AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
©AI Generated·Proprietary
Middle Back-stripe Bullfrog
Kaloula mediolineata
A specialized microhylid frog (6.5 cm) native to Indochina (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia). Characterized by its distinct cream-yellow longitudinal stripe running down the center of its back and fossorial, leaf-litter dwelling habits.
Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
65 - 80 %
Day temperature
27 °C
Night temperature
22 °C
Ambient temperature
27 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to Indochina (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia). It primarily occurs in open humid savannas and dry deciduous forests, emerging in massive numbers during monsoons. It lives mostly concealed within leaf litter or burrowed inside moist soils.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the Microhylidae family, genus Kaloula. 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 6.5 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 27.0°C and night temperatures at 22.0°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 65.0% and 80.0%. 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 Indochina (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia). It primarily occurs in open humid savannas and dry deciduous forests, emerging in massive numbers during monsoons. It lives mostly concealed within leaf litter or burrowed inside moist soils.
Origin
South and Southeast AsiaEast Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- Insectivore
- The Middle Back-stripe Bullfrog feeds voraciously on ground-dwelling insects, primarily targeting ants and termites. It emerges during the wet season to actively forage, using its sticky tongue to quickly consume large numbers of prey. Its robust body allows it to consume slightly larger beetles as well.
- Life expectancy
- 5-6 years
- With proper care, the indicative life expectancy is 5-6 years.
- Adult size
- 7.5 cm
- The catalog's scalar value is 7.5 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 7 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
- Fossorial
- Predominantly fossorial. They use hardened spades on their hind feet to burrow effectively into soft, moist soil.
- Activity cycle
- Nocturnal
- They are strongly nocturnal, hiding deep in burrows or under logs by day and emerging at night, especially after rain.
- Sociality
- Solitary
- It is a well-adapted burrowing frog, using its hind limbs to dig efficiently into the soil. It is rarely seen during dry periods, choosing to estivate deep underground to prevent dehydration. When confronted, it will inflate itself remarkably like a balloon to appear larger to predators.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- Breeding is characterized by large, noisy aggregations in temporary rain pools or flooded ditches. Males call while floating on the water's surface, expanding their large vocal sacs to produce a loud bellowing sound. The eggs hatch into fast-growing tadpoles adapted to ephemeral water conditions.
- Toxicity
- Mildly toxic
- Like other members of its genus, it exudes a sticky, mildly toxic secretion when distressed. This mucous tastes exceptionally bad to predators and can glue the mouths of small snakes together. It is harmless to people but should be handled with care to avoid the sticky residue.
- Life stage
- Metamorphosis
- The life cycle requires a rapid transition from aquatic tadpole to terrestrial juvenile before the breeding pools dry up. Tadpoles feed continuously on microscopic suspended particles. Adults live a long, secretive life, mostly hidden beneath the earth.
- Handling tolerance
- Display only
- Display-only. Like most narrow-mouthed frogs, they produce mild skin secretions when stressed and should not be handled.
- Brumation
- Not required
- Tropical in origin, they do not require brumation. They may aestivate in deep burrows if their environment becomes too dry.
- Molting
- Periodic
- Shedding occurs periodically. High humidity is crucial, and the frogs will slough off and ingest their old skin.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
