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Backcountry Journeys
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About Our Company
Resources For Photographers
About Our Company
Squirrel Monkeys of Costa Rica
Published October 21, 2019
They are incredibly cute, and a ton of fun to watch as they move through the forest, often pausing to squeal and chirp before making a seemingly death-defying leap from one tree branch to another.
Jann Taylor
There are four species of monkeys in the small Central American country of Costa Rica. The Squirrel Monkey, which is the smallest, might just have the largest personality.
Adults weigh in at between 1.1 lbs and 2.4 lbs and are just under 12″ in length. Their tails, in fact, are actually longer than they are!
The Squirrel Monkey is also perhaps the most colorful, too, sporting an orange back and a distinctive white and black facial mask.
Within Costa Rica, these little cuties are found only on the Pacific coast, living in troops that vary greatly in size, making their homes in tropical evergreen forests, mangroves, and secondary forests. They travel through these forests noisily, disturbing vegetation as they move about. Here they subsist on insects, fruits, and even leaves. Its predators are numerous and include raptors, cats as well as snakes.
Ben Blankenship
While the Central American squirrel monkey can live for more than 15 years, they remain vulnerable due to deforestation and pet trade, which is illegal. Their numbers are increasing, however, due in large part to the work of the national parks in Costa Rica. Like Corcovado National Park, which is near where we visit on Backcountry Journeys Wildlife of Costa Rica tour, which travels to the remote Osa Peninsula, home to a large portion of the nation’s squirrel monkey population.
Don’t miss out on our Wildlife of Costa Rica trip extensions. Sign up for our Resplendent Quetzals Extension where we’ll travel to the Talamanca Mountains where we’ll find the charming Savegre Hotel, as well as the Resplendent Quetzal, perhaps the world’s most beautiful bird. Complete your Costa Rican adventure by adding our Tortuguero Extension (available on our February and April tours only), where we’ll travel to the Caribbean coast following your main Costa Rica tour.
Booking the main tour combined with both extensions will get you to the mountains and both coasts providing you a complete Costa Rican vacation.
We offer world-class travel photography
experiences around the world.
Each tour is bundled with lodging, meals, and transportation between workshops included, allowing you to focus on photography instead of the stress of traveling.
experiences around the world.
Each tour is bundled with lodging, meals, and transportation between workshops included, allowing you to focus on photography instead of the stress of traveling.
Get Our Trip Catalog
Receive a trip catalog that highlights all of our upcoming photo tours and workshops.Schedule a Trip Consultation
Meet with a photo experience coordinator, and experience a personal touch to your booking experience.Trip Calendar
View our trip calendar and filter upcoming departures by interest or seasonality.Webinars
Our regularly hosted webinars provide photography instruction from our own guides on a wide range of topics.Education Portal
Explore our library of articles that cover everything from common questions, to in-depth guides on how to achieve that perfect shot.BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLCs - Copyright 2025
BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2025
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.