Horned Toad
Is a horned toad really horny? What is a horned toad? How did it get its name?
What is a horned toad?
Most horned toad species are gentle creatures. They prefer dry conditions. If you encounter a horned toad, you may notice that it likes to watch you. Horned toads will sit and stare at you, rarely looking to run away.
Horned toads generally grow to about six inches in length, but possibly, their most extravagant physical feature is their crown of horns or spines. Horned toads have flat bodies, short legs, and a single row of spines on their sides. They range in color from greens to browns to grays and are generally the most active in the early morning hours. They like to sit in the sand, soaking up sunrays.
How did they get their name?
Despite what their name suggests, only mate in the summer months. Horned toads lay eggs in late summer, which hatch within two months. These animals were named because of the tiny horn-like spines they have running along their sides. These protrusions are so rare for frogs or toads that people thought they were giving them an appropriate name. We can always wonder whether those who named the horned toad didn't have a sense of humor, however.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Aquatic Frogs For Your Aquarium
Aquatic Frogs For Your Aquarium
What kinds of frogs are aquatic? Can you keep them in an aquarium with other fish? What special care do they need?
An aquatic frog to consider for the beginner might be the African Dwarf Frog. It's small, active, cute and about as difficult to care for as a tank of goldfish.
What are the physical and behavioral characteristics of aquatic frogs?
When picking out a frog in the pet shop, if it darts around and gives the pet guy a hard time, it means it's healthy and may prove to be resilient. However, if the frog just barely moves or hardly puts up a fight, it may be a symptom of sickness. Also, pay attention to its weight. A skinny frog or one with hazy or cloudy eyes may be a sign of illness, as well. Once one gets sick, it can be very hard to cure it. So you'll want to pick out a hardy one.
Can you keep aquatic frogs in an aquarium with fish and/or other aquatic pets?
Some species will eat just about anything that is smaller than they are. So keep in mind that all its other "roommates" should be larger, but not large enough to find your frog a delicacy. Once this is done, they get along quite well.
What's their natural habitat?
They usually live in very calm and moist regions, such as the tropics, therefore fix your aquariums up accordingly. The most common is creating the half-water/half-landmass environment, but adapt your tank to the type of frog you buy. Tree frogs get a vertical tank with many objects to climb and water at the bottom. Others are very happy in the same environment as you would put goldfish in. These are the 100% aquatic frogs.
What special care needs do they have?
Try to avoid extreme changes, either up or down. Leave them away from direct sunlight and keep the inside of the tank around 60-74 degrees. Also, try using a fluorescent light, as it does not produce heat. For their water, do not use distilled. Use tap and then add cleanser drops for pet health only. In addition, metal ions are extremely toxic to frogs. So, be sure there are no metal objects inside the tank with them.
Provide the frogs with gravel either too large to ingest or small enough that they can "pass" the rocks with veritable ease. To avoid over-crowding, give 10 gallons of water space for each frog and feed only once a day. Such delicacies as meal worms, shrimp pellets, crickets or brine shrimp will do fine.
What's cool about them?
What kinds of frogs are aquatic? Can you keep them in an aquarium with other fish? What special care do they need?
An aquatic frog to consider for the beginner might be the African Dwarf Frog. It's small, active, cute and about as difficult to care for as a tank of goldfish.
What are the physical and behavioral characteristics of aquatic frogs?
When picking out a frog in the pet shop, if it darts around and gives the pet guy a hard time, it means it's healthy and may prove to be resilient. However, if the frog just barely moves or hardly puts up a fight, it may be a symptom of sickness. Also, pay attention to its weight. A skinny frog or one with hazy or cloudy eyes may be a sign of illness, as well. Once one gets sick, it can be very hard to cure it. So you'll want to pick out a hardy one.
Can you keep aquatic frogs in an aquarium with fish and/or other aquatic pets?
Some species will eat just about anything that is smaller than they are. So keep in mind that all its other "roommates" should be larger, but not large enough to find your frog a delicacy. Once this is done, they get along quite well.
What's their natural habitat?
They usually live in very calm and moist regions, such as the tropics, therefore fix your aquariums up accordingly. The most common is creating the half-water/half-landmass environment, but adapt your tank to the type of frog you buy. Tree frogs get a vertical tank with many objects to climb and water at the bottom. Others are very happy in the same environment as you would put goldfish in. These are the 100% aquatic frogs.
