Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Subfamily: Phyllomedusinae
Genus: Phyllomedusa
Species: P. bicolor
Given Name: Subcommander Marcos
Today I drove to meet Michael J. Novy in Hamburg, Pensilvania at the Northern Berks Reptile Show. To my knowledge, Michael is the only person in North America who has successfully bred the Giant Waxy Monkey Frog in captivity. I returned with Subcommander Marcos, a three month old P. biclor named after the EZLN spokesperson, Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
I first discovered these frogs in the Upper Amazon of Peru during the summer of 2007. The P. bicolor is a nocturnal hylid found in the rainforests of Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, and Peru. The Matse and Mayoruna peoples use the hepta-peptide, opiate containing venom secretions of this frog in a remarkable magical hunting ritual that I recently based a sculpture on.
The posts in this section are devoted to tracking the activity and growth of Marcos as well to provide any knowledge I obtain that may be useful in the raising of this rare species. If you have any information you would like to share please contact me.
