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Mystery frog

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sarah

Guest
I have no idea on the scientific name but it looks like a common African Dwarf Frog to me.
 
C

chris

Guest
Hymenochirus boettgeri or H. curtipes I reckon. There are a lot of H. curtipes around at the moment (in the UK).

Chris
 
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chris

Guest
Hello Mike.

There are only two species of dwarf clawed toads, one of which has two subspecies. The only other similar species is Pseudhymenochirus merlini from West Africa, which has probably never been exported. The smallest species of Pipa (P. parva) is three times the size of any Hymenochirus and no Pipa have webbed front feet.

As for which one you have....they are very difficult to tell apart and I'm in unchartered waters here. I THINK H. curtipes is stockier, has shorter limbs and shorter, stumpier fingers. If I'm right, the ones around at the moment belong to this species and they are in great shape. I bought a group of five and they haven't stopped calling, amplexing and spawning since I had them about a month ago. In the past imporations were thin and in poor shape. I think these were boettgeri but I could be wrong.

I hope this helps.

Chris

PS If you read German there's a great book called 'Amphibien im Aquarium' by Hans-Joachim Herrman, with lots of information on aquatic frogs (and caecilians and salamanders,of course). Published 1994.
 

mike

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Very helpful Chris. I've had very poor luck with the frogs I've assumed to be boettgeri, largely due to the dreadful shape they were in when I got them. I'm happy to be persuaded that this frog is curtipes - it certainly fits your description - and it's nearly bulletproof. I'd love to find some more so I can breed them - where have you seen curtipes recently?
 
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chris

Guest
Mike, they are in a small aquatic suppiers which is part of a garden centre in North Derbyshire. Price £1.40 each!! If that's any help to you I can supply the name etc. but you would have to call in for them. So it depends where you live. Having said that, they must have been imported in large numbers so other suppliers will have them.
 

mike

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I'm in Leicester. I'll be looking around here this weekend. If I don't find any, I'll get back to you next week. Thanks again Chris.
 
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