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Habitat of theGreenPuddleFrog inThailand.
GreenPuddleFrog in typical pose.
This iswhat the little frogs look like
underneath.
°view.Thispositioningof theeyes isclosely
linked to the ecology of theGreen Puddle
Frog.
Ecology
Thereare frogs that spend theirentire lives
underwater.These include thehoneycomb
toads and clawed frogs well known in
vivarium circles.They leave thewater only
exceptionallyand thenbriefly,andcome to
the water’s surface only to breathe. Then
there are frogs that usually sit out of the
water but only so far from it that they can
reach the wet element in a single leap.
These include,forexample,theaquatic frog
Ranakl.esculenta
,native to central Europe.
These ubiquitous green frogs are
stationary hunters that lie in wait for
insects on land, driftwood, or waterlily
leaves, capturing the prey with a single
leap.They don’tmove aroundon land any
more thannecessary,and territorial battles
with conspecifics, and indeed all their
social behavior, takeplace in thewater.The
GreenPuddleFroghasevolvedathird form
of life in water. It spends most of its life
floating on the water’s surface, only
occasionally leaving the water and
scramblingontoa floating leaf or similar.
Occidozyga lima
hunts both above and
below thewater’s surface. It swims over to
small insectsthathave fallenonthesurface
andcaptures themwith itsmobile tongue.
But the Green Puddle Frog can also find
submerged worms such as
Tubifex
and
often stuffs these into its mouthwith the
aidof its forelegs, a behavior familiar from
the clawed frogs. The high-up eyes serve
not only for detectingprey,but alsoand in
particular for spotting enemies. For many
snakes, birds, and even larger frog species
threaten the life of the littleGreen Puddle
Frog.
Maintenance
The maintenance of these dainty little
creatures is easy. They pose no particular
demands regardingeitherwater chemistry
or food.Astandardaquariummeasuring60
x 30 x 30 cm is perfectly adequate for the
maintenanceof 6-12 specimens.Themales
sometimes fight among themselves, and
this is interesting towatchas it looks likea
boxing match when the little frogs meet
while floating on the surface and attack
each other with their front legs. These
squabbles are, however, completely
harmless.
Theaquariummust beonlyhalf filledwith
water, and the depth of substrate (fine
