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Many reptile and amphibian species have cryptic coloration that allows them to blend into their surroundings.  A few species even have textured skin to help them completely disappear into their surroundings.  Mossy Frogs are one of the species that combine both cryptic coloration of greens, browns, and reds, with bumpy textured skin to make them one of nature’s best camouflage artists.  These semi-aquatic frogs spend the majority of their lives in flooded caves and tree hollows on the walls and in the water.  They can also be found along the edges of cold mountain streams blending into the moss and vegetation.

Size

They measure about 61 mm (2.4 in) in snout–vent length. The females will grow larger than the males and can reach sizes of 8–9 cm (3.1–3.5 in). This species will curl into a ball when frightened, and play dead.

Life Span

A lifespan of 20 years or longer is not out of the question

Enclosure

The Vietnamese Mossy Frog comes from the northern regions of Vietnam and adjacent southern China. Their habitat consists of moist, lowland evergreen tropical or montane rainforests and woodlands, and the adjacent caves and rocky cliffs.  Average elevation where they are found is 3,000 feet above sea level!  This means that these frogs are used to much a much cooler habitat and rarely see temperatures over 75°F.  These incredible frogs are nocturnal so they are the most active at night.  They are also semi-aquatic and spend a lot of time in stagnant water in tree hollows and flooded caves.

Housing must be sealed and escape proof. For frogs that are 1.5” long or smaller, you’ll want to use a smaller habitat such as the 8”x10”x15” Front Opening Terrarium, but for adults an 18”x18”x25” Front Opening Terrarium or larger makes an incredible habitat.  For substrate, the best option is a pool of water with a small filter and sticks, plants, and cork bark to allow them to get up out of the water.

Heating & Lighting

It’s important to create a thermal gradient (or a warm and cool side) in the cage/enclosure, but this species should never get above 75°F.  They are extremely cold tolerant, however, and can handle temperatures down into the 50’s. For most homes, this means keeping them at room temperature with no heating. If you’re home gets above 75°F, especially during the summer, this may not be a great species for you to keep.  These animals, like so many other, benefit highly from access to UVA/UVB lighting. Spot clean the enclosure for urates, feces, or uneaten food at least once per week. Make sure to do a 50% water change every month to remove dead crickets and waste.

Diet

With the cold temperatures that these frogs live at, they have a much slower metabolism and only eat about 6-10 insects a week.  In captivity, the best option for food is live crickets or roaches. Feeder insects should be fed a nutritional gut-load insect food. When feeding spray the insects with calcium supplement and vitamin supplement 1-2 times weekly for additional calcium and vitamin D3, along with other essential nutrients. 

Breeding

Captive propagation is relatively easy, and every frog produced in captivity is one less frog taken from the wild.

Tadpoles need to be raised at cooler temperatures in order to produce females with any regularity. By raising them in water temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees, the ratio of resulting females to males can be about 1:4. If tadpoles are raised at room temperatures they tend to highly skew male.

Mossy frogs are relatively easy to sex once you know what you are looking for, but sex is not as obvious as with many other frog species. First, you’ll want to make sure you have mature specimens. For most species of mossy frog, this means the frogs are at least 8 to 10 months old. Females are larger, with wider heads and shorter snouts than males. Male mossy frogs possess well-developed nuptial pads on their forelegs. These pads are found on the “thumb” of the frog, and appear reddish and swollen during breeding season (see photo). Nuptial pads help male frogs hold on to females during amplexus, while the frogs are mating. Females may exhibit underdeveloped nuptial pads, so be careful when sexing your frogs. 

Male mossy frogs will generally call at night, sometimes at a very early age. I once had a 4-month-old Vietnamese mossy frog very nearly get me kicked out of a hotel after it started hooting at night. The call resembles a mechanical owl, and consists of a beautiful hooting melody. Mossy frog calls can be loud, but their melodic nature makes them easy to fall asleep to.