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Project Noah Nature School
Phyllomedusa bicolor
The Monkey Frog, also known as the Waxy Monkey Frog or Giant Leaf Frog, is found throughout the Amazon including our study sites in eastern Peru. It is a member of the hylid, or tree frog, family. It is well adapted to its arboreal lifestyle with its sticky toe pads and forward facing eyes. The Monkey Frog is a large for a tree frog (9 to 11cm)
At night you can hear males calling from high trees. Listen for a loud “cluck” followed by several short, lower-pitched notes. When they find a mate they construct leaf nests approximately 1 to 3 meters above temporary ponds. The female deposits as many as 600 eggs in these nests and after 8 to 10 days the tadpoles hatch and fall into the water below.
The Monkey Frog produces a waxy skin secretion that may have uses against AIDS, cancer, and other diseases. Some indigenous people use the frog’s secretion to enter an altered state of consciousness.
Spotted on Jun 29, 2007
Submitted on Feb 29, 2012
1 Comment
Very cool! I love these guys!