Müller's Termite Frog

Geographical Origin and Habitat: South America, distributed across Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia. Inhabits semi-arid grasslands of the Chaco and Cerrado, burrowing underground during dry spells.

Taxonomy and Genetics: Family Microhylidae, genus Dermatonotus. Commonly known as Müller's Termite Frog due to its highly specialized diet consisting almost entirely of termites.

Behavior and Habits: Fossorial and nocturnal. It remains buried deep in the soil for months to escape heat, emerging in massive numbers during early heavy rains to breed.

Morphology: Extremely globular body with a small head (up to 6 cm). Smooth skin colored in olive or greyish-brown. Males have a darker throat and are smaller than females.

Terrarium Setup: Needs a horizontal terrarium (minimum 60x40x40 cm) with a deep (at least 15 cm) layer of loose peat moss and fine sand mixture to support burrowing behavior.

Lighting and Heating: Keep daytime temperatures stable at 25-27 °C, dropping to 20 °C at night. Provide a 12-hour light cycle using low-output UVB lighting.

Humidity and Hydration: Maintain relative humidity between 60% and 80%. Keep the bottom layers of the substrate damp while leaving the surface dry. A shallow water bowl is essential.

Feeding and Supplementation: Diet primarily composed of termites, ants, and small insects (such as pinhead crickets or fruit flies). Dust prey with calcium and D3 twice a week.

Compatibility: Peaceful species. Can be housed with tankmates of the same size in small groups. Do not mix with tropical amphibians requiring saturated humidity.

Health and Common Diseases: Vulnerable to fungal skin infections if the substrate is muddy or waterlogged. Ensure excellent drainage and proper enclosure ventilation.