Picture a toad that refuses to give ground to an approaching steamroller and you can come close to visualizing the appearance of the Suriname toad, also called the star-fingered toad. Surinam toads are members of the frog genus, Pipa, within the family Pipidae. They are native to Northern South America, Peru, Guyana, Surinam, and Brazil. They live in oxygen-deficient, muddy, turbid, even polluted water and mainly stay on the bottom. They are entirely aquatic but periodically rise to the water surface for air.
The appearance of the Suriname toad is somewhat like a leaf, it is almost completely flat, colored in mottled brown. Its feet are broadly webbed with the front toes having small star like appendages. The Suriname toad is eagerly snapped up by hobbyists when it is available in captivity. They are kept in a filtered aquarium and fed a varied diet, mainly goldfish and crickets. Suriname toads are very hardy, usually trouble-free amphibians that are suitable for beginning hobbyists, but usually of interest to all.
Below are pictures of our pet Suriname toad, Peeper, or Pippa Pippa.
