[Amphibians and reptiles in the swamps dominated by the palm Raphia taedigera (Arecaceae) in northeastern Costa Rica].

The herpetofauna that inhabits Caribbean Costa Rica has received considerable attention in the last two decades. This assemblage includes a total of 141 species of reptiles and 95 amphibians mostly distributed in tropical wet and moist lowland forests. While most information available came from primary and secondary forest sites, little is known about the amphibians and reptiles that inhabit more open habitats, such as wetlands and swamps.

[The Raffia-swamps as sources or sinks of avifauna: a first approach to the problem].

In the Tortuguero region, northeastern Costa Rica, tropical forests are home to over 300 species of birds. Within this ecosystem, wetlands dominated by the raffia palm Raphia taedigera and the royal palm Manicaria saccifera extend in large monospecific swamps locally known as yolillales. These wetlands are characterized by low plant diversity, simple structure, waterlogged soils, and extended hydroperiod.