Overview
Described in 2020 from the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, Scinax sateremawe is a distinctive hylid treefrog named in honor of the Indigenous Sateré-Mawé people who inhabit the rivers of the Maués region. Discovered during biodiversity inventories across remote central Amazonian river basins, this agile amphibian is instantly recognized by its unique multiphasic gravel-like advertisement call.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
Features a moderately slender body with a distinctly protruding, pointed snout when viewed laterally. Its dorsal coloration is a delicate golden-tan to olive-yellow patterned with irregular chocolate-brown blotches and longitudinal stripes. The hidden surfaces of the thighs and groin display vibrant sulfur-yellow patches, and the iris is a brilliant metallic bronze with black reticulations. Expanded adhesive discs on the digits enable rapid climbing on wet rainforest leaves.
Behavior and Ecology
Nocturnal and arboreal, spending dry periods in the mid-canopy before descending to understory foliage after heavy tropical downpours. During the rainy season, breeding choruses form around shallow temporary pools and slow-moving forest streams, where males perch on leaves 1 to 2 meters above water and emit rapid acoustic pulses to attract females.
Conservation and Human Impact
Currently evaluated as Data Deficient due to its relatively recent description and the vastness of its potential range in central Amazonia. While parts of its distribution fall within Indigenous lands and sustainable-use reserves, illegal deforestation, cattle pasture clearing, and mining runoff along Amazon tributaries represent persistent concerns.
Interesting Factoid
The scientific name honors the Sateré-Mawé Indigenous nation, celebrated globally as the inventors of guaraná cultivation and renowned for the traditional bullet ant glove initiation ritual.
Last updated: October 2026