Adult: Species description based on Ibanez et al (1999) and Savage (2002). A very large foamfrog with a rounded snout (males to 177 mm, females to 185 mm). Mature males have more robust arms than females, and they have dark spines on the thumb and on the chest. Dorsal: Dorsal coloration ranges from gray to red-brown with some variable darker markings. The upper surfaces of the arms and legs may be plain or barred. The upper and lower lip have dark bars. Ventral: The ventral surface is generally dark grey or brownish, with some lighter spots or mottling. Concealed surfaces: The rear surfaces of the thighs are orange-red with a black, reticulated pattern. White spots may be present within the black reticulations in lower regions of the thigh. Eye: The eye is orange or golden above and reddish or brownish below, with an overall bronzy cast. The eyes reflect red at night. Extremities: The hands and feet are unwebbed.
Breeding season: Breeding takes place during the wet season (Savage 2002). Males usually locate a burrow or some other sort of retreat, and call from the vicinity of this, or males call from the edges of permanent or temporary bodies of water (Savage 2002). Egg: Eggs are deposited in an enormous foamy mass created by the male (Heyer and Rand 1977). Eggs are light grey, and as many as 1,000 eggs may be deposited in a single nest (Meudeking and Heyer 1976). Tadpole: Tadpoles are oval shaped, with a strong, muscular tail (Savage 2002). Tadpole coloration is mostly dark brown, although lighter on the venter (Savage 2002). The tadpoles grow very large (Savage 2002). Tadpoles are carnivorous, and will consume con-specifics (Heyer, McDiarmid, and Weigmann 1977), although they are also capable of subsisting on only plant matter (Vinton 1951). Tadpoles can live up to 156 hours out of water (Valerio 1970). Metamorphosis takes place in less than one month (Savage 2002). Metamorph juvenile: Juvenile coloration is somewhat bolder than that of adults (Savage 2002). The dorsal coloration is generally more red and the bars on the lips more distict (Savage 2002).
Habitat: Lowland and lower premontane forest to 660 m. Ecology: Eggs are attacked by spiders and egg masses are sometimes infested by ephydrid fly larvae (Villa, McDiarmid and Gallardo 1982). Call: A single, low "whoop" (Fouquette 1960, Heyer 1979, Straughan and Heyer 1976, Ibanez et al 1999). The vocal sac is internal (Ibanez et al 1999, Savage 2002). Behavior and communication: Adult Leptodactylus savagei exhibit a number of antipredator behaviors, including raising up on all four limbs and inflating the body, screaming, and exuding large amounts of noxious foam if grabbed (Villa 1969). Type locality: Rincon de Osa, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, 08° 42′ N, 83° 29′ W Diet: The diet consists of any animal that will fit in the mouth of the frog, including other frogs, snakes, birds, and small mammals (Savage 2002).