New species of crab found in Costa Rica

Costa Rica contains 5% of the world's biodiversity with thousands of species of all kinds.

Recently discovered a new species of crab in the country, this was scientifically named as Johngarthia cocoenis which was found by a group of researchers from the University of Costa Rica in Cocos Island, one of the most diverse places in species of the Pacific of Costa Rica.

The leader of the research was the taxonomist of crustaceans Rita Vargas, who said in a detailed report, what were the differences with respect to other species of this type, according to the daily crhoy.com.

This new type of crab has a structure much more extreme in parts of his mouth (maxilipios) which are open and form while a lock between Yes, relatives of the same species, are more closed, completely blocked.

Cocos Island climate is tropical and this species has its mouth parts exposed, this because it develops in a very rainy environment and it is not necessary to retain moisture, according to the specialist.

Another significant feature of this new crustacean is the shape of its shell, which turns out to be different from the other types.

During the year 2009 a specialist of the UCR, Luis Lara identified a species of crab in fresh water, which is only known in the southern region of Costa Rica, it is called scientifically Allacanthos yawi.

Is called crabs to the decapods crustaceans characterized by having five pairs of legs, one of which is a clamp used to capture and handling of food, courtship, or the dispute territorial.

As arthropods they are granted an exoskeleton, which often acquires the character of a shell because it tends to be mineralized with calcium carbonate.

There are more than 4,000 species of animals which are called crabs, and most live near or within seas, rivers or lakes, although some only go to the water to breed.

Posted by Costa Developers

Costa Rica’s Wildlife Act Banning Sport Hunting .

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The jaguar, tapir, caiman and songbirds are now more protected in Costa Rica, thanks to a new law proposed and driven by its own citizens, banning sport hunting of any species.

Costa Rica, known for its reputation for Eco Tourism, became the first nation on the continent ban sport hunting this week.

The new Wildlife Act is also the first legislation passed by the mechanism of “popular initiative”, it was not submitted to Congress by deputies, but by the citizens themselves.

The rule was brought before the legislature with the initial support of 177,000 signatures collected by the Association for the Preservation of Flora and Fauna (Apreflofas).

According to the National System of Conservation (Sinac), last year 1296 were granted hunting licenses, 81 percent of them to kill or capture songbirds.

In addition, there were 171 hunting licenses and 77 to hunt small mammals.

From 2000 until last year, Costa Rican authorities have extended licenses 28,000 hunting but the new law will only permit hunting for subsistence, scientific research and monitoring of species overpopulation.

Those who hunt animals in Costa Rica will be fined up to $ 3,000 and, depending on the species, may even be sentenced to between two and four months in prison.

The custom of having wild animals as pets such as birds, iguanas, monkeys and raccoons also have to changed with the new legislation, which totally prohibits this practice and sets a fine of between $600 and $1,200.

But the law goes further and also sanctioned the export and trafficking of any species of flora or fauna, while creating a National Registry of Wildlife.

The passage of this law is to Costa Rica a step to preserve its image as environmentally friendly country, the main reason that each year receives more than two million who enjoy Costa Rica’s Eco Tourism.

One issue of concern now is how the 572 Rangers who now watch over 13,286 kilometers of protected land (26% of the national total), can cope with the hunters to enforce the law for Costa Rica that hosts almost 5% of the world’s biodiversity.

Posted by Costa Developers

The Secret Value In Choosing a Home

The Battle Rages On…

They were at a standstill; the lines had been drawn and the ensuing trench war was taking its

toll on everyone. Both buyer and seller had been going back and forth for months, and they

were beginning to think that perhaps all of this wasn’t worth the headache.

If not for the fact that they had their mind’s set on getting what they wanted, the negotiations

probably would have gone South a long time ago. Things didn’t have to be that way; winding

the clock back a few months, it would have been clear to any onlooker just what may have

gone astray.

You see in the game of real estate, what usually happens is that buyers will shop around until

they find a property they really like, and then, shift their mind set to “trying to figure out a way

of bringing down the asking price” as much as they can.

Regardless of what that price is, fair or not, the premise is to knock off an X percentage of it

right from the get go. This isn’t to say that as a buyer you shouldn’t be looking for the price to

come down; quite the contrary, you should. But having the right timing is critical, that is if you

want to be successful at bargaining to the price you want.

Think Win-Win not Winner Takes All…

Even when the home you want to buy is priced realistically, you still have a better shot at

bargaining down if you view things from the seller’s perspective.

Think about it, the seller usually has a need to sell, a time-line and the added pressure to get

money out of the sale of the home, to finance building or buying other properties, why would

you want to give this advantage away with a low-ball offer from the start?

You could, but you would risk alienating your seller and halting all negotiations. You’re also

probably not weighing in other, no less important, factors such as the value of the home to

you.

Think Value

When you’re buying a home, there’s a lot more that goes into the decision than just the asking

price.

What you’re willing to pay for one home, another would balk at. It’s a personal decision

fraught with all sorts of details. Your needs, the location, services and amenities available and

of course the home’s appraisal (which determines how much a bank is willing to lend you), all

factor in your decision.

