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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Polillo Forest Frog
Platymantis polillensis
A remarkably small semi-arboreal frog strictly endemic to Polillo Island, Philippines, explicitly requiring highly humid, vertically-oriented, densely planted pristine forest terrarium habitats.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Ceratobatrachidae
Subfamily:Ceratobatrachinae
Genus:Platymantis
Species:Platymantis polillensis
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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 strictly endemic to Polillo Island, located off the eastern coast of Luzon in the Philippines. It inhabits pristine lowland tropical rainforests and well-preserved secondary forests, ranging from the leaf litter to low shrubbery up to 200 meters elevation.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the family Ceratobatrachidae and the genus Platymantis. It is a member of the diverse complex of small semi-arboreal frogs of the region. Reproduction is by direct development; eggs are laid in moist vegetation or leaf litter, skipping the tadpole stage.
Behavior and Habits: Nocturnal and semi-arboreal. During daylight, it shelters under broad leaves or inside moist tree hollows. At night, it emerges to hunt. Males climb onto fern fronds or low twigs (up to 1 meter high) to call, producing soft, melodic trilling sounds.
Morphology: A very small frog, with adults measuring approximately 20-25 mm in snout-vent length. It features a slender body with long digits and expanded pads for climbing vertical leaves. Coloration is vibrant, ranging from orange-brown to olive-green, often with dark limb bands.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A vertically oriented vivarium of at least 45x45x60 cm (18x18x24 inches) is recommended. Provide broad-leafed live plants (such as Pothos, Calathea, or bromeliads), climbing branches, and a moisture-retaining forest soil substrate topped with moss.
Lighting and Heating: Provide plant-grow LED lighting and a 2% to 5% UVB source. Maintain daytime temperatures between 22°C and 25°C (72°F-77°F), with a slight drop at night. Avoid placing the enclosure in direct sunlight or letting temperatures exceed 26°C (79°F).
Humidity and Hydration: Relative humidity must be kept high, between 85% and 95%. Automated misting systems using reverse osmosis water are highly recommended. Ensure dual ventilation to allow fresh air movement and prevent stagnant, moldy conditions.
Feeding and Supplementation: Diet consists of small crawling and flying insects. Offer flightless fruit flies, pinhead crickets, bean beetles, and springtails. Dust prey items with pure calcium carbonate and D3 twice weekly, and a complete multivitamin once a month.
Compatibility: Can be housed in small, single-species groups if the enclosure is spacious. Males will establish vocal territories but rarely fight. Do not house with larger frogs, lizards, or predatory invertebrates that could easily prey on them.
Health and Common Diseases: High risk of rapid dehydration due to their small body mass. Fungal skin infections (chytridiomycosis) or bacterial infections (Red Leg) can develop if the enclosure is poorly ventilated. Maintain clean conditions and stable humidity.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
This species is strictly endemic to Polillo Island, located off the eastern coast of Luzon in the Philippines. It inhabits pristine lowland tropical rainforests and well-preserved secondary forests, ranging from the leaf litter to low shrubbery up to 200 meters elevation.
Origin
South and Southeast Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 2.2 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 2.2 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 2.2 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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