Tomato frogs breed in freshwater pools. Females lay hundreds of black-and-white, sticky eggs on the surface of the water. About 36 hours later, transparent, filter-feeding tadpoles emerge. Tadpole development lasts approximately two months, and sexual maturity is reached between 2 and 4 years of age.
A female tomato frog will lay over 1,000 eggs on the surface of the water. The eggs hatch about 36 hours later. Tadpoles become tiny froglets after about 45 days.
Young tomato frogs display a yellowish brown color on top, and a pale gray-brown color on the sides.
Found exclusively in Madagascar along the eastern rainforest belt of the island, tomato frogs live in rainforests and swamp forests in the wild, where they gravitate towards slow and even stagnant ponds and other waterways.
Tomato frogs do not enjoy being handled. These frogs are secretive creatures, and while adult tomato frogs can become somewhat tame, at best they will only tolerate handling. So avoid handling your tomato frogs unless it is necessary, such as when you need to remove them in order to clean their terrarium.
Tomato frogs are best identified by their striking colors. Males are a yellow-orange and females a brighter, red-orange. The frogs' undersides are an off-white color, and in some instances these frogs may have black spots on their backs.
They do not move about, preferring to remain at a selected site, often close to areas of shallow water. Tomato frogs are terrestrial and nocturnal, burying themselves during the day and coming out at night when they become ambush predators, waiting for food to walk by.
The lifespan of the tomato frog can be from 6 to 8 years. When adult, the colors may vary from yellowish orange to deep red. Tomato frogs will reach sexual maturity in 9–14 months. Females are larger than males and can reach 4 inches in length.
The most popular pet species is the Dycophus antongili. But, the tomato species did not become a popular pet frog until they were listed as endangered in the 1990.
Feed crickets and small mealworms. Tomato frogs will also eat small fish, worms, other frogs and even small mice.
Materials like coco fiber, sand, sheet or orchid moss, and damp coconut coir make a great habitat for your tomato frog.
It needs a soft substrate to burrow into. If they start to turn an icky brown color, it's a sign of an unhappy frog. Ideally should have about 6 cm of a damp but not overly-wet base substrate mixture for the frog to dig into.
Frogs lay eggs during the mating season between March and July in most of the Northern Hemisphere. Frogs reproduce sexually by amplexus and lay eggs in water among vegetation so they do not float away.
Tomato frog
At night they hunt worms and insects. In contrast to most other species of frogs, they have real teeth. They live up to eight years and can grow to a size of twelve centimetres, although the females grow slightly bigger than the males. The spawning females lay around 1,500 eggs.
Being a short, stocky ground dweller, the Tomato Frog naturally feeds on worms, snails, burrowing insects, and the occasional small frog or rodent. In captivity, earthworms, mealworms, superworms, waxworms, tomato worms, crickets and the occasional pinky mouse are good candidates for a fairly well rounded diet.
Breeding: There is evidence that Tomato Frogs need to be cycled in order to breed, which involves an extended dry period followed by a period of steadily increasing humidity and heavy feeding. After this, the frogs should be placed in a rain chamber where the female can lay 1,000-1,500 eggs.
As with many types of frogs, the male Sambava Tomato Frogs are the most vocal and can often be heard at night, calling to maintain territory or attract females.
Tomato frogs require a near constant air temperature of 75oF. This is best achieved by sticking a heatmat on one side of the glass enclosure. This heatmat is regulated using a thermostat to make sure the temperature stays constant.
Cohabitation (keeping multiple tomato frogs in one enclosure) is optional, but not required. Tomato frogs do just fine when housed alone, but they can usually also be housed with other members of their species without incident.
Tomato Frog Overview
Because their care needs are relatively simple and they are generally hardy frogs, tomato frogs are a good choice for beginning frog owners. They will live happily in a basic tank setup so long as it is kept warm and humid and don't require special lighting like many other reptiles and amphibians.
The Madagascar tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii) is a species of frog that belongs to the family of narrow-mouthed frogs. This species gets its common name from its bright red coloration. Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day.
Frogs should always have access to clean, dechlorinated water in a bowl that is large enough for them to soak in. They often defecate in their water, so the water bowl will need to be cleaned and refilled at least daily (possibly more often if needed). Air humidity is also very important to frogs.
Frogs can also breathe through their skin. Their unique skin allows frogs to breathe underwater so long as there is enough oxygen. In waters with low oxygen levels, or if a frog breathes water into their lungs, they will drown.