Adult: Species description based on Duellman (2001) and Savage (2002). A smallish treefrog (males to 37 mm, females to 39 mm). Dorsal: The dorsal surface is pale green or sometimes darkens to brown. The dorsal surface often has some light yellow flecking or tiny dark dots. A light yellow stripe is present over the eye and continues to above the arm. Ventral: The ventral surface is white or cream, except for the throat and undersurfaces of the limbs, which have a greenish or bluish hue. Distinguishing characteristics: The bones are pale green. Eye: The iris is light brown. Extremities: The hands and feet are extensively webbed.
Breeding season: Males have been heard calling from beneath boulders in streams at different time points throughout the year (Savage 2002). However, breeding likely occurs during the dry season, when streams are low (Savage 2002). Egg: Dunn (1924) discovered a foamy mass of eggs beneath a rock and noted that it likely belonged to Hyloscirtus colymba. Tadpole: The tadpole body is oval-shaped with a relatively short tail (Savage 2002). The body is brown, with a bronzy hue and some golden flecks (Savage 2002). The tail musculature is darker, and some pigmentation is usually present on the upper tail fin (Savage 2002). Tadpoles have a disc-shaped mouth, which they likely use to suction to rocks in swift-moving streams (Savage 2002).
Habitat: Lowland and premontane forest to almost 1200 m. Ecology: This species is associated with stream habitat (Savage 2002). Call: A series of "chirps" (Duellman 2001). Type locality: La Loma (or Buenavista) on trail from Chiriqui Lagoon to Boquete, about 1500 feet altitude (Panama)