You can’t really determine a property’s value to you, unless you consider all of these things.

Which brings us to our next point.

Do You Know What Your Priorities Are?

Before any negotiations take place, you would be wise to know what’s important to you

(things you definitely must have) and what you could be more flexible on.

Knowing what your priorities are, and getting those out of the way first, will ensure that the

process rides much smoother, save time and possibly money. It also lends you credibility and

added leverage to your position.

Unless you’re really into dickering endlessly over price instead of value, you’re really much

better off by going to the bargaining table with a different mind-set.. If negotiations fall apart,

or you happen to be dealing with a seller that just doesn’t get it, then maybe buying this home

really isn’t in your best interest.

That’s what it comes down to after all, doesn’t it? Being satisfied with your purchase for years

to come and knowing that you’ve made a sound decision from considering every possible

angle.

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Approximately 30% of tourists arrive to Costa Rica for bird watching purposes

Large numbers of tourists arrive daily to Costa to get deep into the forest to observe animals which they’re most passionate about: birds. The sighting of these colorful singers is one of the most famous activities among those visiting the country.

A survey by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) indicates that last year 29.5 % of the tourists who entered the country claimed to have made birds observation, this is equivalent to 430,000 people, this data was obtained by surveys of the non-resident individuals who entered and exited our country air in 2011, whose goal was a recreational visit.

Paul Elizondo, a researcher at INBio (National Biodiversity Institute), explains that Costa Rica is very famous in the world by the number of birds. The country has approximately 880 species of resident and migratory birds, 56 of them are endemic.

Among the species that are most commonly seen are the kettle black (Chamaepetes unicolor), the burrowing serranera or estucuru (Megascops brachyuran), the cuyeo (Caprimulgus saturatus), the colibri throat of fire (Panterpe insignis) and the hummingbird volcano or chispita volcanera (Selasphorus flammula). They also stress the goldfinch (Myadestes melanops), the volcano junco (Junco mexicana vulcani) and rualdo (Chlorophonia callophrys).

There are sites for bird watching in the entire country, being some of the most highly visited of Los Santos in the Cerro de la Muerte, the Palo Verde National Park in Guanacaste; Monteverde, Puntarenas; Tortuguero on the Caribbean and Corcovado in the Osa Peninsula. Also the Carara National Park, which borders with our housing development: Costa Montana.

The number of observed species varies constantly since, especially the migratory are in the need to change their habitats to adapt to climatic variations that you are experiencing today. The phenomenon of birds migration occurs in October in southern direction, explains Elizondo.

However, depending on the species, the migratory populations are kept until the end of March and early April. “The Caribbean and the coastal areas of the Central Pacific are excellent areas for migratory bird watching,” he added.

Although from the data of counts and the knowledge of scientists on each ecosystem lists the birds easier to see, every visitor has its own goal. The tour guide expert in bird-watching Marino Chacón adds that this is a recreational activity that brings a great passion with it.

“There are people who wait years to see a bird, that they have studied, seen in photographs and heard her singing in recordings, and for them it is something very important and find it satisfactory in live and in living color,” he explains. “I remember finally cried when I saw that hummingbird. It was my dream,” said the Canadian Sara Tellman.

To receive these passionate visitors, the country has developed an important tourist industry, which offers a convenient infrastructure and high standards of security to enter forest and observation sites”, match the ICT and Chacón.

“The person who wants to observe birds comes with that as a number one goal; then is concerned about hotel or the transport. Clear that helps you to know that tourists come to an environment of political stability and security,” adds the expert.

All these factors, as well as the increase in international visitors interested in the bird watching, both for recreation and scientific research, have increased the offer.

Costa Rica Real Estate | Costa Developers

Costa Rica is the best place on the region to have and raise children

Costa Rica has the lowest infant mortality in Central America and one of the most reduced one in Latin America. The country is also the best place in the region to raise children say a compound of reports.

The infant mortality rate (IMR) is an indicator of child deaths per thousand live births recorded in the first year of life, which reflects the living conditions of the population and to measure the development of a country.

The isthmus is the only nation that holds the infant mortality rate in single digits, which is a huge achievement.

The data is from the non-governmental organization in Washington, US Population Reference Bureau, report released in 2011: “We’re an example throughout Latin America to take mortality into a single figure. The idea is to maintain or reduce it further”, said Ileana Balmaceda, chief executive of the CCSS (Social Security System in Costa Rica)

An adequate prenatal care, care for high risk pregnancies, timely care to the newborn, care for 97 percent of deliveries in health centers and immunization programs and to promote breastfeeding have led to a sustained reduction in child mortality.

This is supported by more and better specialists and high-tech equipment to help keep a steady decline throughout history in the deaths of children less than one year. For Maria Luisa Avila, former Minister of Health, the advantage has been the social investment that the country has made, starting with access to drinking water, sewers, nutrition, access to health services and literacy.

