Monkey Frog

Description:

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)

Habitat:

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.

Notes:

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.