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Waxy monkey tree frog

Phyllomedusa sauvagei

Description: As described in their common name, their skin has a green, waxy appearance and rather than hopping, they walk in the trees like a monkey. They live their entire adult life in trees. They have a white stripe running from the top of their lip down the sides of their body and they also have white spots on their underside.

Size: Males and females range from two to three inches (5-8 cm) in length, with the females usually being about 25% larger than the males.

Behavior: These frogs are calm and careful as they walk about instead of hopping like other frogs. They bask in the sun during the day, pulling their legs up underneath them and hunt for insects at night.

Diet: They eat a variety of insects.

Communication: When males are ready to mate, they develop a single, large, black spot on their thumbs and start calling to attract a female. If the female liked the call, she tracks down the male. Males also use calls to defend their territories.

Reproduction: During the rainy season the female lays her mass of eggs in a leaf which overhangs the water. The female will fold the leaf, sandwiching the eggs inside. When the eggs hatch, the tadpoles simply drop into the water.

Habitat/range: They live in trees on the dry prairies. They are found in vegetation near
temporary lagoons or ponds, as the tadpoles require these freshwater areas. They are distributed in South America from Southeast Bolivia, Northwest Argentina and Paraguay.

Status: Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Hylidae
Genus:Phyllomedusa
Species:sauvagei