Guayaquil Dwarf Frog

Guayaquil Dwarf Frog

Engystomops pustulosus

Silhouette: Luke Larter, based on photo by Amanda Lea · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Panama City

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

30 Verified sightings at Panama City
514 In all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Guayaquil Dwarf Frog

The túngara frog (Engystomops pustulosus) is a species of frog in the family Leptodactylidae. It is a small nocturnal terrestrial frog found in Mexico, Central America, and the northeastern regions of South America. The túngara frog exhibits unique behavior in male/female interactions. Male vocalizations are critical in female mate choice, and females often prefer males who give complex mating calls at a lower frequency rather than simple calls at a higher frequency.

This long distance vocalization is the primary mating behavior of túngara frogs, and it is produced by a fibrous mass in the frog's larynx. The túngara frog may also have a mutualistic relationship with tarantulas, where tarantulas participate in predator defense while frogs protect tarantula eggs. Túngara frogs have distinct coloration which helps defend them from predators.

Engystomops pustulosus is a small species of terrestrial frog growing to a length of between 25 and 35 mm (1.0 and 1.4 in). The tympanum is not visible and the dorsum is covered in small warts. These warts resulted in other early descriptions falsely identifying túngara frogs as a species of toad in the Bufo genus. The eyes are... Wikipedia →

Sounds

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Honduras · 2023

© Enrique Mejía · XC992837 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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Costa Rica · 2023

© Chris Harrison · XC893965 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:08

El Salvador · 2025

© Adalberto González · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~50%
2 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~50%
3 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
4 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
5 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
6 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
7 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
8 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
9 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Valencia 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~30%
2 Managua 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
~10%
3 Panama City 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
4 Caracas 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Guayaquil Dwarf Frog in Panama City?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Guayaquil Dwarf Frog sighting in Panama City on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 9 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Guayaquil Dwarf Frog in Panama City?

August–September and November

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Guayaquil Dwarf Frog in Panama City on a given day, against under 5% in January and March, the lowest months. Those are among Panama City's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a Guayaquil Dwarf Frog?

Between 7 and 10 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Guayaquil Dwarf Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Panama City the best place to see a Guayaquil Dwarf Frog?

3rd of 4

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Guayaquil Dwarf Frog sightings, Panama City ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Valencia (Venezuela, about 30%) and Managua (Nicaragua, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Guayaquil Dwarf Frog live in Panama City?

Same family: Leptodactylidae

The closest relatives of the Guayaquil Dwarf Frog that you can see in Panama City (family Leptodactylidae, Southern Frogs) are Savage's Thin-toed Frog (about 10%) and Mexican White-lipped Frog (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Guayaquil Dwarf Frog sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Guayaquil Dwarf Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Panama City (30 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.

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