Frogs

What Do White’s Tree Frogs Eat?

~ BackwaterReptiles

Are you considering getting a White’s tree frog for a pet, but you’re unsure what to feed it?

White’s tree frogs eat insects. In captivity, this means they will eat a wide variety of feeder insects including crickets, roaches, worms and other bugs. Ultimately, the insects you choose to feed your White’s tree frog is up to you, but a varied diet is always beneficial.

This species of frog is so popular that it made our list of the best pet tree frogs.

what do whites tree frogs eat
In the above picture, you can see two blue-eyed White’s, a special morph that we offer for sale.

What type of insects should I feed my White’s tree frog?

White’s tree frogs, AKA Dumpy tree frogs, are insectivores. They only eat living insects. This means that you as an owner are free to choose from a variety of feeder insects to fulfill your frog’s dietary needs.

The most commonly available feeder insect is crickets. You can find feeder crickets at commercial pet stores, feed stores and through online vendors. The main thing to take into consideration when feeding your White’s tree frog crickets is the size of the crickets.

A baby frog cannot eat a full grown cricket and likewise adult frogs should not be eating baby or pinhead crickets as their primary food source. You want to get a cricket that your frog can comfortably eat that will satisfy its appetite.

While crickets do make great staple food for White’s tree frogs, we also recommend Dubia roaches if you have a good supplier. These roaches are very high in nutrients and pack quite the punch when it comes to keeping your frog fed and happy. Again, since roaches are available in many sizes, the only thing we’d mention that you need to be aware of is the size of the roach you will be giving to your frog.

Other great options for White’s tree frogs are reptiworms, wax worms, hornworms and mealworms. All of these insects will squirm or move about in a manner that triggers your frog’s feeding response. We recommend that if you want a real show you hand feed using tongs. It can be quite entertaining since Dumpy frogs have large appetites.

feeder roaches
Here are a few different feeder roaches Chelsey is holding.

Should I feed my White’s tree frog vitamin supplements?

In short, the answer is yes!

Most reptiles and amphibians that are kept in captivity do require some amount of additional calcium and vitamin supplements in their diet. White’s tree frogs are no exception.

In our experience, metabolic bone disease and other associated disorders from poor nutrition are less common in pet amphibians than they are in reptiles. However, that does not mean that you should be lax in administering the proper vitamins and nutrients your frog needs.

We recommend dusting your feeder insects with Sticky Tongue Farms’ indoor supplement at least once weekly, if not more. Younger frogs should be given dusted insects every feeding, but as your frogs mature, you can dust less frequently.

supplements for whites tree frogs

How often should I feed my pet White’s tree frog?

Baby frogs should be fed at least once daily. Since most owners will likely be feeding crickets, we do advise that you either tong feed them or place a very limited number of crickets in the cage at any given time. You do not want the cage overrun with crickets as they can actually injure the frog. If you find your frog hasn’t eaten, we advise trying again in the evening when the frog will be most active.

Juvenile to adult frogs don’t need to be offered food as frequently as babies do. We still usually feed them every day until they are considered subadults. At this life stage, we typically feed them three times per week or about every other day.

The key to health when it comes to frequency of feedings is to note your frog’s weight. Dumpy frogs can easily become overweight if you allow them to. Watch closely to see how bulgy your frog’s tummy is and how much padding it seems to have on its face and leg areas. Obesity is not healthy, but obviously neither is being too thin.

dumpy frog food

Where can I find insects for my White’s tree frog to eat?

Most commercial pet stores will have a few sizes of crickets on hand for reptiles. They often also have live mealworms. However, don’t buy prepackaged dead insects such as flies or crickets for your White’s tree frog. Your frog will simply not eat dead bugs.

If you want to conveniently obtain a variety of feeder insects for your frog, we do recommend ordering feeder insects online. Backwater Reptiles sells a wide variety of feeder insects in bulk quantities to last longer. Our feeders include a variety of sizes of crickets, roaches, reptiworms, fruit flies, hornworms, mealworms and wax worms to name a few.

