Waxy Monkey tree Frogs or Clown tree frogs?

[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