False+Tomato+Frog

toc  //Dyscophus guineti // Order: Anura

=**__Husbandry Information__**=

Housing Requirements

 * Require a warm and humid enclosure; a temperature gradient of between 72-85F and humidity between 70-80% is ideal.
 * These terrestrial frogs do not require vertical space to climb, but appreciate deep substrate to dig, including soil, moss, and coconut fiber.

Diet Requirements

 * The Happy Hollow Park and Zoo feeds adult frogs 5 gut-loaded bugs every other day. Bug type varies, including crickets, small mealworms, small dubia roaches, etc.

Veterinary Concerns

 * Can be prone to cloacal prolapse.

Notes on Enrichment & Training


=__Programmatic Information__=

Tips on Handling

 * Porous skin requires very delicate handling, and no public touching. Wear nitrile or latex gloves wet down with treated (dechlorinated) water, which makes handling these frogs a slippery situation!


 * Amphibians must be handled with care and not too frequently. Always use gloves when handling, either vinyl or latex gloves rinsed thoroughly with aged or RO water to prevent chemicals found the the powder used in latex gloves from getting absorbed through the frogs skin.

Potential Messaging


=__Acquisition Information__= Relatively common in the pet trade/ herp hobbyists.

=__Natural History Information__=

Range and Habitat
Madagascan rainforests, forest floor.

Physical Description
Brown or pale orange in color as juveniles; develop brilliant red color by a few months of age. Females are more vibrant than males, and typically larger, 4+"; Males are usually 2-3".

Life Cycle
Difficult to breed in captivity, although this was accomplished through environmental manipulation at Baltimore Zoo in the 1990s. Female lay several hundred eggs, developing into tadpoles, which morph into froglets after ~6wks. Expected adult lifespan 6-8 yrs.

Behavior
Bright red coloration warns predators that they are not safe to eat. If a predator persists, the frog will puff air into its body to look as large as possible. If undetered, they may secrete sticky mucus which irritates the predator’s mouth and eyes, although this behavior hasn't been observed at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo.

Threats and Conservation Status
ICUN status: Least Concern. However, very threatened by habitat loss; D. guineti <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI','Lucida Grande',Arial; text-align: left;">is more often kept in captivity than others in the genus, including <span style="color: #444444; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI','Lucida Grande',Arial; text-align: left;">D. antongili <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI','Lucida Grande',Arial; text-align: left;">, endangered in the wild.

=__Did you know…__=
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI','Lucida Grande',Arial; text-align: left;">Difficult to breed in captivity without endocrine treatments, although this was accomplished through environmental manipulation at Baltimore Zoo in the 1990s. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #114488; display: block; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Article <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: 'Segoe UI','Lucida Grande',Arial; text-align: left;">.

=__Photographs__=

=__Contributors and Citations__=
 * Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, San Jose, CA