Will White’s tree frogs eat mice?

Yes, adult White’s tree frogs can and will eat baby mice. In fact, it’s a great treat for them and can boost their growth noticeably. I wouldn’t recommend it more than once every week or two. If you feed them baby rodents too often, they’ll get obese and it’ll end up shortening their lifespan.

Conclusion

White’s tree frogs like to eat and will accept a broad range of insects at mealtime. Crickets are the most commonly used feeder insect for this species of frog, but we highly encourage owners to branch out and utilize other types of feeder insects for different nutritional value.

No matter what type of insect you feed your White’s tree frog, make sure that you have an appropriate vitamin supplement on hand to dust them with. It’s essential for your frog’s best health.

If you ever have any questions about what type of insect or what size feeder insect you should buy for your pet White’s tree frog, you can reach out to our friendly customer service team by emailing sales@backwaterreptiles.com.

If you’re interested in getting your own captive bred White’s tree frog, you can buy one of our’s by clicking this link. We have snowflakes, blue-eyed, and greens available, and all are produced by the world renowned Frog Ranch.

What Is the Best Terrestrial Pet Frog?

~ BackwaterReptiles

If you’re wondering what species make the best terrestrial pet frogs, you’ve come to the right place.

Frogs can live primarily in trees, in the water or on land. Because each variety has different care requirements, we’ll focus specifically on what we think is the best pet frog that lives on land. In our opinion, that species is the Pacman Frog (Ceratophrys cranwelli).

the best pet terrestrial frog
Pacman Frogs are burrowers.

Why are Pacman Frogs the best terrestrial pet frog?

One of the primary things many people look for in a pet is cuteness. Often times, we don’t realize it, but we select our pets as a reflection of ourself. There is so much variety when it comes to Pacman Frogs, there’s bound to be a color, pattern, morph or shape for everyone. Pacmans can be labeled and described as everything from classic albino to strawberry or green apple. There’s an endless selection!

Another trait that we think makes Pacmans the best pet terrestrial frog is their size and propensity to grow. While it’s likely that you’ll purchase your Pacman as a baby, it won’t stay a baby for long. Because they have such tremendous appetites, these frogs grow fast. It’s such a fun experience for owners to watch their frog thrive and grow into a beast.

Because Pacman Frogs grow so fast and get so large, they tend to be very sturdy and hardy frogs. They aren’t as sensitive to changes in their environment or being handled and therefore they possess the ability to be a bit more interactive than their jumpy sensitive tree frog brethren.

Although we’ve already established that they love to eat, it truly is quite entertaining for owners to watch their Pacman Frog at mealtime. These frogs are known for being ambush predators and they’re not always the most graceful animals. This means that mealtime can be exciting, but it can be comical as well.

adult albino pacman frog
Pacman Frogs can grow quite large and they have appetites to prove it!

How do I care for a Pacman Frog?

As we’ve already established, Pacman Frogs are terrestrial, or land-based. This means that they won’t need an aquatic set up, which we think makes them much easier to care for. Aquatic tanks and animals are very rewarding to have, but they are a much bigger commitment.

You can keep a Pacman Frog happy for the duration of its life in a simple ten gallon tank, although if you want a larger enclosure, there’s nothing wrong with that. Line your terrarium with four to five inches of moist peat moss for substrate.

Make sure to provide a water dish that is sunk down into the moss. The frogs sometimes enjoy soaking in it, so make sure it’s accessible and easy to climb out of.

Feeding time is fun time! Baby and juvenile frogs will need to eat more frequently than adults. We recommend feeding them gut loaded insects every other day and a pinkie once per week. As they grow larger, they can eat larger insects such as roaches and larger frozen mice. Tongs are recommended when they are  bigger because their teeth can hurt! Keep in mind that Pacman Frogs will pretty much eat anything that moves, so variety is important when planning a Pacman Frog diet. We also advise keeping an eye on your frog’s weight as they are not super active animals and can grow obese easily in captivity from over feeding.

