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Care Sheet: Surinam Toad (Pipa pipa)

Common Name: Surinam Toad.

Scientific Name: Pipa pipa.

Distribution: Peru, Guyana, Surinam, & Brazil.

Size: 15 - 20cm.

Sexing: Males have a protruding vocal sac and can be heard making a "metallic" trilling call. Scars on their backs from previous spawning may identify older females.

Colouration: Dark greyish black with a lighter grey underside.

Requirements: These aquatic Frogs are rather large and require a large aquarium. A 20-gallon tank would be adequate for 2 adults. They require a totally aquatic set-up with a substrate of gravel or sand. Furnishings such as large pebbles and rocks can be arranged to provide a number of hiding places. The water should be clean de-chlorinated or spring water at a depth of 30 - 45cm. The water will need to be filtered using a submersible power filter or external canister filter to avoid the build up of ammonia and bacteria in the water, and partial water changes should be carried out at regular intervals. It is also a good idea to lightly oxygenate the water with the use of a small air-stone. They require a water temperature of 24-26°C, and a low wattage fluorescent tube should be used as a light source.

Feeding: Juvenile Pipa should be fed daily with a mixture of suitably sized insects including tubifex, whiteworm and chopped earthworm. Adult Pipa should be fed three times a week with a mixture of earthworms, slugs, maggots, small fish, and chunks of raw meat.