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White-lined leaf frog facts for kids

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White-lined leaf frog
Phyllomedusa vaillantii01.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Synonyms
  • Phyllomedusa blombergi Funkhouser, 1957
  • Phyllomedusa feltoni Shreve, 1935
  • Phyllomedusa perlata Boulenger, 1884 "1883"

The white-lined leaf frog (scientific name: Phyllomedusa vaillantii) is a type of frog that belongs to a group called Phyllomedusinae. These amazing frogs live in the northern parts of South America.

You can find them in different natural places like warm, wet subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, swampy areas, near rivers, and in freshwater marshes. Sadly, their homes are shrinking because of habitat loss, which means they are facing a threat.

What Does the White-Lined Leaf Frog Look Like?

These frogs come in different sizes, with females being larger than males.

  • Adult male frogs are usually about 50 to 58 millimeters (about 2 to 2.3 inches) long from their snout to their rear end.
  • Adult female frogs are bigger, measuring about 69 to 81 millimeters (about 2.7 to 3.2 inches) long.

Male and female frogs also have different shapes to their snouts. Most of their back skin is green. Their sides often have a reddish-brown color with white or orange spots. The inner parts of their back legs can be red, lavender, or orange. Their belly is usually a light orange color.

Where Does This Frog Live?

The white-lined leaf frog is found in several countries in northern South America. These include:

  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • Ecuador
  • Guyana
  • Peru
  • Suriname
  • Venezuela

They prefer warm, wet places with lots of trees and water.

How Does the White-Lined Leaf Frog Live?

This frog is an arboreal animal, which means it spends most of its time living in trees. It is also a nocturnal animal, meaning it is most active at night. During the day, it rests and hides among the leaves.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Female white-lined leaf frogs lay their eggs during the time of year when it rains the most. They are very clever builders! The female frog creates a special nest out of leaves. This nest hangs over a pond or another body of water.

She lays her eggs inside this leaf nest and covers them with a jelly-like substance. This jelly helps to keep the eggs from drying out. When the tiny tadpoles hatch from the eggs, they simply fall out of the nest and into the water below. This way, they start their life in a safe watery home. Sometimes, the tadpoles breathe air during the day, but they do not do this at night.

Phyllomedusa vaillantii (Yasuni)
A white-lined leaf frog resting at Yasuni National Park, Ecuador.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Phyllomedusa vaillantii para niños

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