Frog Care

Congratulations! You've decided to take the plunge and join the world's population of frog owners. Before you run out to the nearest pet store and buy the first frog that catches your eye, there are a few things for first time owners to consider. For starters, it's vital to find out if there are any regulations against owning reptiles  in your area, or your country, for that matter. A good example of this can be found in Australia, where owning reptiles is illegal without a license, and anyone caught without one is subject to heavy fines.

Once you've got the legal matters settled, it's time to do your homework!

The Necessities

Terrarium  A standard fifteen gallon terrarium  (24 inches long by 12 inches high by 12 inches wide) should be plenty big for a group of frogs. Comes in four variations. Terrestrial Best suited for frogs and toads that prefer a dry climate. Acquatic Essentially the same living situation as tank fish. Half and Half The most commonly used set up. Usually filled 3/4ths with water and 1/4 land. Arboreal Tall design suits frogs that spend most of their time in trees.	Bedding  Come in washable,  disposable  and even edible varieties.  Keeps the terrarium clean and makes it safer for your pet to live in. Buyers also have the option of adding sand  to their tanks to enhance the simulated living arrangements for their frogs. Make sure you consider the needs our your individual frog.	Food  Frogs generally dine on crickets,  which can be found in most pet stores. If you don't want to touch the crickets, you can make a cricket house,  perhaps with an empty yogurt container, or you can buy one pre-made.

Things frogs like

Scenery  Add an array of things to your frog's terrarium, including waterfalls,  shrubs,  or volcanoes.	Hiding Places  Absolutely necessary, considering that all reptiles like to hide when they're startled. Hiding places come in a variety of sizes and styles, including caves  and large rocks.	Heat  Tank heaters can be used to further simulate a frog's ideal living situation. Heaters are designed for use either in the tank itself, or underneath the tank.

How and what to feed your frog

When it comes to eating, frogs are a finicky bunch. Some species tend to overeat, even when not hungry, while others will only eat out of necessity. To figure your frog out, try throwing in 3 or 4 crickets each eating session. From here, you can read your frogs personality to figure out whether it's still hungry, or has had enough.

If you're stumped for something to feed your frog, crickets are a safe bet. Most frogs will eat all sorts of bugs, or anything wiggly for that matter. Small frogs eat flightless flies and baby crickets. If your frog stays underwater for the majority of the time, frozen bloodworms  and brine shrimp  are just fine.

What to avoid

Although it may be fun to watch a diverse tank, full of different species of frogs, intertwine and live in harmony, the fact of the matter is that if you don't know your frogs. It's safest to keep them segregated, assome toxic frogs may present danger to other frogs. There is one example of a woman who placed a PacMan frog in the same terrarium as her Oriental Fire-Bellied frog. After 5 minutes, the owner went back to the terrarium, only to find the PacMan frog dead. The toxic nature of the Oriental Fire-Bellied frog was just too much, and caused his companion to die. However, these frogs are not potentially fatal to their owners. It is important, though, to understand that frogs can be toxic and be harmful to other frogs, as well as other house pets. There is also a threat of bigger species eating smaller ones.

In general, there are a handful of species that beginners should avoid.

• Any poison frogs
• Horned frogs
• Budgettes toads
• Bullfrogs

External Links

• Allaboutfrogs.org: Anything and everything you'll need to know about frogs.
• Patrick Nabors: Getting started with dart frogs.