Frogs as Pets :: Frogs and Toads

A guide to the pros and cons of frogs as pets, and some considerations for beginning owners.

Pros and Cons:

• Frogs in captivity are quite long lived (with proper care), so be prepared for a long term commitment. Average life spans are typically 4-15 years, although some have been known to live longer.
• Keeping their enclosures clean can be a lot of work. Many frogs have fairly simple light, temperature, and humidity requirements, but they are very sensitive to contaminants and waste in their environment.
• Some people find them boring - some of the smaller frogs are quite active. However, many of the larger frogs are quite sedentary and don't move around much.
• Need to handle insects to feed most frogs. Some of the larger frogs will even eat pinky mice.
• It can be difficult to find someone to care for your frogs if you plan on traveling at all (keeping in mind you could have your frog for years, you may eventually need someone to look after your frogs for a significant length of time).

Considerations

As with any other kind of pet, doing lots of research prior to deciding on the type of frog that best suits your needs is the best way to make sure you and your frog will be happy.

Set up a tank with everything needed before getting a frog.

• Grown size of frogs. Some of the smallest frogs you might see in a pet store grow into giants. Sometimes their name adds to the confused expectations - "pixie" frogs, which sound like they should be small, are actually African bullfrogs which grow to be 8-9 inches long and very fat. They get their cute name from their latin name, Pyxicephalus adspersus.
• The kind of tank they will need - aquatic, terrestrial, arboreal, or semi-aquatic (or half land and half water, which is probably the trickiest to set up and one of the most common types of tank needed for frogs).
• The type of food required - many frogs need a variety of insects, and the larger types can even eat pinkie mice
• Does the frog need to hibernate?

 

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