Masked Tree Frog
Masked Tree FrogMasked Tree FrogMasked Tree FrogMasked Tree Frog

Masked Tree Frog

Smilisca phaeota

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Insufficient data
overall probability at Palo Verde National Park
1 Verified records at Palo Verde National Park
🌙 Nocturnal When it's active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

The New Granada cross-banded tree frog (Smilisca phaeota), also known as the masked tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, rivers, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, plantations, rural gardens, urban areas, heavily degraded former forests, ponds, and canals and ditches. Their nickname of masked tree frog comes from the black or dark colored markings that start at their nose and go back along the face toward their ear, covering their eye. Because it goes across their eye, it can help with camouflage, as many predators find prey by their open eyes. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Palo Verde National Park

Mexican Smilisca
LC

Mexican Smilisca

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Smilisca baudinii

40–50% · Likely
Drab Tree Frog
LC

Drab Tree Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Smilisca sordida

Insufficient data
Stauffer's Tree Frog
LC

Stauffer's Tree Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Scinax staufferi

40–50% · Likely
Yellow Treefrog
LC

Yellow Treefrog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Dendropsophus microcephalus

30–40% · Possible
Milk Frog

Milk Frog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Trachycephalus macrotis

30–40% · Possible
Giant Marine Toad
LC

Giant Marine Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Rhinella horribilis

40–50% · Likely
Sheep Frog
LC

Sheep Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Hypopachus variolosus

20–30% · Possible
Yellow Toad
LC

Yellow Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Incilius luetkenii

20–30% · Possible
Guayaquil Dwarf Frog
LC

Guayaquil Dwarf Frog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Engystomops pustulosus

20–30% · Possible
Mexican Burrowing Toad
LC

Mexican Burrowing Toad

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Rhinophrynus dorsalis

20–30% · Possible
Forrer's Grass Frog
LC Endemic

Forrer's Grass Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Lithobates forreri

10–20% · With luck
Mexican White-lipped Frog
LC

Mexican White-lipped Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Leptodactylus fragilis

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Masked Tree Frog at Palo Verde National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

🌙 When They're Spotted

Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)

🌙Nocturnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
2 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
3 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
4 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
5 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
6 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
7 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
8 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
9 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
20–30%
10 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
11 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
12 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
13 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
14 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
15 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
16 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
10–20%
17 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
5–10%
18 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
19 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
20 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
21 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
22 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
23 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
24 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
25 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
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