Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there:

At one of my local exotic dealers, I recently purchased a male and female set of south American caecilians. When I bought the first one, he resided with an albino Bullfrog and some other small frogs I have never heard of called Emerald hoppers. They were very interesting and beautiful. I almost always use scientific names, so many of their common names confuse me. When I came back later to buy the female, the albino Bullfrog was gone, and there was something else in the cage labeled as a "fire-walker." It was a big black and red shiny frog. Both the fire-walker and Emerald hoppers interested me very much. They seemed to be getting along just fine with the caecilians. I have almost certainly seen some of these frogs before under a different name. Anything you know about them would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

DAVE

Hi Dave,
I have a concern about your caecilians. What species do you have and how were they sexed?
If they are a terrestrial species (I would suspect Dermophis mexicana) then the only way I have seen to date to sex them is by having one give birth or surgically.
Typhlonectes can be sexed by the shape of the cloaca but this is only accurate in sexually mature animals.

I would need to see a picture of a fire walker as I have seen several species known by this name (and most of those were from Africa but this was almost 20 years ago so I may be hopelessly out of date on this identification) but the Emerald Hoppers are probably Scaphiophryne marmorata although I have seen pustalosa offered under this name. There also used to be an Asian Ranid offered under this name but I do not remember the scientific name off the top of my head.

Ed

Hi there:

Thanks for replying. I keep both aquatic and terrestrial species of caecilian, and Ithe pair I bought were simply labeled "caecilians," but I have identified them as a terrestrial South American species. There is no reliable way of sexing them, but one was much larger and the tail was wider and noticeably flatter. They look different, but are the same species. That's all I know.
Now the fire- walker... That was wierd! At first I thought it was a salamander of some sort. Its head looked exactly like a fire salamanders head, and looked too large for the body. It was long and slender with a large stub between its legs, and it walked like Chameleons do. I was stunned. It sounds made up, doesn't it?
Thank you for suggesting what the Emerald hoppers may have been. I'll look into that. I enjoy designing community vivaria very much, and i own a rough green snake. Soon I will need to go out there again because I am buying another rough green snake as a "friend" for the hatchling I already have. I might pick up the fire walker or some Emerald hoppers while I'm there and post pictures. Thank you.

DAVE

Kassina maculata or some other such species. They are commonly called fire leg walking or running frogs. Common names are just so confusing. Sometimes latin isn't much better, but it does not leave as much room for mistakes.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

The fire walker was probably kassina maculata. And I would NOT suggest putting htem with a Scaphiphryne. The K. maculatas can be highly cannibalistic. IF it is the same frog. As for the emerald hoppers, There is only one sight that really gives alot of information on those hoppers (I have a gottlebei)

Try this site and check out the pictures

http://www.amphibian.co.uk/scaphiophryne.html

and this one for the firewalker.
http://www.rieo.net/amph/exfrog/hyper/kassi/macula.htm

Christina
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1.1 Russian Tortoise (Willy & Mikey)
0.1 Ornate Box Turtle (Lily)
1.0 Red Eared Slider (Chester)
0.0.2 White's Tree Frog (Kermit & Phil)
0.0.1 Red eyed Tree Frog (Justin)
0.0.1 Big Eyed Tree Frog
0.0.2 Bubbling Frog
0.0.2 Tiger Leg Tree Frogs (Akari & Shiro)
0.0.3 Amazonian Milky Tree Frogs
0.0.1 Dwarf Megophrys
0.0.2 Rainbow Burrowing Frog/Ornate Hopper
0.0.3 Asian Blue Webbed Gliding Tree Frogs
0.0.1 Albino Pacman Frog
0.1 Praire Dog (Timmy)
0.2 Chinchillas (Layla & Snickers)
0.3 mice
0.1 dog (Holly)
2.0 Cats (Champ & Bear)

Oh and a husband

Hi there:

Thanks for your advise. I'll have to check out the site about the Emerald hoppers, but after searching around for awhile, I identified the fire walker as Phrynomerus bifasciatus. After searching around for this scientific name, i found that this species is highly variable in patterning, and there is a picture much like the one I am planning to purchase. I guess they also go by the common name of Red-banded rubber frog. I found a great page showing a picture that plays the call of this frog. Thank you for all of your help. Tomorrow maybe I can post pictures of my new adult rough green snake, as well as whatever of these two frog species I may purchase. Thank you for all of your help.

DAVE

np
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry