White-lined leaf frog

White-lined leaf frog
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Hylidae
Genus:	Phyllomedusa
Species:	P. vaillantii
Binomial name
Phyllomedusa vaillantii Boulenger, 1882
Synonyms
Phyllomedusa blombergi Funkhouser, 1957 Phyllomedusa feltoni Shreve, 1935 Phyllomedusa perlata Boulenger, 1884 "1883"

The white-lined leaf frog (Phyllomedusa vaillantii) is a species of frog in the subfamily Phyllomedusinae. It is found in northern South America. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical swampland, rivers, and freshwater marshes. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Description

Amapá, Brazil

Yasuni National Park, Ecuador

The adult male frog measures 50.2 mm (1.98 in) to 57.5 mm (2.26 in) in snout-vent length and the adult female frog 68.8 mm (2.71 in) to 81.2 mm (3.20 in). Male and female frogs show notable sexual dimorphism in the shapes of their snouts.

The skin of the dorsum is mostly green with reddish-brown on the flanks and whitish or orange spots. This frog can have red, lavender, or orange color on the inner parts of its hind legs. The ventrum is light orange.

Behaviour

This frog is arboreal and nocturnal in its habits. The female lays eggs during the rainiest part of the year. She builds a nest out of leaves hanging over a pond or other body of water. She lays the eggs in the nest with jelly over them to prevent desiccation. When the tadpoles hatch out of the eggs, they fall out of the nest into the water below. Sometimes the tadpoles breathe air during the day, but they do not do this at night.