Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park

Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park protects the lush northern slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca in central Costa Rica, which extends into neighboring western Panama.

Known simply as Tapantí, the National Park has an area of 58,495 ha (144,544 acres). The park's elevation ranges from approximately 700 m (2,296 ft) to 3,400 m (11,154 ft).

Cerro de la Muerte

In 2000, the National Park was expanded to include the infamous Cerro de la Muerte (Mountain of Death). The highest point along the Pan-American Highway is in the Carretera Interamericana Sur segment, at 3,335 m (10,942 ft).

The higher elevations of Cerro de la Muerte also mark the northernmost extent of páramo, a highland shrub and tussock-grass habitat most commonly found in the Andes. It shelters a variety of rare bird species.

Ecosystems

Ecosystems found within Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park include:

• moorlands
• peat bogs
• swamps
• unforested savannas
• jungle forests
• tall oak cloud forests

The area constituted by the National Park is one of the wettest in Costa Rica, with an average annual rainfall of more than 6,500 mm (256 in).

This wild and mossy countryside is a watershed with over 150 rivers. As a result, waterfalls abound, vegetation is thick, and the wildlife is prolific, though not always easy to see because of the rugged terrain.

The most important body of water is the Orosí River, which traverses the park. The Orosí greatly contributes to the region's water supply and hydroelectric energy production.

Flora and Fauna

Five different life zones are found within Tapantí National Park:

• very humid premontane forest
• premontane pluvial forest
• low montane rainforest
• montane forest
• subalpine rain moorland

These forests provide habitat for some 45 mammal species, including Baird's tapir, kinkajou, white-faced capuchin monkey, paca, agouti, ocelot, and jaguarundi.

The National Park's 400 bird species include sparrow hawks, resplendent quetzals, emerald toucanets, and violaceous trogons.

There are 28 species of reptiles and amphibians and a large insect population, including the thysania agrippina, the largest moth on the American continent.