# why are true tomato frogs never available?



## white (May 16, 2009)

i have noticed that people only sell false tomato frogs,are true one extinct?


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## NBLADE (Apr 11, 2007)

true tomatoe frogs are from madagascar i believe, and madagascar has a no import law that stops them from being shipped out of the country, so you just cant get hold of them, this is what i'm led to believe anyway, i am not that clued up on true tomatoe frogs


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## white (May 16, 2009)

so are panther chameleons and there are plenty of them


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## NBLADE (Apr 11, 2007)

white said:


> so are panther chameleons and there are plenty of them


 
thats because panthers are so common over there, they were shipped over in there thousands before the ban came into force, and then loads of people bred them, tomatoe frogs are less common in the wild, and so less were brought over,


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## Bearnandos (Nov 24, 2009)

*The true tom frog Dyscophus antongili is now on the CITES endangered list so*
_*restrictions would have made it difficult to obtain unless c/b.*_
*Arrggg why my comp gone all dodgy...*


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## jennlovesfrogs (Jan 22, 2009)

my local reptile shop has a 'tomato frog' for sale, it's listed as tomato, not false tomato, but I highly doubt it's a real tomato frog! nether the less it's still £65!


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

This is what I hate about certain trade names.

There are 3 species of Tomato Frog (Dyscophus); D.antongilii, D.guineti, & D.insularis. These are all true Tomato Frogs and all 3 species are Madagascan.

The species you see labeled as 'False' Tomato Frogs are usually D.guineti. Sure D.guineti might not be quite so vibrantly coloured as D.antongilii but they are still very beautiful animals and there is nothing false about them.

D.antongilii are indeed CITES listed, they used to be available in the pet trade but now there are very few left in the hands of hobbyists.

D.guineti are bred on a commercial scale in the US and it's mostly these that you see in the pet shops, there are also a couple of people that breed them here in the UK but the majority are US bred. Imports of WC adult D.guineti also come in to the country now and then and WC D.insularis less frequently, D.insularis is quite dull in comparison to the other species so aren't as popular.

Yeah but anyway to get to my point, don't be put of by the word 'false' they aren't fakes or anything, it's not like someone dipped a few Kaloula in red paint, they are still a species of Tomato Frog (Dyscophus).


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## white (May 16, 2009)

i want a vibrant one


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## Lukethegecko (Feb 25, 2010)

white said:


> i want a vibrant one


feed the feeder insects things like red bell peppers and carrots


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Lukethegecko said:


> feed the feeder insects things like red bell peppers and carrots


That won't change the basic species colouring, I'm afraid. As pointed out above, the 'true' or 'common' tomato frog is no more true than the others- just naturally brighter-coloured, and it certainly isn't common anymore.


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## Lukethegecko (Feb 25, 2010)

Ron Magpie said:


> That won't change the basic species colouring, I'm afraid. As pointed out above, the 'true' or 'common' tomato frog is no more true than the others- just naturally brighter-coloured, and it certainly isn't common anymore.


wont the anthrocynins in the peppers and carrots help bolster the colour of the frog like in canaries?


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Lukethegecko said:


> wont the anthrocynins in the peppers and carrots help bolster the colour of the frog like in canaries?


Only if the frog (like the canary) is predesposed to that colour- which they aren't. They are still pretty enough frogs, though. :2thumb:


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## Lukethegecko (Feb 25, 2010)

true ^^


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## andaroo (Nov 14, 2008)

i love my tomato frog :flrt: shes so fat and greedy. She's bright orange and her back legs are bright red like the colour of d. antongili. Shes pretty lazy but comes out at night every couple of days. Much better than a pacman frog :lol2:


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