Live vs egg

[Tropicok]

Is there an index or site that lists frogs are live bearing and which are egg layers?

[Kurt]

Not that I am aware of. This just off of the top of my head. Some live bearing frogs that I am aware of are Nectophrynoides viviparus, Pipa pipa, and frogs of the genus Gastrotheca. In the case of Pipa pipa, the eggs are gathered on the back and skin grows over them while they develop. With marsupial frogs, Gastrotheca sp. there is a "pouch" on the back that the eggs are placed in. In this "pouch", they develop and later hatch out as tadpoles. The parent frog then uses its feet to hold open the pouch to allow the tadpoles to swim out and into a pool of water, where they continue their development.

[Tropicok]

Aren't those frogs/toads you mentioned amazing? But what I was really wanting to know is which frogs carry the tadpoles to bromeliads to hatch and tend to and which ones just plop eggs in the water and forget 'em. I read the care sheets for far too many and then it gets complicated.

[Kurt]

Well, the frogs that carry tadpoles on their backs aren't live-bearers. They are mostly dart frogs like Oophaga pumilio and mantellas like Mantella laevigata. This by no means is a complete list of frogs that exhibit this behavior.

There are pictures of both species in one of John's albums, not to mention the climbing mantella article, and the pictures Alex Shepeck posted from his trip to Costa Rica.