Data sheet honeycomb toad
Latin name:
Pipa Pipa
Origin:
South America
Size (in cm:
20 cm
behavior/stocking
Lining:
insects
Behave:
Nocturnal animal
Groups vs. individual housing:
groups
Life expectancy:
7 years
Difficulty level:
medium difficulty Wisniowy, Pipa pipa, marked as public domain, details on Wikimedia Commons
The honeycomb toadsometimes also as star finger toad (Pipa pipa) is a species of frog in the family Pipidae.
The honeycomb toad is a small land frog endemic to South America (particularly in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela).
The honeycomb toad has adapted to its desert habitat by burrowing underground and hibernating during the dry season. When it rains, she emerges to mate and lay eggs.
acquisition and maintenance
The honeycomb toad is an excellent amphibian for beginners. It is a hardy species that adapts well to captivity and eats a wide variety of meals. Their largest size is around 20 cm, but smaller specimens can also be found.
She is in the lowland forests of Central America widespread, although its range extends north to Mexico and south to Colombia. The honeycomb toad comes in a variety of colors and patterns. It is pale in background with darker patches or spots on the back and sides, and some red on the belly (which can be yellow or off-white).
When young, honeycomb toads can be kept in groups of up to six individuals, but once adult they should be separated. It is a terrestrial species that spends most of the day on land and comes out at night to catch insects in the leaf litter where it hangs out.
Because they are native to moist lowland rainforests, they should be grown in humid conditions with high humidity (75 percent or more) and moderately cold temperatures (70-75 degrees Fahrenheit) being held.
Terrarium requirements
The honeycomb toad is a burrowing land animal species. A terrarium is well suited for keeping this species as it offers the appropriate habitat. Read on to learn more about honeycomb toad needs in the terrarium.
- The right terrarium size: A terrarium should be at least 30 cm long, 20 cm wide and 15 cm high be. The bigger the terrarium, the better. The honeycomb toad can also live in an aquarium or other type of enclosure, but if you don’t have one, a large plastic container will do just fine.
- The Right Cover: You should use a clear cover that has holes in it so your pet can breathe comfortably and look around at their new home. The openings should not be larger than 2 cm (3/4 inch) in diameter to prevent other pets from accidentally escaping their cage. You can also add moss or plants to your terrarium to make it more like its natural environment.
- Set up a terrarium for the honeycomb toad with many hiding places, e.g. B. with stones or plants. These animals like to dig and rummage through the substrate in search of food such as crickets and mealworms. If you open the terrarium for feeding or clean the tank about once a week, you should place a cover over it to prevent escape (if necessary).
- Honeycomb toads are nocturnal and do not require light in their container. However, if you want to watch them during the day, you can install a lighting system in your home.
gender differences
The male honeycomb toad has a larger head than the female and a broad, dark brown stripe running from the base of the neck to the eye.
The male also has more papillae on his nose than the female. The female has a narrower snout stripe and fewer papillae than the male. Females and males are easy to tell apart.
Males have a black stripe down their backs while females have none. Also, they only emerge at night, while females emerge throughout the day. Also, there is no difference in length between males and females.
diet and food
The honeycombs feed on insects such as beetles, ants, crickets, moths and caterpillarswhich they catch on land or while swimming on the surface of the water, where during the day they usually hide under rocks or logs, or in crevices in rocks near waterfalls or streams where food is plentiful for them.
Handling and acclimatization
acclimatization
The process of adjusting to a new environment is called acclimatization. A tropical species that has been bred in captivity is the honeycomb toad. It is native to the South American Amazon and tolerates high but not low temperatures.
It is therefore important that you acclimate your new animal before releasing it into its enclosure.
We recommend keeping your new honeycomb toads in an air-conditioned environment for a week or two.
This gives them time to get used to their new environment and avoids breathing problems caused by dry air or hot temperatures.
Because the honeycomb toad is an amphibian, it requires water for at least part of its life cycle (i.e. as adults). We therefore recommend that you provide some shallow water in the aquarium for them to drink when needed.
If you intend to feed your honeycomb toads live insects like grasshoppers or crickets, acclimate them by putting some of these insects in a jar with some holes in the top so they can come out if they want (but don’t remove all of them at once).
Treatment of the honeycomb toad
The honeycomb toad is a popular pet that can be kept in a variety of environments. Caring for them is not difficult, but they do require a little more attention than other species. To keep your honeycomb toad happy and healthy, you need to provide the following:
A large aquarium – The minimum size of aquarium you should provide for your honeycomb toad is 30 gallons. If possible, get a larger pool so they have plenty of room to swim. If you want to accommodate several frogs in one tank, your pet will appreciate the extra space.
substrate – The substrate in your terrarium should be easy for your frog’s feet and legs to grab. This prevents them from slipping and falling when hopping from one place to another or climbing over walls or rocks in their tank.
Some people recommend sand because it’s easy for the frog’s feet and toes to grab hold of, others prefer pebbles because they look better visually and don’t detract from the aesthetics of the terrarium as much as sand does when it gets wet from moisture.