Rhinella horribilis
Silhouette: Dennis C. Murphy, after http://bit.ly/4q6IESe · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
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 |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Marine Toad sighting in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 79 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 5 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Marine Toad in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month.
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.
Among the best
Of the 40 parks where we can rate Giant Marine Toad sightings, Ostional Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 60%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Piedras Blancas National Park (Costa Rica, about 60%) and Tayrona National Natural Park (Colombia, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Bufonidae
The closest relatives of the Giant Marine Toad that you can see in Ostional Wildlife Refuge (family Bufonidae, True Toads) are Dry Forest Toad (about 20%) and Yellow Toad (about 20%), 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 Ostional Wildlife Refuge (79 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.
