This is what butterfly lust looks like. I spotted these two lovers (genus heliconius) doing their thing near my tent in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/5 at 1/80th of a second

My sister Mo requested a frog today. My mother wanted anything red and blue — in honor of her beloved Patriots (and as a counter point to the Eagle I posted on Monday). I think this should satisfy both asks. A strawberry poison dart frog. Also known as a blue jeans frog, for obvious reasons. I’ve photographed these tiny frogs in several places in Costa Rica. This one was clinging to a dried leaf in La Selva Biological Reserve, not far from the capital city of San Jose.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) with Canon 500D close up filter attached, ISO 100, f/3.5 at 1/10th of a second

I had a good time with this band of coatis, deep inside Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. There were about 20 to 30 total individuals. After a while, they forgot I was even there and at one point, I was surrounded on all sides as they went about their business of foraging, grooming, playing and resting. I was able to use my wide angle lens to capture a series of environmental images, including this one when one of the coatis took a moment to look my way while eating fruits from the forest floor.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 30mm) ISO 1600, f/4.5 at 1/320th of a second

I mentioned in a recent post that nothing beats the keel-billed toucan for its brilliant color amidst all the green of the Central American rainforest. The scarlet macaw, however, sure does come close. These large parrots are adorned with a generous amount of all three primary colors — red, yellow and blue. Some individuals even have a bit of green mixed in. This guy was feeding on figs, high in a tree along the coastline of Drake Bay in Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/500th of a second

I like this side view of a red-eyed tree frog because it displays all the nice blue areas that can be found on the legs, sides, upper arms, and around the eyeballs. The frog was just beginning his night of croaking with a quick rest stop inside a heliconia flower, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 75mm with Canon 500D close up filter/lens attached) ISO 200, f/20 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash units

The Baird’s tapir is the largest land mammal in Central America. They can grow to over eight feet in length and weigh almost 900 pounds. This one was a big male that I photographed crossing a river in Corcovado National Park in south western Costa Rica.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 175mm) ISO 3200, f/2.8 at 1/60th of a second

There are ten species of cat-eyed snake. I believe this one to be the northern cat-eyed snake. You can see where they get their name with that vertical pupil. Cat-eyed snakes are venomous, but the toxicity level is very low and only dangerous to very small prey. I came across this guy in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica but they range as far north as southern Texas.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/60th of a second, two Nikon SB-900 flash units

These guys seem to come in many varieties so not quite sure of the exact species, but clearly a very large katydid. I love the different colored eyes that they have. I’ve seen them with yellow, white and pink eyes, like this chap. This one was near the campground in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 1600, f/5 at 1/500th of a second

I photographed this paca on my second visit to Costa Rica back in 2007. I’ve now been three times to Costa Rica and twice to Panama but this is the only paca that I’ve been able to photograph. Apparently they are good eating to the Central American locals so I can see why they’d be a bit weary of my presence. They are also sometimes called gibnuts (great name) or royal rats (not so good). They are large members of the rodent family and have characteristic stripes and dots on the sides of their bodies. Pacas also happen to be pretty stealth — they are great swimmers and can dive underwater for fifteen minutes at a time when threatened. They can also jump more than three feet off the ground and, if need be, they can remain perfectly still for 45 minutes. This one wasn’t far from the lodge I was staying at in Pavones, Costa Rica. I was on a solo night hike so not exactly easy to get the shot, but perhaps the paca was a bit more relaxed because I was alone.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second

These two white-crowned parrots were preening each other atop a dead palm tree, occasionally popping in and out of the hollow in the tree. They are relatively small parrots and their range is fully within Mexico and Centra America. These two were photographed in La Selva, Costa Rica.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm manual focus lens, ISO 400, f/8 at 1/90th of a second