Gaige's Rain Frog

Gaige's Rain Frog

Pristimantis gaigei

Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

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

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

8 Verified sightings at Chagres National Park From 2019 to 2026
26 In all 2 parks
June Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Gaige's Rain Frog

Pristimantis gaigei, also known as the Fort Randolph robber frog or Gaige's rain frog, is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae. It is found in the Atlantic drainage lowlands from extreme south-eastern Costa Rica to eastern Panama and to central Colombia; it is widely distributed in Colombia west of the Cordillera Oriental. Its natural habitat is primary humid lowland forest, but it also occurs in secondary forest. It is a nocturnal species found under surface debris and in leaf-litter.

Pristimantis gaigei is named after Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige, an American herpetologist. The maximum snout–vent length attained by males is about 30 mm (1.2 in) and that of females about 43 mm (1.7 in). The species is considered a mimic of poison dart frogs (Dendrobatidae): it has a pair of red, orange, or golden dorsolateral stripes, resembling toxic species Phyllobates aurotaenia and Phyllobates lugubris; some populations of Pristimantis gaigei are sympatric with these species.

This species has axillary amplexus. No male advertisement call has been recorded and the species is presumed to have none. Clutch size in captivity has varied from 22 to 37 eggs... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
2 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Gaige's Rain Frog in Chagres National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Gaige's Rain Frog sighting in Chagres National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 8 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 Gaige's Rain Frog in Chagres National Park?

June

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Gaige's Rain Frog in Chagres National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–May, September and November, the lowest months. That is one of Chagres National Park's wettest months, with about 280 mm of rain against 30 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a Gaige's Rain Frog?

Between 7 and 10 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gaige's Rain Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Chagres National Park the best place to see a Gaige's Rain Frog?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Gaige's Rain Frog sightings, Chagres National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Soberanía National Park (Panama, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Gaige's Rain Frog live in Chagres National Park?

Same order: Anura

The closest relatives of the Gaige's Rain Frog that you can see in Chagres National Park (order Anura, Frogs and Toads) are Giant Marine Toad (about 40%), Forest Toad (about 30%) and Guayaquil Dwarf Frog (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Gaige's Rain Frog sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Gaige's Rain Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Chagres National Park (8 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.

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