Giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor)

Giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor)

The Giant Monkey Frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor) is one of the largest of the monkey frogs. Larger than the size of a man's fist as an adult, these frogs are typically upper canopy dwelling, until they return to the forest floor to breed. The only time they are predictably found near the forest floor is in Amazonian flooded forest, just as the waters recede. This is when they breed, utilizing flooded forest pools for their tadpoles. They deposit large masses of eggs on leaves above a forest pool. They wrap the leaves around their eggs and glue the edges closed, forming a funnel. Once the tadpoles start to hatch, they slides through the funnel, drop out of the open end, and fall into the water below. The leaf funnel is believed to help reduce evaporation of the eggs and protect them from some predators. The eyes of these frogs cast a silver eye-shine when illuminated from afar by a flashlight. In addition, the skin secretion of this species has proven a diverse mix of bioactive peptides.

Album / Science Source / Dante Fenolio

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6000 x 4000 px | 68.7 MB

50.8 x 33.9 cm | 20.0 x 13.3 in (300 dpi)