Photo of tomato frog?

[Tropicok]

I checked the photo of the "tomato frog" on Amphibiaweb and it does not look like the ones my local reptile shop received recently. The one on the website is bright red but the ones at the shop are brown with a goldish "hoodie and mantle." Almost like a scaled down version of a leaf frog is the best way I can describe it from memory. I guess I need to run back out there and have them give me the Latin name. Is there a good photo of member's tomato frogs in any albums?

[Paul Rust]

The Tomato Frog (Dyscophus antongilii) is usually bright red. I have seen them almost brown though. Do the ones you saw look like this?

[Tropicok]

It was taking forever to get that photo to load to bigger size. Anyway, the only photo in the albums of Kurt that was even close to same pattern was the W. African rubber frog. The ones at the store are about 1/2 " in size. I just gotta go back there and look again. At $40 apiece I have to know what I'm getting in for.

[Paul Rust]

Snap a photo while you're there. Wouldn't be the first time a pet store misidentified an animal.

[Tropicok]

The owners are friends of mine and actually very knowledgeable but I will ask if I can snap a photo. He is more of an alligator and snake guy and frogs can be complicated. He has to trust who he orders from too. Thanks for your help, Paul (right?).

[JeffX]

Take a look in my photo album. I have several pictures of my tomato frog that resemble your description.

[Kurt]

OK there are three species within the genus Dyscophus (the tomato frogs). First is antongilii, the northern or true tomato frog. It is the most colorful of the tomato frogs, with females of the species being bright red. Males are on the yellow side. Chances are what you are seeing in ANY pet store is not this species, as antongilii is listed on CITES Appendix I, that basically means trade in this species is forbidden. The only one I have ever seen was at the San Diego Zoo.

The second species is the one you are most likely to come across, guineti, the false or southern tomato frog. Females have a tendency to be more on the orange side than antongilii females. They are also captive bred in large numbers in the reptile trade. Males in this species are also yellow.

The third is rarely seen in the pet trade. Why? Because Dyscophus insularis is on the brown side and not nearly as attractive as the other Dyscophus species. Sorry, I don't know the common name or all that much about it.

That being said, Dyscophus guineti froglets (and most likely antongilii too) start off brown and as they mature turn red. Ripen, if you will. So most likely what you are seeing is juvenile guineti. And maybe the reason why my rubber frogs look sort of like tomato frogs to you is because both tomato frogs and rubber frogs are in the same family, Microhylidae, the narrow-mouth frogs or toads.

[John]

start off brown and as they mature turn red

That is your answer. I was surprised it took so many posts for someone to point that out.

[Tropicok]

Sounds like we are getting warmer to the subject. I have to make a trip to the store for crickets tomorrow and will subject the frog to closer inspection. Now, about keeping one....anyone have advice on that? I really need 2 other frog pairs but I do have an empty tank.

[Kurt]

I keep mine on a substrate of coconut in a rather large Rubbermaid box. They have a shallow water dish, which I am rethinking as its empty most of the time. The love to bury in the substrate, which is moist but not overly so. Sometimes their heads are sticking out of the substrate. They eat any insect I give them.

I have tried to breed them, with no success. All I got out of the deal was noisy nights and a lack of sleep. Not a single egg. So have to rethink and research that. Would love to go to Madagascar and see where they live. That would make it a lot easier to be successful.

I have lost one this year and another is currently on antibiotics. I don't know what is exactly going on or whether it has something to do with my husbandry.

[Tropicok]

Pic of tomato frogs at reptile store. They are not as gold as photo but they were green at first and are now a medium brown. They should turn more red as they mature.

[JeffX]

The females will be a much darker red, while the males will not be as dark nor as big.

[Tropicok]

The body on these two are about the size of a dime.

[Kurt]

The females will be a much darker red, while the males will not be as dark nor as big.

Females are orange or red, depending on which species we are taliking about and males are yellow.

[JeffX]

Females are orange or red, depending on which species we are taliking about and males are yellow.

I did not know that last bit. I had always heard that females were just a darker red. Thank you.

[Kurt]

If you see a yellow one for sale its a male and worth snapping up. I wish I had grabbed more when I had the opportunity to do so. Oh well it worked out for the one male I did grab, he's surrounded by females.

[Kurt]

They should turn more red as they mature.

Providing they are female.