Smilisca baudinii
Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The common Mexican tree frog (Smilisca baudinii) is a nocturnal species of tree frog whose native range extends from the Sonoran Desert and the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas south to Costa Rica. Common names include Mexican tree frog, Baudin's tree frog and Van Vliet's frog. They are usually found within lightly forested areas near permanent sources of water.
The common Mexican tree frog is generally brown-grey in color, with darker brown, irregular blotching. Its underside is typically a lighter grey or white. Its legs have distinctive dark banding. The species has numerous synonymous classifications due to disjunct populations, and was mistakenly redescribed on several occasions by field researchers.
The common Mexican tree frog is considered to be a threatened species in the US state of Texas. It has only been reported in a few counties, and no estimates of its actual population count have been made. Amphibian Species of the World: Smilisca baudinii
Davidson College department of biology: Smilisca baudinii Data related to Common Mexican tree frog at Wikispecies Media related to Smilisca... Wikipedia →
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Ostional Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Biotopo Cerro Cahuí | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 6 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 10 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 12 | Masaya Volcano National Park | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 13 | Las Baulas Marine National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 14 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 15 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 16 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 17 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 18 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 19 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 20 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 2 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 5 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Smilisca sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 39 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–May and July–August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Smilisca in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and September–January, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mexican Smilisca sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
20th of 20
Of the 20 parks where we can rate Mexican Smilisca sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 20th at about 10%. The best odds are in Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 60%), Santa Rosa National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%) and Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Smilisca
The closest relatives of the Mexican Smilisca that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (genus Smilisca, Cross-banded Tree Frogs) are Masked Tree Frog (about 50%), Drab Tree Frog (about 10%) and Eastern Masked Tree Frog (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mexican Smilisca is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (7 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.
