Frog Care when You're on Vacation

What to do with your frog when you're away or on vacation is a tricky problem. Many people are squeamish of the live insects frogs love to eat, and therefore aren't as open to caring for your pet while you're away. Finding someone to care for your frog will be easy when you read this article, though!

Who will care for your frog?

1. Ask your local herp or companion animal veterinarian if they petsit animals while their owners are on vacation. Though this is the most expensive option, your frog will probably receive the best care possible here. 
2. If you're looking for something cheaper than a vet to petsit your frog, be sure to look for local pet-sitting businesses. They will probably care for your frog for a cheaper price than the veterinarian. 
3. And if you're looking for free pet-sitting and some basic care, you can always ask your neighbors, friends, and close family to care for your frog while you're away. Remember, however, than unless your relatives and friends are informed about frogs, your frog will definitely NOT get the top-notch care it would receive in a vet's office. 
4. Another option that most people don't use is taking your pet with you on vacation. At most pet stores, you can find transportable cages and plastic habitats to easily transport your frog in. This is like setting up another terrarium, though, and is NOT the most easy way to care for your frog while on vacation. 

Keep in mind that people might be more willing to care for your frog while you're away if you offer to pay them for taking care of your frog.

Before letting friends, neighbors, or relatives take care of your frog, you will need to show them exactly what's supposed to be done. They will need to change water daily, feed at least every other day, turn light on and off daily, and mist with water daily.

Always make sure your frog gets the best possible care while you're away on vacation.  

Is a Frog Right for You?

Before buying a frog, you need to read this article to find out if a frog is the right pet for you. Frogs are somewhat of a commitment, so you need to be prepared.

1. Frogs require money.

Before ever getting a pet that you probably can't return to the pet store, you need to make sure you are willing to pay the bills for it. Caring for and owning frogs can get rather expensive, so you need to be very sure you are ready to pay for everything. Here is a list of the basics you will need to pay for:

• The frog itself -- frogs can range in price from $6 to $30 and up
• The correct habitat -- don't purchase an inexpensive habitat that your new pet won't be happy in. A good rule to go by: 5 gallons per inch of frog.
• Terrarium decor -- you will need to purchase trees, stumps, logs, water dishes, food dishes, etc.
• Substrate -- since substrate is something that needs to be changed every 1-6 months, you will be continually purchasing new substrate for your frog
• Food -- crickets, mealworms, waxworms, etc. all need to be in your pet frog's diet. They die rather quickly and your frog needs to be fed every two days if not every day, so you will be constantly be purchasing food for your frog
• Lighting -- all frogs need lighting, and you have to purchase lamps to start with, bulbs when they burn out, and have to pay for the electricity powering the light

The items listed above are only the very necessary items in owning a pet frog. Other bills you might have to pay: veterinary bills, medicine bills, bills for vitamin supplements, etc.

         2. Frogs require commitment.

Every day, you will have to check on your frog and provide for its daily needs such as:

• Clean water -- this is one of the most important commitments to owning a frog. Frogs can get fatally sick from dirty water. You will have to change your frog's water daily, unless you own an aquatic frog. Then change the water weekly.
• Fresh food -- every day, your pet needs to eat. Along with each meal, you should include a complete vitamin supplement. Read my article: Frogs' Vitamins and Nutrients for more information.
• Monthly cleanings -- remember to clean out your frog's habitat monthly, if not sooner. Change the substrate and run everything under hot water. Read my complete article: Cleaning your Frog's Terrarium.
• You need to be checking your frog every day for any signs of illness or discomfort. At the first sign of any sickness, immediately consult your veterinarian.

If you are willing and able to provide all of your pet frog's needs, you are ready to own your own pet frog! Don't let any of this information scare you off from owning frogs, however. Frogs are quite easy to care for once you get the hang of it.

Common Species of Frogs

There are hundreds of species of frogs for you to choose from. In this article, you will be able to see some of the more common species of frogs. This article is especially helpful if you're choosing your first frog.

