Costa Rica has five poison dart frog species, and the one most visitors see is the strawberry poison dart frog: a tiny red frog, often with blue legs, that hops around the forest floor in daylight on the Caribbean side. The others are the green-and-black poison frog, the granular poison frog, the lovely poison frog and the Golfodulcean poison frog, which lives only in Costa Rica. Their toxins come from the ants and mites they eat, and none of them is the deadly golden poison frog of Colombia. Your best chances to see them are around Puerto Viejo and Cahuita, in Sarapiquí and Tortuguero, and in the forests of the Osa Peninsula.
This guide is for travelers who want to see poison dart frogs in Costa Rica: which species live where, how dangerous they really are, and how to find them on your own or with a guide.
| Poison dart frogs in Costa Rica | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Species | 5: strawberry, green-and-black, granular, lovely, Golfodulcean |
| Most common sighting | Strawberry poison dart frog (Oophaga pumilio) |
| Size | Most under 1 inch; the Golfodulcean frog reaches about 1.4 inches |
| Active | Daytime, on the forest floor; easiest to spot after rain |
| Where | Caribbean lowlands (Puerto Viejo, Cahuita, Tortuguero, Sarapiquí); south Pacific (Osa Peninsula, Golfo Dulce) |
| Danger to people | Low if you don’t handle them, but don’t touch |
Species
Poison Dart Frog Species in Costa Rica
Poison dart frogs (family Dendrobatidae) are small, brightly colored frogs from Central and South America. The bright colors warn predators that their skin is toxic. Costa Rica’s five species:
| Species | Look for | Where in Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberry poison dart frog (Oophaga pumilio) | Red body, often with blue or black legs | Caribbean lowlands up to about 3,100 feet |
| Green-and-black poison frog (Dendrobates auratus) | Bright green or turquoise with black blotches | Caribbean slope and the southwest Pacific slope |
| Granular poison frog (Oophaga granulifera) | Bumpy orange-red back, green legs | Southwest Pacific lowlands, including the Corcovado area; olive-backed near Quepos |
| Lovely poison frog (Phyllobates lugubris) | Black with thin gold or orange stripes | Caribbean lowlands |
| Golfodulcean poison frog (Phyllobates vittatus) | Black with orange stripes along the back | Golfo Dulce region only; found nowhere else |
The granular and Golfodulcean frogs are both listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, mainly because of their small ranges and habitat loss. The other three are listed as Least Concern.
The red frog
The Strawberry Poison Dart Frog
The strawberry poison dart frog is the red frog you’ll see on Caribbean trails and in a lot of Costa Rica photos. Adults measure about 0.7 to 0.9 inches (17 to 24 mm), smaller than a thumbnail. The classic Costa Rican look is a red body with blue or dark legs, which locals and guides sometimes call the “blue jeans” frog. Across its full range, which runs from Nicaragua to Panama, the species comes in many more colors; the most varied forms live on Panama’s Bocas del Toro islands.
How it raises its young
Strawberry frogs are unusual parents. The female lays a small clutch of eggs on the forest floor, and the male guards them and keeps them moist. After the eggs hatch, the female carries each tadpole on her back, usually one or two at a time, to a tiny pool of water, often in a bromeliad. She then returns to feed each tadpole unfertilized eggs until it becomes a frog, which takes about six to eight weeks.
Behavior
Unlike most frogs, strawberry frogs are active during the day. Males defend small territories and call from low perches; the calling is heaviest in the morning. Their main food is ants. That’s why you often hear them before you see them, and why they’re easy to watch once you spot one: bright color means they have little reason to hide.
Safety
Are Poison Dart Frogs in Costa Rica Dangerous?
Not if you leave them alone. Poison dart frogs don’t bite or attack, and their toxins work as a defense when a predator tries to eat them. Wild frogs build up their toxins from the ants, mites and other small invertebrates they eat. Captive-bred frogs raised on fruit flies and crickets have little or no toxin.
