Things Harmful to Frogs

Frogs are really delicate little creatures, and there are several things that can harm them, even in captivity. Many of the things that are harmful to frogs you do without ever realizing it. Below is a list of things harmful to frogs and how to prevent them.

Dirty Water:One of the most damaging and harmful things to frogs is dirty water. A frog's water can become dirty by the frog tracking things such as insects and substrate into the water. Frogs' waste can also build up in the water. So, the bottom line is: frogs need fresh water every day. Frogs have breathable skin, and it absorbs water (and anything in the water) like a sponge.
Frogs can become very sick from dirty water. And the water doesn't necessarily have to be dirty. If the frog's water has chemicals, chlorines, etc. in it, those will definitely get into your frog's system and can be fatal. To prevent many long-term illnesses and countless other problems, give your frog dechlorinated, fresh water every day.

To dechlorinate your water, you can purchase some water dechlorinater at any petstore that carries fish supplies. You should always have dechlorinated water on hand. If you are unable to purchase dechlorinater, leave the water out and let it sit before giving it to your frog for at least 2 days (48 hours). Remember: stale water is always better than fresh water (for a frog, at least).

Rough Handling:As I mentioned above, frogs are very delicate little creatures. Meaning, you can hurt them without even realizing it. Even if you are trying your hardest to be gentle while holding your frog, you should still read my article: Handling Frogs.

Dirty terrarium:Frogs can get several bacterial infections from: 1) Dirty water and 2) Dirty habitats. You need to clean out your frog's terrarium every week (two weeks at most) by rinsing out water dishes and plastic plants. Every 3 (4 weeks at most) weeks, change the frog's bedding and any wooden bark or logs in the habitat. To find out more, read my: Cleaning your Frog's Terrarium article.

Sharp objects:Sharp objects are mostly self-explanatory. Frogs can get scratched and cut, even to the point of bleeding on sharp objects. Sharp objects can be found on plastic plant leaves, wooden logs, or even on the substrate. Good substrates for frogs include: moss, terrarium liners, eco-earth dirt, or coconut fibers. Pebbles are not a good substrate, as they can fatally harm the frog if swallowed. Before allowing your frog into the terrarium, make sure there are no sharp edges that could harm it.

Calcium Deficiency:Calcium is an extremely important part of a frog's diet. Mealworms carry very little except all that exoskeleton (very little meat) and are nearly nutritionless. But they are a nice break from crickets once in a while. However, calcium is useless (from what I've heard) without vitamin D3. In the wild, frogs get vitamin D3 from the sunlight. Frogs need to be provided with: 1) 1 hour a day in full sunlight or 2) a vitamin D3 supplement powder. It is possible to "overdust" with calcium and D3. You need to balance all your frog's meals with each of these. The D3 is no good without the calcium, and the calcium is no good without the D3.

Overheating:As is obvious by the title, overheating is a harmful thing to frogs and can cause death, if not permanent damage. Overheating can be caused by a number of reasons.

1. Without a temperature and humidity guage, it's very hard to tell exactly what the temperature/humidity is inside the frog's habitat, and frogs can be too hot without you knowing it.


2. Too much heat being emitted from the lamp is a huge reason for frogs' overheating. On my frog's habitat, I have a lamp with a dimmer; you can adjust the light and heat being emitted. Also, if the lamp is too close to the frog's habitat, he could burn or overheat next to it.


3. Not having enough humidity in the frog's habitat, especially tree frogs' habitats, also adds to overheating in frogs. The lamp or heat evaporates the mist and water from the habitat, making it dry and hot. If you don't have a humidity guage for your frog's habitat, you should purchase on at the local petstore. Frogs need the humidity to be between 70% and 80%.


4. No water in water bowl. I know this sounds like a completely irrelevant reason, but like I mentioned before, the heat evaporates water, and quickly lowers the level of water in the frog's water bowl.

Disease:
Obviously! Disease is the largest factor for frog's death and is extremely harmful to frogs. Disease can be caused by dirty water, dirty terrarium, or other sick reptiles and amphibians. Fresh water for frogs every day is a MUST. Read above to find out more about dirty terrariums and water.

Reptiles and other amphibians can carry disease and pass it on to other reptiles/amphibians. If you do have a sick frog, immediately isolate it to a different tank, unless it is in the habitat by itself. Don't move it if it is in the habitat by itself, because transportation is most harmful and stressful to frogs when they're sick.

Cleaning Chemicals:
As I've stated before in many other articles, soap and other chemicals are VERY toxic to frogs! Never ever use soap in your frog's terrarium, and when you're handling frogs, always be sure to rinse your hands to get rid of soap and oils found on your hands.

Wild Insects

Any insect found in your yard or house should never be fed to your frog. These insects are very harmful, and can, in fact, kill your frog. They may carry disease or pesticides that can fatally harm your frog. Also, these insects are much tougher to digest than regular, store-bought insects, since they have been forced to survive outdoors.


Frogs are great little pets to have, and they're rather easy to care for when you get the hang of it. Be sure to do lots of research on the frog you're getting.