''Phyllomedusa'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

tree frog A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not closely rela ...

s in the subfamily

Phyllomedusinae Phyllomedusinae is a subfamily of hylid tree frogs found in the Neotropics commonly called leaf frogs. Formerly, they were often considered as their own family, Phyllomedusidae. The subfamily is considered to be the sister group to the Austr ...

found in tropical and subtropical South America (south to northern Argentina) and Panama. It has 16 recognised species.

Taxonomy

The following species are recognised in the genus ''Phyllomedusa'': * '' Phyllomedusa bahiana'' * ''

Phyllomedusa bicolor ''Phyllomedusa bicolor'', the giant leaf frog, bicolor tree-frog, giant monkey frog, or waxy-monkey treefrog, is a species of leaf frog. It can be found in the Amazon basin of Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru, and can also be found in the Gu ...

'' - giant leaf frog * ''

Phyllomedusa boliviana ''Phyllomedusa boliviana'' is a species of frog in the subfamily Phyllomedusinae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil (west of Mato Grosso and Rondônia States). Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, su ...

'' * '' Phyllomedusa burmeisteri'' - Burmeister's leaf frog * '' Phyllomedusa camba'' * '' Phyllomedusa chaparroi'' * '' Phyllomedusa coelestis'' * '' Phyllomedusa distincta'' * '' Phyllomedusa iheringii'' * '' Phyllomedusa neildi'' * '' Phyllomedusa sauvagii'' - waxy monkey leaf frog * '' Phyllomedusa tarsius''- tarsier leaf frog * '' Phyllomedusa tetraploidea'' * '' Phyllomedusa trinitatis'' * '' Phyllomedusa vaillantii'' - white-lined leaf frog * '' Phyllomedusa venusta'' Several other species formerly included in this genus are now placed in two other phyllomedusid genera: '' Callimedusa'' and '' Pithecopus''.

Ecology and behaviour

Secretions

Some species of the genus ''Phyllomedusa'' produce a waxy secretion that reduces the evaporative water loss of their bodies. If they begin to dry out, they move their limbs over their backs, where the secretory glands are, and spread the lipid secretion over their entire skin. Some indigenous groups from South America use the secretions of ''

'', the giant leaf frog, in

shamanic Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiri ...

hunting practices and as a

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

ritual known as

Kambo cleanse Kambo, also known as vacina-do-sapo, or sapo (from Portuguese "sapo", lit. meaning "toad"), is the dried skin secretions of the kambô, a species of frog, used as a transdermal medicine. Kambo is usually used in a group setting, called a Ka ...

. The substance intoxicates those who ingest it, and hunters believe it causes them to temporarily improve their sensorial capacities.

Reproduction

Species of the genus ''Phyllomedusa'' deposit their eggs on a leaf surface, interspersed with hydrating jelly capsules. During the mating process, the frogs fold the leaf around their batch of eggs using their limbs, with a jelly plug at the bottom of the folded leaf to prevent the eggs from falling out. At hatching, the jelly plug is liquified, and the tadpoles drop through the previously plugged hole. These nests are made above water, so the tadpoles drop into a suitable habitat, where they begin their lives as filter feeders.

Captivity

The waxy monkey tree frog is known to be kept in captivity.

References

External links

''Phyllomedusa'' Gallery with some infosUse of the ''Phyllomedusa bicolor'' venom as a vaccine by the Matses Indians, with pharmacological info
Phyllomedusinae Amphibian genera Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler {{Phyllomedusinae-stub