Copyright © 2015 by West Australian Herpetological Society

 

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Basic Guides to Captive Husbandry

Western Spotted Frog

Heleioporus albopunctatus Western Spotted Frog (Heleioporus albopunctatus) – Males up to 79mm. Females up to 100mm total length. DPaW Herpetofauna Licence Category 3. This species is rarely kept in captivity and little documented data is available for the species within the genus Heleioporus.

NATURAL HABITAT AND BEHAVIOUR: Western Spotted Frogs are distributed in the southwest of Western Australia and the adjacent arid zone, extending from Kalbarri, south to Tambellup and east to Jerramungup and Frank Hann National Park. This species inhabits areas with clay to sandy soils, near watercourses that dry up in summer and are inundated in winter. These frogs spend the daylight hours and extended dry periods buried in moist, cool soil. When it rains and while there is ample surface moisture available, they emerge to forage above ground at night. In burying themselves they rotate like a corkscrew, digging out dirt underneath and throwing it on top of them.

HOUSING: Glass aquariums with a securely fitted cover make ideal frog vivariums. The lid should provide good ventilation while being secure and escape-proof. This can be achieved by using a wooden framed lid with an attached inset of fly-wire, aviary or rodent mesh or shadecloth. Being a ground dwelling burrowing species, both the surface area and depth of substrate are most important. A vivarium measuring 60-90 cm long, 45 cm wide and 60 cm high (2’-3’ x 18” x 2’) is recommended for an adult pair. CAPTIVE ENVIRONMENT: These burrowers require 30-40 cm of substrate that is free-draining but still moisture retentive and allows them to repeatedly dig up and down through it without it becoming compacted. A mixture of sand, clay and fine-ground palm peat can be used to achieve this. If using surface soil that has been dug up, it should be thoroughly dried and then left for a couple of days, to kill any potential pathogens present. The substrate should be kept moist but not wet, so when the top 1cm dries out it is time to spray or mist it. To avoid it becoming water logged, first insert a base drainage layer of 5 cm of gravel, such as coarse road base or large pea gravel, and then cover this with weed mat or shade cloth to allow water through but exclude substrate. Water can be removed from this layer via a length of 13 mm polypipe inserted full depth down one corner, with an inner plastic tube for siphoning. Leaves or wooden debris can be used on the surface to provide hiding spots or an entrance site to the burrow. Furnishing should be kept simple to allow the frogs ample space to forage and to facilitate ease in feeding and cleaning. Live plants can used but should be kept in pots which slip into water-proof sleeves inserted in the substrate. Sleeves can be purchased as plant pots without drainage holes or made from empty plastic containers, such as yoghurt or takeaway tubs. This allows plants to be easily removed for watering or swapping to revive in a shade house. Use tough, non-toxic, shade-tolerant plants with non-spiky leaves, such as Pothos, Ferns or Fairy Lights (Isolepis cernua).

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HEATING: Vivarium heating needs to provide the same temperature range that they would normally have access to in their natural environment: 18-25ºC during the day and 15-23ºC at night-time for the warmer months of the year; a little lower in Spring and Autumn; and further decreased in Winter. Given this, they would require a room where the temperature does not exceed 24oC during the hottest days in summer and is several degrees cooler at night. To establish the required thermal gradient, a very low wattage heat mat or loop of heat cord can be placed against or slightly underneath one end only. Be sure to allow sufficient ventilation around the heat source, as per the product use instructions, to avoid potential excessive heat build up. An alternative to this is using a household compact fluorescent globe attached to the vivarium ceiling at one end. It is essential that the frogs are not able to get close enough to a heating source to burn themselves. Therefore globes in particular should be surrounded by a wire safety cage, large enough to comfortably hold your fingers against once the heat source has fully warmed up. It is strongly recommended that a thermostat be used to regulate the heat source and a thermometer employed to monitor the thermal gradient within the vivarium. It is prudent to use heat sources with the minimum wattage required, given the possible but unlikely event that a thermostat might fail. LIGHTING: A room that gets enough natural daylight to see without having to turn on a house light provides sufficient natural lighting for the frogs to distinguish day from night, and also the seasons (by changes in day length). Additional lighting can be added irrespective. It is recommended that this be via a straight fluorescent tube, preferably mounted in a reflector unit, placed across the top of a mesh lid. This will avoid heat from the lighting interfering with the thermal gradient. For growing plants, normal household tubes are adequate but globes designed for freshwater planted aquariums are a little better. Cage lighting can be readily synchronised with natural photoperiods by using a 24 hour timer and on the first day of each month setting the on/off times to the same time as sunrise/sunset for that day. UV lighting is not essential for this highly nocturnal burrowing species. WATER: Fresh clean water should be provided at all times in a container that the frogs can climb in and out of without it being tipped over. Change the water and clean the bowl every few days, or sooner if required. Scheme water contains varying amount of chlorine and this can be hazardous to frogs. It can be removed by adding an aquarium ‘water ager’, as per the instructions, or by placing the water in direct sunlight for two to three days. Rainwater is a great alternative, however the source needs to be clean such that it is guaranteed free from potential pathogens. FOOD: Western Spotted Frogs are primarily insectivorous, feeding on a range of invertebrates. Frogs by nature are ravenous feeders, highly stimulated by movement of potential prey items. In captivity, a diet consisting of live wood roaches, crickets, moths, silkworms and mealworms should be provided. Use freshly moulted mealworms if possible, as their exoskeleton once hardened is not easily digested. The phosphorous to calcium ratio of feeder insects is also important, so maintain variety, adding silkworms when available. To avoid potential calcium deficiency it is recommended to dust and gut load feeder insects with a proprietary calcium powder, but no more often than once a week. This species comes to the surface to forage for food at night and should be fed at this time when active. The amount of food offered will vary depending on the time of year, heating and age of individuals. As a guide, adults should be fed 3-4 large food items or 4-6 medium sized, 2 to 3 times per week, while juveniles should be fed 3-4 medium sized items or 4-6 small items, every second day. Remove any insects still remaining the following morning.

