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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Hazel's Forest Frog
Platymantis hazelae
A small, vividly colorful arboreal frog strictly endemic to the pristine montane mossy forests of Negros and Panay Islands, Philippines, requiring dense epiphytic planting and humid conditions.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Ceratobatrachidae
Subfamily:Ceratobatrachinae
Genus:Platymantis
Species:Platymantis hazelae
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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: This species is native to the mid- to high-elevation mossy forests and montane rainforests of Negros and Panay Islands in the Philippines. It is found at altitudes between 800 and 1,500 meters, living an arboreal life in bird's nest ferns and epiphytes.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Classified in the family Ceratobatrachidae, genus Platymantis. It is an endangered species threatened by habitat deforestation. It undergoes direct development; eggs are deposited in moist leaf axils of epiphytic plants, avoiding the need for pools of water.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal and highly arboreal. During the daytime, it shelters deep within the leaf axils of bromeliads or wild ferns. At night, it active climbs through the upper canopy to hunt micro-invertebrates. Males call from elevated leaves using high trills.
Morphology: A very small frog, with adults measuring between 20 and 30 mm. It possesses highly expanded digital discs on its fingers and toes, allowing excellent grip on wet, vertical leaves. Dorsal color is variable, usually bright leaf-green or yellow-green with brown spots.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a vertically oriented vivarium of at least 45x45x60 cm. Live epiphytic plants, particularly bromeliads and Asplenium ferns, are essential. Decorate with branches of varying thicknesses, cork bark tubes, and a moisture-retaining forest soil substrate.
Lighting and Heating: Provide plant-grow LED lighting and a 2% to 5% UVB source. This montane species demands cool temperatures, ideally 18°C to 23°C (64°F-73°F) during the day, with a cooler night drop. Avoid exposing the enclosure to temperatures above 24°C (75°F).
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain relative humidity at 85% to 95%. Mist twice daily with reverse osmosis water. Epiphyte leaf axils must be kept filled with clean water, which serves as the frog's primary source of hydration and potential nesting sites.
Feeding and Supplementation: Focuses on small flying and climbing insects. Offer flightless fruit flies, small crickets, and bean beetles. Dust all prey items with calcium and vitamin D3 twice a week, and use an amphibian-formulated multivitamin supplement every two weeks.
Compatibility: Can be housed in small groups of one male and several females. Males will establish vocal territories but rarely engage in physical combat. Do not house with large terrestrial frogs or aggressive tree-dwelling species that could hunt them.
Health and Common Diseases: Prone to rapid dehydration if humidity drops. Stagnant water in epiphyte axils can lead to skin rot or bacterial dermatosis. Keep the water clean by flushing axils during misting and ensure proper air circulation to prevent mold.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
This species is native to the mid- to high-elevation mossy forests and montane rainforests of Negros and Panay Islands in the Philippines. It is found at altitudes between 800 and 1,500 meters, living an arboreal life in bird's nest ferns and epiphytes.
Origin
North AmericaSouth and Southeast Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 2.8 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 2.8 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 2.8 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.
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Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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