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Latin name: Dyscophus guineti
Native to: Madagascar
Maximum length: Males 2 - 3 inches, Females 4 inches
Approximate life span: 6 - 8 years
TOMATO FROG GENERAL INFORMATION
Cal Zoo offers captive bred young Tomato Frogs, as well as field
collected adults. Captive young are grayish tan and as they grow their
colors appear to "ripen". As adults the colors may vary from yellowish
orange to deep red. Tomato Frogs will reach sexual maturity in 9 - 14
months. Tomato Frogs are nocturnal, sleeping in the substrate during
the day and becoming active at night. They are quite famous in
Madagascar for their beautiful nighttime serenades. When disturbed
Tomato Frogs will inflate themselves with air and assume a defensive
stance to appear even larger.
TOMATO FROG ENCLOSURE
Up to 3 adult Tomato Frogs can be housed in
a 15 gallon aquarium with a screen top. Tomato Frogs are ground
dwelling amphibians that do not climb well. When looking for an
enclosure, floor space is more important than height.
SUBSTRATE
The bottom substrate should consist of
loose, semi-moist peat moss or humus mixed with potting soil about 2 -
3 inches deep. These items are readily available at your local garden
center. The substrate should also consist of a damp top layer of dead
leaves, Zoo Med REPTI BARK™ and sphagnum moss. This additional layer
will help provide cover, and help maintain a steady humidity level.
Make sure all substrates are pesticide and Styrolite® free. Change the
substrate about every 8 - 12 weeks, more often if appears dirty.
Provide lots of hiding places in the form of cork bark, and silk or
live plants to encourage exercise for strong bone development in
growing frogs.
TEMPERATURE & HUMIDITY
Adult frogs should be kept
at 80 - 82°f , with a nighttime drop to 75 - 77°f. Young Tomato Frogs
like it cooler, 76 - 78°f. Temperatures should not exceed 80°f until
they are adults. The terrariums of both adults and young frogs should
be misted each evening with fresh, cool (75°f) de-chlorinated water to
keep the moss damp but not soggy. Keep a high humidity level of 70 -
75%. Do not allow it to get so humid that water droplets form on the
glass. If the humidity level is kept too high it will be detrimental to
the well being of your pets.
HEATING
Use a Zoo Med REPTITHERM® UNDER TANK HEATER (U.T.H.). Do not turn the
tank heater off. Leave it on 24 hours a day and use it in conjunction
with a Zoo Med RHEOSTAT™ for easy heat control. Heat only one half of
the tank. Always use a thermometer and humidity gauge in all reptile
& amphibian enclosures.
LIGHTING
Full spectrum lighting is required for Tomato
Frogs, 8 hours a day is preferred. The Zoo Med REPTI IGUANA LIGHT
UVB310™ with its high UVB and UVA output is an excellent choice. The
UVB is necessary for the Tomato Frogs mineral absorption and will bring
out the nice red colors. All reptiles and amphibians need a photo
period. A plug in timer (for your lights only, do not use a timer for
your heating devices) works well to develop a regular photo period
(light cycle) of 8 - 10 hours of light, 14 - 16 hours of dark. Reptiles
and amphibians cannot see the red light spectrum, so a low wattage red
bulb is ideal for nighttime viewing of your Tomato Frogs.
FOOD & WATER
Adult frogs should be fed every other
day. They will eat large crickets, meal worms, meal worm beetles,
earthworms, small pinkie mice and fly larvae. Adults can eat from 9 -
12 crickets in one feeding. Young frogs should be fed every day. They
will eat small crickets, fruit flies, small sow bugs (pill bugs ) and
freshly shed small meal worms. Feed 2x daily (once during the day, once
at night). Feed as much as they will eat until they are full grown.
Always feed your crickets assorted fruits and vegetables or a
commercially prepared cricket diet 12 - 24 hours before feeding the
crickets to your pets. Every other day, dust the crickets with Zoo Med
REPTIVITE® vitamins just before feeding them to your adult Tomato
Frogs, for young frogs dust the crickets every other feeding with Zoo
Med REPTIVITE® and a powdered calcium supplement. Provide a 1 - 2 inch
shallow plastic water dish sunk into the substrate that your frogs can
get in and out of easily. The water depth should be ½ the height of the
Tomato Frog. All amphibians absorb water through their skin, so the
water should always be clean. Change water at least every other day
with fresh de-chlorinated or spring water with a temperature of about
75°f. Change more often if the water appears dirty.
NOTES
If you must pick up your Tomato Frogs do so
carefully and not too roughly. As a defense they may excrete a sticky
white fluid from their cheeks that can irritate your skin. This white
fluid should not be allowed to come in contact with any open wounds,
your eyes, mouth or mucous membranes. Always wash your hands before and
immediately after handling reptiles and amphibians. Never leave live
food long term with reptiles & amphibians. They can inflict severe
harm, even kill your pet. If your animals take some time to eat or you
feed them at night, leave a slice of potato, carrot or dry dog food for
the live food items to eat. Your local pet shop is an ideal source for
reptile and amphibian related books and supplies. Please make sure you
read and become familiar with any instructions provided with reptile
support products you may purchase.
For further information on reptiles and amphibians we
recommend you read REPTILES MAGAZINE and THE VIVARIUM. California
Zoological Supply hopes you have enjoyed reading this reference sheet
on Tomato Frogs. We hope that our guidelines will assist you with the
care or possible purchase of your new pet.
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Amphibians 
