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The agouti is a native to tropical Central America and usually has brown fur with gray streaks. It looks like the bigger version of a guinea pig, and it feeds on fruits and seeds that it stores in the ground, thus helping to disperse the seeds.

Anteaters use powerful claws on their forefeet and a long, (58-cm/23-in), extensible tongue to uncover and feed on ants, termites, and beetle larvae. Mainly nocturnal, the anteater lives in trees and eats bees and ants. To defend itself it will stand on its hind legs and use its strong front forefeet and claws as weapons.

The name armadillo was first used by the early Spanish explorers and means "small armored one." A patterned, hornlike, brown to pink armor composed of bony plates covers the upper and side surfaces and parts of the legs and undersides. If overtaken by an enemy, armadillos draw in their feet and nose, and some species roll into a ball. Practically blind, the armadillo enjoys making lots of noise while it searches through forest floors and thick underbrush looking for insects and fruits.

Capuchin monkeys, are so named because their crown hair resembles the cowl, or capuche, of Franciscan friars. Among the most intelligent of New World MONKEYS, capuchins are 38 to 53 cm (15 to 21 in) long with a tail 38 to 60 cm (15 to 24 in) long; they weigh 1.6 to 3.6 kg (3.5 to 8 lb). They are called ring-tailed because they often carry their slightly prehensile tails coiled at the tip. Capuchins live in the tops of large trees, rarely descending to the ground, and live in small multimale groups that have extremely complex patterns of social relationships. They eat fruit, leaves, insects, young birds, and eggs. Popular as pets, they are the monkeys that traditionally pass the hat for organ grinders.

The untufted Capuchin group includes three species, and its the white-throated capuchin, with a coat of black with white in the pale areas that is found in Central America.

The white-nosed coati best known relative is the raccoon, which is thought to be an ancestor of the dog. Coati have a long, slender, flexible nose that is used for detecting food items hidden in the leaf litter on the forest floor. The name "coati" is of Tupian Indian orgin and refers to the manner in which the coati tucks its nose into its belly while sleeping. All species have reddish brown coats with white marks on the muzzle and chest and whitish rings on the tail.

Coati females live with their young in groups with other mothers and young. These groups are called "bands". These bands are loosely formed and change in size and membership frequently. The young males are forced to leave the bands when they are two years of age. Males travel alone but their home ranges often overlap with female bands. Males are allowed to socialize with the bands only during the breeding season. When the female becomes pregnant she leaves her band to build a nest in a tree. There, after a gestation period of 70 to 74 days, she will have a litter of babies numbering from one to seven. The babies will stay in the nest for several weeks and then follow their mother to rejoin the band.

Coati are omnivorous, eating insects, lizards, frogs, mice, snails, and a variety of plant foods such as mango, fig, papaya, prickly pear, and juniper. Eggs are considered a delicacy for the coati.

The coyote, is a carnivorous mammal belonging to the dog family. Coyotes are smaller than gray wolves but are relatively equal in size with red wolves and domestic dogs. However, the coyote’s nose pad is narrower and its ears are longer than those of the wolf. Adult males range in weight from 8 to 20 kg (18 to 44 lb), and females from 7 to 18 kg (15 to 40 lb). Color varies, but coyotes are usually gray and communicate by howling and have a very well developed sense of smell.

Originally, coyotes inhabited open country and grasslands in the southwestern United States and Mexico, where they were well represented in Aztec folklore and art. The coyotes' geographic range has expanded in recent history, and they now are found in a variety of habitats from Central America to northern Alaska and throughout the United States and most of Canada. Their diet is extremely diverse, and they take advantage of whatever is available, including rodents, rabbits, birds, insects, and fruit. They sometimes eat domestic animals. Much of their winter diet is carrion. Females breed between January and March and produce an average of six pups.

The fox is the smallest member of the dog family. Foxes are agile predators that usually weigh under 7 kg (15 lb). They scavenge carrion and wild fruits and hunt small rodents, rabbits, birds, and invertebrates. Because they hunt small prey sufficient to feed only one animal, foxes are solitary predators and do not hunt in packs.

The howler monkeys are one of the best-known New World monkeys. Their name is derived from their impressive roaring displays used in defending their territories. Their remarkable vocalizations are produced with the aid of highly specialized structures. The hyoid, a supportive bone at the base of the tongue, is enlarged and formed into an egg-shaped hollow box, which acts as a resonating chamber. The thyroid cartilage of the larynx (voice box) and the lower jaw are also enlarged. howlers possess a fully prehensile tail with a sensitive tactile surface at its tip, but are quadrupeds and do not use their tails for locomotion.

The jaguar is the largest member of the cat family, and in Latin America it is commonly called a tigre. A male jaguar may reach 1.8 m (6 ft) in length (head and body) with a 75-cm-long (2.5-ft) tail, and may weigh nearly 180 kg (400 lb). Its coat ranges from grayish to reddish tan and its spots are grouped into small circles, or rosettes that surround one or more solid spots. The jaguar is stoutly built, with a large, broad head. Jaguars can be found inhabiting marshes, scrub brush areas, and both temperate and tropical forests. They feed on a wide variety of large and small animals and also occasionally prey on domestic animals; very rarely, they have become man-eaters. Jaguars breed once a year, in no particular season in the tropics. After a gestation period of about 14 weeks usually 1 to 4 young are born.

One of the rarest cats in Costa Rica. The jaguarundi is locally called león breñero. It has a long, slender body, short stocky legs, and a venal face with yellow eyes. It is about the size of a larger house cat with a dark brown coat.

