Wild Costa Rica

The small Central American country of Costa Rica--less than one-eighth
the size of California--boasts the highest density of plant and animal species in
the world. Its wild and rugged landscapes include dense rainforests where jaguars
roam, a volcano that spews rivers of molten lava, and beaches as unspoiled as they
were when Christopher Columbus first anchored his ships off the Caribbean coast in
1502. Costa Rica's rich biodiversity is the result of a hugely varied topography
that creates a wide range of natural habitats, and of the presence of animals and
plants native to both North and South America. In Wild Costa Rica, photographer
Adrian Hepworth explores the natural riches of Costa Rica, providing engaging
reports from the field and more than 200 stunning color photographs. We learn about
Costa Rica's rainforest, cloudforest, and paramo (high, treeless plain); the
abundance of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects these
habitats support; and the country's network of protected areas--a system of parks,
reserves, and refuges that makes up over twenty percent of Costa Rica's land. These
areas--including such flagship wildlife-watching locations as Tortuguero and
Corcovado--attract more than a million visitors every year. The money generated by
responsible eco-tourism is central to the survival of Costa Rica's wild places.
Hepworth's photographs show us breathtaking vistas and introduce us to distinctive
native wildlife, including the scarlet macaw, the resplendent quetzal, the
three-toed sloth, and spider and howler monkeys. Wild Costa Rica gives us a
fascinating picture of the most biologically diverse country in the world.