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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Amazon Milk Frog
Trachycephalus resinifictrix
Explore the Amazon Milk Frog, a bold canopy dweller known for its striking cross-patterned eyes and vivid bands. This nocturnal tree frog requires a tall, humid forest terrarium to thrive.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Hylidae
Subfamily:Hylinae
Genus:Trachycephalus
Species:Trachycephalus resinifictrix
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 80 %
Day temperature
24 - 28 °C
Night temperature
20 - 22 °C
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the Amazon rainforest basin of South America, with established populations in Suriname, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It inhabits the high canopy of humid tropical rainforests, living at significant heights and sheltering in water-filled hollow cavities of large trees.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the family Hylidae and the genus Trachycephalus. It is a large, robust tree frog reaching 6-10 cm in length. It possesses large, sticky toe pads for climbing and a characteristic granular, bumpy skin. The eyes feature a striking golden iris marked by a distinct black cross.
Behavior and Habits: Nocturnal and strictly arboreal. During the daytime, it rests motionless on branches or inside hollow bark shelters. It becomes highly active at night to forage. Breeding males produce a loud, deep, barking croak from rain-filled tree hollows to attract females for spawning.
Morphology: The body displays a bold, banded pattern of dark brownish-gray and pale white-blue bands. Its common name, 'milk frog,' comes from the thick, sticky, white toxin it secretes from its skin glands when threatened or handled roughly. Females are significantly larger and heavier than males.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a tall, vertically oriented forest terrarium (minimum 45x45x60 cm for a pair, though larger is highly recommended). Furnish with thick climbing branches, cork bark tubes, and robust live plants with broad leaves (e.g., Monstera, Pothos). A large, shallow water dish is essential.
Lighting and Heating: Maintain daytime ambient temperatures between 24°C and 28°C, with a localized warmer basking zone. Provide a nighttime temperature drop to 20-22°C. A low-intensity (5.0) UVB light source is highly recommended to promote natural behaviors and proper calcium absorption.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain ambient humidity levels between 60% and 80% by misting the terrarium once or twice daily with clean, dechlorinated water. The water in the dish must be changed daily, as these frogs regularly soak and defecate in their water source, leading to rapid waste buildup.
Feeding and Supplementation: Insectivorous. Feed on crickets, roaches, and locusts of appropriate size. Dust prey items with pure calcium powder twice a week and with a high-quality multivitamin supplement containing vitamin D3 once a week. Avoid feeding overly large insects.
Compatibility: Peaceful and highly social with conspecifics of similar size, allowing them to be kept in groups. Do not mix with smaller frog species, as they will be eaten, or with aggressive animals that could injure their delicate skin.
Health and Common Diseases: Handling should be kept to an absolute minimum to avoid causing stress and triggering the release of their sticky, irritating skin secretion. Prone to skin infections from dirty water, Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) from poor calcium/UVB levels, and snout abrasions from glass rubbing.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Native to the Amazon rainforest basin of South America, with established populations in Suriname, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It inhabits the high canopy of humid tropical rainforests, living at significant heights and sheltering in water-filled hollow cavities of large trees.
Origin
Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 8.8 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 8.8 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 8.8 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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