African Bullfrog
The african bullfrog is also known as the pixie frog (due to its Latin name). This frog is known to eat voraciously and its diet includes: insects, small birds, small reptiles, small rodents and other amphibians. These frogs emit a loud croaking sound and is not a great frog for beginners, despite its cute name. These frogs can bite and can also blow up into a large balloon shape when frightened.

African Clawed Frog
These aquatic frogs have large back webbed feet and clawed front ones. They like warm, quiet waters and usually will feed on a variety of fish. They are scavengers and their aquarium needs to be kept clean. They can grow up to 5 inches in length and have a flattened head and body. They can range from a gray brown to a marbled color. Do not put these frogs in with any kind of fish.

African Dwarf Frog
These aquatic frogs need a roomy aquarium with 1-2 inches of space at the top. They breathe oxygen from the air, not the water and have lungs instead of gills. Their diet consists mostly of frozen bloodworms but variety is good in any frog's diet. These frogs are also scavengers and will eat anything living, dying or dead. Obviously these frogs SHOULD NOT be kept with fish of any kind. These frogs like to be kept with one or more of their kind due to their social nature. They have four webbed feet with small claws that will wear off on the rough pebbles at the bottom of an aquarium.

Bubble Frog
This frog is also known as the Rice Frog, Chubby Frog, Painted Frog and Asian Bullfrog. They like a terrarium with plenty of shelter and hiding places. They usually grow up to 7-8 centimeters. These frogs eat voraciously and their diet can include, but is not limited to: insects, worms, etc. These frogs are also known to croak loudly. Do not handle these frogs often as they secrete a glue-like slime that is hard to wash off.

Dart Frogs
These frogs are only for the experienced amphibian owner. They are small, colorful and vibrant frogs who need extremely small insects: baby crickets, fruit flies, meadow plankton, etc. Usually these poison dart frogs lose a lot, if not all of their poison when in captivity due to the foods they are fed. It is said that they get their poison from an ant they eat in the wild. Some dart frogs can live up to 15 years in captivity, though it's rare. Handling of these frogs should be completely avoided if possible.

Dumpy Tree Frog
These frogs are extremely cute, chubby, great for the beginner amphibian owner and love to be held. Also known as the White's Tree Frog and the Blue Bumpy Tree Frog. These frogs should have a large, tall terrarium. Dumpy tree frogs are nocturnal (they're active only at night unless recently disturbed) and usually will not come out in the day. These little guys eat voraciously and are very easy to overfeed. They're also very hardy to illness.

Firebelly Toads
The firebelly (or firebellied) toad require a little more work than other frogs, but they are good for the beginner amphibian owner. They usually don't grow any longer than 1.5 inches. The toad got its name from the red or yellow and black coloring on  its belly. These colorings warn predators off and remind them of the terrible taste of the firebellied toad. It is rather risky to house these toads with any other species of amphibians, since the toad secretes toxins from glands on the backside of its head. Also, firebellied toads can be very aggressive with other male firebellies.

Gray Tree Frog
These frogs can change colors from a light green to gray, depending on their mood and surroundings. They are medium in size and are great climbers. These tree frogs, like all tree frogs, need an arboreal habitat. They eat crickets, flies, mealworms and waxworms. Males sing or croak during the night to attract females.

Green Frog
These frogs have a very large tympanum, or ear. The tympanum is the circle right behind the eye of the frog. This frog needs a warm, humid climate with warm water and some real plants, if available. Real plants help hold in humidity and warmth. These frogs tend to stay near water, but some can be found inland. They eat small insects and tadpoles.

Green Tree Frog
This is a smaller specie of frogs that only grow up to be about 2.5 inches at most. They can change colors, like the dumpy frogs, from a dark olive green to bright lime green. They have a cream colored stripe running from their jaw to the tips of their legs. Some specimens do not have this stripe, but the more common ones do. These frogs are extremely quick and agile and for the intermediate amphibian owner. These frogs will eat small crickets and mealworms. Waxworms and other insects are too large.

