Costa Rica - The Cloud Forest of Monteverde

Voted one of the seven wonders of Costa Rica, the cloud forest of Monte Verde are truly unique places. This is where all the tourists come to stand in awe at nature and this is also the place where the scientists come to try and understand nature. The cloud forests of Monteverde are very beautiful, but what are they really?

A cloud forest is really a type of rain forest, but cloud forest are unique in that they can only be found in a couple places in the world, these are complex ecosystems that can only survive in specific tropical mountain areas, because of the elevation being so high, most of the time the forest is in the middle of the clouds, so instead of rain you have water being deposited directly on the leaves of the trees. In the higher parts of the cloud forests, there is a constant dripping of water from the leaves of the trees and plants making a perfect environment for plants and animals to survive. When you visit the forest, you will be taken aback at the sheer amount of life that abounds there, trees everywhere, and on every tree you have other plants, ferns, flowers and mosses that live on the trees.

Clouds are constantly drifting in and out among the trees but despite all this, it can become quite chilly to a person that has just come from the warm tropical lowlands; remember, the cloud forest are so high that they are up in the clouds, so it is to be expected that the weather would be a little different, even if you do think warm and wet when you hear the word tropic. The wet part you will get, but the warmth you will have to pass.

There are over 755 species of trees in the Monteverde area and it is likely that even more will be found, it is said that the ferns (358 species) get so big there that they can sometimes be considered trees. There are always around 40-50 species of trees bearing fruit at any time; this creates a food rich environment for the birds and different types of mammals, which make fruit their primary food source.

Monteverde and the cloud forests are favorite places for the person who likes to go birding, there are over 425 species of birds here, some of them are very rare and so elusive that to get a glimpse of them is enough to make anybodies day, even the most hard hearted person will be completely melted at seeing some of the wonderful species of bird that Monteverde has to offer.

Some of the birds there are not permanent settlers, they like to go there and feed but their breeding grounds are usually someplace else in the world. So just think, one day you might look out your window and unknowingly, see a bird that has come from Monteverde!

You can find a lot more then birds in the cloud forests of Monteverde, mammal species abound and thrive in the area, there are six different species of big cat and believe it or not, there are 68 species of bat that live in the cloud forests and the surrounding area. Not to mention howler monkeys and fox, sloths, armadillos and much, much more.

There is a little bit of worrying going on about the apparent decline in the number of reptiles and amphibians, there used to be 101 species but now scientist are finding it harder and harder to keep track of them because they are shrinking in numbers and becoming more elusive; there is even one type of famous frog that they say, is now extinct…it was a cute little thing, it was called the Golden Toad.

The cloud forests of Costa Rica are hot spots for tourism, this not only gives the economy a big boost, it also provides jobs and a living for the people that work for the reserve, it gives the people of Costa Rica a reason to be proud.

The cloud forests of Monteverde are beautiful, unique and mysterious, they are the home of many types of animals and plants and even if you only go there once in a lifetime, it will be an experience that will never be forgotten!