Leaf Litter Toad

Leaf Litter Toad

Rhaebo haematiticus

Silhouette: Michael Scroggie, from original photograph by Gary M. Stolz, USFWS (original photograph in public domain). · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Arenal Volcano National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

109 Verified sightings at Arenal Volcano National Park From 2019 to 2026
729 In all 11 parks
May Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Leaf Litter Toad

Rhaebo haematiticus (formerly Bufo haematiticus) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in eastern Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, northwestern Venezuela (Serranía del Perijá), and northwestern Ecuador. Its altitudinal range is from sea level to 1,300 m (4,300 ft) asl. Its natural habitats are primary tropical moist forest and submontane humid forest. It is a nocturnal, leaf-litter species that during the breeding seasons is found along small streams and large rivers. It tolerates some habitat degradation but only occurs close to forest. Threats to it are habitat loss caused by agriculture, wood extraction, and cattle ranching, and locally oil pollution and dams. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:16

Panama · 2021

© Emily Hjalmarson · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording1:14

Panama · 2019

© Oliver Komar · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:27

Panama · 2026

© Chris Harrison · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~60%
2 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
3 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
4 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
5 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
6 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
7 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
8 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
9 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
10 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
11 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 La Paz Waterfall Gardens 🇨🇷 Costa Rica In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Leaf Litter Toad in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Leaf Litter Toad sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 109 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 39 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Leaf Litter Toad in Arenal Volcano National Park?

May

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Leaf Litter Toad in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Leaf Litter Toad?

Between 6 and 9 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Leaf Litter Toad sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Arenal Volcano National Park the best place to see a Leaf Litter Toad?

3rd of 11

Of the 11 parks where we can rate Leaf Litter Toad sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 3rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 60%) and Darién National Park (Panama, about 30%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Leaf Litter Toad live in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Same family: Bufonidae

The closest relatives of the Leaf Litter Toad that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (family Bufonidae, True Toads) are Giant Marine Toad (about 40%) and Wet Forest Toad (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Leaf Litter Toad sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Leaf Litter Toad is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (109 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.

← Back to Arenal Volcano National Park