- This is both an attractive piece of furniture and a unique opportunity to observe the world in which underwater inhabitants live. In people's homes, freshwater aquariums are more often found, in which bright tropical fish live.

It is less common to see marine aquariums with amazing inhabitants warm seas.

Of course, it’s interesting to watch the fish, but they don’t do anything special. And the aquarium becomes commonplace, no longer surprising. Everything can be changed if you start unusual inhabitant, which will be interesting to watch.

Instead of fish, you can put a pipu toad in the aquarium, which is rarely kept by Russian aquarists.

The Surinamese pipa is a toad that lives in bodies of water. small size, in Ecuador, Bolivia, Suriname, Peru and Brazil. She lives in water and moves slowly and awkwardly on land.

Appearance

Looking at this amphibian in natural environment, you might think that this is a tree leaf with sharp tips that has fallen into the water. The body of the pipa resembles just such a leaf. The head is triangular and has no transition to the body. The body is quadrangular in shape.

The toad's eyes are small and look up. Small flaps of leather hang at the corners of the mouth. Pipa Suriname is a fairly large amphibian, it can reach a length of almost 20 cm. Only the goliath frog is larger than it.

The front legs of the pipa are thinner than the hind legs, which are also much thicker. On the hind legs, the toes are thin with sharp ends, connected by a fold of skin - a membrane.

In adult females, the skin on the back becomes folded, in some cases cells are visible. The color of the toad ranges from gray to dark brown. The abdomen is almost white, sometimes with a dark stripe.

Life in nature

The toad settles in small ponds and irrigation canals. Pipa doesn't leave aquatic environment throughout life. In order to get food, the pipa digs up the bottom soil with its front paws and grabs pieces of food from the raised turbidity. It may also feed on stationary edible objects.

Keeping a pipa toad in an aquarium

For a comfortable life for a pair of toads in captivity, you need a large aquarium. From 100 to 300 liters. The bottom of the aquarium is covered with small pebbles, although they can do just fine without it. Plants and living and artificial decorations can be used as decorations.

The aquarium must have a powerful filter. Peeps need warm water, the temperature of which is not lower than +27º C. You can feed these strange animals with live food for large fish and small fish.

How does the Suriname pipa toad reproduce?

The weird thing about the pipa toad is how it reproduces. Little frogs emerge straight from the mother frog's back. And these are not tadpoles, but fully formed frogs. And their number is not one or two or three, but about a hundred.

Naturally, the appearance of baby frogs cannot be called childbirth in the full sense. The eggs develop in the same way as in all other amphibians. The only difference is in the place where they develop.

In order for frogs to appear, both parents take part in this process. As soon as the female lays an egg, the male picks it up and places it on the female’s back in a special depression that appears on the pipa at the time of reproduction.

This is what the male does with all the laid eggs, and there are from 50 to 150 of them. In order for the eggs to be better attached to the back of the female, he presses them with his stomach.

The recesses in which the eggs are located quickly increase in size and become honeycomb-like. From the top of the egg, due to its drying, an almost transparent lid is formed. It is in these honeycomb holes that the future frogs grow, going through all the stages of amphibian development.

First, an embryo appears, which over time becomes a tadpole. Further development occurs in the same deepening. The tadpoles become little frogs.

The development and maturation of embryos in warm water will occur in 10-12 days. If the water is at room temperature, embryo development slows down to 15 days.

When the time comes to go out into the adult world, little peeps lift the lid of the dome, which at this time is already swollen, and swim out of the cozy cradle on the back of the mother frog.

Strong frogs quickly leave the mother's back, weaker ones emerge slowly, often with their hind legs first.

The babies, having left their nest, quickly swim to the surface to start breathing. After two days they begin to feed on their own.

After all the frogs have left their backs, the female begins to rub her back against the pebbles, removing the remains of the egg shells. By the way, after molting, the Suriname pipa toad is ready for new mating.

Origin of the species and description

The pipa's head is triangular in shape and exactly the same flattened as the entire body of this tropical frog. The eyes are located on top of the muzzle, they have no eyelids and are very small in size. One of the most interesting features gastrointestinal tract is the absence of teeth and tongue in these animals. Instead, the digestive organs are modified skin flaps located in the corners of the mouth. They look somewhat like tentacles.