According to the Statistics and Census Institute (INEC), last year there were 666 deaths (five less than in 2010) and there were 73,459 births, 2,537 more than 2010.

Thus, the mortality rate showed a slight decrease in passing of 9.46 deaths per thousand births in the first year in 2010 to 9.07 deaths in 2011.

In addition to this information, Save the Children’s “State of the World’s Mothers” report ranked Costa Rica 13th on list of less-developed countries.

The study released by this NGO was based on conditions for raising children. Following Costa Rica in the region is Panama (24th), El Salvador (37th), Belize (42th), Nicaragua (49th), Honduras (60th) and Guatemala (68th).

Country’s medical center and high quality social security are among the most significant attractions for people thinking about living in Costa Rica. A low infant mortality and a good rate on the following report represents the huge improvement Costa Rica has made to become a high developed country and best of the region in many areas.

Costa Rica Real Estate | Costa Developers

Costa Rica as best destination for markets accessibility and competitiveness

The great contribution which means foreign trade for Costa Rica to their social and economic development is the product of its policies of openness and its simple pricing model.

Thus specifies the last report Global Facilitation of the 2012 trade of the World Economic Forum, published on 23 May and placed Costa Rica in the first place in Central America and ranked 43 worldwide.

The index is published every two years since 2008 and this had a record of 132 economies coverage. Figures express each Central American country’s place in the global list.

The World Economic Forum report says the country has successfully taken advantage of its inclusion into global value chains and improved trade facilitation procedures have significantly contributed to this outcome. Customs revenues have grown manifold; the employment situation has also improved, both in quantity and quality, as have exports.

In the report as well the author closes by saying that the example of Costa Rica presents a very strong, practical argument for further multilateral trade facilitation measures, such as those discussed under the aegis of the WTO.

This case study also shows, however, that even in the presence of strong and well-executed policies, setbacks can occur and facilitating trade is a process that requires constant improvement and continuous policy attention.

Foreign direct investment in Costa Rica will grow 7 percent this year, according to projections by the CINDE (Coalition’s Initiatives for Development).

Of growth, reach the goal established by the Central Bank of $2.25 billion Costa Rica.

In 2011, foreign investment reached $2.1 billion for the dynamic way in area export processing zones and tourism.

Costa Rican president, Laura Chinchilla is currently on a European tour, urging businessman and governments to invest in the country and promote alliances between governments. During his visit to Paris, Chinchilla reaffirmed that the country she rules shared the values of OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and wants to be member of it.

“Costa Rica has always valued and offered his friendship to this organization.” We also are prepared to offer our work and commitment to move towards this forum where major decisions are taken”, said Chinchilla at the annual meeting of the OECD.

“We are the oldest democracy in Latin America,” she emphasized, and the OECD has provided guidance, analysis, reflection and inspiration to Costa Rica for more than half a century.

More medical centers moving to the most visited beach towns

Posted on May 29, 2012 by admin

The private hospital CIMA is getting ready to open its doors in a few weeks in what will be its second hospital in Costa Rica. The new hospital is situated in Liberia, joining the main one in Escazú, which has been operating for the last 12 years.

The opening date has yet to be announced. According to Gustavo Lee, operations manager of the medical centre, the date will be announced soon. Lee calls the new centre the “best medical option in the North Pacific”. The new hospital is generating some 70 jobs, which most of the hiring will be from the local areas. Although the initial capacity if of six hospital beds, it can quickly be extended to triple that or 18 beds.

The new medical centre will also have a laboratory, pharmacy, radiology department, an emergency room and operating rooms. The medical centre will serve the 270.00 permanent residents of the area and some 500.000 tourists on holiday or who are temporary residents in Guanacaste. The opening of the Hospital CIMA in Guanacaste will allow health specialists to offer their services at a first class hospital and with cutting-edge medical apparatus.

But not only the northern region of the Pacific Coast will have this kind of centers, as well the Central Pacific keeps improving its medical centers due to the great demand of tourists, retired foreigners and the increased number of people moving to the area.

Marjorie Arroyo from Clínica Bíblica said that currently the Medical Center is working with a General Doctor, who’s able to attend minor procedures and exams. If there are major complications that cannot be treated at the Clinic en Herradura, Los Sueños, patients will be submitted to the Hospital in San José.

Currently there is also a monthly visit from a dermatologist, being one of the most common health issues on a tropical region.

Approximately in one or two months the branch will have its own pharmacy, “We have the space and all the permits to open in approximately one month our own drug store” Arroyo said.

In the near future there will be more specialized doctors coming frequently. Arroyo also said that both foreigners and national citizens come to the clinic with different consultations with the permanent doctor, Dr. Erisel Sanabria Coto.

“We’re a small branch, so we decided to currently work with a dermatologist only, but we’ll start implementing more specialists in the course of the year”, commented Arroyo.

Clinica Bíblica has been very excited about their Los Sueños branch, as they bring with them the backing of hundreds of doctors and specialists, a complete state-of-the-art private hospital in San Jose, pharmaceutical department, and more along with over 80 years experience in the medical health industry in Costa Rica.