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Care Sheet: Waxy Monkey Frog (Phyllomedusa sauvagii)

Common Name: Waxy Monkey Frog, Painted-bellied Leaf Frog, Painted Monkey Frog and Grasping Frog.

Scientific Name: Phyllomedusa sauvagii.

Distribution: Chaco of Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil & Bolivia.

Size: 3 1/2".

Colouration: Both the dorsal and ventral surfaces are a plain bluish-green. A broken white stripe runs from the top lip and down each side of the body. The ventral surface is marked with irregular spots and lines of pure white. Juveniles may show orange flash colours on the insides of the limbs.

Requirements: Being a rather active species they require quite a spacious terrarium. A 24"x24"x24" tank would be ideal for 2-3 adults. They require a savannah / woodland border type set up with a substrate of topsoil. The tank can be furnished with a selection of branches, cork bark, and live Grasses. These items should be arranged in such a way that they provide a number of climbing, perching and hiding areas for the frogs. These Monkey Frogs require a relatively dry climate at 40-60% humidity and so only a small water bowl should be provided with clean de-chlorinated or spring water, which will need changing daily so as to avoid the risk of ammonia and bacteria building up in the water. The enclosure will need to be heated to a daytime temperature of 30°C with a slight drop at night. This can be done using an under tank heat-mat controlled by a thermostat. A spot bulbs / heat lamp should be used to provide a basking spot of around 35°C. A fluorescent UVB tube may also be provided as a light source. The tank should be visually inspected daily and any soiled items should be removed, cleaned and replaced, if this is done at the same time as changing the water it will cause less disturbance to the frogs. Once every two-three weeks the tank and its contents should be completely cleaned and sterilised using an amphibian / reptile safe disinfectant.

Feeding: Young should be fed daily with a mixture of suitably sized insects including fruitflies, aphids and hatchling crickets. These food items should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement two-three times a week. Adults will take larger insects including crickets, locusts, moths, curly flies, and beetles. They should be fed every two-three days and the insects dusted with calcium and vitamin supplements once a week.