Video: Pipa

Another significant difference from all other frogs is that the front legs of this amphibian do not have membranes at their ends and end in elongated fingers. And what’s even more surprising is that they have no claws, which distinguishes the Surinamese pipa in general from all higher animals. But on the hind limbs there are folds of skin, they differ in their thickness and are located between the toes. These folds make the frog's movement under water very confident.

The body length of the Suriname pipa almost never exceeds 20 cm. It is rare to encounter giant individuals whose length reaches 22-23 cm. The skin of this animal is very rough and wrinkled in structure, sometimes you can see black spots on the back. One of the most significant evolutionary “achievements” that allows the Suriname pipa to adapt to conditions environment, is a dim (unlike the vast majority of tropical frogs) color. These frogs have gray-brown skin and a light belly.

Often there is a dark stripe that approaches the throat and covers the toad’s neck, thus forming a border on it. The sharp, unpleasant smell of an already unattractive animal (the “aroma” resembles hydrogen sulfide) also acts as a deterrent to potential predators.

Appearance and features

Pipa belongs to the class of amphibians, the pipa family. Species-specific unique features begin already at this stage - even in comparison with its relatives, pipa has a lot of differences, because of which many zoologists, when they first encountered this strange beast, even doubted whether it was a frog. So, the first significant difference from all other amphibians (and frogs in particular) is its special physique.

When you first notice a flat frog, the thought arises that it is very unlucky, because it looks as if it had been driven over by a roller skating rink, several times. Her body in its shape resembles a fallen one from some tropical tree leaf, because it is thin and flattened. And without knowing all the subtleties, even admit that in front of you is not a fallen leaf, but Living being with tropical warm water, it is very problematic.

These amphibians almost never leave the aquatic environment. Yes, during the dry season they can move to areas that have not yet dried out, but in addition to those that have changed dramatically weather conditions Nothing will ever scare these homebodies away. Pipa generally represents clear example the impact of evolution on the animal’s body - due to long life under water, the eyes of these amphibians became small and lost their eyelids, atrophy of the tongue and tympanic septum occurred.

The Surinamese pipa, which lives in the Amazon River basin, was best described by the writer Gerald Durrell in his work “Three Tickets to Adventure.” There are the following lines: “He opened his palms, and a rather strange and ugly animal appeared before my eyes. Yes, in appearance it looked like a brown toad that had come under pressure.

Her short, thin paws were positioned neatly at the corners of her square body, which looked reluctant to recall rigor mortis. The shape of her muzzle was sharp, her eyes were small, and her pipa was shaped like a pancake.

Where does pipa live?

The preferred habitat of this frog is water bodies with warm and muddy water, not characterized by a strong current. Moreover, the proximity to humans does not frighten her - Surinamese pipas settle near human settlements, they are often seen not far from plantations (mainly in irrigation canals). The animal simply loves the muddy bottom - by and large, the layer of mud is its place of residence.

Such amazing creatures inhabit the territory, and. There they are considered “the reigning amphibians of all fresh water bodies” - Surinamese pipas lead an exclusively aquatic lifestyle. These frogs can be easily seen not only in various ponds and ponds, but also in irrigation canals located on plantations.

Even a long period of drought is not able to force them to crawl out onto solid ground - peeps prefer to sit out in half-dried puddles. But along with the rainy season, real freedom begins for them - frogs fully indulge their souls, moving with the flow of rainwater through flooded downpours.

All the more surprising is the strong love of the Surinamese pipus for water, given the fact that these animals have well-developed lungs and rough, keratinized skin (these characteristics are more characteristic of terrestrial animals). Their body resembles a small flat 4-angled leaf with sharp corners. The junction of the head and the body is practically not expressed in any way. Eyes constantly look up.

Another habitat for Surinamese pips is human aquariums. Despite not being particularly attractive appearance and the emanating smell of hydrogen sulfide, people who are keen on it are happy to breed these mysterious frogs at home. They unanimously claim that following the process of gestation of larvae by a female and the subsequent birth of tadpoles is very interesting and educational.

In the event that after reading the article you are imbued with sympathy for the Surinamese pipa and firmly decide to have such a frog at home, then immediately prepare a large aquarium. One amphibian should have at least 100 liters of water. For each subsequent individual - a similar volume. Why, it turns out that the Surinamese pipa is only in wildlife gets used to any conditions. In captivity, she experiences severe stress, and in order for this animal to give birth, it is necessary to provide a number of conditions.

