Pet Frogs - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**Res Judicata** · #1 07-22-09, 01:11 am

My nine year old wants a frog. I have been debating getting him one. He is a very sensitive soul who gets upset when people step on earthworms and has been helping out with the guinea pigs since he was six. I have questioned him about helping to care for the frog and talked about a frog's diet, because of the earthworms. He told me that frogs need to eat, but people should not be mean to worms.

Is there anyone here who has ever kept frogs? I am looking for any websites or other good sources of information that answer basic questions about pet frogs, like where the heck to do get one other than buying some overpriced, possibly diseased one at a pet store or taking a tadpole or two out of my parents' little bog pond, if I am going to have to raise crickets or something unpleasant like that, and how easy/difficult it is to keep them.

**kaorte** · #2 07-22-09, 02:06 am

I have a pacman frog and really, they don't make good interactive pets. Most frogs don't. You can't really handle frogs because of their sensitive skin. You can easily make them sick with the natural oils on your hands.

If you are still interested in getting one for your son you will need to feed it some kind of insect. Crickets are most popular because they are widely available in almost any pet store. If you don't like the idea of supporting a pet store then you might have to breed them, which isn't very pleasant and can get rather...stinky. Most frogs will not eat non-moving prey.

Do you know what kind of frog you are interested in getting? Red eyed tree frogs are really cool. You can find them at reptile shows for around $20-30 I think. I know some people who have them and they are fun to watch.

Frogfreaks.com is a good place for questions and info. I would say getting the setup right might take a while as amphibians are very sensitive to humidity.

Hope this helps

**Seonta** · #3 07-22-09, 06:44 am

Frogs and toads are both amphibians but Toads have a better chance at surviving being handled. I would maybe throw the idea at him about getting a toad rather than a frog. They also don't require a duel set up of land and water, rather they just need land and maybe a large enough dish to soak in if they wanted to.

**Res Judicata** · #4 07-23-09, 10:48 pm

I do not think "cuddly" is a problem. This is a boy who wants a pet lobster as well. If I am going to have to breed stinky, noisy crickets, this might have to wait until we move so that we have a garage to keep said crickets in. Thanks for the info.

Now I just need to find someone who knows where I can get an apartment-sized, house-trained cow for the cow-crazy 4 year old.

Preferably in brown.

**vicky2** · #5 07-23-09, 11:09 pm

I don't know anything about frogs, but the cow, now the cow is an interesting idea!

That is the cutest and funniest thing I have ever heard!

Too cute! Before I forget!
http://www.ecoliblog.com/boo-miniature-cow.jpg
A miniature cow for the cow crazy four year-old.

In brown!

**Res Judicata** · #6 07-23-09, 11:13 pm

That is a cute brown cow!

**Res Judicata** · #7 08-17-09, 01:44 pm

Well, we have an American toad. It is about quarter-sized and was found yesterday in my parent's yard. My son begged to keep it because it is missing its front left foot and kind of tips every time it hops, therefore he was afraid that something was going to eat it. It is not a very quick toad compared to the other little toads I have seen around my parent's. I said we would try, but if it is not going to take to being a captive toad we would have to let it go and allow it to take its chances out in the wild. So far it seems to not mind its tank and likes hanging out on top of the hidey log we put in there. It has eaten three mealworms and a small moth my son caught. Maybe it will work out.