This book is filled with portraits of some
of the interesting and beautiful creatures
that live in Costa Rica.

It explores the Dry Forests at sea level;
the tropical Rain Forests at medium altitudes;
then it takes us upthrough the Cloud Forest
(which covers the higher altitudes) until the forests
thin and end at the tree-limit at almost12,000 feet
in the mountains.

Some of these Forest Jewels, such
as the Poison Dart Frogs and the
Hummingbirds, are very small while
others are larger and more easily seen.

Costa Rica is renowned for its fabulous
birds (including the spectacular Macaws
and Toucans); and for its vast chorus
of brightly coloured song birds which
culminates in the legendary Resplendent
Quetzal with his glorious tail-feathers.

We meet some of the Owls and the
Motmots, with their unique tailfeathers;
and the vulnerable Guans and Curassows.

We witness the endearing and highly
intelligent Coatis collecting fruit for
their dinner; we watch the busy Leaf
-cutter Ants strip a plant of its flowers
and leaves in just a few minutes; and we
look at some of the reptiles who slither
through the forests.

Then there are the iridescently feathered
Hummingbirds who dart from flower to
flower to feed on nectar.

We discover the famous Red-eyed Tree
Frog; in addition to some of the other
nocturnal creatures in the forest.

The photographs in this book show just
a little of the Costa Rican Paradise