These include:

• ensuring constant oxygen saturation of the aquarium;
• constant temperature regime. Fluctuations in values ​​are permissible in the range from 28C to 24C;
• variety of diet. These frogs need to be fed not only with dried food for aquarium fauna, but also with earthworms, larvae of waterfowl insects and pieces of fresh fish.

In order for the Suriname pipa living in the aquarium to feel as comfortable as possible, sand with fine gravel and live algae should be poured onto the bottom.

What does pipa eat?

With its powerful and long fingers located on the front paws, the toad loosens the soil and looks for food, and then puts it in its mouth. She helps herself in such a noble process with growths on her paws. Taking into account the fact that they vaguely resemble stars, this frog is usually called “star-fingered”. The diet of the Suriname frog consists of various organic residues located at the very bottom of the reservoir, in the soil.

In addition, pipa eats:

• small fish and fry;
• waterfowl insects.

Pipa frogs almost never hunt on the surface. Unlike ordinary frogs that we are used to seeing, they do not sit in the swamp and do not catch flying insects with their long tongue. Yes, they have rough skin and a large lung capacity, but the Suriname pipa feeds only when buried deep in the mud, or simply while in the water.

Regarding the rainy season, some researchers have noted how during the rainy season, South American amphibians appear on the shore and travel many hundreds of kilometers in order to find warm and dirty puddles located nearby. Already there they warm up and bask in the sun.

Now you know what to feed the pipa frog. Let's see how she lives in the wild.

Features of character and lifestyle

Like many other tropical frogs, when water bodies become shallow or dry up, pipa Suriname sits for a long period in dirty, shallow puddles or ditches, patiently waiting for better times to come. Frightened, the amphibian quickly dives to the bottom, burrowing deeper into the silt.

It is impossible not to dwell on the behavioral features of hatched tadpoles. For example, strong tadpoles strive to reach the surface of the water as soon as possible and grab a bubble of life-sustaining air. Weak “descendants,” on the contrary, fall to the bottom and float to the surface only after 2-3 attempts.

Once their lungs open, the tadpoles can swim horizontally. Moreover, at this stage they demonstrate school behavior - this makes it easier to escape from and get food. The frog, which previously carried eggs on its back, after the tadpoles emerge, rubs against the stones, wanting to remove the remains of the eggs. After molting, the sexually mature female is again ready to mate.

Tadpoles feed starting from the 2nd day of their life. Their main diet (no matter how strange it may sound) is ciliates and bacteria, because by their type of nutrition they are filter feeders (like mussels). Nettle powder is ideal for feeding in captivity. Reproduction and development of Surinamese pips occurs at T (in natural conditions) from 20 to 30 ° C and hardness not exceeding 5 units.

Social structure and reproduction

During sexual activity, the male makes specific clicking sounds, clearly hinting to the female that he is ready to make her have a pleasant and exciting time. The male and female perform mating dances right under water (during this process, “evaluating” each other occurs). The female lays several eggs - at the same time, “her chosen one” waters them with his seminal fluid.

After this, the female dives down, where the fertilized eggs land directly on her back and immediately stick to her. The male also takes part in this process by pressing the eggs against his partner with his hind legs. By joint efforts, they manage to evenly distribute them in cells located throughout the female’s back. The number of eggs in one such clutch varies from 40 to 144.

The time during which the frog will bear its offspring is about 80 days. The weight of the “baggage” with eggs located on the female’s back is about 385 grams - carrying a clutch of pipa eggs around the clock is a very difficult task. The advantage of this format of caring for offspring is also that upon completion of the clutch formation process, it is covered with a dense protective membrane, providing reliable protection. The depth of the cells where the caviar is placed reaches 2 mm.

Being, in fact, in the mother’s body, embryos receive from her body everything they need for successful development nutrients. The partitions separating the eggs from each other are abundantly permeated with vessels - through them oxygen and nutrients dissolved in the eggs are supplied to the offspring. After about 11-12 weeks, young peeps are born. Reaching sexual maturity is only at 6 years of age. The breeding season coincides with the rainy season. This is not surprising, because pipa, like no other frog, loves water.

Natural enemies of pip

Pipa Suriname is a real delicacy for terrestrial predators and larger amphibians. Regarding birds, representatives of the families , and , most often feast on these frogs. Sometimes they are eaten by storks, ibises, and herons. Most often, these majestic and noble birds manage to grab an animal right in flight.

