Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Scientific Name: Dyscophus guineti

Range: Madagascar

Habitat: Forest leaf litter, near swamps, shallow pools or water-filled ditches

Diet: Wild: Insects, worms, larvae
Zoo: Insectivorous diet, mealworms

Gestation: Eggs hatch after about 36 hours; tadpoles take about 2 months for development

Litter: Clutch size: about 1,000 small black and white eggs, deposited on surface of water

Life Span: Unknown

Description: A medium-sized frog, with females about 2 inches long and males are smaller. There are two dorsilateral folds on the smooth back. The back is orange to red with small black spots. The underside is uniformly yellowish, sometimes with black spots on the throat. There is a wide, dark brown line from the eye back to the forelimb. The forefeet are not webbed, and the rear leg webbing is variable. Juveniles are yellow on the back and dark on the flanks.

Behavior: It is nocturnal, being active in the evening and at night. It is a burrowing frog, spending most of its time half-hidden in underbrush waiting for food, or protecting itself from predators. The characteristic calls of this species can be heard at evening and night, and sometimes during the day from swamps and pools after a heavy rain. They can inflate themselves as a defense against predation. The whitish skin secretions can produce allergic reactions in humans.

Reproduction: Males mount the females for sperm transfer. Breeding is accomplished in stagnant or very slow-moving water. The tadpoles are transparent filter feeders that float horizontally in mid-water.

Did You Know? Their limited distribution places them at risk from habitat loss, introduced disease and pollution. They are considered threatened.

Where in the Zoo? I can be found in the RainForest Amphibian Exhibits at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.