Rhinella horribilis
Silhouette: Dennis C. Murphy, after http://bit.ly/4q6IESe · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Rhinella horribilis is the scientific name used for populations of the cane toad or giant toad located in Mesoamerica and north-western South America when they are considered to be a separate species from Rhinella marina, a name which is then mostly restricted to Amazon basin populations. R. horribilis was originally described from Mexico as Bufo horribilis before later being considered a synonym of Bufo marina and later Rhinella marina. The specific epithet horribilis has now been revived after a 2016 study argued that these populations make up two separate species. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Barranquilla | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Cali | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 6 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 7 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 8 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 9 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 10 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Parque Municipal Summit | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | La Paz Waterfall Gardens | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Vancouver Aquarium | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Gran Acuario de Mazatlán "Mar de Cortés" | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Arenal Eco Zoo | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Monteverde Theme Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Marine Toad sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 7th most-seen of the 10 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Marine Toad in Mexico City on a given day, against under 5% in March to January, the lowest months. That is one of Mexico City's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 150 mm in July.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Giant Marine Toad sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
11th of 11
Of the 11 cities where we can rate Giant Marine Toad sightings, Mexico City ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Panama City (Panama, about 40%), San Pedro Sula (Honduras, about 30%) and San José (Costa Rica, about 20%).
Same order: Anura
The closest relatives of the Giant Marine Toad that you can see in Mexico City (order Anura, Frogs and Toads) are Montezuma Leopard Frog (about 10%), Canyon Tree Frog (about 10%) and Mountain Treefrog (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Giant Marine Toad is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Mexico City (17 verified sightings), 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.
