Rhinoclemmys annulata
Silhouette: Idamara Fernandes Santa Cruz · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The brown wood turtle or brown land turtle (Rhinoclemmys annulata) is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The species is endemic to Central America and northern South America. R. annulata is one of nine species of turtles in the genus Rhinoclemmys.
R. annulata is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Little is known about reproduction and lifestyle. The male drool during the courtship on the female's head. A laying consists of only one or two eggs that are approximately 3.5 by 7 centimeters long. When the young turtles crawl out of the egg, they are already relatively large and have a shield length of approximately 6.3 cm.
The brown tortoise is a herbivore that feeds on parts of plants such as leaves and various seeds. The turtle is day active, with a peak in the morning and also after heavy rainfall there is an increased activity. At night the turtle hides among the leaves, while the water is sought to cool down in the heat. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amaru | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Zoo El Pantanal | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Arenal Eco Zoo | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Land Turtle sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 60th most-seen of the 64 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, April–May, July–August and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Land Turtle in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, June, September–October and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown Land Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Brown Land Turtle sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Tortuguero National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown Land Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
