Leopard frogs, dis., env. likely     5/23/11
My Leopard frog lives in the container that you get from the Star Wars from ToysRUs. My frog has been lying down on the bottom of the tank for awhile.
He's not floating like my other frog did when he died. What's wrong with it?
<Do please read the top few entries to this page:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/LeopardFrogF.htm
As you'll see, the "container" is killing your pet frog. These frogs need a 20+ gallon aquarium equipped with a hood, light, a soft substrate (coconut fibre for example), and a small area for bathing. Feeding is difficult, and needs to be based around a variety of small live foods. There's a nice summary here:
http://www.amphibiancare.com/frogs/caresheets/leopardfrog.html
Unfortunately a lot of people buy these pets without doing research, and end up with dead frogs.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Leopard frogs, now another Anuran     5/23/11
Thanks. I'm going to try getting a different frog, this time making sure I know what I'm doing, and not ordering it in the mail.
<Do, please, read up on Hymenochirus spp; these are small, tropical, 100% aquatic frogs that do well in heated, filtered tanks from 5 gallons upwards. Given those conditions, they're easy to keep.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/FrogsArtNeale.htm
Virtually no other frog offers such a good combination of requirements and characteristics.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Leopard frogs
Thank you again, I just had one question. For the African dwarf frog, what would I need to do if I lived in Arizona? Would the frog get too hot?
<Provided you could keep water temperature below 28 C/82 F in summer, while at least 22 C/72 F in winter, you should be okay. Stick a cheap liquid crystal thermometer on the outside of the tank, place it somewhere out of direct sunlight, and float a few ice cubes in the tank if it gets really hot, and you shouldn't have any real problems. Cheers, Neale.>

Fire bellied toads questions :D 5/14/09
Hi, I was just curious if I want to watch my fire bellied toads at night is it alright to use a fluorescent black light?
<I don't know for sure. Certainly, I'd only use this UV light for short periods: some animals can detect UV light (we can't) and UV light can, over long periods, cause health problems. To be honest, you might find a row of dim red LEDs rather more effective.>
Also, if my terrarium only has about 600ml of water in it, if the fire bellied toads happen to mate will they be able to lay eggs in the dish?
<For want to anything better they may do, but it certainly isn't enough water for the eggs to stay healthy. Just like the tadpoles, the eggs need clean, filtered water.>
Thank you very much,
Don
<Cheers, Neale.>

Snails, hermit crabs, and frogs, Oh my. Can you recommend a type of frog, something easy to maintain and care for? <In my personal experience, whether it is fish, reptiles, or amphibians, the key is to research the animal before the purchase, set up an environment to suit its needs and do not cut corners, because it will always come back and bite you in the you know what.  The only frog that I have kept is a "Whites" tree frog, also known as the "Dumpy" tree frog.  Adorable creatures and not terribly hard to care for (heat, light, humidity, clean water, and food).  However, I am not sure what type of frog would mix well with snails, I have never researched the captive requirements of snails.  I would start with a search on google.com for frogs, and a trip to the local pet store to see what they have to offer.  Find one that you like, if its needs and the snails needs are similar (and the frog cannot fit the snail in its mouth) then you may have a match.  Best of luck in your search my friend, let us know how it turns out, we are happy to offer help where we can.  -Gage>