The Tomato Frog Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognookhonest amphibian care · bognook.com
Tomato Frog — Care Cheat-SheetBeginnerA round, tomato-red burrower — hardy and hands-off, but it exudes a sticky irritant.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- Terrestrial 20 gal long / 18×18×12 (pair), moist coco fibre
- Temp
- Low-mid 70s°F
- Humidity
- 60–80% with a shallow soaking dish
- Food
- Gut-loaded, calcium-dusted crickets + worms
- Lifespan
- 6–10+ years
✅ Hardy, colourful and undemanding — a hands-off charmer that mostly sits and eats.
🛒 Before you buy
- A terrarium with moist coco-fibre to burrow
- A shallow dish of dechlorinated water
- A hide and a calcium supplement
- A secure lid
A healthy one: Plump and rounded (females brightest red) · clear eyes · smooth skin · a strong feeding response.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Bloating like a balloon
- Not eating, or weight loss
- Red belly or lethargy
- Cloudy eyes
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- Gravel or swallowable substrate
- Handling (it secretes a sticky, irritating toxin when stressed — wash hands)
- A bone-dry setup
🌿 Golden rules (all amphibians)
- Cycle the tank BEFORE the animal (ammonia = 0).
- Always dechlorinate tap water.
- Cool beats warm — most amphibians are cool/cold species.
- Look, don’t handle — their skin absorbs oils & soaps.
- Buy captive-bred, never wild-caught. Quarantine new arrivals.
- Never release a pet into the wild (it spreads disease).
- A real setup costs more than the animal — budget for it.
- When in doubt, ask — no shame in learning. 💚
