Rhinella horribilis
Silhouette: Dennis C. Murphy, after http://bit.ly/4q6IESe · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% 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 50% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Marine Toad sighting in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, based on 125 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 14 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Marine Toad in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, against about 30% in August, the lowest month. That is one of Tortuguero National Park's driest months, with about 180 mm of rain against 540 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.
9th of 40
Of the 40 parks where we can rate Giant Marine Toad sightings, Tortuguero National Park ranks 9th at about 50%. The best odds are in Piedras Blancas National Park (Costa Rica, about 60%), Tayrona National Natural Park (Colombia, about 60%) and Ostional Wildlife Refuge (Costa Rica, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Bufonidae
The closest relatives of the Giant Marine Toad that you can see in Tortuguero National Park (family Bufonidae, True Toads) are Green Climbing Toad (about 20%) and Leaf Litter Toad (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 Tortuguero National Park (125 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.
