Tomato Frog
Dyscophus antongillii
Did you know?
- Tomato frogs are a part of the Microhylidae family, which they share with hundreds of other narrow-mouthed frogs.
- These red and round frogs really do look like tomatoes!
- They live in freshwater habitats on the east coast of Madagascar.
- They tend to hide during the day and move around at night.
- A female will lay hundreds of eggs per clutch.
Adaptations
Tomato frogs do not have webbed hind legs, which makes them poor swimmers. They prefer calm, or almost stagnant, water habitats. They are able to excrete a toxic, which helps protect them from predators. They will inflate their size to look more menacing when threatened.
Young and Family
A female will lay hundreds of eggs at a time. The eggs are black and white. Within two days of being laid, the eggs will hatch and tadpoles will emerge. The female is larger and more vibrant than the male. Tadpoles are a dull brown.
Threat Level
- Unknown
- Common
- Near Threatened
- Threatened
- Endangered
- Critically Endangered
- Extinct in the Wild
Critically Endangered
The Tomato Frog is likely to qualify for threatened category in the near future, perhaps very quickly depending on local development projects such as rainforest logging.
Range
Eastern coast of Madagascar
Habitat
In and around shallow pools, marshes, drainage channels, flooded meadows
We care about tomato frogs
We support tomato frogs in the Herpetarium at the Zoo. Learn more about how we are helping wildlife around the world.
Find this animal in Historic Hill
SAINT LOUIS ZOO ZONE
Historic Hill
Historic Hill is a lovely stroll through one of the oldest parts of the Saint Louis Zoo. From the 1904 World’s Fair Flight Cage to the Spanish architectural flavor of the 1920s in the Bird House, Primate House and Herpetarium to the finishing touches of our thoroughly modern exhibits, this area of the Zoo has a unique ambiance and a nostalgic history that make it a great destination.