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Caresheet: Marbled Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus)

Common Name: Marbled Reed Frog.

Scientific Name: Hyperolius (viridiflavus) marmoratus.

Distribution: Central, Eastern & Southern Africa.

Size: 2.5-40mm.

Sexing: The males of this species may be heard calling, males of some morphs also show colouration of the vocal sac.

Colouration: There are several colour morphs of this species, ranging from creamy white to dark green background marked with black, brown, red, and / or yellow spots, bands, stripes, and reticulations. The ventral surface is often white but may be tinted with yellow or red. Hands and legs are often coloured with red.

Requirements: These small agile frogs can jump over a large distance and so require a fairly large terrarium. A 15-gallon tank would be adequate for a group of 6-8 adults. They require a reed bed like set-up with a substrate of bark chips, topsoil and moss. Furnishings such as logs, cork bark and plenty of sturdy thin-leafed plants can be arranged to provide a number of climbing, perching and hiding places. A large water bowl must be provided with clean de-chlorinated or spring water. The water will need to be changed daily to avoid the build up of ammonia and bacteria in the water whilst changing the water it is a good idea to visually inspect the tank and remove, clean and replace any soiled items. The tank will need to be heated to a daytime temperature of 24 - 28°C with a drop at night to 18 - 26°C this can be done with an under-tank heat-mat controlled by a thermostat. It is not advisable to use spot / heat lamps with amphibians and so a separate light source should be provided by the means of a fluorescent UVB tube. Once every two-three weeks the tank and its contents should be completely cleaned and sterilised using an amphibian / reptile friendly disinfectant.

Feeding: For adults a mixture of suitably sized insects including crickets, mini-mealworm, flies, waxworm, small locust, caterpillars and moths should be fed every two-three days. A calcium and vitamin supplement should be used once weekly. Young frogs will take hatchling crickets and fruitflies, these should be fed every day and a calcium and vitamin supplement used two-three times a week.