Tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii)

Short answers

Tomato frog: How big does the enclosure need to be?

60×40×40 cm.

Tomato frog: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 22–27 °C, basking spot No basking spot, at night 18–21 °C.

Tomato frog: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended (UVB 2 %).

Tomato frog: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 8–12 years.

Tomato frog: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

22–27 °C

Night temperature

18–21 °C

Basking spot

No basking spot

Humidity

70–85 %

UVB

Recommended (UVB 2 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

60×40×40 cm

Substrate

Coco humus 10–15 cm for burying, leaf litter, a shallow water dish

Feeding

Food

House crickets, crickets, earthworms, roaches

Feeding interval

2–3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

6–10 cm (females)

Life expectancy

8–12 years

Origin

North-eastern Madagascar

Protection status

CITES II (downlisted from Appendix I at CoP18) – proof of captive breeding matters

Brumation

A cooler dry spell of 8–10 weeks

Cohabitation

Keeping singly is safest. A pair works as long as both animals are roughly the same size and are fed separately; as soon as one animal refuses food, loses weight or shows injuries, separate immediately.

Notes

The females are a brilliant tomato red, the males smaller and brownish. It buries itself by day. When threatened it releases a sticky foam that irritates mucous membranes.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

Look for Tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Antsouhy tomato frog (Dyscophus insularis) – Intermediate
• False tomato frog (Dyscophus guineti) – Intermediate
• Flat-headed bullfrog (Kaloula baleata) – Beginner
• Asian painted frog (Kaloula pulchra) – Beginner
• Banded rubber frog (Phrynomantis bifasciatus) – Intermediate
• Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) – Intermediate
• Yellow-bellied poison frog (Ameerega hahneli) – Intermediate
• Amazonian horned frog (Ceratophrys cornuta) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (60×40×40 cm), substrate (Coco humus 10–15 cm for burying, leaf litter, a shallow water dish), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.