Defining Characteristics:

• Easy to keep
• Bright red coloration
• Shy
• Guttoral trill
• Moderately sized
• Can be gregarious
• Challenging to breed

Name: Dyscophus antongilii or the Tomato Frog is named for its red coloration and roundness that resembles a tomato. They are part of the microhylidae family, the largest family of frogs on Earth, commonly called the narrow-mouthed frogs.

Recommended Enclosure Size & Setup: For a pair of adult tomato frogs, a 20 gallon long or an 18x18x12 front opening enclosure is sufficient.

As this species is semi-fossorial, a good substrate that facilitates burrowing, like coco fiber, is best. Live plants that root in multiple places and don't need a lot of nutrients from the soil (such as pothos) are ideal for this type of setup. A clean dish of water should be ever-present in the enclosure for the frogs to soak.

Check out our Tomato Frog Habitat Kits!

Temperature (°F): Temperatures for the Tomato frog should be kept in the low to mid 70s, which is great for the typical home enclosure. Thermometers are a great way to monitor conditions within the tank.

Humidity: Humidity should be kept within the 50-70% range and can be monitored using a hygrometer.

Size: Adult female tomato frogs can reach almost 4 inches in length; males cap out at about 2.5 inches. Young tomato frogs will be about 3/4 inch at the time of sale at Josh's Frogs.

Age: Tomato frogs can live up to 10 years in captivity but may live longer with ideal care. At the time of sale, you can expect tomato frogs to be at least 2 months out of the water.

Feeding: Tomato frogs have a deceptively small mouth in relation to their body size, so at most they should be fed 1/2 inch crickets or small dubia roaches. At the time of sale froglets should be eating gutloaded 1/4 inch crickets.

This feeder bundle is a great option for our tomato frogs!

Sexing: Sexing adult tomato frogs is fairly straightforward, with size being a reliable indicator. Another indicator is color. Females are more red, males more orange or yellow. Males have visible reproductive tracts on both sides of their bellies that appear as distinct white lines just under the skin.

Color/Pattern: Adult tomato frogs are much prettier than their offspring, who are usually a light brown color separated from the white underbelly by a darker brown band starting at the eye. As they age, the coloration turns into an orange or red—depending on sex—with the band and underbelly staying the same.

Social Behavior: As long as enough space is provided, more than 2 frogs can be kept in the same enclosure. Males should not become aggressive unless breeding conditions are met.

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. Tadpoles hatch after about 3 days and take around a month and a half to metamorphose.

Natural Range: This species occurs in northeastern Madagascar, where it has a relatively wide, but poorly understood, distribution. Specific records come from Andevoranto (a historical record), around Antongil Bay, Fizoana, Iaraka, Maroantsetra, Rantabe and Voloina (Glaw and Vences 2007). More recently, several additional localities around Maroantsetra in the north of its range (Chiari et al. 2006) and along the east coast (Tessa et al. 2007, Orozco-Terwengel et al. 2013) have been recorded. Other reported localities for this species, especially the southernmost ones, might in fact refer to Dyscophus guineti. It occurs from sea level up to 600 m Asl. (IUCN Red List)

History in the Hobby: Tomato frogs have long been desired in the hobby due to their bright red coloration and ease of care. However, they are classed as a Cites II species, so imports are limited and captive breeding programs supply a good chunk of the frogs in the hobby.

Links of Interest:

• Amphibia Web
• Tomato Frog calling
• Wikipedia

Still not sure if Tomato Frogs - Dyscophus antongilii from Josh's Frogs is the right pet for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!