Wildlife · San José (available nationwide)

UCR's Free ICP App Helps People Identify Costa Rica's Venomous Snakes

The University of Costa Rica's Clodomiro Picado Institute, which makes the country's antivenoms, has released a free phone app called ICP App that helps people identify the 25 venomous snake species found in Costa Rica. Reported in late March 2026, it pairs species photos and province maps with first-aid guidance, and it's meant to cut down on panic, needless snake killings and delays in treatment.

By Pura-Verde.com Editors · Published October 30, 2026
Original report: The Tico Times: Costa Rica Launches First App to Identify Venomous Snakes (2026-03-28)

If you've ever found a snake by your door in Costa Rica and wondered whether to worry, the people who make the country's antivenom have built a tool for exactly that moment. The University of Costa Rica's Clodomiro Picado Institute (ICP) has released a free phone app, called ICP App, for identifying venomous snakes and knowing what to do after a bite, as The Tico Times reported on March 28, 2026.

What the ICP App does

The app covers the 25 venomous snake species found in Costa Rica. Each entry has a photo and plain-language notes on what the snake looks like, how it behaves and where it lives, along with step-by-step guidance on what to do if someone is bitten. It also explains the antivenoms the institute produces.

A few other features stand out:

• A province map. Tap a province to see which venomous species live there.
• Look-alikes. It includes 12 harmless species that people often confuse with dangerous ones, which matters in a country where many snakes get killed on sight.
• Incident reports. Users can log the location of a snakebite. ICP director Yamileth Angulo Ugalde said those reports support coordination with the Ministry of Health on where bites happen, according to The Tico Times.
• Antivenom contacts. It lists the institute's official antivenom distributors.

ICP App is free on Android through Google Play and on iPhone through the App Store, El Observador reported on March 30.

Why the antivenom makers built it

The idea came from the institute's inbox. Dr. Andrés Hernández Bolaños, the ICP's pharmaceutical director, told El Observador that the institute gets a photo of a snake almost every day from someone asking what it is and whether it's venomous. He told The Tico Times that some people write after they've already killed the animal, which he called completely unnecessary.

The app was built by Fernando Morales Cascante, a UCR computer engineering student, as part of his university community service program (known as TCU), with help from UCR's computing center. The ICP led the project and checked the scientific content, Semanario Universidad reported on April 8. The paper said the app is meant for education and public service, not profit.

Hernández said a quick, science-based answer is vital to educate people and prevent accidents. Fast identification can also help doctors when a patient arrives at a clinic or hospital after a bite.

The institute behind it

The Clodomiro Picado Institute is named for Costa Rican scientist Clodomiro Picado Twight (1887 to 1944), who studied snakes and their venoms. Its first antivenom batches came in 1967, and the institute itself was inaugurated in April 1970 to make the antivenoms the country needed, according to the institute's history page.

Its antivenoms are used well beyond Costa Rica. A 2015 UCR report estimated they help treat about 4,500 snakebite victims a year in Central America, with roughly 500 to 600 of those cases in Costa Rica, as the institute noted. The ICP also trains doctors, nurses, Red Cross crews, park rangers and Indigenous communities on snakebite care.

The app builds on other recent work. In September 2025, UCR and the Costa Rican Red Cross signed an agreement for the institute to train Red Cross staff and donate freeze-dried antivenom that doesn't need refrigeration, so crews can start treatment in remote communities, El Observador reported. The Red Cross had already moved 46 people in critical condition after snakebites that year.

What it means for residents and travelers

Most visitors never see a venomous snake, and the ones who do usually spot it on a trail or near a lodge at night. Snakes generally bite only when they feel threatened. The advice from the ICP is simple: stay calm, keep your distance and don't try to handle or kill the snake. Hernández told The Tico Times that people should call the fire department to move a snake rather than do it themselves.

Snakes, venomous or not, keep rodent and other animal numbers in check, so the app is as much about protecting snakes from panic as protecting people from snakes. It's a small piece of the country's wider species conservation work. They're also frequent victims on the country's highways, as we explain in our story on wildlife roadkill.

An app doesn't replace medical care. If someone is bitten, the priority is getting them to a clinic or hospital, or calling 911, as quickly as possible. If you're heading into the forest, you can browse Costa Rica's national parks and plan with a local guide who knows the snakes of that area.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an app to identify venomous snakes in Costa Rica?

Yes. ICP App, from the University of Costa Rica's Clodomiro Picado Institute, identifies the country's 25 venomous snake species, shows which live in each province and gives first-aid guidance. It's free on Android and iPhone.

How many venomous snakes are there in Costa Rica?

The ICP App covers 25 venomous species found in Costa Rica. It also lists 12 harmless snakes that are often mistaken for dangerous ones.

What should you do if you see a snake in Costa Rica?

Stay calm, keep a safe distance and don't try to catch or kill it. The institute recommends calling the fire department to remove a snake from a home.

Who makes antivenom in Costa Rica?

The Clodomiro Picado Institute at the University of Costa Rica, founded in 1970, produces the antivenoms used in Costa Rica and supplies other countries in Central America and beyond.

Sources and original reporting

1. The Tico Times: Costa Rica Launches First App to Identify Venomous Snakes (2026-03-28)
2. El Observador: Serpientes venenosas en Costa Rica: cómo reconocerlas con app de la UCR (2026-03-30)
3. Semanario Universidad: ICP App: la innovación impulsa el conocimiento sobre serpientes venenosas (2026-04-08)
4. Instituto Clodomiro Picado: History of the Clodomiro Picado Institute
5. Instituto Clodomiro Picado: UCR helps save 4,500 lives every year in Central America (2015-07-07)
6. El Observador: 46 personas requirieron traslados críticos por mordeduras de serpiente este año (2025-09-09)

We wrote this story from the published reports and official sources above. We didn't interview the people named unless the story says so.