Waxy Monkey tree Frogs or Clown tree frogs?

[jake96]

Hi I was hopeing to get one of these 2 species in a month or so and was wondering which one would be easier, more active etc,etc..... If some one could also tell me the temparture preference of Waxy Monkey Tree Frogs as I have read they like it in the Nineties??? If you could also refer me to a breeder/seller that would be great. I have hopes of breeding what ever species I get.

Jake

[Kurt]

Waxy monkeys, Phyllomedusa sauvagii are desert species, so the high temperatures for this frog don't surprise me. They can be found captive bred, but are generally expensive. Even wild caught imports are pricey. My understanding is that they are extremely nocturnal.

Clowns, Dendropsophus leucophyllatus is a species I am more familiar with, as I have two of my own. They are a very small frog that is predominantly nocturnal, but will occasionally feed if fed during the day. I feed mine very small crickets, fruit flies , and bean weevils. Captive bred stock are rare. Wild caught stock should be readily available and be considerably cheaper than waxy monkeys. As with all wild caught amphibians, they should be treated for gastrointestinal parasites shortly after purchase.

[John]

Waxy monkeys, Phyllomedusa sauvagii are desert species

Wow Kurt, not to be negative but they are certainly not desert species. They come from equatorial forest.

[Kurt]

Well, thats what Richard at BJ told me. I have not researched the species myself, so I was going on what he told me.

I just read up on the species and it is found in dry prairies of the Chaco of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. So maybe when talking to Richard, my brain clicked onto desert.

I went to the IUCN web site and they list the following habitats for Phyllomedusa sauvaggii.

List of Habitats:
1 Forest
1.5 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
2 Savanna
2.1 Savanna - Dry
2.2 Savanna - Moist
3 Shrubland
3.5 Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
3.6 Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Moist
3.7 Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude
5 Wetlands (inland)
5.6 Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)
5.8 Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)

[John]

Bear in mind that these frogs live in trees. They're not going to be found far from them, even if there's a lot of savannah around.

[John]

And as for BJ, while I believe Richard is an expert on dart frogs and tropical plants, in my talks with him I didn't find him to be an expert on other frogs. Your mileage may vary.

[ashb]

Mike Novy at rainforestjunkys.com breeds the clown tree frogs and has some available I think.

The P. sauvagii are from the Chaco region of South America, which is kind of like a mix of a rainforest and savannah. Temperatures for them are ideally in the 90's, and can get lower during the night. The region is a bit drier and hotter than the rainforest in comparison, so I can see why one may get confused and call it a desert!

Mike has various Phyllomedusids available aswell, including the sauvagii.

[ashb]

Oh, and regarding ease of care, most hylids in general require little. The waxy monkey frog would require a basking site and a cooler area in the terrarium, as well as large leafed plants for cover and multiple branches for climbing (as the nature of the Phyllomedusids is walking preferred over of leaping).

The clown tree frogs are quite smaller in comparison and don't require the additional lighting. Temperatures of the upper 70's to 80's during the day are acceptable, but the humidity must be kept higher than the waxy monkey frogs, probably 70% to 80% as well. I'm sure Kurt can help you with care for them. They would require less tank space too, which is a decisive factor to keep in mind.

[jake96]

Thank you all for the advise. I will probably get a pair of Clown tree frogs (save the Monkeys for later). Hopefully in a year or so I will be able to breed them . Also, thank you Ashb for the site.

Jake

[barryandtom]

Hello, read all the messages above and wondered if you could keep monkey frogs along side red eyes if the Vivarium was big.

[Kurt]

I wouldn't recommend it. Monkey frogs (Phyllomedusa sp) are from South America and in habit a variety of habitat, depending on species. Red-eyes (Agalychnis callidryas) are from Central American rainforest. Although the red-eyes are not known to be toxic, frogs of the genus Phyllomedusa can be. All exude a waxy substance they use to coat their skin to protect themselves against desiccation and possibly parasites, such as mosquitos and ticks. Phyllomedusa bicolor definitely has potent toxins within its secretions. The rest I am not sure about when it comes to toxicity levels.

[Sissy Anne]

Hello, read all the messages above and wondered if you could keep monkey frogs along side red eyes if the Vivarium was big.

To add to what Kurt said, Monkey frogs need significantly higher temps and significantly less humidity than red eyes. Red eyes are around 75-85 degrees F day temps/65-75 degree night temps with humidity 60%-90%, whereas Monkey frogs need day temps in the 90s (90-95 degrees F)/night temps as high as 80 degrees recommended with humidity in a more moderate range not exceeding 60%. I think you'd be looking at two very different enclosures just based on climate control alone.

disclaimer: I don't keep Monkey frogs so I haven't compared sources or done extensive research. This is just according to my tree frog reference book.

[mdtalley22]

I also have two clown tree frogs and just absolutely love them! They are amazing hiders during the day but at night I often see them jumping and hunting around.

[velvety14u]

I have 5 clowns and I love them...yes they are nocturnal, but I see mine out alot during the day also. Their coloring is awesome too and they are easily cared for as a species .