Possibly getting a frog? :\

[ballmom]

OK here is the situation, my son wants a frog. I understand that getting children pets are a bad thing due to the fact that soon “I” will have a frog. However, what kind of frog would you suggest for a pet? Now remember we already have 3 cats, 1 dog, 1 BP and a rat.

I told him that I would look into it and so here I am, looking into it. I would like one that does more than sits and sleeps. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you

[Freakie_frog]

From what I've read frog can be very tough to keep..If I had to choose though..a Pixie frog or fire belly frogs are pretty affordable and relativity easy to car for.

[redstormlax12]

Yeah, Frogs can be difficult. Be careful to use spring water for spraying,drinking and for anything to avoid intoxication from the chemicals in the tap water. I would suggest a firebelly or a pacman. They are pretty hardy and the great thing about pacman frogs is they dont need complex enclosures.

[mainbutter]

There are lots of different frogs out there.

Pacman/horned frogs are pretty popular, and for good reason. They have pretty colors, and are kind of funny looking because they are so chubby. A big, pretty, ornate horned frog is always a crowd pleaser. They do well at slightly above room temps and don't require complex misting or filtration systems. Coco fiber, a few hides (I use live plants), a UTH on the side of the tank to keep temps a bit warmer, and a tupperware sunk into the substrate to provide a soaking pool and you're good to go. They eat bugs, so taking care of a frog also means taking care of live insects. I have my own dubia roach colony, but lacking that having a horned frog also means regular trips to the pet store for crickets/roaches/worms (i do NOT mean meal worms). Dietary requirements are usually where people go wrong with these guys, so consult care sheets.

Pyxie frogs are also neat, but they're in high demand and low supply right now. I don't know anyone with them in stock. A local reptile store got dwarf pyxies in, but really the point of having a pyxie is to have a giant frog who weighs a few pounds.

I'd seriously look at toads too. Toads are really neat, and many species including native north american varieties are pretty darn hardy. Marine/Cane toads are popular, as are colorado river toads, and the plain old "american toad" is a fantastic pet as well. I also find that toads are among the most active amphibians out there.

If your son is more interested in the smaller or more arboreal frogs out there (poison dart frogs, red eyed tree frogs, other tree frogs etc) than the land-based ones I've been recommending, you'll find yourself needing more precise husbandry and more complex setups. That isn't exactly bad, but it just means you REALLY have to do your research.

I just want to say that for any amphibian, handling is pretty much a no-no. These are display animals, and except for the rare photo shoot or quick look-over to ensure they are healthy, they really shouldn't be handled. If your son isn't happy with that, he probably doesn't really want a frog or a toad.

[CoolioTiffany]

I was looking up a caresheet about these frogs I'm interested in (adding more things to my collection that I really don't need) and frogs do seem like cool creatures to keep. I've had a bull frog once but that didn't turn out very well.

Some cool ones I've found to be that are also pretty good for beginners are White's Tree Frogs, Dumpy Tree Frogs (very similar to White's.. may be the same), Firebelly Frogs, and Pacman Frogs. From what I've heard, all of those species are pretty simple to keep and great for beginners. I may be getting a trio of White's Tree Frogs at the show in a month, I've got a pretty big arboreal tank that needs something in it

[ballmom]

Thank you all for your post. I am not really sure why he wants a frog/toad. I think I will wait another month or two and see if he says anything about it. We really do not need another animal in the house.

Again, thank you all for your help.

[Jason Bowden]

If I got a frog, I'd get a pacman frog. I know they just sit there, but I like them and they get big.