Tomato frogs are any of the three species of

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Dyscophus'' (

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Microhylidae The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family (biology), family of frogs. The 683 species are in 57 genera and 11 subfamilies. Evolution A molecular phylogenetic study by van der Meijden, et al. ...

): ''D. antongilii'', ''D. insularis'', or ''D. guineti''. ''Dyscophus'' is the only genus in

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Dyscophinae. They are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. The common name comes from ''D. antongiliis bright red color. When threatened, a tomato frog puffs up its body. When a predator grabs a tomato frog in its mouth, the frog's skin secretes a thick substance that numbs up the predator's eyes and mouth, causing the predator to release the frog to free up its eyes. The gummy substance contains a toxin that occasionally causes allergic reactions in humans. The allergic reaction will not kill a human and the frog secretes it only when frightened. The lifespan of the tomato frog can be from 6 to 8 years. When adult, the colors may vary from yellowish orange to deep red. Tomato frogs will reach sexual maturity in 9–14 months. Females are larger than males and can reach 4 inches (10 cm) in length. Males can reach 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5) in length. Most females range from reddish-orange to bright dark red. The bellies are usually more yellowish, and sometimes there are black spots on the throat. But males are not as brightly colored but more of a duller orange or brownish-orange. Juveniles are also dull in color and develop brighter coloration as they mature. According to the Smithsonian National Zoo tomato frog's conservation status has been updated to that of least concern. They breed in the rainy season and are nocturnal. They tend to eat small insects and

invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

Species

There are three different

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

Behavior

Tomato frogs target prey within narrow angles by aligning their heads towards it, while projecting their tongues rapidly by transferring momentum from the lower jaw. Elastic energy stored in mouth-opening muscles amplifies mouth and tongue velocities, contingent on the alignment of the lower jaw and tongue. However, for prey at wider angles, tomato frogs align both head and tongue towards it, utilizing a hydrostatic mechanism for tongue projection. This enables capturing prey over broader angle ranges. Dyscophus insularis

Reproductive activity

Tomato frogs lay over 1,000 fresh eggs during every month of the year except for November. Their reproductive activity is high during the months January–May and low between the months June–December. The tadpoles hatch after around 36 hours after being laid, becoming metamorphs (froglets) after about 45 to 60 days.

References

4. Monroy, J. A., & Nishikawa, K. C. (2009-08-06)
Prey location, biomechanical constraints, and motor program choice during prey capture in the tomato frog, Dyscophus Guineti
- Journal of Comparative physiology A. SpringerLink. Retrieved 15 March 2024.

External links

''D. guineti''
Microhylidae Taxa named by Alfred Grandidier {{Microhylidae-stub