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Encyclopedia / Frogs & Newts / Dwarf Surinam toad
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Dwarf Surinam toad

Pipa parva · Pipa parva, Dwarf pipa, Small pipa

Fully aquatic and predatory.

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4.4 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Dwarf Surinam toad should be kept without other species.
Not recommended
  • Dwarf Surinam toad should be kept without other species.
Not recommended
  • Dwarf Surinam toad should be kept without other species.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?2 or more
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ?Hard
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Fully aquatic and predatory. Best in a dimly lit species tank; can be kept with larger, peaceful fish only if they cannot be swallowed.

Food

Live blackworms, small earthworms and sinking frog pellets.

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Male or female

Females grow a little larger (to 44 mm vs 37 mm) and carry the eggs on their back.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-brooder ·

The female carries the eggs embedded in her back, but they hatch as tadpoles that leave her back and finish developing in the water (unlike Pipa pipa, there is no direct development to froglets).

Pairing

Keep a pair or trio in a calm tank.

Setup

40-80 L, soft water, leaf litter and wood.

What starts it

Cool water, then warm; heavy feeding.

Eggs

10-30 eggs.

Raising the fry

Tadpoles swim free and filter-feed: give green water, infusoria and powdered fry food, then small live food after they turn into froglets.

Common mistakes
  • Rough handling
  • Strong currents
  • Bright light
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Maracaibo basin – Venezuela & Colombia
Rivers and lakesLake Maracaibo basin
HabitatStill, muddy waters
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
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The story of the dwarf surinam toad

A small Surinam toad (under 4.5 cm) from lakes, ponds and marshes in open lowland country of northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. It is common, even treated as a pest, and can cross land between waters, so a tight lid is needed.

Alexander Ruthven and Helen Gaige described the dwarf Surinam toad in 1923. It lives in the Lake Maracaibo basin. Like its larger relative, the female carries eggs in her back.

First described by Alexander G. Ruthven & Helen T. Gaige in 1923.

  • Eggs develop in pockets in the female's back.
  • Unlike Pipa pipa, its young hatch as tadpoles.
  • It lives entirely in water.

Sources

7 facts checked with sources