But the greatest danger for the Surinamese pipa is posed, especially by water ones (just like for everyone else living on any continent). Moreover, even excellent camouflage does not help them here - in hunting, reptiles are more guided by tactile sensations and determination of the heat emitted by living organisms. Large swamps are also not averse to eating such a frog.

Moreover, if adult individuals have at least some chance of saving their lives by quickly running away or hiding from their pursuer, then the tadpoles are absolutely defenseless. Countless quantities of them die, becoming food for aquatic insects, snakes, fish and even dragonflies. By and large, every resident of a tropical body of water would “consider it an honor” to feast on a tadpole.

The only secret of survival is quantity - only the fact that a female Surinamese pipa lays about 2000 eggs at a time saves the species from extinction and allows it to maintain a stable population.

Population and species status

Pipa is predominantly distributed in the river basin South America. These frogs can be seen in almost all countries of this continent. Some zoologists noted the presence of these frogs in. The vertical limit of the range is up to 400 meters above sea level (that is, even at this altitude, Surinamese pipas are found).

Despite the fact that the Suriname pipa is officially classified as an amphibian, this frog is considered an obligate aquatic species - in other words, it constantly lives in water, which significantly limits the distribution of the species population. Surinamese pipa prefers bodies of water with standing water or with a slow flow - the range includes numerous river backwaters, as well as ponds and small forest reservoirs. Frogs masterfully hide in the fallen leaves that abundantly cover the bottom of the reservoir. Due to the fact that on land they move very clumsily and (unlike most other frogs) are not able to jump long distances, individuals outside the reservoir become easy prey.

Regarding the status of the species in nature, today the number of Suriname pipa and its dynamics are considered stable. Despite a large number of natural enemies and the influence of anthropogenic factors, the species is often found within its own range. There is no threat to the numbers of this species, although in some places there is a decline in populations due to human agricultural activities and significant deforestation of territories. Pipa Suriname is not on the list of endangered species; it is found in nature reserves.

Pipa The Surinamese differs from all other representatives of amphibians in many ways - it is the only one that does not have a long tongue designed for catching insects, and there are no membranes or claws on its paws. But she is perfectly camouflaged and, of all amphibians, takes care of her offspring better than anyone else, carrying eggs on her back.

PIPA FROGS - photo, reproduction, content

Date: 2017-03-31

PEEPS IN AQUARIUMS

Pipa frogs appeared in our aquariums relatively recently. The Surinamese pipa is well known; it is written about in all textbooks and books telling about the amazing ingenuity of nature. However, the Surinamese pipa cannot be classified as an aquatic frog: after completing the breeding cycle, it leaves the water, and keeping it in aquariums and terrariums is associated with great difficulties. In 1979 the famous herpetologist from the GDR Jurgen Obet brought to Leningrad the new kind one pips- Pipa Corvalho was described by M. Ribeiro in 1937).

Photo of pipa frog

These frogs live in Brazilian stagnant waters, both in lowlands and at an altitude of up to 1000 m among thickets of plants and snags, preferring a soft muddy bottom (when frightened, they bury themselves in the mud).

Their body is whiter, flattened than that of, the head, when viewed from above, has a triangular structure. At the ends of the fingers of the forelimbs there are star-shaped formations characteristic of pips. Young peeps are lighter in color, the belly is almost white, the head is dark underneath.

Peeps when young, they are similar in appearance to Hymonochirus of the same size. They can be distinguished by the following characteristics.

Pipas are more swift, quickly rise to the surface of the water and rush down even faster and hide at the bottom, while hymenochiruses swim more slowly, move calmly in the water column and, only when frightened, quickly go down and hide. And another difference. Hymenochirus usually swims with the toes of the forelimbs bent; pipas swim with the toes pointing forward; unlike Hymenochirus, they do not have membranes between the toes of the forelimbs. With these limbs they grab pieces of food or live food and stuff them into their mouths.

Under optimal conditions, pipas spend all their time in water and do not strive to leave the aquatic environment. If conditions worsen (water deteriorates or overheats, food supply stops), frogs of any age quickly leave the water. They freely climb the glass, sticking to it with their belly, and find the smallest cracks.

