Adult: Species description based on Ibanez et al (1999) and Savage (2002). A tiny dirt frog (males to 21 mm, females to 25 mm). Dorsal: The dorsal coloration varies from grey or brown to yellowish, orange, or pink. Some variable darker flecks or spots are usually present. The dorsal skin is smooth. Ventral: The ventral surface is white or yellowish, with or without some darker pigmentation. Males have a bright yellow throat. Concealed surfaces: No contrasting color is present in the groin or on the thighs, although the rear surfaces of the thighs are often pigmented. Eye: The iris is bronze or silvery above and brown below. Extremities: The arms and legs and digits are short and stubby.
Breeding season: Males call throughout the rainy season in Panama (Ibanez et al 1999). They are commonly heard calling from low vegetation in the forest, but can be difficult to locate because they hide between leaves (Ibanez et al 1999). Egg: Eggs have been found in bromeliads, along with a male (Dunn 1937) and in other vegetation and debris above the ground (Ovaska and Rand 2001). Typical clutch size is about 10 eggs (Taylor 1955). Egg hatch in 23-26 days (Ovaska and Rand 2001).
Habitat: Lowland and premontane forest to 1620 m. Call: A high-pitched "tink" (Ibanez et al 1999). Behavior and communication: Rather than jumping, Diasporus diastema will flatten itself against a leaf and slowly scurry away if disturbed (Scott 1983). Courtship and reproductive behavior were described by Ovaska and Rand (2001). Males approach females as they enter the male's territory, and the two engage in a series of ritualistic behaviors including leg waving, vocal sac touching, and bumping into the female (Ovaska and Rand 2001). Once the female has laid eggs, the males guard nest sites (their territory), but do not attend the eggs (Ovaska and Rand 2001). Karyotype: 2N = 18 (Bogart 1970) or 20 (Leon 1969) Type locality: Camp Mary Caretta, Panama
Diagnostic description: The legs lacking webbing. Ll finger is longer than the l: lll-lV fingers have clearly expanded discs. The heel is smooth or with a few small tubers, similar to other scattered tubercles on the lower limb size. The groin and the anterior surface of the thigh lack of contrasting light and dark spots or any other design. The discs of the outer fingers (III-IV) of the hand and lll-lV paw and pointed roofs have triangular bearings. The discs do not exhibit covers or lanceolate or papiladas.
The pattern is uneven or blotchy, never yellow with small brown spots well defined. The belly is white to yellow. The back usually has dark designs on a background of gray to brown. Usually presents some vomerine teeth. Adult males lack nuptial pads, but have vocal slits.
The maximum standard length of males is 20 mm. and females is 24 mm.
Habitat: They live in trees, unlike most species of the group, which are terrestrial. It has located them in epiphytic vegetation, especially bromeliads.
Reproduction: It seems that males are very active and involved fixed call sites, hidden among the bromeliads or mulch under trees or understory shrubs. It is assumed that the frog has an organized sequence of calls.
It has been reported several egg masses in bromeliads and a single female can lay up to ten eggs, each of 4 mm. in diameter. The frogs come directly from the eggs.
Encapsulated produce eggs which are laid in terrestrial conditions, with direct development (no tadpoles) (Savage 2002).
Feeding: They feed on a variety of arthropods: Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Diptera and mites Isopoda. However, their diet consists preferably ants.
Behavior: They are nocturnal and arboreal.
They are very agile despite their short legs and can jump or run like mice.
Distribution in Costa Rica: In all wetlands, lower and middle of the Atlantic slope, center and south of the Pacific slope, and marginally in the mountain passes of the mountain ranges of Guanacaste and Tilarán between 1 and 1,620 m. Lift (Savage 2002).
Distribution outside Costa Rica: They are found from southern Nicaragua through Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia to western Ecuador.
Bocas Species Database
Habitat: Viven en los árboles, al contrario de la mayoría de las especies de Eleutherodactylus, que son terrestres. Se les ha localizado en vegetación epífita, sobre todo en bromelias. Distribution: Islas Popa y Colon