# UPDATED.....Melanophryniscus stelzneri, video! Last page



## Guest (Aug 21, 2005)

Hi everyone,

Im looking to name three frogs, whose arrival im am awaiting. 
I want there names to be the typical Argentinian names. Is there anyone here familiar with Argentina, or from Argentina that can help me. I would need two girl names, and one boy name. 

Im getting 1.2 Melanophryniscus stelzneri's and that species is from Pampas. 

Thanks.


----------



## elmoisfive (Dec 31, 2004)

You could always go with Juan, Eva (or Evita) and Isabel. Definitely names from Argentina's history for those who remember the Peron legacy.

Bill


----------



## Jace King (May 5, 2004)

My parents made me go watch that at Cluwes hall (mispelled) when i was like 10. That, fiddler on the roof, and the phantom of the opera. I liked fiddler but the others were just not my style.


----------



## Guest (Aug 21, 2005)

I guess its too hard to name them typical argentinian names since there names are just as common in the rest of South and Central America. 
So how about common, typical, Argentinian expressions??


----------



## Guest (Aug 22, 2005)

bump!


----------



## kleinhanz (Oct 18, 2004)

I personally do not name my frogs, but I noticed that a lot of people name their frogs by certain markings, colorings, and/or certain uniquness to the individual. Maybe post some pics of the un-named frogs to inspire us....


----------



## Guest (Aug 22, 2005)

Well, actually My avatar is a picture of their species. 
But I was gonna name them "Che" or Pive" for the male, "Piva" and "Pebeta" for the two females. These are common sayings that really dont have much meaning but are only used by Argentinians.


----------



## kleinhanz (Oct 18, 2004)

> Che" or Pive" for the male, "Piva" and "Pebeta


Sounds cool to me!!


----------



## Guest (Aug 22, 2005)

Thanks, i thought it would be funny to give them names that give away their origins.


----------



## Guest (Aug 24, 2005)

Ok, I got my new toads yesterday (they belong to the bufonidae family), and they are fantastic!! I feel like i got a trio of darts. They are 1" long, and they eat springtails and mites all day. Two of them are really bold, and one seems to be kinda shy, but they are all active. I have learned to recognize them by the markings between their eyes. So as soon as I figure out which is the male, I can give them the following names:

"Che Pive" --> for the male (I was told he would be the smallest of the lot.

"Piva" --> for one female.

"Pebeta" --> for the other female. 

Here is pic of one of them. Sorry for the quality, but its a camera phone, the only camera I own  










the really blurry red thing on the right side is a standard thermometer sold at pet stores.


----------



## Guest (Sep 15, 2005)

*UPDATE*

Hi everyone, ok, along with the pic above this post, I have 4 new pics to share with everyone. The only way I could get them to not hide from the big bad camera phone was by feeding them during the photo shoot. 





































What do you think Trow?


----------



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

O.K. so where did you get them? Are they wild caught? How does one sex this toad?

Very Cool, good luck.


----------



## trow (Aug 25, 2005)

*Bumble bee toads*

Khamul they look great only one thing it takes alot of springtails to fill up one of those suckers.Hopefully you have friutflys etc.Also grassy peak the male is captive born the two females are wild caught roughly 2.5 years old
The only way i have sexed them(100%) is calling I dont like to pick mine up or mess with them other than feeding.
Also khamul I have some more toadlets I will try and post a pic
later


----------



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

TROW, 

Can you tell us about their captive breeding? Do you have any available?


----------



## Guest (Sep 16, 2005)

They finished all the visible spring tails and mites in the first two days. Don't worry, I got plenty of fruit flies. Still can't find termites though.