Photo of pipa frog

Naturally, in the dry air of rooms they quickly jump only until the skin dries, and then death occurs. Frogs are indifferent to the depth of water in the aquarium; it can be 10 cm or 1 m. They do not harm plants. With small and big fish get along normally and only in the rarest cases can a large pipa grab a gaping fish. From cichlids and ancistrus large sizes frogs receive noticeable blows.

What do peeps eat?

By the nature of their diet they are close to clawed frogs: juveniles take only live food (enchytraea, tubifex, bloodworms), adults (from the third month of life) willingly eat pieces of meat and fish.

Hymenochirus is known to prefer live food throughout its life. Peeps readily collect dry food (daphnia, gammarus) from the surface of the water; they also consume concentrated flakes - for example, tetramin.

They eat a lot and greedily, getting fat right before our eyes. Increased feeding serves as one of the stimulants of reproduction.

Reproduction of Carvalho's pipa

Reproduction and development of P. carvalhoi normally occurs in water with a hardness of 5° at a temperature of 20−30°C. Harder water is undesirable. P.carvalhoi is of great interest to hobbyists primarily because of its amazing method of reproduction. Males are smaller than females, more flattened when viewed from the side, and sometimes their color is darker. The capture of a female by a male occurs in the same way as in all tailless amphibians.

First there is a series of short test captures. If the female is not ready, the male quickly releases her. The ready female becomes numb at the moment of capture, and a slight trembling runs through her body; Having received this signal, the male firmly closes his forelimbs. In this position, frogs can swim for 24 hours. Typically, capture occurs at night, and the act of mating itself occurs at dawn.

A copulating pair is swimming on open space and suddenly turns over with its belly up 5-10 cm from the surface. The male is on the bottom, his abdomen lags behind the female’s back. At this moment, 6-12 eggs emerge from the female’s cloaca; under the influence of gravity, they slide down and slightly forward (the heads of the frogs at this moment are lower than the rear parts of the body) and fall into the gap between the female’s back and the male’s abdomen.

At the same time, the eggs are fertilized. Then the pipa frogs turn over to their normal position and the male, with his abdomen, presses the sticky eggs into the back of the female. Acts of egg laying follow one after another with an interval of 5−15 minutes. In total, frogs turn over 40-50 times. During this time they lay (in our conditions) from 50 to 170 eggs.

Naturally, subsequent clutches cause more trouble for the male than the first: with his abdomen he forms the eggs so that they lie on the female’s back in one row, although new clutches in a fertile couple slide over the eggs pressed to the back. With his hind legs, moving them far forward, the male collects eggs from the sides of the female’s body and from her head and forms them in one layer on a strictly defined area of ​​her back.

Photo of pipa frog

Individual eggs fall to the bottom and stick to plants, but they no longer develop. If the eggs are removed from the female’s back and placed in a separate vessel, then even under optimal conditions () they will not incubate. Obviously, the pressing of eggs by the male into the back of the female is one of the important moments of successful reproduction. After laying eggs, the male leaves the female. Now you can clearly see all the masonry on her back. The eggs are large (up to 1.4 mm in diameter), ivory-colored (the degree of yellowness varies), and lie in a dense compact layer.

They are pressed into the female's back by about one quarter. In this form, the female swims and begins to feed. Since they are sticky, debris, pieces of plants, etc. stick to the eggs. Three hours after laying, a gray spongy mass of the same color begins to rise from below the back of the frog, covered with rows of uneven tubercles. Over the course of a day, this mass swells so much that the eggs are almost completely immersed in it, only their light tops are visible - something like an old cobblestone street, long clogged with dirt.

And what’s surprising is that all the debris, crumbs, and unfertilized and defective eggs stuck to the eggs are pushed away. Embryos mature at room temperature in 15 days, at 26−28°C - in 10−12.

Egg maturation occurs unevenly. 3-4 days before the tadpoles emerge, a small hole is formed above each egg through which water enters for the intensively breathing embryo. The female's back becomes like a strainer. A day or two before the tadpole emerges, the egg shell swells and a mound with a hole at the top forms above it.

Pipa tadpoles

The strong tadpoles fly out of the eggs like rockets and rush to the surface to grab a bubble of air. The weak ones emerge from the egg shell slowly, head or tail first, so that the female’s back is literally covered with heads and tails. These tadpoles fall to the bottom and reach the surface in two or three attempts. Having captured an air bubble, they begin to swim horizontally. Their almost spherical body has a diameter of 2.5−3 mm, a transparent tail - 7−9 mm. Tadpoles group in a school, quickly flee from predators, and can burrow into the mud.

