The skin on the dorsum and venter is smooth, and a prominent dorsolateral dermal fold extends from the orbit to the groin.

The venter is cream with bold dark brown to black mottling, especially on the belly and hind limbs.

(Cited in: Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica, by Twan Leenders, Zona Tropical, Miami, FL.

Defensive mechanisms include noxious skin secretions and posturing by inflating the lungs and elevating the body on all four limbs.

An attracted female is grasped by the male by axillary amplexus and held firmly by the muscular forearms and nuptial spines on the thumbs and chest.

The eggs hatch in two to three days; subsequent rains flood the nest site, and the tadpoles move into the pond or slow-moving stream.

The oral disc is nearly terminal and bears finely serrate jaw sheaths and two anterior and three posterior rows of labial teeth.