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Amphibians as Pets – Common Frogs, Toads and Salamanders of the USA

Spottted Salamander

Downloaded to Wikipedia by Camazine

This article covers the care of several native amphibians that live in close proximity to people.  As a result, they sometimes wind up in yards, basements, window wells and other such places.  Most are also seen in pet stores.  While they can make interesting, long-lived pets, all have specific needs that must be met if they are to thrive.  The following information will give you an idea of what is involved caring for amphibians as pets; please see the articles linked below for more detailed information, and post any questions you may have.  If you find an injured animal, or wish to learn how to become a wildlife rehabilitator, please see this article.

It is important to bear in mind that captive-born specimens make far better pets than wild individuals, and that many species are protected by law. Read More »

Keeping Frogs and Toads as Pets – Creating a Terrarium and Best Amphibian Care Products

From tiny “living jewels” to hulking giants capable of consuming bats, snakes and rodents, the world’s nearly 6,000 frog species present an amazing array of pet-keeping opportunities.  With proper care, some may live for decades (to age 50 in the case of the African Bullfrog), and quite a few are active by day and quickly learn to accept food from one’s hand.  However, keeping frogs and toads as pets means providing a habitat that meets their specific needs – humidity, temperature, substrate, terrarium size and shape, light, water quality and other conditions must be carefully considered.

Oak Toad

Uploaded to Wikipedia Commons by Eric Shashoua

Although each has needs that vary from those of others, some general rules have emerged.  The following information is drawn from my experiences with hundreds of species over a lifetime of frog-keeping in zoos and at home.  It can be applied to most of those that you are likely to encounter.  However, details will vary – please post below for information concerning individual species.

Housing

Please remember that your frog’s natural history will dictate the type of terrarium it requires…please post below to discuss the need of individual species, or to share your observations.

Setting up the Terrarium

Active, sedentary, high-strung, aquatic, arboreal and terrestrial frogs and toads utilize their living spaces in different ways.  Following are some basic guidelines for popular species. Read More »

Frog Facts, Natural History, and Behavior – Notes on Amphibian Pets

Those with an interest in frogs and toads will never be bored…among the 6,200 known species are found some of the world’s most fascinating and unusual animals.  Many amphibian pets may, with proper care, live for 10, 20 or even 50 years, and can be wonderful animals to keep and observe.  A number engage in complex social behaviors that range from hand-signaling to the feeding of tadpoles…and well-adjusted captives are often not at all shy about doing so before an audience!

I cannot remember a time when I was not fascinated by frogs and toads, and my amphibian-keeping friends and Bronx Zoo colleagues often voice the same sentiment.  But what is it that draws us to keep, study and breed these marvelous creatures?  True, some species, due to their ability to survive near people, become our first herp pets…as did Bullfrogs, American Toads and others when I was growing up in the Bronx, but there’s more to it than that.  Part of the answer, I believe, lies in their amazing diversity of forms and lifestyles…some of which stretch the limits of believability.  Please be sure to post your own thoughts and experiences below, as well as any questions you may concerning choosing a pet frog or caring for individual species.

Dendrobates

Uploaded to Wikipedia Commons by Pixeltoo

Read More »

Pet Frogs – the Best Species for Children and First Time Keepers

Many of the world’s nearly 6,000 frog species make wonderful pets that may live for 10, 20 or even 50 years.  Among them we find creatures that glide, brood their eggs in vocal sacs, form lifelong pair bonds and exhibit other fascinating behaviors.  While the smallest is barely as large as a pea, the nine-pound African Bullfrog can chase lions away from its tadpoles!  Today I’d like to introduce some of my favorites, each of which is hardy enough for beginners yet so interesting that herpetologists – myself included – regularly keep them as pets.  Please be sure to let me know about your own “best pet frogs” by posting below.

Frog Care

White's treefrog

Uploaded to Wikipedia Commons by LiquidGhoul

Even the toughest of frogs have specific care needs that must be met if they are to thrive.  The following information is meant to illustrate why one should consider a particular type of frog.  It is not a complete care guide…please be sure to post below for detailed information about keeping and breeding these or other frogs. Read More »

Amphibian Abuse – Neon Dyed Frogs Wildly Popular in Chinese Pet Stores

Loggerhead TurtleMany turtle keepers here in the USA can recall seeing hatchling Red-Eared Sliders with gaily-painted shells being offered for sale at pet stores and carnivals.  Thankfully, through education and the passage of legislation, that practice, which killed thousands if not millions of turtles, is no longer with us.  Unfortunately, an equally-horrific new fad has recently popped up in China, where millions of young African Clawed Frogs are being colored with industrial dyes and sold as short-lived “novelties”.

Torturing Sensitive Creatures

A thin, sensitive skin pre-disposes frogs to a variety of environmental hazards, and may be one of the factors behind the recent extinctions of hundreds of species worldwide.  Permeable to water, oxygen and chemicals, frog skin is marvelous yet delicate, and easily irritated by any exposure to less-than-ideal environments.

So just imagine the effect of injections of industrial dyes!  Actually, any animal would be horribly injured or killed by such a practice…in fact, the dyes being used on the frogs are reportedly dangerous for people to handle.

As you can see from article linked below, the frogs take on neon hues of pink, yellow, green and other colors, and appear more like plastic toys than live animals – a situation that makes it more likely they will be treated as objects and not living creatures in need of care.

Larger Issues: Animals as Objects

In addition to the outright killing of frogs, the practice of dyeing them raises the larger issue of how they are perceived.  In this article, for example, the author has not even bothered to identify the type of frogs that are being sold, and even makes light of the situation – suggesting that the frogs sell-out so fast that prospective owners may need to dye their own!  The author callously goes on to note that the dyes should last 3-4 years “…by which time the frogs will probably be long dead anyway”.

As you can see by the video linked below, sellers also show little regard for the doomed creatures’ needs – the dyed frogs pictured there are held in a bare tank of filthy water in which float dead fishes.

A Life-Saving Frog

Ironically, so much of interest could have been written about African Clawed Frogs.  Once used as the basis for pregnancy tests (the Hogben Test), these frogs have been used in medical research for decades, and have saved countless human lives.  Captives become quite responsive and have lived for nearly 30 years, and educational kits featuring Clawed Frog tadpoles have introduced millions of school children to the wonders of metamorphosis.  I could go on…please see the article below for more on this most unique amphibian.

“Tiger Dogs” and other Odd Fads

Apparently, “plain” animals are not interesting enough for many modern-day consumers in China and elsewhere these days.  Fishes confined to lockets are still being sold, and in the past few years the practice of coloring dogs to resemble tigers, pandas and other creatures has become fashionable (please see article below).

Reporting Animal Abuse

Please read my article on Reporting Animal Abuse (USA), and of course feel free to write in for advice; in most cases I’ll be able to direct you to an appropriate local authority if you have witnessed animal cruelty or abuse.

 

Further Reading

Video of Dyed Frogs Held under Terrible Conditions

African Clawed Frog Behavior

 
White clawed frog image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Museoftheviolets

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