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DISTINGUISHING GENDER AND BREEDING: Mature males are readily distinguished from their female counterparts by the presence of a large black spine, and one to two smaller spines, on the first finger (thumb). Following the first winter rains in Autumn, males construct and begin calling from breeding burrows. These elongated tunnels are dug into the margins of ephemeral swamps or the banks of streams into mostly clay-based soils, and positioned where they will be flooded by the rising water levels. The male’s call is a “coo” sound, repeated about once per second. Enticed females lay 250-700 eggs in a foam nest at the bottom of the burrow, where the tadpoles hatch and can be sustained for some time by the jelly mass until flooded and freed. Their rate of development is then dependent on a number of factors that include water depth, food availability and temperature. Development to metamorphosis normally takes between two and three months. At the time of writing, this species has not been recorded as being bred in captivity. To do so would require setting up a separate breeding enclosure for use in Autumn, consisting of 50 cm depth of a higher clay substrate able to maintain the breeding burrow structure. Given induction of breeding responses in other species, it is felt that a ‘rain chamber effect’ provided at the same time as local rain events at this of year is a likely way to induce successful spawning. HEALTH PROBLEMS: Health issues are almost invariably the result of either husbandry that is not meeting the basic requirements of the animal or poor hygiene practices or inadequate quarantine procedures. The best way to prevent health issues is therefore to periodically check that all the husbandry parameters are being met, to be regular and diligent with cleaning and to adhere to the recommended quarantine procedures. These frogs are susceptible to a number of bacterial, viral and fungal diseases as well as several different parasitic infestations. If you notice any significant unexplainable changes, such as alterations to body form, skin colour or skin texture, unusual behaviour like remaining on the surface at daytime, loss of appetite or loss of righting reflex, weird or offensive smelling faeces etc, then quickly contact a knowledgeable veterinarian experienced with amphibians to examine and diagnose the problem. QUARANTINE: Quarantine of recently acquired frogs prior to introducing them to other individuals is essential to prevent accidental introduction of diseases or parasites. Similarly, individuals that may be having health issues should also be isolated from the rest. These measures will help prevent the spread of viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic ailments. A minimum period of four weeks quarantine is strongly recommended. Fig 1 & 2. Images of Western Spotted Frogs showing pattern variation (Perth hills).

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Photographs courtesy of Joe Porter Fig 3. Habitat of the Western Spotted Frog showing a typical creek after winter rains.

Photograph courtesy of Joe Porter

Copyright © 2015 by West Australian Herpetological Society

 

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Diagram 1: Example of an enclosure set up suitable for general keeping.

Diagram 2: Example of an enclosure set up for breeding (use during Autumn).

FURTHER READING: A Guide to Australian Frogs in Captivity – Scott Eipper, Australia. Keeping Frogs – Mark Davidson, Australia. Field Guide to Frogs of Western Australia, Fourth Edition – Michael Tyler and Paul Doughty, Western Australia. Tadpoles and Frogs of Australia. Marion Anstis, Australia. DISCLAIMER: It is important to note that WAHS caresheets are suggestions only, and are based on input from experienced amphibian keepers within WAHS and further afield where required. WAHS encourages keepers to gather information from a wide range of sources. You should always check for mandatory requirements with the relevant licensing body – in Western Australia it is the Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Water  bowl  

Wooden  frame  lid  with  wire  mesh  insert  

30  cm  depth  of  substrate  

5cm  depth  of  gravel  

Aquarium  

Heating  element    (mat  or  cord)      

Layer  of  weed  mat  or  similar  material                  (mat  or  cord)      

 Scattered  leaf  litter  and  piece  of  timber    

50  cm  depth  of  heavier  substrate  capable  of  maintaining  a  burrow    

Steep  embankment      to  allow  for  burrow  construction  

Heating  element                  (mat  or  cord)                –  note  air  gap