The order Anurans is made up of a group of amphibians commonly known as frogs and toads. Many of these animals are in some category on the list of species in danger of extinction due to their illegal trade or the alteration of their habitat, which is highly detrimental to the species due to its high sensitivity to variations in the ecosystems they inhabit.
In this page of our site, we want to offer you information about the tomato frog or tomato frog of Madagascar, an animal that has called many attention due to its peculiar coloration and has gone through moments of risk due to its illegal commercialization. Below, we present interesting data about its origin, biological and ecological characteristics, as well as its current state of conservation.
Origin of the Tomato Frog
Amphibians include the family Microhylidae and the genus Dyscophus, which contains three species and one of them is the tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii). However, the species Dyscophus guineti has a similar coloration, which is why it is known as false tomato frog Some scientific reports indicate that the differences are not clear between these species, highlighting only a variation in the color tone between them. However, other studies establish that it is clearly about evolutionarily differentiated individuals
The tomato frog is native to Madagascar and is widely distributed in the northeast of this insular region, with a greater presence in the localities of Maroantsetra and Ambatovaky. However, it is estimated that it is distributed in various areas of the island.
Tomato Frog Characteristics
The most distinctive feature of the species is its orange-red color In addition, it has two black stripes on each side The back is more yellowish in males and reddish in females, while in both the ventral area is whitish. Males are smaller than females, measuring between 60–65 millimeters and weighing about 40 grams, while females measure between 90-95 millimeters and they weigh just over 200 grams in weight.
The skin of the tomato frog is smooth, it has two folds on the lateral part of the back and they usually have quite small reticulations. Its body is rounded, which can increase in size in the presence of some threat, in order to give the appearance of being larger. They can also secrete a white, glue-like, toxic substance through their skin, which they seek to persuade predators to attack. For this reason, it is classified as one of the most venous frogs, although it is not lethal to humans.
Tomato Frog Habitat
The tomato frog lives in moist spaces or with the presence of bodies of water, such as rain forests, thickets, wetlands, swamps, wet lowlands, cultivated areas, canals, drains, and even gardens in urban areas.
An important aspect about the habitat is that despite being in a wide distribution range and being a species reported as adaptable, many of these areas are quite affected by residential and commercial development. Despite this adaptation capacity, there are always limits in this regard, so no species can tolerate indefinite transformations in its ecosystems.
Tomato frog feeding
The tomato frog is a carnivorous animal and can consume different types of small invertebrates, such as insects, worms and spidersIn addition, they seem to be biological controllers of certain arthropods present in the ecosystems they share. They generally hunt their prey by ambushing them from under the leaf litter where they hide.
On the other hand, they are not very active animals and with night habits, so they feed mainly during these hours. Reports indicate that the tomato frog's diet has an impact on its particular coloration.
Tomato frog reproduction
They breed in calm, permanent or temporary waters, swamps, flooded areas and even in ditches that contain water. The breeding season occurs between January and March, with the occurrence of heavy rains, at which time the males emit sounds to attract the females. This process occurs in the areas near water, where they tend to group together and, after amplexus occurs, the female lays a large number of hundreds of eggs in a sticky mass on the surface of the water.
Tadpoles emerge after about 36 hours and metamorphosis can be completed in 45 days. Tomato frog tadpoles are often quite vulnerable, being eaten by different types of aquatic animals. For more information, you can read this other article about the Life Cycle of Frogs.
Conservation status of the tomato frog
The populations of this animal have been quite affected by water pollution, its main means of reproduction. On the other hand, habitat alteration is another factor that negatively influences the development of the tomato frog. Also, for a long time the illegal trade of the species generated a significant negative impact on its populations.
Currently, the Tomato Frog is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, although years ago it was classified as vulnerable and near threatened. The change in classification was justified by the wide distribution of the species and its ability to tolerate habitat disturbances.
On the other hand, the tomato frog is included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITE), specifically in appendix II since 2016, which includes species that are not necessarily in danger of extinction, but for which there are trade regulations.
A species such as the tomato frog that has already shown in the past a greater degree of vulnerability in terms of its populations, must be under strict surveillance and monitoring controls, which allow their status to be indicated over time, in order to avoid possible new risks in their population range.
