A bunch of dumb questions...

[Tim_Cranwill]

Well, I will start by saying that I have enjoyed catching and keeping local frog species on and off since I was about 8 years old (but not in the past 10 or more years..). I have also really enjoyed looking at the pictures you guys have posted of the frogs in your collections. Now for the dumb questions part...

1. What types of frogs (commercially available) make good "pets"?
2. What do you feed them in captivity?
3. How difficult is it to set up a terrarium suitable for frog keeping and how much would it cost...roughly?
4. What kind of care/feeding schedule do they require?
5. What is their life span?
6. How much do they cost?

Ok, enough stupid questions for one night. I know I am asking very general questions and I imagine that there are a lot of specifics and variables from one species to the next, but if someone could just give me some quick and dirty basics I'd really appreciate it! Oh, and point me in the direction of some good care sheets too!

Thanks guys!

P.S. Don't worry, I plan to do a lot of research before buying...

[17730turtlegirl]

OK MOST FROGS YOU CAN BUY FOR UNDER 40 $
FEED THEM CRICKETS & MEALWORMS
ITS REALLY EASY TO SET UP A TERRARIUM AND AS IT DOSENT NEED TO HOLD WATER CHECK IN THE LOCAL NEWS PAPERS AND THRIFT STORES FOR THE TANK
FEED THEM ABOUT 10- 15 CRICKETS EVERY 5 OR 6 DAYS FOR A FROG THE SIZE OF A COMPUTER MOUSE SOME FROGs YOU CAN EVEN FEED BABY MICE TO BY THE WAY IF YOUR INTERESTED IN NATIVE FROGS DO YOU KNOW WHAT TYPE OF FROG HAS THE UNDER SIDES OF ITS LEGS BRIGHT RED AND THE REST OF ITS body BROWNISH RED ? I STILL DONT KNOW THE NAME OF IT!! OH YA AND IF TOU CONSTRUCT A CAGE WITH A GLASS BOTTOM AND 2 TO 3 INCH SIDES of glass MAKE A FRAME OUT OF LIGHT WOOD OR PLASTIC AND PUT SMALL WIRE MESH OVER THE FRAME SILICONE IT TO THE GLASS AND STAPLE IT TO THE WOOD FILL THE BOTTOM WITH MOSS ADD A 4 INCH DEEP RESONABLY SIZED "POOL" AND SOME POTTED PLANTS(THEY DONT NEED TO BE POTTED) OH AND MAke sure that u make it so that one of the walls r on hinges so u can clean it u could make a frog or frogs very happy (its also cheaper to) thats what i got, all native plants and all native frogs in mine im even going to put some newts in it sounds pretty cool dosent it?

[Turtle Matt]

Do you enjoy stealing all of your "pets" from their natural habitats?? You've got to be careful doing that,it's pretty hardcore illegal with some species.
Matt

[vanderkm]

I can only comment on the one frog species we had, argentine horned frogs (pac man frogs). They cost about $40-65 depending on whether you want normal color or albino. Ours was the size of a quarter when we got him and ate crickets ( a couple a day of appropriate size - smaller than his mouth - which was huge). A 10 gallon tank is fine for their whole life (males get 4 inches, females up to 6 and might need a 20 gallon). We used an undertank heater with bed-a-beast bedding kept very damp all the time. They need a shallow water dish so they don't drown, because they are too fat to swim. They are quiet, spend a lot of time buried, but are really fun to watch eat. They do fine on crickets and feeder fish, but take anything they can fit in their mouths. Lots of people feed mice, but they are pretty high fat and can lead to health problems - is really fun to watch an adult frog devour an adult mouse though. This should be a rare treat. They will only eat every couple weeks when they are one big prey. They need a screen lid on the tank to keep the insect prey in, dust the crickets, they use the water bowl for a toilet so easy to keep clean. Like all frogs, they should not be handled - for viewing only because they absorb toxic substances (hand cream, soap, etc) through their skin, and these guys bite, so exercise caution. They are great fun though and live for years. Not very intesting for kids though because they hide a lot of the time and are not active in the tank like some of the smaller frog species.

hope that helps,

mary v.