They begin to feed on the second day. Tadpoles are filter feeders. Food suitable for clawed frog tadpoles is not suitable for pipa offspring; the difficulty is that they need a thick mass of bacteria and ciliates while maintaining the freshness of the water. Aeration, especially strong aeration, is harmful to tadpoles.

You cannot leave them in a pond with adult frogs - they die from the latter’s secretions. Thus, the most difficult thing in the biotechnology of breeding pips is to create suitable conditions and feed the tadpoles. The development of tadpoles and metamorphosis lasts 6-8 weeks.

Before turning into a frog, tadpoles reach a length of 35-40 mm. First, the hind limbs appear, then the forelimbs, the tail decreases, and the tadpole lives off the protein accumulated in it and does not feed at this time. At this stage, it is slow and seems to float in the water column. At this moment it is necessary to catch it and transplant it into a pond for the frogs; later this is more difficult to do. The disappearance of the tail coincides with the formation of the frog's mouth, and it switches to active feeding.

By this time, the filtering apparatus is reduced, gill respiration is replaced by pulmonary and cutaneous respiration. Further fate baby frogs depend on the abundance of live food (tubifex, enchytrea, bloodworms) and their timely sorting by size. After the tadpoles emerge, the female frog rubs against the stones, cleans off the remains of the egg shells from her back, and then molts. From this moment on, she is ready to mate again.

M. MAKHLIN, I. MIZGIREV

Fish farming and fishing 1984 No. 2

Pipa Corvalho, also known as the Brazilian dwarf pipa, is a frog that has poor vision, but its sensitive legs help it perceive the world.

This species of amphibian lives in northern South America. Can be found in mountains at altitudes of up to 1000 meters. In countries where the Corvalho pipa is found, the most serious insult for a woman is “senora pipita.”

Description of Pipa Corvalho

The body length is 8-9 centimeters. The body is flattened, the head is triangular. At the tips of the front fingers there are star-shaped formations - very sensitive nerve endings, thanks to which frogs dig in the ground and look for food. Peeps need sensitive fingers because they have poor vision and are blind.

There are no swimming membranes. Males are smaller than females, their bodies are flatter, the color is darker, and their eyes are small.

The body color of an adult is gray-brown-brown. The coloring of young individuals is lighter, and the belly is almost white.

Lifestyle of the Dwarf Brazilian Pipa

Corvalho pipas live exclusively in water. They are common in standing reservoirs located in lowlands and at altitudes of up to 1000 meters. They are found among snags, plants, and in muddy bottoms. If the habitat is optimal for the pipa, it does not try to leave its pond, but if the living conditions are not suitable, then frogs of any age get out of the water.

Corvallo peeps eat a lot, but always greedily. When rivers flood, peeps scour the flooded areas. During droughts and drying up of water bodies, pipas sit motionless in small puddles, waiting best time. If the pipa is frightened, it dives to the bottom and buries itself in the mud.

Reproduction of Pipa Corvalho

The male flirts with the female, but if the female does not reciprocate his feelings, he quickly lags behind her. When the female is ready to mate, the male grabs her, and she becomes numb, and a spasm passes through her body.

Feeling the trembling, the male tightly grasps the female’s body. Peeps can swim holding onto each other for 24 hours. Most often, the male looks for the female at night, and they mate at dawn.

The pair swims and suddenly turns over with their belly up at a distance of 5-10 centimeters from the surface of the water. The male is at the bottom and he becomes unstuck from the female. At this time, the female lays 6-12 eggs. The eggs slide down and fall between the male's abdomen and the female's back. The eggs are fertilized, after which the frogs turn over and the male presses the eggs into the back of the female.

The acts of laying eggs are repeated every 5-15 minutes. In total, frogs turn over about 50 times.

Each female lays about 170 eggs. The eggs are ivory in color and their diameter is 1.4 millimeters. The eggs lie in a strong layer, they are pressed into the mother’s body by about one-fourth, and over time they are immersed almost completely in the growing skin. If the eggs are not secured, they fall to the bottom and their development does not occur.