----------



## trow (Aug 25, 2005)

*M.Stezneri*

Honestly it was alot easier than first expected I got a group of 20 about 3 years ago from a local importer exporter. I have had them in the past but they came in horrible even with the best efforts they perished but this group was different whoever shipped or packed them actually cared about the animals and they were flawless so I bought everyone he had.They were eating in no time termite specialists is what they turned out to be although they will eat just about anything except larger sized crickets mine never touch them.As far as info there wasnt any good info and there still isnt alot of people have had them or worked with them until they got bored and found something else to mess with.Mine have been through 4 hurricanes when most of my frogs died because of power outage they made it temps exceeding 92.I couldnt beleive it they come from a reasonably cool climate so I was shocked.Anyway the only way to induce breeding is brumation mine get cooled down for atleast three weeks just like some of my leaftails.Water is always available but food is limited to anything that is scrounged during brumation.Once that period is over I slowly increase temps (By bringing them inside I do this during our florida winter which really isnt one) and increase misting followed by food mostly termites it seems to get them going real fast the males start calling and amplexus begins.I dont really mess with them that much during breeding other than the odd glance the enclosure I use is a large tupperware that has a misting nozzle attached to the lid and the water is left on for atleast a hour and a half.Java moss is spread real thick about an inch of water covers the moss.The toads can swim but are not very gracefull about it.So you must have a way for them to get out.Once the males are attached to the females if they stay that way after a little shuffling and dancing around the female begins to release her eggs a dozen or so at a time(estimated i never counted) but she will have a large clutch if healthy already.The eggs stick to anything plants rocks etc.Once the tads hatch it is pretty straight forward.Mine love algae as well as protein I use the same bulk food I feed my fish which is a mix of both.The temps they seem to do best at are around room temp 75 to 78.And once they pop they are the coolest little suckers almost exact except color but body shape is identical.Keep in small 16 quart tupperware with coco fiber mixture and a small water dish they love to soak even the adults.Also temps in the high 50's to low 60's have proved enough for there brumation even though you could probally go cooler with no ill effects.
later


----------



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Great Info trow,

This should be posted under the heading Melanophryniscus stelzneri. Doing a search on these guys doesn’t get one much in the way of spawning accounts. 

Please pm me if you have any extra toadlets available.


----------



## Guest (Sep 17, 2005)

Every year at around october the temperatures in my apartment dip to around 60 ish. Its too warm for the building to bother to kick start the heater, and too cold to live comfortably. But at least this year something good can come of it. They can go into brumation without getting disturbed. How much water do the taddies need? Is this enough?

Its a 29 gallon tank.


----------



## trow (Aug 25, 2005)

*Toads*

I cant really tell how deep it is but The containers I use have about six inches of water.There is usually a couple hundred so the gallons equate to about a 10 gallons.Roughly a 20 long filled half way.
cya.
That tank looks good


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

WOW. BTW: These technically aren't "darts" either. :lol: 

I wanted these frogs, but I ran out of room. They'd be the next "small anuran feeding on fruit flies" that I'd get eventually.


----------



## Guest (Sep 20, 2005)

Rain_Frog said:


> WOW. BTW: These technically aren't "darts" either. :lol:
> 
> I wanted these frogs, but I ran out of room. They'd be the next "small anuran feeding on fruit flies" that I'd get eventually.


No they arent darts in anyway or form. They just kinda look like them. They are toads. Little and cute though they are, but toads no less.


----------



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

It’s the lounge, toads are fare game.


----------



## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

I always thought these toads were cool because the size and patterns are similar to some Atelopus.


----------



## Guest (Sep 20, 2005)

Are these toads easy to get? What do they usually run in price?


----------



## Guest (Sep 20, 2005)

I don't know much about Atelopus, except zetekii. Can you guys give me some examples of them. Why do they attract hobbiest soo much, other than that they are frogs, or are they toads too?


----------



## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Why do Mysteriosus attract hobbiests? Because you can't get them. Atelopus are toads also.


----------



## frogsintn (Mar 26, 2004)

trow,
will you be selling any more in the near future??
rich


----------



## trow (Aug 25, 2005)

*B.Btoads*

I have had some people interested in these toads but right now I having some issues with a few of the toadlets dieing for no apparent reason if anyone is interested I will have some next spring I know it is awhile but I need to figure out why before these go anywhere.Thanks and 
cya

Also dane why do you have to reply to khamul that way a simple yes they are toads and explanation are all that is needed.


----------



## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

> Also dane why do you have to reply to khamul that way a simple yes they are toads and explanation are all that is needed.


I thought that's what I did. Maybe you read something into my post that wasn't there.


----------



## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

atelopus attract hobbyists, because you cant get them. If you had them, it would be cool beyond belief. Also, they look really cool. Personally, although i wouldnt turn down most rare darts or atelopus, i think it is a little extreme. Take castis for example. Maybe its just me, but i really dont think they are pretty or cute at all. Yet, people buy them because they are sorta rare, and they are illegal technically, so i guess it is a thrill to own them or something. Just my opinion, nobody get mad at me.


----------



## Guest (Sep 21, 2005)

I get it, exotic air about them. I'll look some pics later to see if they are pretty or not.

Speaking of, does anyone out there keep the smallest frog in the world? I dont remember the name, but it lives in cuba, and is smaller than a dime full grown. It was mentioned in an article a while back on National Geographic Mag. Anyone know the name?


----------



## trow (Aug 25, 2005)

*B.B toads*

Twisner I agree they are not appealing to me either(Castis).
cls
Dane maybe I did sorry about that.
cya


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

Seth Doty had some available a while back. You might want to ask him.

