I'm not sure what came first -- my love of Costa Rica, or my love of photography. But I will say my passion for both go hand in hand. I wish I had longer to spend with my favorite animals on my latest trip... it was way too short. Despite its small size, Costa Rica has high levels of biological diversity with some 12,000 species of plants, 1,239 species of butterflies, 838 species of birds, 440 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 232 species of mammals. Costa Rica has an ambitious conservation program, one of the most developed among tropical rainforest countries and it protects more than 10 percent of the country. All animals in this gallery are 100% wild. There are about 5 to 10 additional images shot vertical, horizontal or other compositions for most of the images you see here. If you're interested in using one of my photos, I use PhotoQuote 2006 to establish industry standard prices for my work. You can find out more about my photography at www.christinacraft.com.