CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF AUSTRALIAN FROGS

Australian frogs are fast becoming a popular inclusion to our homes as pets. Their popularity is largely due to their striking, colorful and sometimes unusual appearance. Their peaceful nature, coupled with the need for only a few basic demands, makes them a logical choice for anyone, young or old looking for something a little special.

Housing: Glass fish tanks provide all basic requirements necessary for housing frogs, because glass tanks are easy to clean and are readily available in all shapes and sizes, they make a logical choice for Housing your frog(s). Glass also provides the best possible viewing of your pet frog. A consideration that should be given to any frog enclosure is that it has the facility to be easily cleaned. Talk to our staff regarding some of the options for making your enclosure really easy to clean.

Ventilation: Good ventilation is essential in any frog enclosure. A good supply of clean air is vital to the health of all frogs. A lid constructed from a smooth, sturdy frame and soft mesh such as fiberglass flyscreen should be used. Your lid, whatever the construction, should be tight fitting to prevent your amphibians from escaping. A complete glass lid is not recommend unless other ventilation is allowed for. Remember, frogs are great escape artists and can slip through very narrow gaps.

Heat: Most popular species of frogs, kept as pets in Australia are tropical and or sub-tropical frogs. These species will require some form of heating. There are many ways of heating a frog enclosure. The most common way is to place an aquarium heater in the water area of the enclosure. This also provides the necessary humidity required by most tropical frogs. Another popular method of heating is to place a Heat mat beneath the enclosure. Speak to our staff regarding the requirements of your particular species.

Food: Insects and spiders make it the major part of most Australian frogs diet, frogs detect food primarily by sight. Any moving object, small enough to be consumed is usually considered as dinner. This can include smaller frogs. Bear this in mind if you are thinking of housing your 'Dainty green tree frogs" in with your "Giant Green tree frogs". Crickets, cockroaches and mealworms are the most readily available food source through the pet industry (remember they must be alive). Larger frogs such as the green tree, and giant green tree will also accept baby mice. Dusting the food source with calcium and multivitamin powders will ensure that you are providing your frogs with the nutrients they require in their diet. As they say "variety is the spice of life", so avoid a strict diet of one type of food.

Ultra Violet Light: Frogs, like us, need to have exposure to U.V. light to enable them to process vitamin D in their bodies. Without a good source of U.V. your animal can suffer from problems with it’s skeleton and joints. Deformities are not uncommon in animals that are housed with an insufficient or no U.V.source, and this can result in paralysis and even death. A good flouro tube like a Repti-glo or Repti-sun is essential if your animal does not get regular exposure to natural sunlight. This exposure needs to be direct, not through glass. Glass cuts down the penetration of U.V. light almost totally.

Water: The most important factor when considering any water associated with frogs is that it is clean. Most frogs spend most of their life on or around water which they not only drink but absorb through their permeable skin. In a frog enclosure, a water reservoir can be in the form of a small dish or a larger partitioned area of the enclosure. The amount of water required will vary depending on the species of frog you wish to keep. All frogs which are legally allowed to be kept in Victoria will require water for breeding. Breeding is most often determined by the onset of seasonal rain. Increasing the level or amount of water in the enclosure is often important if your frogs are to spawn.