Engystomops pustulosus
Silhouette: Luke Larter, based on photo by Amanda Lea · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
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 →
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Honduras · 2023
© Enrique Mejía · XC992837 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Costa Rica · 2023
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El Salvador · 2025
© Adalberto González · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tayrona National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Marino Ballena National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 2 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 3 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Caracas | 🇻🇪 Venezuela |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Guayaquil Dwarf Frog sighting in Marino Ballena National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 12 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.
June, September and December–January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Guayaquil Dwarf Frog in Marino Ballena National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–May, July–August and October–November, the lowest months.
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.
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Guayaquil Dwarf Frog sightings, Marino Ballena National Park ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Tayrona National Natural Park (Colombia, about 50%), Piedras Blancas National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%) and Santa Rosa National Park (Costa Rica, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Leptodactylidae
The closest relatives of the Guayaquil Dwarf Frog that you can see in Marino Ballena National Park (family Leptodactylidae, Southern Frogs) are Savage's Thin-toed Frog (about 20%) and Spotted Foam-nest Frog (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Guayaquil Dwarf Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Marino Ballena National Park (6 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.
