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Small-eyed Choerophryne
Choerophryne microps
A specialized microhylid frog (1.5 cm) native to New Guinea (Central highlands, Maoke Mountains). Characterized by its extremely reduced eyes and a miniaturized body size and fossorial, leaf-litter dwelling habits.
- Taxonomy
- Class:AmphibiaOrder:AnuraFamily:MicrohylidaeSubfamily:AsterophryinaeGenus:ChoerophryneSpecies:Choerophryne microps
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
80 - 95 %
Day temperature
19 °C
Night temperature
15 °C
Ambient temperature
19 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to New Guinea (Central highlands, Maoke Mountains). It primarily occurs among mosses of high-altitude humid montane forests. It lives mostly concealed within leaf litter or burrowed inside moist soils.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the Microhylidae family, genus Choerophryne. This group consists of narrow-mouthed frogs highly adapted to specific fossorial or semi-arboreal microhabitats.
Behavior and Habits: Primarily nocturnal and secretive. It spends the daytime hours buried under the substrate or hidden beneath leaf litter, emerging to forage and breed during heavy seasonal rains.
Morphology: Features a plump, rounded body reaching about 1.5 cm. Skin texture ranges from smooth to warty with cryptic colors. Males are smaller than females and exhibit distinct vocal sacs during the breeding season.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Provide a horizontal terrarium with a deep (10-15 cm) layer of loose, damp substrate such as coconut fiber and sterile peat moss. Add cork bark hides, dry leaves, and flat shelters to create shaded spots.
Lighting and Heating: Maintain daytime temperatures around 19.0°C and night temperatures at 15.0°C. Provide a 12-hour light cycle; a low-intensity UVB source is recommended to support general health.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain relative humidity between 80.0% and 95.0%. Mist regularly with dechlorinated water and supply a very shallow water dish to prevent drowning risks.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly insectivorous. Offer gutloaded crickets, roaches, fruit flies, and small worms. Dust prey with high-quality calcium and vitamin D3 twice a week to support skeletal structure.
Compatibility: Best kept in a species-specific setup. Small groups of similar size can cohabitate, avoiding competition or accidental cannibalism.
Health and Common Diseases: Highly susceptible to bacterial skin infections (red leg disease) if ventilation is poor or the substrate is soiled. Regularly check skin condition and hydration levels.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Native to New Guinea (Central highlands, Maoke Mountains). It primarily occurs among mosses of high-altitude humid montane forests. It lives mostly concealed within leaf litter or burrowed inside moist soils.
Origin
Africa and MadagascarAustralia, New Guinea, and Oceania
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- Insectivore
- It feeds primarily on a specialized diet of tiny rainforest arthropods, including mites and springtails. It actively searches the mossy understory to find prey small enough to fit into its narrow mouth. The feeding process is rapid and precise, driven by a quick tongue strike.
- Life expectancy
- 2-5 years
- With proper care, the indicative life expectancy is 2-5 years.
- Adult size
- 2 cm
- The catalog's scalar value is 2 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 2 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- Terrestrial
- They are predominantly terrestrial, living on the forest floor and navigating through dense leaf litter and ground vegetation.
- Activity cycle
- Nocturnal
- This species is primarily nocturnal, remaining hidden during the day in leaf litter or burrows and emerging at night to forage for food.
- Sociality
- Solitary
- This exceptionally small frog is nocturnal and highly secretive, spending its days hidden in the leaf litter. Males emit high-pitched, insect-like calls to attract mates in the dense undergrowth. It relies on stealth and its microscopic size to avoid detection.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- Breeding involves the deposition of small clutches of eggs in secluded, moist terrestrial nooks. Unlike typical frogs, there is no free-swimming tadpole stage. The young develop entirely within the egg and hatch as tiny, fully formed frogs.
- Toxicity
- Toxic
- This species is entirely non-toxic and possesses no dangerous chemical defenses. Its survival strategy depends entirely on its camouflage and its ability to blend into the mossy background. Predators usually overlook it entirely.
- Life stage
- Adult only
- The frog completely skips the aquatic tadpole phase of typical amphibians. It hatches from the egg as a terrestrial juvenile ready to hunt. It then slowly grows to its still-diminutive adult form.
- Handling tolerance
- Display only
- Due to their sensitive skin and potential stress from handling, they should be considered a display-only species.
- Brumation
- Not required
- They do not require a brumation period, maintaining a steady metabolic rate year-round in their native tropical habitats.
- Molting
- Periodic
- Shedding occurs periodically and is facilitated by high environmental humidity; the shed skin is typically consumed immediately by the animal.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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