Dendropsophus leucophyllatus
—
Clown Treefrog
Also known as:
Beireis’s Treefrog
This species was placed in the large genus Hyla until a major revision of that genus in 2005.
Individuals of this species sport a wide assortment of different appearances. Probably the most striking is this, the "giraffe phase". The closely related Variable Clown Treefrog (Dendropsophus triangulum) also sports a wide assortment of different appearances, including a "giraffe phase". These two species also frequently live in the same areas, such as the pond at Santa Cruz field station where this photo was taken. Some would argue that the two species are in fact only a single species. But if they are two species, I'm guessing that this individual is D. leucophyllata rather than D. triangulum, based on various details of color and pattern. I wouldn't put money on it though.
Here is a complete list of the herps I saw in the wild on my 2013 MT Amazon Expeditions trip.
Printed references:
- Bartlett, R.D., and Bartlett, P. 2003. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Amazon: An Ecotourist's Guide
- Duellman, W.E. 2005. Cusco Amazónico: The Lives of Amphibians and Reptiles in an Amazonian Rainforest
- Rodríguez, L. O. and Duellman, W. E. 1994. Guide to the Frogs of the Iquitos Region, Amazonian Peru