The Madagascar tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii) is a species of frog that belongs to the family of narrow-mouthed frogs. This species gets its common name from its bright red coloration.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withMadagascar tomato frogs have a vibrant, orange-red color. Females have brighter tones of red or orange on their back, with a pale undersurface. Some individuals also have black spots on the throat. Females of this species are much larger than males.
These frogs can be found only in Madagascar, where they occur in the northeast of the island around Antongil Bay, and south to Andevoranto. Tomato frogs breed in shallow pools, swamps, and areas of slow-moving water. Their natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, plantations, rural gardens, urban areas, heavily degraded former forest, ponds, and canals, and ditches.
Madagascar tomato frogs are solitary creatures. They are active during the night, hunting and moving around the forest floor. Their loud calls can be heard in the evening and all night while they are active. Ambushing potential prey, these frogs wait patiently near water and when an insect passes they will stick out their tongue to catch it. During the day they usually hide in mud or under leaf litter. When threatened, tomato frogs can inflate themselves, giving the appearance of greater size. It is thought that their brilliant colors act as a warning to potential predators that these frogs are toxic; a white substance secreted from their skin acts as a glue to deter predators (such as colubrid snakes) and can produce an allergic reaction in humans.
Madagascar tomato frogs are carnivores (insectivores). They feed on small invertebrates, such as beetles, mosquitoes, and flies.
Madagascar tomato frogs are polygynandrous (promiscuous) meaning that both the males and the females mate with multiple partners. They breed in February to March following heavy rainfall; during this time the sounds of males calling to attract females can be heard around small water bodies in the dark Malagasy night. After mating females will lay a clutch of 1,000 to 1,500 eggs on the water's surface. Tadpoles hatch from these small black and white eggs about 36 hours later; they are only around 6 millimeters long and feed by filter-feeding. Tadpoles undergo metamorphosis into yellow juveniles and this stage is completed around 45 days after the eggs were laid. They will become reproductively mature between 2 and 4 years of age.
The main threats to this species include habitat degradation and pollution. These brightly colored amphibians also suffer from over-collection for the pet trade. Collecting activity, and the associated decline in population, were predominately focused near to the town of Maroantsetra.
According to IUCN Red List, the Madagascar tomato frog is widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
