Most snakes on this coast are harmless and this page is the exception. The Central American rattlesnake lives in the dry forest and cattle country of Guanacaste and its venom is dangerous. It also gives you a warning, which is a courtesy worth taking.
Where you’ll see it
Dry forest, pasture, rocky slopes and occasionally a garden at the edge of town, especially in the dry season when rodents concentrate near water and houses. Nocturnal and slow to move in the heat of the day.
What to know
Heavy bodied with a chain of dark diamonds along the back and a rattle at the tail. If you hear it, stop, locate it, and back away slowly. It wants you gone, not bitten.
Bites are uncommon and treatable. Costa Rica makes some of the best antivenom in the world and hospitals stock it. Stay calm, keep the limb still, go to the hospital. Wear boots in long grass at night, carry a torch, and never try to kill or catch a snake, which is when most bites happen.
