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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Gunther's forest frog
Platymantis guentheri
A rare semi-arboreal forest frog from the Philippines, unique for its climbing habits and direct development. Requires tall, vertically oriented terrariums.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Ceratobatrachidae
Subfamily:Ceratobatrachinae
Genus:Platymantis
Species:Platymantis guentheri
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 90 %
Day temperature
24 - 28 °C
Night temperature
20 - 23 °C
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the tropical rainforests of the southern Philippine islands (such as Mindanao, Leyte, and Bohol). Unlike other mostly terrestrial Platymantis, this species inhabits low vegetation, shrubs, and large fern leaves.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the family Ceratobatrachidae. Named in honor of the renowned zoologist Albert Günther. Exhibits direct development of the eggs, which are deposited in moist vegetation or tree moss rather than pools.
Behavior and Habits: Nocturnal and semi-arboreal species. Spends its time climbing vegetation up to 1.5 - 2 meters high. Males call during the night from the leaves of shrubs, emitting a clear, piping vocalization.
Morphology: Reaches 3.5-5 cm in length. Features expanded digital pads on the tips of its toes that allow it to cling securely to wet leaves. Skin is smooth, and body coloration varies from bright green to light mottled brown.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a vertically oriented terrarium (minimum 45x45x60 cm / 18x18x24 inches). Decorate with broad-leaved live plants (Philodendron, Pothos, Bromeliads), gnarled branches, and climbing moss. Substrate must remain damp.
Lighting and Heating: Moderate LED lighting for live plant growth. The ideal temperature should be between 22°C and 26°C during the day, with a drop to 18-20°C at night. Avoid dry, direct heating sources.
Humidity and Hydration: Demands constant humidity of 80-90%. Mist heavily twice a day, preferably in the morning and evening, to allow the frogs to drink water droplets that gather on the plant leaves.
Feeding and Supplementation: Feeds on live climbing or flying insects of appropriate size: crickets, large fruit flies, small roaches, and flies. Dust prey items regularly with calcium powder and amphibian vitamins.
Compatibility: Can be housed in pairs or small harem groups. Do not mix with aggressive terrestrial species or reptiles sharing the vertical space. Avoid overcrowding to prevent territorial stress.
Health and Common Diseases: Vulnerable to dehydration and digital injuries if terrarium materials are abrasive. Watch for eye or skin infections if the foliage and plants are not kept clean and free of rot.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the tropical rainforests of the southern Philippine islands (such as Mindanao, Leyte, and Bohol). Unlike other mostly terrestrial Platymantis, this species inhabits low vegetation, shrubs, and large fern leaves.
Origin
South and Southeast Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 3.5 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 3.5 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 3.5 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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