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Care Sheet: Budgett's Frog (Lepidobatrachus laevis)

Common Name: Budgett's Frog, Freddie Kruger Frog.

Scientific Name: Lepidobatrachus laevis

Distribution: Northern Argentina, Bolivia, & Southern Paraguay.

Size: 10-12cm.

Sexing: Males have a dark bluish black throat.

Coloration: The usual dorsal coloring of these frogs is a dark greenish gray, with blotches outlined in orange. The ventrum is light cream.

Requirements: Juveniles can be kept in simple small containers with 1-2cm of water and a small land area in the form of a large flat stone or piece of cork. As adults these frogs are large heavy individuals that need a lot of room and will require 2 different forms of accommodation throughout the year. From March to September they require a heavily planted aquatic set-up with a water depth sloping from 2” to as deep as 12”. The water must be clean de-chlorinated or spring water and will require filtering and partial water changes at regular intervals to avoid the build up of ammonia and bacteria in the water. The water will need to be heated to a temperature of 24 - 25°C this can be done with the use of a submersible water heater/stat. In the winter months of October – February the frogs will need to be moved to a terrestrial setup to allow for aestivation. They will need a deep substrate of approx 12” - 15” in which to burrow, this substrate may be cocohumus, peat, or top-soil and must be kept fairly dry to induce the aestivation. It is important to aestivate these frogs as not doing so can possibly cause serious respiratory problems.

Feeding: Juvenile Budgett's Frogs should be fed daily with a mixture of suitably sized insects including waxworm and earthworms. The food items should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement two-three times a week. Adult specimen should be fed every three-four days with a mixture of earthworms, adult locusts, cockroaches, fish and suitably sized rodents. The food items should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement once a week.

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