Boana punctata
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The polka-dot tree frog (Boana punctata), also known as the dotted tree frog, is a frog species in the family Hylidae found in much of South America and also in Trinidad and Tobago. It is fairly small with a snout–to–vent length of c. 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in).
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical swamps, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, rural gardens, urban areas, and heavily degraded former forests. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.
In 2017, several polka-dot tree frogs collected in the Santa Fe Province in Argentina were the first amphibian, amongst more than 6,000 species of frog, identified as naturally fluorescent. Among land-living vertebrates, it had only been confirmed earlier in certain parrots (as opposed to fish and invertebrates where fluorescence is relatively widespread). A few months later, fluorescence was discovered in the closely related Boana atlantica, and in 2019 it was discovered in the distantly related pumpkin toadlet (Brachycephalus ephippium) and... Wikipedia →
Recording1:08
Brazil · 1985
© M.S. Hoogmoed · XC882725 · CC BY 4.0
Recording0:21
Brazil · 2020
© Marllus Rafael Almeida · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:09
French Guiana · 2025
© augustinbussac · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campo Grande | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Polka-dot Tree Frog sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 67 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Polka-dot Tree Frog in Manu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February and April–May, the lowest months. That is one of Manu National Park's wettest months, with about 250 mm of rain against 60 mm in August.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Polka-dot Tree 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.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Polka-dot Tree Frog sightings, Manu National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 20%).
Same genus: Boana
The closest relatives of the Polka-dot Tree Frog that you can see in Manu National Park (genus Boana, Gladiator Tree Frogs) are Map Tree Frog (about 30%), Rocket Tree Frog (about 30%) and Convict Tree Frog (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Polka-dot Tree Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Manu National Park (29 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.
