[1][3][4] The specific name tica is derived from the name that Costa Ricans use to refer themselves, tico.

[4] The tadpoles have small, somewhat flattened body and a very long tail with low fins.

[4] Isthmohyla tica occur in humid premontane and lower montane rainforests at elevations of 1,100–1,650 m (3,610–5,410 ft) above sea level.

Males usually call from vegetation overhanging the fastest-flowing stretches of streams, about 1–3 m (3–10 ft) above the water.

The exact cause of these large declines is unknown, but may involve some combination of chytridiomycosis and climate change.