AnimaliaHighest rank in taxonomy. Groups all life into domains: Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, etc.IUCN LCInternational Union for Conservation of Nature — the world authority on species extinction risk, using standardized criteria. — Least Concern — widespread and abundant; not at immediate risk of extinction.In ProgressCurrent stage of this record in the editorial review workflow. Recent Sighting
Sachatamia albomaculata
White-spotted Glass Frog
(Taylor, 1949)
Detailed Texts Multi-lang
A small, delicate glass frog distinguished by its flat head and a vibrant, leaf-green dorsal surface heavily peppered with discrete, small white or pale yellowish spots. Its skin on the back has a slightly granular or shagreen texture. The most defining family feature is beautifully executed: the ventral skin is entirely transparent, exposing the internal organs, including the beating heart, digestive tract, and the unusual turquoise-green parietal peritoneum (the bone lining, colored by biliverdin). The eyes are large and protuberant, forward-directed with a pale silvery-grey to golden iris and a horizontal pupil. The fingers and toes are extensively webbed and terminate in broad, truncated adhesive discs, which grant the frog exceptional adhesion to wet, slippery leaves over hanging rivers.
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Anonymous Curator
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Last modified by
Julia Trouin
TaxonomyBiological classification ranks placing this species within the tree of life, from Kingdom down to Genus.
PhylumRank below Kingdom. Groups organisms sharing a fundamental body plan (e.g., Chordata = vertebrates and some invertebrates).Chordata
ClassRank below Phylum. Subdivides by structural traits (e.g., Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia, Insecta).Amphibia
OrderRank below Class. Groups related families sharing common ancestry (e.g., Carnivora, Primates).Anura
FamilyRank below Order. Groups closely related genera (e.g., Felidae = cats, Canidae = dogs).Centrolenidae
GenusRank just above Species. The first word in the two-part binomial scientific name.Sachatamia
Taxonomic AuthorityThe scientist who first formally described and published this species, followed by the year of publication.(Taylor, 1949)
Record Completeness
96%Coming soon
Ecology & StatusHow this species lives: habitat preferences, diet, behavior, population status, and role in its ecosystem.
OriginWhether the species is native (evolved here), endemic (found only here), or introduced by human activity.
Native
Population TrendDirection of change in population size over time: increasing, stable, decreasing, or unknown.
Decreasing
Breeding SeasonTime of year when this species typically reproduces or flowers.
Wet Season
Trophic RolePosition in the food chain: producer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, decomposer, or parasite.
Carnivore
Recent SightingsWhether this species has been observed in the wild in Costa Rica within recent years.
Yes
Habitat SummaryOverview of the specific ecosystems and environments where this species is found in Costa Rica. Multi-lang
Restricted to humid lowland tropical forests and premontane wet forests, occurring primarily along rapid, clear-water rocky streams and cascading rivers. It is highly arboreal, inhabiting leaves, mosses, and low branches overhanging watercourses at elevations ranging from 20 to roughly 1,500 meters. Geographically, it is distributed along the humid Caribbean and Pacific slopes of Central and northwestern South America, stretching from southeastern Honduras, through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, down into western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador.BehaviourDaily activity patterns, movement, territory use, foraging style, and seasonal behavioral changes. Multi-lang
Exclusively nocturnal and highly tied to stream margins. During the night, males sit on the upper or lower surfaces of leaves near rushing water to call. Their advertising call is a short, high-pitched metallic chirp or whistle repeated at irregular intervals. They are territorial and will physically battle other invading males by dangling from leaves by their hind legs and wrestling mid-air to defend their calling territories.Social ActivitySocial structure: whether the species is solitary, paired, or colonial; hierarchy and communication. Multi-lang
