Does anyone else have any Kassina Maculata? I found a poorly translated care sheet (which was better than nothing), and I really need some more information on the little guys. They're also called African Red-Legged Walking frogs.
I bought one at Petco, where they told me to keep the temperature around 75 degrees. They said nothing about the humidity, but in the store they had the setup at 60%. I was also told that feeding should take place three times weekly with four dusted crickets. I'm feeding with large crickets, and was told that should be fine.
I'm keeping the one male - I'm pretty sure he's male because he has these black scar-lookin' things on his throat which I believe are for the vocal sac - in a 10 gallon tank with some fabric foliage, natural wood, a rock dish, and coconut fiber substrate.
Anyone have any comments on this setup? I tried to research this frog as best I could before I bought him, but "as best I could" is apparently not very well for this species. How do frogs respond to noise/vibration? The day after I brought hime home (today) some city workers started into the asphault across the street with their jackhammers. As stressful as this was for me and my family...I can't imagine it's helping my Kassina adjust to his new habitat.
On the topic of additional stressors, Petco said this frog could be handled. I don't want to start doing that - assuming it's even alright at all - until he's more used to his new home. How long might this take/should I even handle him at all?

Ok, well here are some pictures of my new frog:

Why they're called "red-legged" walking frogs



A nice little side view




The tank (condensation is from recent misting, the humidity is at 60%)




Comments please!

I've been keeping a female for several years now, but I must sheepishly admit I haven't kept the sharpest eye on what the exact specifications of her habitat have been. I know they will tolerate humidities between 65% and 90%, but the closer to 90% the better (or so I've read. I know mine isn't quite that high. Probably closer to the 70-80% range). A temperature gradient of about 70-80 degrees F will suit him well.

As with all amphibians, it's best if you just don't handle him at all, though it is possible to do so. If you do, just make sure to rinse your hands well before. Be sure to dechlorinate any water you use for his habitat too.

Kassinas are in the same family as reed frogs (Hyperoliidae), which is sort of like Africa's version of the chorus frog/spring peeper. This species goes by red-legged walking/running frog, red-legged pan frog, red-legged kassina, red-legged frog (though there is another species under the same name), brown-spotted reed/tree frog, Vlei frog, and possibly others. Red-legged walking frog and pan frog seem to be the most common though.

Just for fun, you may want to try playing this sound file to your frog a few times and see if he does anything I'd wait until night when he's out and about though. It would be neat if he actually calls back in competition

http://www.calacademy.org/research/h...gs/list14.html

Also just for kicks, here are some pics of my girl, Banshee:

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Thanks for the reply! LOVE the night pic of Banshee. I haven't come up with a name for mine yet.

I played the audio file (good idea, btw) but got no response from my male. The feeder crickets didn't seem to like it though because they went CRAZY.

On the topic of crickets...How often and how much do you usually feed banshee? Do you have live plants in there? If so, what kind are appropriate? Is bottled water okay, or do I need to dechlorinate that too? When I have to clean the tank (not change the bedding, just the water and removing any waste I find), is it best to do it while he's active at night, or during the day while he's burrowed and sleeping? Lots of questions, sorry. Thank you for your time and apparently extensive knowledge (read some of your other posts. Cool stuff, man!) in advance.

I don't have exact amounts and times I feed my herps. I tend to keep it random, as long as they're keeping their weight on. However, Banshee is usually fed at least twice a week, at most every other day (though rarely that often). The amount varies. If she were losing weight, I'd add more, and if she were getting fat, I'd decrease the amount. I'd say she probably eats at least 4 crickets each time though. Be sure you gutload all your crickets, and use good quality vitamin/mineral and calcium supplements. I wish I could be more help on some of these topics, but my methods tend to be a bit unorthodox.

I have both live and fake plants in her habitat, and plants are important, as these frogs are very shy. Pothos and philodendrons make good plants, but there are many more out there as well. Cody (Chronicfatigue) and Merlin would probably be better at naming plant species than I.


If your movement doesn't disturb him, you might as well do the spot cleaning while he's asleep during the day. It will keep his stress level down and lessen the chances of him escaping. Bottled water is usually ok, but that can get expensive. Using a dechlorinatig agent (such as Stress Coat, or my favorite, Reptisafe) will work for detoxifying tap water. If you have a water filter, such as those made by Brita, that will also work. Amphibians absorb water directly through their skin, including anything that may be in the water, which is why it's so important to remove any chlorine, chloramines, heavy metals, etc. There is an old trick of letting a bucket of water sit for a day, which removes chlorine, but it does NOT remove chloramines or metals, so it's just a waste of time. Hehe, and thanks for the compliment

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+5 bonus points to whoever finds me a job!

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

I had one for a few months. It survived the great nasty parasitism event and it was a wonderful frog. I sold it to my girlfriends sister so I could get a blue tongue skink. Wonderful, but man do they LOVE to pig out!