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, Arne Lesterhuis and José Luis Cartes 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 prefers not to hop, usuallty walking with slow purposeful steps, earning it the alternative name of "Monkey Frog" (FPANF423VI). 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 sun cream!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPANF211PH) Adult, Departamento Presidente Hayes (José Luis Cartes October 1998).
FIGURE 2 - (FPANF212PH) Adult, Estancia Maroma, Departamento Presidente Hayes (José Luis Cartes October 2004).
FIGURE 3 - (FPANF213PH) Juvenile sleeping upperside, Chaco Lodge, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Arne Lesterhuis July 2007).
FIGURE 4 - (FPANF214PH) Same individual lateral view (Arne Lesterhuis July 2007).
VIDEO - (FPANF423VI) Adult walking, Filadelfia, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith April 2011).
FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2

FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3

FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4

FIGURE 4