🐾 LandCare difficulty: BeginnerLegal complexity: Low
Tomato Frog
Dyscophus guineti · also called Sambava tomato frog, False tomato frog, Southern tomato frog
A plump, brightly red-orange burrowing frog from Madagascar; hardy and beginner-friendly, kept mainly as a striking display animal.
Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.
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Quick facts
| Size | Females are large and round at about 3.5-4 in (9-10 cm); males smaller at roughly 2.5 in (6 cm). |
| Lifespan | 6–10 years |
| Social needs | solo |
| Native region | Madagascar |
| Origin | Old World |
| Climate | 🌴 Tropical |
| Family | Microhylidae |
| Genus | Dyscophus |
Part of the Tomato Frogs
Round, brightly colored burrowing frogs from Madagascar kept in humid, deep-substrate terrariums. Hardy and beginner-friendly, they are display animals best handled rarely.
More tomato frogs coming soon.
Habitat & space requirements
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Habitat & enclosure
Tomato frogs are terrestrial, sedentary burrowers that do well in a horizontally oriented terrarium of at least 18 x 18 x 12 in (45 x 45 x 30 cm) for one adult, with more floor space being better than height. Provide several inches of soft, moisture-holding substrate such as coconut fiber or a soil-and-leaf-litter bioactive mix so they can dig in, plus cork bark, leaf litter, and hides. A shallow, easily exited water dish with dechlorinated water is essential and should be cleaned daily.
Keep temperatures moderate at around 70-80 F (21-27 C), avoiding hot spots, and maintain humidity around 60-80 percent by misting and using a damp substrate while still allowing some airflow to prevent stagnation. They do not require high UVB, though low-level UVB and a normal light cycle can be beneficial. Note that the genus Dyscophus includes the protected, CITES Appendix I-listed D. antongilii; D. guineti is the species available in the pet trade.
Substrate
Provide several inches of soft, moist burrowing substrate like coconut fiber or a coir-and-sphagnum mix, since these frogs bury themselves much of the day. Keep it damp but not waterlogged, and avoid coarse materials that could be ingested with prey.
Equipment & setup
House these terrestrial frogs at 75-82F with 65-80% humidity, using a low-wattage heat source only if the room is cool and misting to maintain dampness. They need no strict UVB (low-level is beneficial), a secure lid, gentle low lighting, and a shallow dechlorinated-water dish since they are not strong swimmers.
Diet
Tomato frogs are sit-and-wait insectivores with hearty appetites. Offer appropriately sized live crickets, dubia roaches, earthworms, and other gut-loaded insects, dusted with calcium plus D3 at most feedings and a multivitamin about weekly. Large females may occasionally take an earthworm or larger prey item, but oversized or hard prey should be avoided.
Feed adults every few days and juveniles more often, watching body condition closely because this species readily becomes obese. Provide constant access to clean, dechlorinated water for skin hydration.
Behavior & temperament
Tomato frogs are slow-moving, mostly nocturnal ambush predators that spend much of the day buried with only the eyes exposed. They are best kept singly or in carefully matched same-size pairs, as size mismatches can lead to one frog attempting to eat another. When threatened, they puff up to look larger and can secrete a sticky, mildly irritating white skin defense, so handling should be minimal and always followed by hand-washing.
Because of that skin secretion and their sensitivity, they are a look-don't-touch pet; handle only with clean, wet hands when relocation is necessary. Enrichment comes from a deep diggable substrate, leaf litter to forage through, hides, and varied live prey.
Health
Common problems include obesity from overfeeding, metabolic bone disease from inadequate calcium or D3, and bacterial skin infections (including red-leg-type infections) tied to poor hygiene or chronically dirty water. As with all amphibians, chytrid and ranavirus are concerns, particularly in imported animals.
Prevention focuses on portion control, a varied dusted diet, clean fresh water, appropriate humidity with airflow, and quarantine of new arrivals. Skin discoloration or sores, bloating, lethargy, or appetite loss should prompt a visit to an amphibian-experienced veterinarian. This content is informational only and not a substitute for professional veterinary care.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Feed gut-loaded crickets, roaches, and worms dusted with calcium and a multivitamin, and avoid overfeeding to prevent obesity in this stocky species. Their skin exudes a sticky, irritating secretion when stressed, so minimize handling and use wet hands; keep them solitary or in same-species pairs, and a cool winter rest with reduced feeding can help condition them for breeding.
Sources
- Dyscophus guineti - Wikipedia (wiki)
- Tomato frog - Wikipedia (wiki)
- Wikipedia: Tomato Frog (wiki)