Waxy monkey frog (Phyllomedusa sauvagii)

Cute Frog of the Week: September 27, 2010

“Waxy” because of the texture of their skin. “Monkey” because they walk instead of hop. Waxy monkey frogs, unlike other frogs that live on leaves near streams and rivers, have adapted to the requirements of life in trees. They rub themselves down with a waxy substance that they secrete through their skin glands to seal moisture in. They hunt only at night when the air temperature is lower. Waxy monkey frogs really do prefer life in the trees—they don’t even return to the ground for mating season. They attach their nests to a branch suspended over a stream so that the hatching tadpoles drop into the water below them. They have been described by many as calm and careful animals, ironically, considering that the primates they’re named after are known for their shenanigans! 

Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.

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