Home | Livestock | Shop | Care Sheets | Feeding | Health | Articles | Q&A | Gallery | Events Diary | Guest Book | Links | Forum

Care Sheet: Rutenberg's Reed Frog (Heterixalus rutenbergi)

Common Name: Rutenberg's Reed Frog

Scientific Name: Heterixalus rutenbergi

Distribution: Madagascar.

Size: 25mm.

Sexing: The males of this species may be heard calling.

Colouration: The dorsal surface is light green, with five white bands bordered by dark brown stripes running longitudinally down the length of the dorsum. There are two similar bands on the sides of the limbs, and one along the feet. The ventral surface is creamish with the underside of limbs being orange.

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 savannah / grassland type set-up with a substrate of bark chips, topsoil and moss. Furnishings such as logs, bamboo, cork bark and sturdy thin-leafed plants can be arranged to provide a number of climbing, perching and hiding places. A small water bowl (no deeper than the frog's height at rest) 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 - 26°C with a drop at night to 20 - 22°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 small crickets, flies, 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.