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Place of Origin and Range | The common Suriname toad or star-fingered toad is a species of frog found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. |
Description | The common Suriname toad is similar in appearance to a mottled brown leaf, and is almost completely flat. Its feet are broadly webbed with the front toes having small, star-like appendages. The Suriname toad has minute eyes, no teeth, and no tongue. |
Adult Size | Can grow up to 8 in ( 20 cm ) |
Accommodation | These frogs "prefer habitats with plentiful floating vegetation, grasses, and cattails" and are often found in "small ponds, large lakes, marshes, and streams also can be found at night in a backyard swimming pool. Unlike many amphibians, they do not require artificial heating. They need a large (at least ten-gallon) terrarium and do best with a substrate that will hold some humidity, such as commercial shredded bark or coconut husk bedding, or untreated topsoil on the floor of their terrarium. A shallow water dish should be included. Captive frogs should not be handled any more than necessary; when necessary, clean gloves should be worn. . A source of UV light is not required, and ambient temperature of 72 to 77 °F (22 to 25 °C) is sufficient. |
Lifespan | Can live up to 10 years |
Feeding / Diet | These frogs are insectivores, usually consuming flies, mosquitoes, and other small insects such as crickets. One study suggested the frog selects prey not by its size, but according to its activity level, with the most active prey being the most frequently eaten. |
Breeding | Suriname toads are best known for their remarkable reproductive habits. Unlike the majority of toads, the males of this species do not attract mates with croaks and other sounds often associated with these aquatic animals. Instead, they produce a sharp clicking sound by snapping the hyoid bone in their throats. The partners rise from the floor while in amplexus and flip through the water in arcs. During each arc, the female releases 3 to 10 eggs, which get embedded in the skin on her back by the male's movements. After implantation, the eggs sink into the skin and form pockets over a period of several days, eventually taking on the appearance of an irregular honeycomb. The larvae develop through to the tadpole stage inside these pockets, eventually emerging from the mother's back as fully developed toads, though they are less than an inch long (2 cm). Once they have emerged from their mother's back, the toads begin a largely solitary life. |