Tadpoles have spherical bodies, the diameter of which reaches 2.5-3 millimeters. The tail is transparent, its length reaches 7-9 millimeters. The tadpoles of the Brazilian dwarf pipa gather in groups, quickly hiding from predators. They can also burrow into mud. On the second day they begin to feed; they are filter feeders. First, the tadpoles develop their hind legs, and then their front legs. After 6-8 weeks, the tadpoles undergo metamorphosis. The body length of young pipas reaches 35-40 millimeters. They reach puberty at a body length of 6 centimeters.

Contents of the dwarf Brazilian pipa

Peeps climb glass with ease, sticking to it with their bellies. They can fit into even the tiniest cracks between the lid and the walls of the aquarium.

Pip Corvalho kept in aquariums with a large bottom area. For these frogs, the depth of the water is not important, and they do not need the shore. There should be silted soil at the bottom of the aquarium. If there is no soil, then several shards are placed on the bottom of the aquarium.

The water should not contain chlorine or chloramines. It is advisable to decorate the aquarium with plants, but you can do without them. Peeps do not spoil plants. Adults (from the third month of life) are fed dry and combined food, as well as pieces of meat and fish.

Peeps get along well with large and small fish. Large cichlids and ancitrus can beat frogs.

Breeding Pip Corvalho

For reproduction and development, peeps need water with a temperature of 20-30 degrees and a hardness of 5 degrees. Aeration is harmful to tadpoles. The ratio of males to females should be 1:1. A pregnant female must be given rest. The development of embryos at a temperature of 26-28 degrees occurs in 15 days. Eggs mature unevenly. A day before the tadpoles hatch, the shells of the eggs swell and holes appear on their tops.

The first person to describe the pipa and make drawings of it was the daughter of the famous Swiss publisher and engraver Maria Sibylla Merian. In 1705, her book about the fauna of South America with many beautiful color engravings was published in Amsterdam. Thus, for the first time, Europeans were able to see this amazing frog and were greatly amazed by its lifestyle and method of breeding.

Behavior

The Surinamese pipa spends most of its life in the water, only occasionally coming onto land. It does not stay long on land, moving in rapid leaps and trying to quickly get to the saving moisture.

Only in water does the amphibian feel calm, deftly maneuvering in the thick of aquatic vegetation. Its inconspicuous brown color makes it almost invisible at the bottom of the reservoir. Her eyes are located on the top of her head, so she can only look up and observe everything that happens on the surface of the water.

It detects the slightest fluctuations in the environment using special bodies side line. The four-part outgrowths on the tips of the front fingers serve the amphibians as sensitive organs of touch and help them navigate freely in the underwater jungle.

Pipa Suriname is a predator and feeds mainly on insects, but at the first opportunity it will not deny itself the pleasure of feeding on small invertebrates and small fish. Having no teeth, the voracious frog swallows its prey whole. During periods of drought, it buries itself in the mud and patiently waits for the rainy season.

Reproduction

The mating season coincides with the beginning of the first showers. The female carries eggs ranging from 40 to 140 on her back. Her skin has a loose structure, so the eggs penetrate deeply into the skin, which is densely permeated with blood vessels. After a few days, they completely hide in special cells, on which leathery caps are formed from the egg membranes.

Each cell is up to 1.5 cm deep, and the partitions separating them are very thin. Many blood vessels pass through the septa.

A few days later, tadpoles develop from the eggs. The function of their external gills is performed by large caudal fins. Gas exchange processes occur between the mother’s blood and the blood of the tadpoles. Tadpoles also receive from her body all the nutrients necessary for their growth. At 8-9 weeks of their life, they begin to turn into frogs. This metamorphosis lasts about 2-3 weeks, after which the young frogs rupture their cells and leave the mother, immediately beginning an independent life.

Description

The body length of an adult is 5-20 cm. The body is strongly flattened, almost square. The color of the upper side is yellowish or dark brown, with a dense scattering of dark spots.

The abdomen is whitish with small dark specks. Stretches along the stomach black line. The back is covered with spongy skin, which sometimes has small depressions.

The head is short, triangular in shape. The mouth is pointed and opens very wide. The four-part tactile projections on the tips of the toes of the front paws are called stellate organs. The palms of the small front paws end in four fingers. The massive hind legs end in three toes, which are connected by swimming membranes.

The lifespan of the Suriname pipa is about 15 years.