Burrowing frog

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to Madagascar, native to Eastern Madagascar (Fenerive). It inhabits tropical moist forests, grasslands, and degraded areas near temporary pools.

Taxonomy and Genetics: Family Microhylidae, genus Scaphiophryne. Commonly known as Madagascar rain frogs due to their round bodies and rain-associated habits.

Behavior and Habits: Fossorial and nocturnal. It spends daylight hours buried in the soil and becomes active at night or during heavy rains to feed and breed.

Morphology: Rounded, compact body (around 5.8 cm) with cryptically colored, marbled skin. Males are smaller than females and have a dark throat sac.

Terrarium Setup: Requires a horizontal terrarium (minimum 50x30x30 cm) with a deep layer of sterile coconut fiber and dry leaf litter for burrowing.

Lighting and Heating: Keep daytime temperatures at 23-25 °C and night temperatures at 18 °C. Provide a 12-hour light cycle with a low-output UVB lamp.

Humidity and Hydration: Maintain relative humidity between 65% and 85%. Mist regularly with declorinated water and provide a very shallow water dish.

Feeding and Supplementation: Feed live crickets, roaches, and fruit flies. Dust prey with calcium and vitamin D3 powder twice a week to support bone health.

Compatibility: Suitable for species-specific vivariums. Small groups of similar size can be housed together, preventing potential cannibalism.

Health and Common Diseases: High susceptibility to bacterial skin rot if the substrate is soiled or waterlogged. Maintain moderate ventilation and clean the enclosure regularly.