What is an animal like a water-frog? What does an amphibian look like? Where does it live? What kind of lifestyle? What does it eat? What are the peculiarities of keeping a water carrier frog at home? All this will be discussed in our publication.
Appearance
The aquifer frog has a massive head, for which it acquired its second name - bull toad. The body is covered with numerous folds of various lengths. The latter are located on the sides of the body and on the back. Between them are granular areas of the skin that extend to the thigh area. The hind limbs are large and strong. With their help, the frog digs deep shelters.
In most representatives of the species, the back has a bright olive shade. Sometimes individuals are brown. A light stripe stretches along the spine. The belly has a rich yellow color. In young individuals, it has a white tint. The throat contains dark marks.
The aquifer frog has a wide mouth with massive jaws. Inside are several rows of sharp teeth. They serve to capture a fairly large prey.
Such amphibians are capable of reaching a size of about 25 centimeters. What is noteworthy, the body of some representatives of the species has a width almost identical to the length. This applies mainly to males. After all, female aquifer frogs are much smaller. Their sizes usually do not exceed 12 centimeters. As for the weight of the presented creatures, there have been recorded cases when it was possible to catch aquifers weighing more than 2 kilograms.
Habitat
Water-frog frogs are widespread in South Africa. Small animal populations are also found in the central and eastern parts of the continent. Such reptiles are typical representatives of the Namibian fauna. They inhabit the savannah, semi-desert terrain, light forests, vast areas filled with thorny thickets.
Lifestyle
Water-frog frogs exhibit increased activity in the dark. During the day they prefer to sit out in places of moisture accumulation. Often hide from the scorching sun, burrowing into the ground.
A characteristic feature of the species is hibernation. This behavior is observed with the onset of a period of drought. The frog digs deep into the muddy soil, previously accumulating a significant amount of water in the bladder, the volume of which sometimes reaches half a liter. The body of the reptile is covered with a protective cocoon, which consists of thick mucus. The secret that is secreted from the skin prevents the body from drying out and makes it possible to maintain a supply of life-giving moisture. Only the nostrils remain open for air. In such inaction, the frog is able to stay for 5-6 months, waiting for rain.
Breeding
Creeping out of the ground after a long-awaited rainfall, the aquifer begins to actively earn food, preparing for mating. In the mating season, males make loud noises that vaguely resemble the roar of calves.
Water carriers reach puberty at about 8 years of age. Active marriage games coincide with the high season of the rainy season. Representatives of the species crawl into shallow ponds, where they mate. During the search for a sexual partner, such animals become quite aggressive, zealously defending their territory.
Fertilized females are able to lay about 4,000 eggs in shallow water. Each embryo has a size of not more than 2 mm. The eggs have a black and white hue and are enclosed in a dense capsule. Incubation takes several days. Then grayish tadpoles appear, which quickly gain weight.
Metamorphoses begin to occur with newborn frogs after 18 days from birth. Young representatives of the species, whose tail has only recently fallen off and limbs have formed, are up to 2 centimeters in size. It is noteworthy that only about 20% of individuals survive from one clutch to puberty. The rest die when eaten by other animals as a result of a lack of food or under the influence of adverse environmental factors.
The content of a water carrier frog at home
To contain such a reptile, it is necessary to have a fairly spacious terrarium with an area of the bottom of about 600 cm 2 and a depth of 15 cm. A thick layer of substrate should be laid here. Suitable soil, which consists of expanded clay, sphagnum and small pebbles. On the perimeter, you can lay stones, driftwood, planting plants.
In the terrarium, it is necessary to maintain a constant high humidity of at least 50%. Such indicators can be achieved by spraying the frog’s house from the sprayer daily. The temperature of the surrounding space should be no more than 25 ° C.
According to reviews, the aquifer frog is able to absorb almost any food. In nature, representatives of the species prey on insects, other reptiles, small fish, worms, rodents. Often there are cases of cannibalism. In captivity, animals can be offered large pieces of lean meat, mice, and invertebrates. You need to feed the frog about once a week, saturating the food with vitamin supplements and powdered calcium.