Adult: Species description based on Savage (2002). A medium to large toad (males to 65 mm, females to 103 mm). Dorsal: The dorsum is light brown, often with lighter brown bands along the sides of the dorsal surface. A thin, light middorsal stripe is present. The dorsum in females is mottled with darker brown. The lateral surfaces are dark, and bordered above by a row of light-colored warts. Dark bars are present on the upper surfaces of the thighs. The dorsum is very warty. The cranial crests are well-developed. The paratoid glands are small and triangular in shape. Ventral: The ventral surface is yellowish. In males, the vocal sac has a greenish cast. Eye: The upper half of the iris is gold, and the lower half golden brown. A thin, dark line separates the upper and lower halves of the eyes.
Breeding season: Breeding occurs in large streams during the dry season (Savage 2002). Metamorph juvenile: The dorsum of juveniles is mottled, as in females (Savage 2002).
Habitat: Lowland and premontane forest to just over 1000 m. Call: A short trill (Savage 2002). The vocal sac is round when inflated (Savage 2002). Type locality: Costa Rica, east or eastern, Cantón de Limón, Provincia de Limón
Diagnostic description: Robust and large toad; males 7.4 cm in length, females 10.7 cm long, brown to gray, with a thin line on the back; small tympanum; pretimpánicas and preorbital crests well developed in both sexes; warm and short feet; heterogeneously dorsal skin covered with small round spicules; distinct transverse folds between parietal crests; pointed tubercles and lateral rows; dorsally pointed at her, round nose profile; tall and thin cranial crests; small and elongated parotid glands; throat and breast black, with spots on the flanks (O'Neill and Mendelson, 2004).
Habitat: Tropical rainforests (O'Neill and Mendelson, 2004).
Reproduction: It breeds in streams and rivers during the dry season (O'Neill and Mendelson, 2004).
Food: It feeds on insects.
Behavior: Nocturnal (Savage, 2002).
Distribution in Costa Rica: It is located in the lower half of wetlands and the Atlantic Coast, from 0 to 1000 m altitude (Savage, 2002).