The Dwarf Surinam toad is part of a strange, primitive group of frogs of the Family Pipidae. Ironically enough, it is not a true toad, nor is it found on Suriname. It is entirely aquatic and prefers to live in lakes, ponds, and marshes especially flat, open areas, including sabanas (that’s grasslands in Spanish) and flooded habitats. It is able to cross-land under heavy rains, but rarely ventures out of the water. The eggs are carried on the back of the female; the larvae emerge into water, where they develop.

It is hard to determine the life span of amphibians in the wild, especially for elusive creatures like Surinam toads.  Frogs in general live to about 5 years in the wild, and captive individual of this species may live up to 8 or 10 years.

These are fully aquatic frogs with a marvelous array of behaviors.  They mostly forage on the bottom of the pond, which is usually murky and full of leaf litter, and rarely leave the water, only in dispersal events after heavy rains or if the pool dries up.

All of the Surinam toads have a remarkable mode of reproduction. After a lengthy calling period, with the male producing clicks and buzzes incessantly underwater, an impressive courtship ritual takes place.  Both frogs swim synchronously from the bottom of the pond while in amplexus (the nuptial embrace of frogs), creating various arcs underwater as they flip backwards.  At each turn, the female releases a few eggs.  The eggs secrete a sticky substance, which gets embedded in the skin of the female with the help of the leg movements of the male as he fertilizes them.  Once all the eggs are safely arranged in the female’s back, they start to sink over the next days. The eggs develop in the females back!  When eggs are ready to hatch, baby frogglets less than 2 cm long start to emerge from the skin of the female in a scene that looks like a classic horror movie. After the tadpoles hatch, the back of the females looks like a honey comb, and slowly returns to its normal shape.