What is the ideal temp range? They can tolerate pretty low temps during the winter I hear, about 50 degrees. I believe that is what Seth did to breed them.


----------



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Hey Khamul 1of 9,

How are these guys doing?


----------



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Bump 

Khamul1of9 you out there?


----------



## Guest (Oct 14, 2005)

Hey, they are doing great
They are more active now in days than at the beginning. My secret, plenty of fruit flies, powdered alternatively with calcium and vitamins 2 or 3 times a week. ANd NEVER NEVER Touch them. 

Thanks for asking.


----------



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

You’re welcome. I’d love to see some more photos if you can get your hands on a digital camera.


----------



## Guest (Oct 14, 2005)

I'm still shopping for one,  . I can't wait to give them a photo opt.

I finally got them a timer for their lights, and now that the wheather is turning cooler, I plan on shortening their photo period little by little. According to Trow, they should go into brumation to give them a long and "productive" life. :wink:


----------



## Guest (Oct 14, 2005)

I was thinking of getting an HP digi cam, cuase of price and my computer is an HP. I trust HP products. What do you all suggest??


----------



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

I just got the Panasonic DMC-FZ20. Pricey but I like it.


----------



## rattler_mt (Apr 15, 2005)

IIRC Consumer Reports this month has a bunch of stuff on Digi Cams. might be worth a look. a local library should have a copy if you cant find it


----------



## Guest (Oct 14, 2005)

Thanks.


----------



## Guest (Oct 17, 2005)

Ok, so I put in a pin cushion plant, Netera grandensis, into my viv. The first thing my toads do is investigate the new plant. I had no idea they were so inquisitive!

I didnt get a pic of the toad on the plant, but here is a pic of the plant im talking about.


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

In reply to Twisner,

I like all frogs, but I even admit sometimes certain frogs are best left in the wild, due to their difficulty. While mantellas are great and all, keeping temps cool enough/ etc. can sometimes be unpractical, Atelopus included. The sad thing is, perhaps only people interested as much as we are can preserve them in the wild, because Madagascar's forest will be gone soon as well as chytrids killing off Atelopus. So perhaps it's good that hobbyists want them, but we must be very willing to breed them. Even better, keep them 100% isolated, sterilize everything, so if we ever can reintroduce them, perhaps they won't bring anything nasty back to Ecuador (which can be a problem with reintroduced animals) and kill off other frogs. I am in no shape or form to participate in a breeding project like this (except for donating to Justin Yeager's project), due to my inexperience. Good luck if anybody ever gets a hold of the Atelopus, as well as those who are dedicated to breeding Mantella aurantiaca.


----------



## Guest (Oct 17, 2005)

Rain_Frog said:


> In reply to Twisner,
> 
> Even better, keep them 100% isolated, sterilize everything, so if we ever can reintroduce them, perhaps they won't bring anything nasty back to Ecuador (which can be a problem with reintroduced animals) and kill off other frogs. I am in no shape or form to participate in a breeding project like this (except for donating to Justin Yeager's project), due to my inexperience. Good luck if anybody ever gets a hold of the Atelopus, as well as those who are dedicated to breeding Mantella aurantiaca.


Wouldnt this leave the frogs vulnerable to infections and other diseases that are present in the wild???


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

Not if they are direct WC and are exposed only to other atelopus and frogs found in the region (as well as keeping the soils and plants sterilized), hence, keeping them as separate as possible. But they are already vulnerable to infections of chytrid within their own populations, which is leading to their extinction.

There's more of a problem with alien species or captive then released animals BRINGING IN something then not being immune to native diseases.

The problem with this idea, it is very, very difficult, due to plants, soil, wood, etc. to keep a lockdown on everything, even if the frogs are 100% separated from other frogs. You never know what could hitchhike in the vivariums onto the frogs and then back to Ecuador. Perhaps its best the breeding project that Justin is working on is best to stay there.


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

A few questions, because I'm considering these frogs myself. Are they ok at 75-82? And what humidity percentage? As much as it kills me, I may decide to sell my betsileo and replace with these (or something) because keeping it cool enough for them isn't the easiest thing to do.


----------



## Guest (Nov 2, 2005)

Yea I keep mine between 75 and 80, becuase thats the ambient temperature in my apartment in the winter. The humidity is around 65- 80 at most. But I heard they dont like it more than that. 

One of the important things I've noticed about them is that they actually like each other. So get more than one. I can actually imagine one of them dieing of loneliness if it had to live alone.


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

What does their call sound like? What about nighttime temps?


----------



## Guest (Nov 2, 2005)

I haven't heard them sing yet. I guess they only sing at certain times. I've had them only since August. Maybe some else can answer that? 

