Pipa Surinamese is a frog that lives in South America and leads mainly a nocturnal lifestyle. It can be found in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Suriname, Brazil or Colombia. The frog spends most of his life in ponds, only occasionally appearing on land during torrential rains, then it moves very awkwardly through the flooded tropical forest. It is noteworthy that even during severe drought, it does not come out of the water, preferring to wait out the heat in small and almost dry puddles.
Despite the fact that this amphibian has rough keratinized skin and perfectly developed lungs - signs of a terrestrial form of existence, it does not like dry land. This frog prefers natural reservoirs with a muddy bottom and muddy water. Surinamese pipa is most often found in ponds and slow-flowing rivers belonging to the Amazon basin. Sometimes it can be seen in the irrigation ditches of plantations.
Appearance
Many people do not like and are even afraid of ordinary frogs. But Pipa Surinamese has a special appearance. Amateurs of amusement may say that this frog looks like it’s hit by an ice rink. She is actually very frail. A gray or brown, almost flat body with a triangular head, fixed eyes and a pair of tentacles at the mouth. The abdomen is light, sometimes with a black stripe or several white spots. In length, an adult frog can reach 20 cm.
Forelegs almost without membranes with long fingers, on the tips of which you can see very sensitive star-shaped appendages. Because of them, the frog is called the stargazer. Another interesting anatomical feature of this animal is the lack of tongue and teeth. Pipa Surinamese usually seeks out food at the bottom, fingering the front legs of silt. Her backs are long and strong, their fingers are connected by membranes, which allows the frog to move perfectly in the water. It should be noted that in addition to such an ugly appearance, pipa has a sharp, very unpleasant odor reminiscent of sulfur. Nevertheless, many amphibian lovers prefer to keep this exotic animal at home in the aquarium. What caused such a desire?
Pairing
Pipa Surinamese is a wonderful mother, and it is very interesting to watch how she wears babies. Mating occurs only during the rainy season. It all starts with a marriage dance. The male makes a metallic clicking sound, invoking the female. Soon she begins to throw eggs, and the male fertilizes them and presses them with the help of her chest and hind legs to the back of the female, painstakingly distributing the eggs in the cells. It is there that small pipes will live and develop for two and a half months.
The cells themselves are deep - about 1.5 cm, and the size of the eggs - up to 7 mm. The septum in the cells contains a huge number of blood vessels. The protruding part of each egg is covered with a dense horny layer. Mating can last a day, then the male considers his mission accomplished and leaves. The tadpoles will be in such a “kindergarten” for 11-12 weeks, where everything is provided for - protection, nutrition and ideal temperature conditions.
Breeding
The Surinamese pipa, the reproduction of which is much different from the spawning of other frogs, can lay more than 100 eggs and then carry them all for about 85 days. The total weight of the oviposition is approximately 385 grams.
For a frog, this is a fairly large indicator. At the end of the period, fully formed young peeps leave their cells. The frog removes residual skin. To do this, she rubs her back against plants or stones. Shortly after molting, new skin appears.
Home content
To get this miracle of nature at home, you need to carefully prepare. For this frog you need an aquarium with a volume of at least 100 liters, but it is better to buy 200-300 liters. The next step is to select a filter. The water in the aquarium should be warm (about 26 degrees) and aerated well.
At the bottom, you can pour small gravel, and decorate the aquarium with live or artificial algae. Feeding Surinamese pipa is easy. Bloodworms, earthworms and small fish are perfect for this purpose. Fans who want to breed such unusual animals should know that puberty in these frogs occurs at the age of 6 years.
Conclusion
Once, when he first saw the extraordinary way the Surinamese pipa takes care of its offspring, Boris Zakhoder wrote a beautiful poem dedicated to her motherly feeling. So this frog became famous.
Many admire the maternal instincts of a cat or dog, but nature has not only rewarded them with excellent parental qualities. And let the male of the Surinamese pipa not care about its offspring, like a leafolaz frog, for example, the female copes well alone, providing her babies with everything they need.
In the end, I want to note, no matter what kind of mother she looks - beautiful or ugly, for her children she still remains the most wonderful and beloved.