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295 Featured Specimen
Tomato frog

Details

Tomato frog

Dyscophus antongilii

Size
6–10 cm · 40–200 g
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan
4-15 years

The tomato frog is a red-orange frog from Afrotropical Madagascar. It uses forest and freshwater habitats and hunts at night.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
AfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It occurs in humid forest, lowland watersides, and rain-filled pools. Temporary freshwater sites can be used for breeding.

Appearance

Body length is about 6-10 cm and weight about 40-200 g. The rounded body is red to orange, and the frog can inflate itself when threatened.

Behavior

It is nocturnal and solitary. By day it hides in leaf litter or soil, becoming active on wet nights.

Feeding

It is carnivorous, eating insects and small invertebrates. It waits on the ground and snaps up prey that comes close.

Reproduction

Breeding follows rain in pools or shallow water. Eggs hatch into tadpoles, which develop and metamorphose in water.

Notes

Its conservation status is LC. Bright color and sticky skin secretions likely contribute to defense.