Night time temps have gone as low as 65. Apparently these guys are really tough and they can take a wider range of temps than darts do. 

Here is a nice how to sheet though.

http://www.amphibiancare.com/frogs/care ... oad01.html

And yet another:

http://www.amphibiancare.com/frogs/care ... oad02.html

I believe that one of the three im keeping is captive bred/born. So breeding is possible.


----------



## Guest (Nov 13, 2005)

*Update for those interested*

Well, I still haven't got a digi cam, maybe Christmas?? The pin cushion plant is still alive (I didnt think it would last this long). Anyway, more importantly and to the point, I began feeding them termites which I obtained from work. We (at work) got them from Conneticut Valley Biological supply company. They were bought for bio lab use (to study the protozoa that live in their gut that helps them digest wood). So I got the left overs, and they seem to be doing really well. I got five small containers, I feed 9 from each container, one container per day, leave it alone for a month, and when I come back not only are they still alive, but it actually seems like there are more now.
The toads love these guys. They get a little spooked by the big bad tweezers that bring the termites, but they go right after them as soon as they see them. 

Does anyone know If I should take the termites out of their small dark containers, and put them into a larger one? I want to see if they actually are multiplying or is it just my imagination. 

Thanks.


----------



## trow (Aug 25, 2005)

*Toads*

They probally are producing(termites)As far as hearing the toads call once you brumate and bring temps up with adequate humidity they will call call and call.If you cant get them to reproduce I will hook you up with some more in the spring the ones I got are doing great no die offs anymore.Although the waiting list has grown substantially dont worry grassy yours are guaranteed.
later


----------



## Guest (Nov 18, 2005)

That sounds wonderfull! How long does it take for them to morph? A few days? I hope mine are successfull. 

I just noticed that one of the females is reallly round around the belly. The small male is still small, though plump. But lately he's been hanging out more often than not in a dark corner. I think the big female has kicked him out of his cave. Though sometimes he goes to the other cave I've got in there for them. The third one, is just a bit bigger than the male, and no where near as big as the big female (could this be another male??). In any case, "she" seems to be the most active of the group.
They are a riot to watch though.


----------



## trow (Aug 25, 2005)

*B>B toads*

Within a few weeks they will metamophasize into tiny toadlets,Make sure you have springtails or small food items similar in size.Some people have claimed to have had them turn in shorter times although mine havent changed so rapidly.I have had big males and smaller females it is hard to really tell sex until males begin to call.Although females in general are more rotound than males but you have witnessed there extreme eating capabilities they are flatout pigs.I am trying to get some new species it has been a real pain in theh ass but I am working on it.

The weird thing to me is that they almost seem in the middle of evolving into a direct developement type of amphibian,due to short metamorph times.
cya


----------



## Guest (Nov 23, 2005)

*New Digi Cam Pix*

Ok, so I got a Digital camera, FINALLY :wink: , its a Nikon CoolPix 4600, thanks asydabass for the help choosing a cam!

Anyway, first thing I did was take pics of my fam, and then the viv and the toads. Here we are:





































Here is Che Pive coming out of his cave, I dont know how the computer was able to give me such a close up???








Who says they cant swim? I named this pic Jesus Christ Toad since it looks like its walking on water, lol.


----------



## trow (Aug 25, 2005)

*Toads*

Yes Khamul from the pics I am almost positive you have 1.2
goodluck
cya


----------



## Derek Benson (Feb 19, 2004)

Man, I miss mie. I haven't seen thme imported in a while, has anyone else?


----------



## Guest (Nov 23, 2005)

I havent seen them imported since 2002. I saw them for the first time at Petland Discounts for $10 dollars a toad. I thought that was expensive at the time, so I bought one sick one. Oh well.


----------



## Guest (Jan 2, 2006)

*Update, start of Brumation*

Im planning on brumating these guys in a few months, mean while Im gonna start shortening the length of their days by about an hour a month. Maybe I'll shorten it three or 4 hours before brumation? What do you guys think? Or is it not necessary?

These guys are from Argentina, so how much of a seasonal change would they see?


----------



## Guest (Jan 25, 2006)

*Ever wish you could go inside your viv?????*

So I took some video of my toads today using my digi cam. 
The quality isnt the best, but its nice. 
It gave me a view of my viv I never had before, FROM THE INSIDE!! Whish I could do this with a smaller camera.
The toads dont really seem to be bothered by the big giant camera. Hope you all enjoy.

Click here to watch Melanophryniscus-stelzneri-vivarium


----------



## Guest (Feb 5, 2006)

Another pic of one of my toads.


----------

