Boana punctata
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 Yasuní National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 22nd most-seen of the 49 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Polka-dot Tree Frog in Yasuní National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May and July–September, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Polka-dot Tree Frog sightings, Yasuní National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Manu National Park (Peru, about 20%).
Same genus: Boana
The closest relatives of the Polka-dot Tree Frog that you can see in Yasuní National Park (genus Boana, Gladiator Tree Frogs) are Canelos Treefrog (about 20%), Rocket Tree Frog (about 20%) and Rough-skinned Green 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 Yasuní National Park (15 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.
