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.
Source: Wikipedia, article Smilisca phaeota.
Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Accessed on 16/07/2026.