in our Airbnb apartment after a long day’s hike when we suddenly heard the “Chip Chip” sound.
Wondering what it was, I turned on the light, and there it was: a house gecko clinging to the curtains. It was shocking to think it was not there when we first came in, and the light was ON.
Later, I discovered that house geckos only emerged from their hiding places in the dark. With time, I began seeing other kinds that glow under specific lights.
Generally, geckos are harmless and help keep the house free of insects by eating them.
Importance of Lizards in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is so rich in biodiversity, and lizards are vital in enriching the country’s ecosystem.These lizards, in their little way, help to create a balance so they keep functioning as they should.
Here are some of the essential roles Costa Rican lizards play in the ecosystem:
- Most lizards eat insects inside the house and the surrounding environment, which helps to control the spread of insects that would have been in abundance, thereby causing a hike in plant and animal diseases.
- Lizards like iguanas, that are mainly herbivores, help to disperse the seeds of the fruits and flowers that they eat to different parts of the ecosystem, thereby aiding in the regeneration of plants.
- Costa Rican lizards are a massive part of ecotourism, which attracts tourists from all over the world to witness the different species available and helps to strengthen the country’s economy.
- One good thing about lizards is that they serve as indicators of environmental change. If their habitat is uninhabitable due to pollution, one would quickly notice that something is wrong due to their fast migration and decline in the area.
- Lizards are both predators and prey. They need to be eaten as much as they eat other animals and plants to balance the country’s ecosystem and the world at large.
Conservation Efforts
If there is one thing I love about Costa Rica, it’s how they have invested in conservation efforts to protect the lives of lizards and other wildlife in the country.
This effort has helped these lizards to thrive in their natural habitat.
And I also love how they sink it into the ears of tourists to join in conserving the tourist attractions, too, so the country’s ecosystem will continue to flourish and future generations will come and meet it.
Here are some of the conservation efforts that have been put in place:
- Smoking is not allowed in most tourist destinations, especially in national parks where there are dry forests that can easily catch fire and become deforested, thereby driving away these gorgeous wildlife.
- Touching and playing with these creatures is highly prohibited because doing so can stress them or even kill them.
- Using drones is mostly not allowed in conserved areas where these creatures are found because they can be distracted and run away into hiding at the sound of the drones, thinking it is predators.
- The country also disallows unnecessary tree felling to avoid mass deforestation, thereby chasing away these creatures since they mostly love climbing trees.
You can also checkout our article on the 10 Most Common Costa Rica Mammals.
Conclusion
Costa Rican lizards play a diverse role in the country’s ecosystem. Their ability to adapt to different habitats helps enrich the country’s biodiversity.
However, it is important to conserve their habitats so that they can continue helping the ecosystem to function as it should and prolong the survival of these creatures for future generations to see too.
And to see these lizards yourself, visit Costa Rica today.
About Michelle Schmidt
Born in California, Michelle traveled extensively through the USA and Europe before moving to South Florida during the pandemic. Her career in Marketing has taken her all across the world. Her favorite country is France but she'll never turn down a beach vacation!
