ANURANS (FROGS AND TOADS)
OF LAS CRUCES BIOLOGICAL STATION, COSTA RICA

If you know which species you are looking for, click on the name below. Otherwise, just scroll down until you find it! Recall that the color pattens and shades of these frogs are usually highly variable. Below is the complete list of species of frogs and toads known to occur near Las Cruces. If there is no link, that means that I do not have a photo for that species. SVL = snout-vent length (body length).



PART I
Bufonidae:
    Atelopus varius (presumed extinct)
    Bufo coniferus
    Bufo haematiticus
    Bufo marinus

Centonelidae:
    Centronella prosoblepon
    Cochranella albomaculata
    Cochranella granulosa
    Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni

Dendrobatidae:
    Colostethus nubiocola (presumed extirpated from Las Cruces)

Hylidae:
    Agalychnis spurrelli
    A. annae
    Anotheca spinosa
    Hyla ebraccata
    H. legleri
    H. microcephala
    H. miliaria
    H. pseudopuma
    H. rufioculis
    Smilisca phaeota
    Smilisca sordida

PART II
Leptodactylidae:
    Eleutherodactylus crassidigitus
    E. cruentus
    E. fitzingeri
    E. melanostictus
    E. pardalis
    E. podiciferus
    E. ridens
    E. rugosus (= biporcatus)
    E. rugulosus
    E. stejnegerianus
    E. vocator
    Leptodactylus melononotus
    Leptodactylus pentadactylus
    Leptodactylus poecilochilus
    Physalaemus pustulosus

Ranidae:
    Rana "pipiens"
    R. warzewitchii


Family Bufonidae (Toads)
Atelopus varius, the harelquin toad. Once abundant along many streams of Costa Rica, this species is presumed to have gone completely extinct in the last couple of years for unknown reasons. Let me know if you see anything that looks like this (or one of its many color variations). This photo was taken in Fortuna, Panama, May 1994. Larger image
Bufo coniferus. This arboreal toad can be found on the ground or perched on the vegetation at night. Notice the dark ridges on its head (called cranial crests) and the absence of a huge parotoid gland (as found in B. marinus) behind the eye. Larger image
Bufo marinus, the cane toad. This toad can be huge (up to 200 mm SVL) and seen in open areas (pastures, roads) or lights where they forage at night. This is the species that was introduced in to Australia as a pest control, but the toad has instead been decimating local small mammal, amphibian, and reptile populations. White arrow points to huge (shiny) parotoid gland. Larger image
Centrolendiae (Glass frogs)
Centronella prosoblepon. Small glass frog generally found near small streams. It has small patches of dark dots on its back, and males (and some females) have a skin "hook"  (see white arrow) on their upper forearm, of unknown function. Larger image
Cochranella albomaculata. Dorsum marked with numerous light spots. Green (!) bones and inner organs visible through the translucent skin. Larger image
Dendrobatidae (poison-arrow frogs)
Colostethus nubicola. The tiny frog (less than 25mm SVL) is amoung the poison-arrow frog family that have lost their poisonous skin secretions (and bright aposematic colorations). Has not been seen in Las Cruces for several years. Let me know if you see something like it. This photo is of a related Colostethus species from Bocas del Toro, Panama, just to give an indication of what C. nubicola looks like. Larger image
Hylidae (Tree frogs)
Anotheca spinosa. A beautiful, strange, hylide with its large protuberances on its neck. Its loud call can be heard during the end of the dry season (and other times of year?). Rastaman! Photo courtesy of Peter Carmichael.
 Larger image
Agalychnis annae. Juvenile? I am not sure of this ID. This individual recently metamorphized.
 Larger image
Agalychnis spurrelli. Red-eyed tree frog with vertical pupils (common to all Agalychnis species) and orange flanks.
 Larger image
Hyla ebraccata. This beautiful hylid can be found near bodies of water (including the small fountain in botanical garden of station) in the late dry season and wet season. Batches of brown on back (often in hour-glass shape) can be highly variable in shape and intensity, even within the same individual depending on time of day and substrate. Will breed even in cow-pasture ponds. Similar species: Hyla microcephala. Larger image
Hyla legleri. Note white uper-lip bar which does not extend up to the eye, and horizontal pupil. Found near small streams below the station along the Jungle trail. I think that the amount of white mottling on back can be highly variable. Similar species: H. rufioculis. Larger image
Hyla microcephala. Note brown line from eye to above the joint of the forearm, and the white line above it that extends almost back to the groin. This frog is common in the wetlands behind the San Vito airport, and rare in the woods surrounding the station. Not to confuse with H. ebraccata (above). Larger image
Hyla pseudopuma? I am not sure that this ID is correct.

 Larger image

Hyla rufioculis? Very simlar to H. legleri, but much less common, and the white strip on the upper lip extends just below the eye. Larger image
Smilisca phaeota. Large, flat hylid that is seen breeding even in the scumiest body of water. Note black robber's mask behind eyes, and large dark blotches on back. Will often sit quietly in one's hand, as if enjoying the heat.
 Larger image
Smilisca sordida. Slide 1 of 2. Smaller than its congener S. phaeota. I have found this species calling near streams in the dry season, but also just outside the commedor of the station. Notice extreme color variations (female and male?)
 Larger image
Smilisca sordida. Slide 2 of 2. This species will usually have some light blue mottling in its groin.
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Click here to continue on to Leptodactlyidae and Ranidae families

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