Tamanduas

 Costa Rica is home to a single species of medium-sized anteater and we were incredibly lucky to see them twice. The first sighting was up in a tree in the forest at Carara, where we were able to watch this one trundle around and scratch for quite awhile. Their eyesight is very poor so they rely primarily on smell and sound to find their food, and we were apparently quiet enough that it was not too concerned by our presence.

 Despite their comedic look, they can be dangerous when cornered, and are know for injuring overly curious dogs that get too close. Since they are equipped with enormous claws for tearing open termite mounds, they can cause quite a bit of damage if provoked. This one looks pretty relaxed and mildly embarrassed by such talk as he scratches his head with his back leg.

Rounding out our set of three, here is the best look we had, as one stopped to drink from a stream in Corcovado. You can really see the peculiar colouration of their body which makes it look like they are wearing either pyjamas or a life-jacket. This one continued to showcase their poor eyesight by walking directly towards us and passing within a few meters of us after his drink.