Gold Frog
The Gold frog is the smallest frog in the Southern Hemisphere. They only grow up to about 1 centimeter in length, with the legs tucked in. These frogs, obviously, do not require a huge habitat due to their minute size. Provide lots of plants, logs, etc. for the frog to hide in and explore.

Leopard Frog
These frogs are slender and have a stripe very similar to the green tree frog. Its diet is mainly crickets, and a half and half habitat is ideal for this type of frog. These frogs like to hibernate for about 3 months.

Pacman Frog
AKA the Argentinan Horned Frog, the Bell Frog and also the Ornate Frog. These frogs have huge mouths, and some say this is where their name comes from. These frogs like a half-and-half habitat. Provide a small terrarium with rocks, a large pool, substrate and some artificial plants and the pacman frog will be happy. Their diet consists mostly of small fish, large bugs and mice. Not a great choice for the beginner amphibian owner. These also aren't a great pet if you're looking for an active frog. These frogs are diurnal, but they don't move around much.

Red Eyed Tree Frog
These are probably one of the most common types of frogs due to their beautiful variety of color. They have blue, green, yellow, red and orange on them. These frogs need a tall arboreal terrarium with the humidity kept between 80% - 100%. Some say these frogs are known to eat other smaller frogs as well as crickets. These frogs are extremely mellow and calm - great for beginners. Their red eyes help them to see in the dark (they're nocturnal) and hunt for dinner!

Tomato Frog
These are pretty large frogs - almost as large as a person's fist. The females are bigger than the males and can reach 3-4 inches in body length. They range from orange-red to dark red, hence the name "tomato" frog. As the frog grows, the color becomes brighter. These frogs need a soft, comfortable substrate to burrow into. Moss is ideal. These frogs will eat crickets, waxworms and pinkie mice. When frightened, these frogs can blow up like a balloon.

White's Tree Frogs
The White's tree frog is one of the cutest tree frogs out there. They have glossy green skin that can change from a very light green to a blue-ish teal. These frogs are very hardy and are also known as the Dumpy Tree Frog (see the above description) or Smiling Frog. They can also grow up to 4 inches in length. These tree frogs are nocturnal, not active during the day. Some aren't active at night, either, due to overfeeding. These little guys love to be held, but not overly so. The White's Tree Frog is a great pet for the beginner. These frogs will eat anything from mealworms to pinkie mice. They're quite easy to overfeed. Their habitat should be somewhat like the arboreal habitat, tall and with plenty of hiding and sleeping places.

To find out how to house, care for and feed crickets, read my Dealing with Crickets article.
To find more out about habitats and terrariums for your pet frogs, read my Your Frog's Habitat article.

Setting up your Frog's Terrarium

Before purchasing your frog, you should have the terrarium ready to put him in when you get home. The most common terrariums today are the half water and half land habitat, for semi-aquatic frogs and toads, such as leopard frogs. However, the half and half terrarium is a great choice for any frog. You need to know which frog you're getting so you know which habitat's best for him. To find out more about frog habitats, check my article: Your Frog's Habitat.

When you're choosing the bedding you're going to use for your frog, DO NOT use gravel at all. Frogs can swallow gravel and it can clog their intestines and be fatal.







Things you'll need to setup a frog terrarium:

• Moss, coconut fibers, sand (for frogs who prefer a drier climate), or other bedding
• Water dish
• Food dish (optional; water dish can serve both purposes)
• Logs (for frogs to hide under and climb on)
• Plants (live or plastic)
• Heat lamp
• Thermometer
• Hydrometer (optional, but recommended)
• Terrarium humidifier or squirt bottle
• 5.5 gallon tank (at least; you can use a larger one)
• Large bucket
• Warm water

How to set up a frog terrarium:
Soak the moss block, coconut fiber block or other bedding block you chose in a bucket of warm water. The water to bedding ratio should be 2 to 1. Slosh the bedding around in the bucket and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

Ring the bedding out leaving about 20% moisture in it. Spread the bedding on the terrarium floor. The bedding needs to be 1.5 to 2 times thicker than the frog it's housing. I strongly suggest using moss in your frog's terrarium. Moss keeps the tank humid and retains moisture. Also, moss adds a natural look to your terrarium.

