Tigerleg Monkey Frog

These tiny amphibians get their name from the distinctive orange and black stripes on the underside of their legs and torso. They belong to a larger subset of frogs known as monkey frogs (phyllomedusines), which includes the sharp-backed monkey treefrog and the painted waxy monkey treefrog, among others.

These frogs measure a maximum of 2 inches from end to end. They have tremendously long toes. Though they cannot really jump they can easily adhere to the smallest precarious branch or even a flat vertical wall. They eat insects, like any frog: crickets, flies, etc. They are much quieter than the domestic variety, their croak described as a cross between a boing and a quack. There are three main types of tigerleg monkey frog:

• Tigerleg monkey frog (Phyllomedusa hypocondrialis): Colored a deep blue or aquamarine. They prefer the hotter and drier sections of rainforest.
• Lemur Treefrog (Phyllomedusa tomopterna): Colored a dark forest green. They are nocturnal and enjoy wrestling matches.
• Chaco Desert tigerleg (Phyllomedusa azurea): Colored a light green. They are specific to the one area of Paraguay/Argentina that they are named after and cannot breed outside of extreme climates. This type may eventually be classified as a subspecies of one of the above.

You can buy a tigerleg monkey frog of your very own for anywhere from $25 to $40 dollars, although not at the corner pet shop. They do make excellent pets, as they are interesting to look at and easy to feed, and won't shed all over your carpet. Or, you can go to the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut and see some for the price of admission.