Introduction to Stone Frog Farming Techniques: Eat It for Longevity, Use It as Medicine to Heal Sores

The scientific name of the stone frog is the spiny-breasted frog (Quasipaa spinosa). It is large in size, has delicious meat, and is rich in high protein, multiple vitamins and minerals. It can be eaten and also used as medicine. It is a precious wild delicacy of which it is said, “eat it for longevity, use it as medicine to heal sores.” So, how are stone frogs farmed? Below is an introduction to stone frog farming techniques!

I. A Brief Introduction to the Stone Frog!

1. What else is the stone frog called?

The stone frog is also called stone clam, stone chicken, mountain chicken, stone jelly, flying fish, stone scale, stone toad, stone shrimp toad, stone pit frog, stone luan, wood locust, and so on. It is an animal of the class Amphibia, order Anura, family Ranidae. The adult frog has a body length of 123-131mm, its body color is dark brown or brownish yellow, and its body is covered with warts and small black spines.

2. Is the stone frog a protected animal?

Wild stone frogs are national second-class protected animals and are a precious product unique to the mountainous areas of southern China. They generally live in clear, flowing mountain spring water. Police remind that catching wild stone frogs is illegal, but artificially farmed second-generation and third-generation frogs can be sold as food.

II. How Are Stone Frogs Farmed?

1. Farming site

The farm for raising stone frogs should be chosen in a quiet and remote mountainous area. At the same time, the mountain climate should be warm in winter and cool in summer, the water source should be abundant, and it should be close to a main mountain road. The water temperature of the mountain water source should be suitable: in summer the water temperature should be below 30°C, and in winter the water temperature should be between 18°C and 26°C.

2. Construction of frog ponds

If you breed and raise them yourself, you need to build frog ponds to breed tadpoles. The frog pond can be designed as a rectangle of 1m×2m, with a water depth of 10-20cm. The bottom of the pond should have a certain slope, and the inner walls should be coated with anti-seepage coating. This can both improve the smoothness of the inner walls of the pond and prevent young frogs from climbing and escaping.

3. Selection of breeder frogs

Breeder frogs usually mate and lay eggs in April. You should choose adult frogs that are relatively large, healthy and strong, with smooth skin, well developed, free of disabilities, free of injuries, and sexually mature. The ratio of females to males is 1:1.

4. Putting breeder frogs into the pond

Put the selected breeder frogs into the frog pond at a density of 15-20 per sq m. They generally pair up after 9 p.m., and the female frogs lay eggs from 4-7 in the morning, laying 300-500 eggs each time. Within 1 hour after egg laying, do not stir, so as to avoid breaking the egg masses and reducing the hatching rate.

5. Artificial hatching

Artificial hatching can hatch tadpoles in 10-15 days. During the hatching process, keep the frog pond temperature suitable, the water quality fresh, and dissolved oxygen sufficient. The newly hatched tadpoles usually attach to the bottom of the pond and the egg membranes, move little, and do not feed. After three days they move more and begin to feed.

6. Feed placement

(1) Small tadpoles: 1-4 days after hatching, feed high-protein liquid feed; 5-9 days after hatching, feed powdered feed; 10-20 days after hatching, feed nutrient-rich paste feed; 21-78 days after hatching, provide animal feed. The feeding time is generally once in the morning and once in the evening. After 1-2 hours of feeding, remove residual feed and feces from the water. After 50 days, the small tadpoles will gradually complete metamorphosis and transform into young frogs.

(2) Young frogs: the main food of young frogs is mosquitoes, small insects, and insect larvae, etc. Animal feed such as fly maggots, yellow mealworms, and earthworms can also be provided.

(3) Adult frogs: adult frogs have a very wide food range. They eat insects, centipedes, spiders, millipedes, snails, snails and clams, shrimp, crabs, miscellaneous fish, sand loaches, earthworms, young snakes, small birds, and so on. Generally there is no need to feed them, as they can catch food on their own.

7. Daily management

(1) During the hatching period and tadpole period, check the water quality on time. If there is a problem with the water quality, change the water in time, generally once every 3-4 days, and carry out routine disinfection once every 10-15 days. When the temperature is 20-26°C, change the water once a day. Above 37°C, keep the water depth at 10-20 cm.

(2) Check on time every day whether the farming facilities are damaged, and promptly clean the filtration facilities at the water inlet. Pay attention to the development status of the tadpoles. Different development statuses mean different feeding habits and food amounts, so they should be raised separately. If any diseased individuals are found, isolate and treat them in time. If dead individuals are found, scoop them out and dispose of them.

The above is an introduction to stone frog farming techniques. We hope it is useful to everyone.