Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, Rebecca Zarza, José Luis Cartes and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
SAUVAGE´S LEAF FROG Phyllomedusa sauvagii
Looking like an alien life-form, this vivid green, but distinctly bizarre frog is an inhabitant of dry areas of the Chaco. It does not hop, it walks with slow purposeful steps. Being a tree-frog in one of the hottest, driest areas of the planet is not an easy business, so they require special adaptations to avoid drying out - they secrete a lipid from the skin and use the legs to spread it evenly over body - rather like a sunbather putting on suncream!
FIGURE 1 - Adult, Departamento Presidente Hayes (José Luis Cartes October 1998).
FIGURE 2 - Adult, Estancia Maroma, Departamento Presidente Hayes (José Luis Cartes October 2004).
FIGURE 3 - Juvenile perhaps in torpor during winter upperside, Chaco Lodge, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Arne Lesterhuis July 2007).
FIGURE 4 - Same individual lateral view (Arne Lesterhuis July 2007).
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