The kinkajou, sometimes called a honey bear, is a member of the raccoon family. Its slender, short-legged body may reach 58 cm (23 in) in length (plus a 55-cm/22-in prehensile tail) and 2.7 kg (6 lb) in weight. The kinkajou, is one of only two carnivores that have prehensile tails (the other is the binturong). The tawny or brown fur is soft and woolly. Kinkajous are arboreal and inhabit tropical forests from southern Mexico to Brazil. They are nocturnal and feed on fruit, insects, and small mammals.

The margay is spotted wildcat resembling a small, long-tailed ocelot. It is a little bit bigger than the Tigrillo, and has a special joint on its legs which permits its foot to rotate backwards, thus making it an excellent tree climber.

Ocelots are a beautiful small spotted cats that utilize a wide diversity of habitats. Ocelots are solitary creatures who keep to themselves except during the breeding season. They are most active during dawn and dusk. They are opportunistic hunters preying on snakes, lizards, birds, rodents, and sometimes fish. When not on the move ocelots spend a great majority of their day hanging out in the upper limbs of dense tree cover. They are territorial but it is common for territories to overlap. Unlike most cats, the ocelot is a strong swimmer and can sometimes be found sitting in running water to cool off.

Opossums are the only marsupials found outside the Australian region. There are 65 species of opossum and 64 are found between Mexico and Argentina. The only species established north of Mexico is the common opossum, which ranges as far north as southern Canada. The opossum’s coat is coarse and commonly gray, with white guard hairs; the snout is white; and the tail is black for about half of its length or less. There are five toes on each foot, and the long, pointed muzzle contains 50 teeth and can be opened beyond 90 deg. Opossums are most active at night and are omnivorous, although insects and fruit seem to be preferred in the wild.

The Paca is a large nocturnal burrowing rodent found throughout South and Central America and similar to the agouti, especially the spotted species. It lives on plants and fruit and is occasionally hunted for its edible flesh.

The peccary is an even-toed mammal. Peccaries are closely related to the SWINE family; however, they differ from pigs in several ways, including the possession of a dorsal musk gland. The body is 75-90 cm (30-35 in) long and weighs up to 30 kg (66 lb). The slim legs end in sharp, two-toed hooves. The snout is cylindrical, and their spear-like upper canine teeth give peccaries the alternative name javelina. The animals can run quickly. They live in groups in a wide range of habitats and feed on insects and small animals.

Porcupines are large, spine- or quill-bearing rodents. These mammals’ large spines, or sharp hairs, act as defense organs, and are controlled by erectile muscles in the skin. The prehensile-tailed porcupines of Mexico and Central and South America comprise of about 20 species. They mainly eat bark, buds, twigs, and leaves. They tend to have shorter, denser spines than those of the more Northern porcupine By day, the porcupine prefers to remain in its burrow. After a gestation period of nearly 4 months, the female gives birth to two or three young, which initially have soft fur rather than quills.

Raccoons are stocky-bodied, usually solitary, and nocturnal mammals. They prefer swampy areas or woods near water and are absent from very high elevations, very arid regions, and purely coniferous forests. They are omnivores (meat-eaters). Contrary to popular belief, raccoons do not wash their food before eating it; this habit, seen only when the animal is in captivity, is believed to be an outlet for the frustrated behavior of searching for small prey in water.

The breeding season for the Central American raccoon can begin as early as December. Gestation averages 63 days, and a litter commonly contains one to seven young. Although raccoons may live 14 years or more in captivity, they seldom survive beyond seven years in the wild.

Skunks are mammals of the WEASEL family. They are well known for the repulsive-smelling spray they eject from two anal glands at the base of the tail when disturbed. Skunks have black-and-white striped or spotted fur. The hooded skunk, is either white backed or black backed. It is found from Central America to the southwestern United States. The spotted skunk, of North and Central America, is 36 cm (14 in) long, with an 8- to 23-cm (3- to 9-in) tail, and may weigh nearly 1 kg (2.5 lb).

Skunks are nocturnal, solitary feeders on both plants and small animals. They usually live in burrows, but the spotted skunk may shelter in trees.

Tree sloths are slow-moving, leaf-eating, mammals found principally in the rain forests of Central and South America. Sloths are nocturnal, usually solitary animals that spend most of their lives upside down in trees. If forced to the ground a tree sloth must crawl, because its limbs lack the strength to support its body. Algae often grow on a tree sloth's coarse fur, giving the usually brown-gray coat a greenish tinge. Three species of moths and certain beetles and mites also may live there. The three-toed sloths, Bradypus, have three toes on each foot. Both species of two-toed sloths, Choloepus, have three toes on each hind foot but only two toes on each forefoot.

Tree sloths range from about 50 to 68 cm (20 to 27 in) in length and from 4 to 9 kg (9 to 20 lb) in weight. They have a short, rounded skull, small, rounded ears, and, if present, a stubby tail. Possibly because their body temperatures are not constant, varying between 24 deg and 35 deg C (75 deg to 95 deg F) or more, tree sloths require a high environmental temperature.

The tayra, a member of the weasel family, is a slender-bodied, agile animal found in forests from southern Mexico to Argentina. The tayra is slender with a long neck and short legs. It has broad head with round short ears. The dense fur is short, soft and brown in color. The head is generally lighter in color than the rest of the body. Head and body length is 60-68 cm with the tail up to 46 cm in length. Total weight is 4-5 kg. Tayras are omnivorous.

The tayra dwells in forests and fields with abundant plant growth. It lives alone or in a pair around mating season. The tayra nests in hollow trees and tunnels and is active both day and night. It feeds on guinea pigs, mice, squirrels, agoutis, poultry, insects and fruits. Tayra is a nimble climber. Reproduction occurs at different times of the year with 2-4 young in each litter.

The tigrillo is the smallest of Costa Rica’s cats or felines. It doesn’t grow to be bigger than a house cat, and it spends most of its life on trees, in forests up to 3200 meters.