EPIPEDOBATES BILINGUIS

I was able to watch this small, 20mm ground dwelling frog during my three expeditions to the small towns of Tarapoa, Loreto and Misahuali in Ecuadorian Amazonia. I initially thought that E. bilinguis was only found in unspoilt forest or islands of forest but on my third journey, maybe due to excellent weather conditions, I heard males calling on rubbish heaps and saw several males with tadpoles in the forest free landscape near Misahuali. However the best observations of this beautiful frog were in the forest. E. bilinguis was quite common with 2-4 frogs per 10m2, on the ground in layers of dead leaves with a minimum of vegetation and at wet areas near to streams. The observations were made at the end of the dry season. The temperature was between 25 and 27(C and very stable. 
I now maintain these frogs and keep a group of 2 males and three females in a vivarium 70cm x 50x 50 which also contains E. parvulus and D. ventrimaculus. There are no problems with mixing them and they are breeding well. The vivarium is decorated with small Philodendron, Peperomia and Anthurium. Even though E. bilinguis is terrestrial they are often found near to the top of the tank.
They are largely fed on crickets and large and small Drosophila and in summer I add aphids. Eggs are spawned into film tubs or onto petri dishes under coconuts and average about six per clutch. The eggs are large and 'hatch' after 13-19 days given temperatures of 25-21(C. The tadpoles are fed on flake food and metamorphose after 70-90 days, the froglets taking springtails and micro-crickets. They will reach sexual maturity at about 12 months.
This is an excellent addition to the terrarium hobby, an attractive and calm frog.

Milan Makovec
Czech Republic