Delicate Leaf Folding Frog

[Buck Rogers]

I wanted to share some information on a species here in South Africa that doesn't get much attention (from myself included). Leaf Folding frogs (Afrixalus spp) range along the Kwa-Zulu Natal coast of Southern Africa and have many different species in the family. I recently got 2 frogs that hitched hike their way in a batch of plants delivered to a pet shop. At first I thought they were both reed frogs (Arum Lilly Frogs) but on closer inspection I noticed the smaller ones pupils were vertical as apposed to the reed frogs horizontal pupils. So it turned out that I now have an Arum Lilly Frog and a Delicate Leaf folding frog.

I've never really thought much of these frogs before in the past and having tried to keep Leaf Folding frogs in the past with no success I completely wiped them off of my captive list. But since I have this little guy in my care and eating well I thought I should do some reading on them.

In the rainy months the water pans fill up and these little frogs can be heard with a distinct call (a mix between a quack and a click). Because of the number of predatory fish in the waters they lay their eggs on leafs and actually wrap them and glue the leaves closed to protect the developing eggs, hence the name Leaf Folding Frogs.

Here are a few pics of them and I hope you all like, I'll get the latin names up later in the day:



A young Delicate Leaf Folding Frog


Greater Leaf Folding Frog


Another Greater Leaf folding frog

[StephenLS]

I've managed to get four of these! Can you give me any info on the habitat they're found in and temperatures?


Thanks

Steve

[Buck Rogers]

The best comparison I can draw is that of Florida USA to Kwa Zulu Natal, except with lower humidity (sometimes). They are often found in savanna pans or around dams but most of the ones I have found have been in the toilet believe it or not. When ever we find them in the toilet its usually very dry outside and they looking for water, so what I can conclude is that they are very humidity loving. I'm sure if you do some google searches they can give you exact humidity readings for Natal during the different seasons, but generally temps in summer months (September - February) are around 30 - 35 with night temps in the 20s range. Winter temps vary from low teens in the evenings and mid 20s in the day. Winters are a lot dryer in Natal, even though they have high humidity.

To be honest when I think back I almost have always found them in trees and not on reeds around pans. There is a large pond where I go do my frogging when I go to our house in Natal and the reed frogs are all on the reeds calling, the cacos and smaller frogs in the water and the Leaf Folding Frogs are always up in the trees.

A bit about the actual habitat, the trees are low lying bushveld trees. So you not really going to find any massive (like a bluegum), they usually only about 3m high at most and obviously the trees do vary in leaf shape and size.

From my last bad experience with these and now this success with such a small little guy I can say one thing for sure, they do not like the cold!!! I lost 4 to cold weather! I kept the first batch in a tall exo-terra style viv with water and potted plants and they slowly just died off without feeding. Keeping this one in a small tupperware tub with a water bowl and a paper napkin and placed near a heat source has made a big difference.

They tend to be very secretive animals and hide a lot so a plant like a ficus or some type of creeper with very thick foliage and broad leaves can be very beneficial.

If you have made a viv that is very tropical you have taken the wrong route with these, a basic cage with substrate (even hard soil but hard to keep humidity up),even leaf litter, water bowl and enough branches and other climbing material would be your winning option. I'm sure these cna be very rewarding in captivity and actually quite easy to breed. IMO if you put them through a 3 - 6 week cooling period (night time temps of low 10s) and very dry and then push your temps up with lots of spraying and a big enough water bowl you could easily get some magic happening for you

Please post some pics of what your setup looks like and what they look like.