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The Natural History and Captive Care of the Green and Black Poison Frog

Black and green PA FrogI’ve always favored the boldly-marked Green and Black Poison (or “Dart”) Frog, Dendrobates auratus, over most of its relatives.  This was a turn of good fortune for me, as this gorgeous creature is one of the largest and easiest of the poison frogs to maintain.  It is also not at all shy – while working in Costa Rica, I was surprised at how easy wild ones were to observe – and makes a wonderful exhibit animal.  Green and Black Poison Frogs have become almost common in the trade, yet many remain unaware of some surprising aspects of their lives in the wild.

Little-Known Facts

First a few notes that have surprised me over the years.

Hobbyists accustomed to seeing these frogs in terrariums may be surprised to learn that wild specimens sometimes venture into forest canopies over 100 feet above ground…quite a climb for a minute frog!  Read More »

Captive Care of the World’s Largest Snake – Keeping the Green Anaconda

Anaconda by TruckFor a snake enthusiast such as I, not much can top the thrill of working with Green Anacondas (Eunectes murinus), in the wild and breeding them in captivity.  I consider myself very fortunate, and realize that the childhood dream I was able to live is not available to most people.  So I’m somewhat torn when asked to comment on Anacondas in private collections.  Capable of killing an adult, and far too large to be accommodated in most homes, they are obviously not suitable choices for most people.  However, Anacondas do appear in the trade, and have been successfully kept and bred.  For those with the required space, training and finances, they are, I know, hard to resist.  Today I’ll cover the key points to consider before making a decision on these fascinating, but dangerous, behemoths.

If you really are set on owning a large, usually aggressive aquatic snake, you might consider the Yellow Anaconda, Eunectes notaeus.  It is not an animal to be taken lightly, but makes a more reasonable pet than the Green Anaconda.  Actually, I suggest “cutting your teeth” on an adult Florida Green Watersnake, Nerodia floridana.  Reaching nearly 6 feet in length, this often vile-tempered beast is a handful, and may change your mind about its larger cousins! Read More »

Feeding American Box Turtles – Formulating the Best Diet for Your Pet

Florida Box TurtleThree of the 4 species in the genus Terrapene – the Eastern, Three-Toed and Ornate Box Turtles – as well as several of the 10 subspecies, have long been popular in the pet trade.  However, they should not be classified as “beginner’s turtles”…in fact, their dietary and other requirements are quite strict, and most captives die long before their time. Today I’ll discuss feeding, and will focus on other aspects of their care in future articles.

Note: Box Turtle populations everywhere have declined drastically due to habitat loss and over-collection, and they are now legally protected in most states. Please be sure to determine that box turtles offered for sale have been captive bred, and are legal to keep in your state.

General Considerations

The first step in providing a proper diet is to accurately identify the species and subspecies that you are dealing with (please see article below).  The following recommendations will prove useful for most of the commonly-kept types, but please write in for specific info, as certain subspecies have unique requirements (this applies to temperature and other care aspects as well). Read More »

Feeding African Clawed Frogs – the Two Best Diets

African Clawed FrogProviding a wide variety of live foods is one of the main stumbling blocks to keeping most frogs healthy in captivity.  African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis, and several related species), however, take non-living foods (i.e. carrion) in the wild, and therefore are quite easy to accommodate in captivity.  Today I’d like to highlight two different diets that have enabled some of my African Clawed Frogs to reach 20+ years of age, and to breed as well.

Note: Dwarf African Frogs, Hymenochirus spp., require an entirely different diet comprised of small live invertebrates.  Please see this article for details.  Another relative, the bizarre, skin-brooding Surinam Toad, Pipa pipa, is also a live food specialist (please see photo and this article. Read More »

Reptile and Amphibian Foods – Breeding and Rearing Grasshoppers and Locusts

Hooded GrasshopperThe Domestic or House Cricket is perhaps the world’s most popular herp food, the closely-related locusts, grasshoppers and katydids have been neglected as a food source here in the USA.  However, many are easily collected and bred in captivity, and offer important nutrients lacking in commercially-bred insects.  What’s more, they are colorful, active and extremely interesting to work with – don’t be surprised if you begin keeping them as more than just a food item!

Natural History

Grasshoppers, crickets, locusts and katydids are classified in the Order Orthoptera.  Over 20,000 species, inhabiting environments ranging from deserts to mountain tops, have been described.  The USA is home to 1,000+ species.

Many grasshoppers sport a fantastic array of colors and shapes; some are barely visible to the naked eye, while others, such as New Guinea’s Phyllophora grandis, top 5 inches in length (please see photo of a Hooded Grasshopper). Read More »

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