Costa Rica’s species are far less dangerous to people than the golden poison frog of Colombia, the most toxic species in the family. Still, toxicity varies by species and by population, and the toxins can cause numbness and worse if they get into your mouth, eyes or a cut. The name comes from South America, where Indigenous hunters tipped blow darts with toxins from a few Phyllobates species. Costa Rica’s strawberry frog wasn’t one of them.
Where to go
Where to See Poison Dart Frogs in Costa Rica
Puerto Viejo and Cahuita
The south Caribbean coast is the easiest place to find strawberry frogs, and green-and-black frogs live here too. Look along forest trails, around gardens with leaf litter and on hikes near Cahuita and Manzanillo. Many visitors spot them without a guide. See our Puerto Viejo guide and our picks for hotels on the Caribbean coast.
Sarapiquí
The lowland rainforest around Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, about two hours from San José, is home to strawberry frogs and many other amphibians. Strawberry frogs are found at La Selva Biological Station, and private reserves in the area run daytime frog tours with guides who know where to look.
Tortuguero
Strawberry frogs live in the forest around Tortuguero, and a guided walk near the village is the easiest way to find them. See how to get to Tortuguero.
Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce
The south Pacific is the place for the species you won’t find on the Caribbean side: the granular poison frog and the Golfodulcean poison frog, plus green-and-black frogs. Guided hikes in and around Corcovado National Park are a good bet. The granular poison frog also occurs around Quepos, near Manuel Antonio National Park.
Tips
Tips for Spotting Poison Dart Frogs
- Go in the morning. Frogs are active by day, and strawberry frog males call most in the morning.
- Go after rain. Frogs are easier to find when the forest floor is damp.
- Listen first. Follow the calls, then scan leaf litter, roots and low logs.
- Hire a local guide. Guides find frogs fast and can show you species you’d miss, especially in Sarapiquí, Tortuguero and the Osa.
- Bring a camera with a close focus. The frogs are tiny; a macro lens or your phone’s macro mode works better than zooming in.
- Stay on the trail. Frogs and their tadpole pools are easy to step on.
More wildlife
Other Frogs and Wildlife to Look For
Not every colorful frog in Costa Rica is a poison dart frog. The red-eyed tree frog and the glass frogs are tree frogs, and they’re mostly active at night, so you’ll usually see them on a night tour. For a wider look at what you can see, read our Costa Rica wildlife guide, our month-by-month wildlife calendar, our guide to sloth facts and our guide to toucans in Costa Rica.
FAQ
Poison Dart Frogs in Costa Rica FAQ
How many poison dart frog species live in Costa Rica?
Five: the strawberry poison dart frog, green-and-black poison frog, granular poison frog, lovely poison frog and Golfodulcean poison frog. The Golfodulcean frog lives only in Costa Rica.
Are there poisonous frogs in Costa Rica?
Yes. Costa Rica’s poison dart frogs have toxins in their skin that come from their diet. They’re far less dangerous than the golden poison frog of Colombia, but you shouldn’t touch or handle them.
Can a poison dart frog hurt you if you touch it?
A brief touch is unlikely to cause serious harm with Costa Rica’s species, but the toxins can affect you if they reach your mouth, eyes or a cut. Don’t handle them, and wash your hands if you touch one by accident.
Where can I see strawberry poison dart frogs in Costa Rica?
On the Caribbean side: around Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and Cahuita, in Sarapiquí and in Tortuguero. They’re active in the daytime and easiest to find after rain.
How big is a strawberry poison dart frog?
About 0.7 to 0.9 inches (17 to 24 mm) long, smaller than a thumbnail.
What is the blue jeans frog?
It’s a common name for the strawberry poison dart frog in its red-and-blue form, with a red body and blue legs, which is the typical look in Costa Rica.
The short version
Costa Rica has five poison dart frogs; the red strawberry frog is the one you’re most likely to see.
Look on the Caribbean side around Puerto Viejo, Cahuita, Sarapiquí and Tortuguero, or in the Osa for rarer species.
Go in the morning or after rain, and look without touching.