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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Common forest ground frog
Platymantis dorsalis
A common terrestrial forest frog from the Philippines. Featuring direct egg development, it requires a humid forest terrarium and cool to moderate temperatures.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Ceratobatrachidae
Subfamily:Ceratobatrachinae
Genus:Platymantis
Species:Platymantis dorsalis
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 90 %
Day temperature
24 - 28 °C
Night temperature
22 - 24 °C
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the Philippines, widely distributed across almost all the major islands of the archipelago. Inhabits the leaf litter of primary and secondary tropical rainforests from sea level up to wet montane regions.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the family Ceratobatrachidae, genus Platymantis. A key species for researching direct embryonic development in amphibians, as eggs are laid on land and hatch directly into fully formed terrestrial froglets.
Behavior and Habits: Nocturnal and primarily terrestrial species. Hides under leaf litter or decaying logs during daylight. Males call at night to attract females, emitting short, high-pitched metallic clicking sounds.
Morphology: Small-sized frog, with adult males measuring about 2.5-3 cm and females reaching up to 4 cm. Skin is smooth to slightly granular. Coloration is brown, gray, or olive, often marked by a light vertebral stripe (giving the species name dorsalis).
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a terrestrial terrarium measuring 45x45x45 cm for a small group. Substrate should be a bioactive mix of soil and coco fiber, topped with a thick layer of dried oak or magnolia leaves and fresh moss.
Lighting and Heating: Does not require special lighting; a low-intensity LED for plants is sufficient. The optimal temperature is cool, between 20°C and 25°C. Avoid temperatures above 27°C, which can quickly be lethal.
Humidity and Hydration: Extremely high humidity, between 80% and 90%. Mist the setup once or twice daily with RO water to keep the leaf litter and substrate damp. Provide a very shallow water dish to prevent drowning.
Feeding and Supplementation: Feeds on small live insects: fruit flies, springtails, pinhead crickets, and small isopods. Prey items must be dusted with calcium and vitamin D3 supplements twice a week.
Compatibility: Can coexist in small groups if provided with sufficient space and plenty of hides. Do not mix with other amphibian or reptile species to avoid competition and potential pathogen transmission.
Health and Common Diseases: Susceptible to bacterial and fungal skin infections if the enclosure is poorly ventilated or waterlogged. Ensure an efficient ventilation screen. Risk of dehydration if humidity drops below 70%.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the Philippines, widely distributed across almost all the major islands of the archipelago. Inhabits the leaf litter of primary and secondary tropical rainforests from sea level up to wet montane regions.
Origin
North AmericaSouth and Southeast Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 3.54 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 3.54 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 3.54 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.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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