Solitary outside of high-density breeding events. Solitary males maintain fixed, localized territories spaced along stream margins during the rainy season. Social interaction is limited to acoustic defense of territory, physical wrestling matches between competing males, and short amplexus interactions with visiting females.Feeding GuildWhat the species eats, how it forages or hunts, and its role as a consumer in the food web. Multi-lang
Riparian arboreal invertivore, specialized in hunting small flying insects and crawling foliage arthropods.Trophic Chain DetailsSpecific interactions in local food webs: prey species, predators, competitors, and scavengers. Multi-lang
Operates as an insectivorous consumer within the riparian canopy. Adults consume small nocturnal arthropods, including dipterans, small moths, spiders, and ants. In turn, they are preyed upon by tree snakes, larger frogs, and wandering spiders. The eggs are highly sought after by specialized drosophilid fly larvae and arboreal ants, while the stream-dwelling tadpoles are eaten by aquatic insect larvae and small predatory fish.Reproductive BehaviourMating strategies, courtship displays, nesting or spawning behavior, and parental care. Multi-lang
Reproduction is synchronized with rainy intervals. The male calls to attract a female to his leaf territory. Amplexus is axillary. The female deposits a flat, monolayer cluster of 30 to 50 greenish, large-yolked eggs covered in a thin, clear jelly layer directly on the clean underside of leaves hanging 1 to 3 meters above flowing rapids. The adults provide no extended parental care after egg deposition. Incubation lasts around 11 to 15 days, after which the fully formed, elongated tadpoles break free from the fluid mass and drop directly into the current below.Physical Measures
Length (cm)
2.2 - 3.2 cm
Weight (Grams)
1.2 g - 3.5 g
Offspring per cycleTypical number of young (live births, eggs, or seeds) produced by one adult in a single reproductive event or breeding season.30 - 50
Sexual DimorphismObservable physical differences between males and females of the same species (e.g., size, coloration, features).Yes
Lifespan
Sexual MaturityAge at which the individual becomes capable of reproducing for the first time.
10 - 14 Months
Gestation / IncubationDuration from fertilization to birth (mammals) or to hatching (egg-laying species).
11 - 15
Lifespan EstimatedExpected duration of life from birth to natural death under wild conditions.
Males3 - 6 Years
Females3 - 7 Years
Sexual DimorphismPhysical differences in size, coloration, or morphology between males and females of this species.
Males Multi-lang
Males are smaller and more slender than females, with a snout-vent length typically measuring between 2.2 and 2.6 cm. They possess a pair of distinct vocal slits, a single subgular vocal sac, and develop a small, white, non-spinous nuptial pad on the base of the thumb during peak breeding season to assist during amplexus.
Females Multi-lang
Females are noticeably larger and exhibit a robust pear-shaped body profile, achieving a snout-vent length between 2.7 and 3.2 cm. They lack vocal structures, vocal sacs, and nuptial pads. When gravide, their bright green eggs are clearly visible through the thin lateral and ventral skin of the abdominal cavity.
Evolutionary AdaptationsInherited traits and behaviors that improve the species' survival and reproduction in its specific environment. Multi-lang
Advanced ventral transparency that neutralizes the frog's shadow and contour when light passes through the leaf it rests upon, achieving near-perfect camouflage against backlighting from predatory birds or snakes below.
Green-tinted bones (chlorome) resulting from the physiological accumulation of biliverdin, which helps maintain the overall cryptic green coloration of the limbs and body structures under varying light levels.
Main ThreatsDocumented pressures reducing the population: habitat loss, hunting, disease, climate change, and invasive species. Multi-lang
Siltation and water pollution from agricultural runoff and livestock farming, which degrades the clean, oxygen-rich stream environments required for embryonic and tadpole survival.
Deforestation and removal of riparian vegetation along riverbanks, which destroys calling and egg-deposition sites, exposing populations to lethal desiccation.
Interesting FactsSurprising or notable facts that highlight what makes this species unique or ecologically important. Multi-lang
The eggs are deposited in a single, monolayer jelly mass on the underside of clean leaves. When the tadpoles hatch, they don't fall onto land; they drop straight down into the rapid waters of the stream below to begin their aquatic life.