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CHAPTER 1

SELECTION

Before Buying Frogs and Newts

Frogs and newts are beautiful, fascinating creatures that can enrich your life. However, they must be researched and examined before purchase, not purchased on a whim. Many require specific conditions, such as cool temperatures and live foods, and the design of their setups requires thought and planning. As a rule, frogs and newts are relatively inexpensive, although their setups, if done right, end up costing between sixty and one hundred dollars.

The Oriental fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis) is one of the gems of the frog world. Fortunately, it is readily available and easy to keep and breed.

At the outset, ask yourself whether a frog or newt is the right pet for you. What is it that you expect from owning a frog or newt? They are not particularly responsive personal pets and they can’t be handled, so any pleasure you derive from them will be from observation. Only close scrutiny reveals the special beauty of these creatures, their unusual forms, their golden eyes, their porcelain skin, the details of their skin texture and pattern, and their variety of colors—from subtle to vivid hues. Interesting patterns and behaviors add to the charm of these little beings, which fascinate their owners precisely because they are so alien. Once you realize that observing these animals provides enjoyment, the importance of designing an attractive natural-looking display—a living work of art—becomes obvious.

Selecting Species

The best way to select a species is to refer to books with photographs or, better yet, go to a store and observe live animals. Once you have found a species that appeals to you, take the time to read about its natural history, captive care, and requirements for designing a proper setup, which you’ll find in this book.

Southeast Asian green-back frogs (Rana erythraea) are very beautiful ranids, not as rapacious as leopard frogs, and generally very amenable to keeping in vivaria.

Beware of Heat!

Many temperate amphibian species, particularly salamanders, fare well during cool months but have high mortality rates on hot summer days. Various salamanders and frogs, such as fire-bellied newts and Oriental fire-bellied toads, end up dying when temperatures rise above 80° Fahrenheit (F) and head toward 85° F. Many deaths occur during summer heat waves. If you live in a warm area, select amphibians more adapted to warm temperatures, which excludes the great majority of salamanders.

Next, plan your vivarium, including the size, type, and supplies needed to assemble it. Only after having completed the vivarium should you purchase or collect the species you intend to keep. If you plan to collect a species in the wild, make sure you follow the conservation guidelines and laws in your area. Wild-caught specimens are, in general, far less hardy than captive-bred animals.

Another way to decide what species to keep is to first decide on the type of display you want. Many hobbyists are more interested in creating a type of display, either an aquarium or a shoreline vivarium, with frogs and newts as one of the aesthetic components of the setup. To help in your selection, refer to the following categories that match setups and amphibians. The groupings do not imply compatibility of species.

Amphibians suitable for aquaria and deep island aquaria (more than half-filled):

clawed frog

dwarf clawed frog

axolotl

certain newts

tadpoles

Amphibians suitable for island aquaria (half-filled):

dwarf clawed frog

floating frog

fire-bellied toad

newts

Species suitable for shoreline vivaria:

floating frog

fire-bellied toad

leopard frog

newts

salamanders

The type of food required by frogs, newts, or other salamanders might affect your species selection. Most frogs and salamanders, with the exception of some aquatic species, require live, moving prey, which usually means a weekly visit to the pet store to buy crickets, black worms, or other live foods. Fire-bellied toads, floating frogs, leopard frogs, and salamanders need live foods two to three times a week. If routine purchase of live food is a problem, consider aquatic species that eat frozen foods or commercial diets. These include dwarf underwater frogs, clawed frogs, axolotls, and newts.

Newts, such as this Chinese paddle-tailed newt (Pachytriton labiatum), are often presented in the worst possible manner in pet stores. Kept the right way they easily rival tropical fish as aquarium displays.