What special care needs do they have?
Try to avoid extreme changes, either up or down. Leave them away from direct sunlight and keep the inside of the tank around 60-74 degrees. Also, try using a fluorescent light, as it does not produce heat. For their water, do not use distilled. Use tap and then add cleanser drops for pet health only. In addition, metal ions are extremely toxic to frogs. So, be sure there are no metal objects inside the tank with them.
Provide the frogs with gravel either too large to ingest or small enough that they can "pass" the rocks with veritable ease. To avoid over-crowding, give 10 gallons of water space for each frog and feed only once a day. Such delicacies as meal worms, shrimp pellets, crickets or brine shrimp will do fine.
What's cool about them?
- They can become friendly over time and will actually eat directly from your hands.
- The African Clawed Frog (Xenopus Laevis) was the first vertebrate to be successfully cloned.
- They have even traveled to space aboard the space shuttle several times.
- They can swim in any direction, side to side, forwards, backwards and can be a blast to watch.
- Frogs are incredibly interesting to watch and can teach your child responsibility with out the stress of owning a cat or dog.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Freshwater Turtle Care
Freshwater Turtle Care
Fresh water turtles--usually Red Eared Sliders--make interesting and educational pets. Learn how to keep and care for them.
Red-eared sliders, water turtles from the Americas, grow from the size of a half-dollar coin to the size of your foot. All the while, the intricately detailed, colored shells show off your pets for everyone.
These turtles only need feeding once or twice a week and will live a long life if properly cared for. When getting turtles, it's a good idea to try to get females. The males can be more aggressive and are known for snapping and biting. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to tell when these reptiles are young. However, the long claws usually give a female away.
You must always use caution when handling turtles. They can carry salmonella, which can make people sick or even kill a baby or elderly person. Make sure to wash hands thoroughly after handling water turtles. Young, baby turtles are even more apt to carry the bacteria, which one reason they're illegal in the U.S. Turtles must usually be at least three to four inches in length before they can be bought or sold.
These turtles require a basic aquarium setup. Don't get them something too small. Their growth depends on the tank you provide. A 10-20 gallon tank will suffice for two to three young turtles. They need upwards of a 50-gallon tank once mature after a few years.
The basic setup is a pump to circulate the water, a heater to keep the water at about 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and a lamp that will give the turtles ultraviolet light, which they need for their shells. Water should be changed at least every three to four months.
As far as food, most pet stores stock food for water turtles. Get a basin or tub and feed the turtles there to prevent the tank from getting dirty with uneaten food. Turtles are also known to like greens, vegetables, insects, raw hamburger, and wet cat food. These other things are fine, but the turtles' main diet should consist of the sticks or pellets for turtles.
Fresh water turtles--usually Red Eared Sliders--make interesting and educational pets. Learn how to keep and care for them.
Red-eared sliders, water turtles from the Americas, grow from the size of a half-dollar coin to the size of your foot. All the while, the intricately detailed, colored shells show off your pets for everyone.
These turtles only need feeding once or twice a week and will live a long life if properly cared for. When getting turtles, it's a good idea to try to get females. The males can be more aggressive and are known for snapping and biting. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to tell when these reptiles are young. However, the long claws usually give a female away.
You must always use caution when handling turtles. They can carry salmonella, which can make people sick or even kill a baby or elderly person. Make sure to wash hands thoroughly after handling water turtles. Young, baby turtles are even more apt to carry the bacteria, which one reason they're illegal in the U.S. Turtles must usually be at least three to four inches in length before they can be bought or sold.
These turtles require a basic aquarium setup. Don't get them something too small. Their growth depends on the tank you provide. A 10-20 gallon tank will suffice for two to three young turtles. They need upwards of a 50-gallon tank once mature after a few years.
The basic setup is a pump to circulate the water, a heater to keep the water at about 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and a lamp that will give the turtles ultraviolet light, which they need for their shells. Water should be changed at least every three to four months.
As far as food, most pet stores stock food for water turtles. Get a basin or tub and feed the turtles there to prevent the tank from getting dirty with uneaten food. Turtles are also known to like greens, vegetables, insects, raw hamburger, and wet cat food. These other things are fine, but the turtles' main diet should consist of the sticks or pellets for turtles.
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