Make sure that there are no sharp edges on any of plants or logs. Place the logs, plants, water dishes, etc. around the terrarium. Live plants help retain moisture in the terrium along with moss. Arrange the plants so that your frog has plenty of places to hide, hunt and explore.

Place the thermometer and hydrometer where it's easily visible but where your frog can't easily get to it.

Squirt down the terrarium with a squirt bottle (you can buy a humidifier that will automatically mist the aquarium for you, but a squirt bottle's about 1/10 the price!). Set the heat lamp on the terrarium lid (yes, you will need a lid... frogs can climb out of their habitats; the lid needs to be well-ventilated no matter what frog is housed) where your frog CANNOT access it. Frogs will climb up to the heat and can burn themselves if they touch hot heat lamps! Turn on the heat lamp and you're ready to bring your new frog home.

Things to remember:

To prevent your bedding from rotting, squirt the terrarium 2-3 times a day generously. Keep the heat lamp on during the day to evaporate any excess moisture that can cause mold to grow. Mold can hurt the frogs... and humans. If you happen to see mold starting to grow in your terrarium, do a thorough cleaning (see my article: Cleaning your frog's Terrarium) and remove all bedding, live plants, logs, etc and get rid of them.

In the case of mold, warm water (as suggested in my article) won't work. It will only spread the mold spores around. What you need to purchase is a chemical that can be found at almost any Petco or Petsmart. It's called WipeOut by the Zoo Med brand. It's a deodorizer and disinfectant that works great for problems like this, but will harm your frog if you let it touch him. When you use this chemical, remove everything from the terrarium and use generously. Then do a thorough warm water wash over your entire terrarium.

Mold can be caused by not having enough ventilation in your frog's habitat, or by having too much moisture and humidity.

An Introduction to Frogs

Frogs are a great pet to have considering that they are small and mostly easy to care for. They are fun and good for ages 10 and up. Frogs are either aquatic (all water frogs), frogs that do not need any water, and frogs that should have a little of both. Know what you're purchasing before you purchase it. Do not buy frogs based on what they look like or how big they are in the store. Some frogs can grow up to 8 inches long and live for up to 7 years (such as Pixie frogs, otherwise known as the African Bullfrog).

All frogs eat every day and most frogs eat live worms or insects. Some eat dried foods or crickets. Aquatic frogs eat dried food.

Before buying your frog, you should research the frog you would like to purchase. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, start with one frog then gradually add more. Research what your frog eats, the temperature he should be in, and what his habitat should be.

Aquatic frogs are the easiest frogs for the beginner. Although their habitats aren't as easy to clean as other types, they only require a once a week cleaning. Most aquatic frogs don't require heating or lighting.

There are many types of frogs you don't want to get if you're a beginner. Poison dart frogs and Horned (Pacman) frogs are NOT good for a beginner "frogger". However, there are more frogs for the beginner than for the advanced. African Dwarf frogs, African Clawed frogs, White's Tree frog and Oriental Fire-bellied toads are a great choice if you are a beginner and/or have not owned a frog before.

Another thing to consider when purchasing your frog is what to do with him when you're on vacation. Many people who haven't taken care of frogs before are not fond of live insects in the refrigerator or house.

Frogs, just like everything else, get sick once in a while. Frogs are hardy animals, and usually sickness is caused by their environment. Once frogs are sick, they are usually very hard to cure. To find more about frog illnesses, causes and preventions, check my Frog Diseases article.

Frogs need ventilation, heating and lighting. They are a fun pet but do require some maintenance. Some frogs need special cares everyday, such as misting and cleaning. Fresh water and moist skin will keep your frog healthy and happy. Most frogs DO NOT like to be handled. If you have to handle your pet, such as when cleaning out his habitat, remember to wash your hands before and after. Wet your hands or wear rubber gloves when handling.