Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

My mom recently ordered a Phrynomerus (aka Phrynomantis) bifasciatus that hasn’t been eating well. It refused crickets (large and small), wax worms, and other insects until it was so skinny I thought it might die. I gave it Pedialyte baths and it seemed to revive. I then offered it ants and it ate those pretty good for a while, but now it doesn’t seem interested in them.

I can’t find very much information on these frogs despite hours of searching. Most of the care instructions seem very generic and claim that these frogs will eat most feeder insects. If that’s true this frog is either extremely picky or something else is wrong.

If anyone has experience with these frogs or has any ideas, PLEASE let me know. I made a page on my site describing the situation in greater detail - including the current setup and pictures of this frog, and info I’ve found on the species (click on link below and go to P. bifasciatus page).

Thank you!
Larah
www.freepgs.com/maddenfly

Remember, this is wild caught. How long have you had it? It still may be a while before he becomes a hardy eater. Its a good idea that you fed it ants. The fire burrowing frog is a member of the Narrow mouthed Microhylid family, many of which are exclusive ant and termite feeders. Unfortunately, the ants here are different than the ones where it came from. Many ants here make some kind of acid that can make them inpalatable that only native narrow mouthed toads will accept. Dart frogs eat a lot of ants too, but they reject North American ants readily. Termites are a highly nutrititious food as well. Get an old rotted log and bury it under the soil. Water it every day. You may have some old boards in your garden that might have a potential colony. There is another article how to build a termite mound at www.tincs.com in their neat gadgets section.

You may also want to try sowbugs, and small burrowing insects from outside. Take caution about fertilizers or pesticides.

Another possibility, though I don't know if it will work, is large fruit flies. (Drosophila hydei) They are a substitute for ants and small dirt insects for dart frogs, but whether they are good for fire burrowing frogs I don't know. Good luck!

Thank you for responding!

I've had him for only 1 1/2 months. Unfortunately, he was rather thin when he arrived. For the first 1-2 weeks he hid, but was pretty much left alone (thought he would come out to eat when he was adjusted to the environment) but by then he was painfully skinny.

He still doesn't want the ants even though he thought they were great for about a week. I had also read that this type of frog ate ants and termites almost exclusively. I've offered several different types of ants with no luck. I've also tried sowbugs and other burrowing insects. He was eating them every now and then in between the ants, but now he's not interested in anything. I've been trying to find termites for about a week now and for some reason I can't find any (go figure, only when you want to find them!). I thought I lived in an ideal area too (cool, moist Oregon coast next to a forest with tons of old rotting logs). In fact many of the fallen logs & dead (standing) trees are so moist I can rip them apart with my hands into little sponges. Too moist maybe? Should I be looking underground for subterranean termites instead of dampwood?

I was also wondering if this is in fact Phrynomerus bifasciatus (it was sold under that name). He has a solid red back like Phrynomerus microps. Can P. bifasciatus have a red back too? How do you tell the difference? (more pics here: www.freepgs.com/maddenfly)

I hadn't thought of the fruit flies, I'll try that if he keeps refusing everything else. I don't have really high hopes though because he seemed to love the ants so much before. Did I mention he has shed his skin several times? I know this is probably a bad sign, but why does it happen?

Thanks!
Larah

I honestly am not skilled in knowledge of Microhylid husbandry. I have seen the pictures of microps from your personal website, and I honestly can not tell you much. I will say though, I definitely believe what you have IS microps. Shedding skin is only a problem if it looks like it sloughs off, or he does it repeatedly without complete "pull off and eat". Remember, growing animals do this a lot. However, I really don't think he's a youngster.

There is not much I can tell you, and not just I am having trouble giving you advice. Fruit flies are a little slower compared to ants, but you can still try them. Have you tried springtails? They are those tiny bugs that are found in leaf litter and rotting wood, they look like tiny termites.

oh, seriously, read the article at www.tincs.com. There is a better way to start a culture from scratch, better than the wet log idea. It will attract the termites. You will need PVC white pipes and some card board.

Catch springtails by keeping a compost pile of wet leaves. They are extremely easy to find, taking just a day to attract. Put the leaf litter in the frog's cage. They are also very attracted to moist pet food, if placed a little under the mulch. They are tiny, but they are worth the try as they are fast moving and very good eating for many herps that eat small prey. There should be plenty other tiny bugs also worth collecting in the substrate.

You can find flightless fruit flies either at the petstore, or order them from various places that cater to dart frogs. Best look at your local petstore first, as they are easy to breed with homemade medium.

www.fruitflies.net
www.edsflymeatinc.com

pitcherplant7