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Amphibians of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AMPHIBIA

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Amphibians (Class Amphibia)

-Frogs and Toads (Order Anura)

-Tree Frogs and Allies (Family Hylidae)

-Leaf Frogs (Subfamily Phyllomedusinae)

-Leaf Frogs (Genus Agalychnis)

-Mexican Giant Tree Frog (Agalychnis dacnicolor)


The Mexican Giant Tree Frog (Agalychnis dacnicolor), also known as the pachypus tree frog, is a species of large, leaf frog native to Mexico and parts of Central America. It is one of the largest leaf frog species, with females reaching up to 10-12 cm (around 4-5 inches) in length. Males are generally smaller. These frogs are typically bright green during the day, providing camouflage in the treetops. At night, they may become a darker or more mottled green to blend in with the surrounding foliage. Their underbellies are pale yellow or cream. Their diet consists mostly of insects such as crickets, moths, and other small invertebrates. Due to their large size, they can also prey on small vertebrates, such as smaller frogs or even small lizards.


The Mexican Giant Tree Frog is the the only species of Leaf Frog (family Phyllomedusidae) documented in the Zihuatanejo area.

Giant Green Tree Frog
(Agalychnis dacnicolor)

Diet

  • Primarily insects, including crickets, moths, beetles, flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, ants, and other small arthropods.

  • Larger individuals may occasionally consume spiders, small frogs, and other small invertebrates.

  • Hunts at night by ambushing prey from leaves and branches, capturing it with a rapid projection of its sticky tongue.

Range

  • Endemic to western Mexico, occurring from southern Sonora south along the Pacific slope through Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, and western Oaxaca.

  • Common in suitable habitats throughout the Zihuatanejo region.

  • Occurs from sea level to about 1,500 m elevation.

Habitat

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical semi-deciduous forests, thorn forests, woodland edges, riparian forests, and seasonally flooded lowlands.

  • Closely associated with temporary rain pools, ponds, marshes, and slow-moving streams, where breeding occurs during the rainy season. Adults spend much of the year in trees and shrubs, resting on leaves during the day and becoming active after dark.

Size

  • Length:

    • Male: 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 in)

    • Female: 8–11 cm (3.1–4.3 in)

  • Weight: 25–60 g

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