What we’ve detailed so far regarding Pacman Frog care is just the basics. We think we’ve written up the ultimate care sheet on Pacman Frogs. We’ve got lots of experience with these amphibians and we took a lot of time compiling what we’ve learned into a comprehensive guide. Check it out here.

Where can I get a Pacman Frog?

If you want your frog delivered overnight to your doorstep, then we highly recommend purchasing your baby Pacman Frog from us, Backwater Reptiles! Our Pacman Frogs have Frog Ranch genetics, making them the most sought after in the biz! Not only are they healthy, they are bold, bright and colorful as well and we have many morphs to choose from.

Another option if you are in the market for a pet Pacman Frog is to head to your local reptile expo. The benefit of purchasing at an expo is that you can hand select the frog of your choice, but because expos tend to only happen once per year, the downside is you might have to wait a bit to get your frog.

Because Pacman Frogs have  become one of the most popular pet frogs in the herpetology world, you can likely find yourself a Pacman Frog at your nearest pet store. However, we do advise purchasing with caution as we can’t speak to the quality of care the frog would be receiving inside a pet store.

Baby Pacman Frogs should be fed a varied diet of insects.

Conclusion

There are many species of frogs that make excellent pets. But for now, we’re sticking strictly to the terrestrial type. And we feel that Pacman Frogs have earned their way to the top.

Pacman Frogs are not only adorable, they are fairly easy to care for. They  are loads of fun at mealtime and they grow very fast. Although frogs aren’t the most interactive pet, Pacmans can grow accustomed to being handled. They also come in a huge variety of colors, morphs and patterns that make them sought after in the reptile hobbyist world.

So, the bottom line is if you’re in the market for a pet frog with a terrestrial enclosure set up, we’d highly recommend you get a Pacman Frog.

Pixie Frog Care (Pyxicephalus adspersus)

~ BackwaterReptiles

Pixie frog care isn’t complicated or difficult. These frogs are known for their insatiable appetites, large size, and inclination to eat virtually anything small enough to fit in their mouth. Overall, they make for very entertaining and lively pet frogs, which is why they are so popular in the reptile hobbyist world.

Thinking of buying a pixie frog of your own? Then you’ll need to know how to care for one of these amphibious eating machines. Continue reading this blog article to find out how we care for ours at the Backwater Reptiles facility.

Pixie Frog Care (Pyxicephalus adspersus)

Pixie Frog Description

Known mainly for their massive size at maturity, pixie frogs are true giants. They are the second largest frog in the world and can reach lengths up to ten inches and weigh approximately two pounds! That might not seem like much, but it’s tremendous for a frog.

The largest frog in the world is the Goliath frog from Cameroon (Africa). It’s basically a huge frog that likes to jump–imagine a normal adult American Bullfrog, except 2-3 times larger.

 

huge goliath frog
Here’s a Goliath frog in Cameroon.

Goliath frogs are actually illegal to export from Cameroon, and it’s just as well–they don’t fare well in captivity due to their habit of jumping several feet at a time. There just isn’t an enclosure large enough for them.

pixie frog care
Young pixie frogs like this one are not usually as chubby as their adult counterparts. They also have more prominent stripes and spotted markings that will usually fade with age.

It should also be noted that pixie frogs are known by several common monikers. You might hear them referred to as African bull frogs, African burrowing frogs, and sometimes South African Pyxies.

Pixies are usually an olive green color at maturity, but they can also be shades of brown, yellow, and even creamy beige. They have very thick, stocky, hefty bodies and as adults, their bellies tend to protrude, which can give them a somewhat blob-like shape at rest. When they are babies, they tend to be a dark green shade with dark striped accents and cream-colored tummies.

Pixie Frog Habitat

Pixie frogs hail from Africa where they spend most of their time burrowed underground. This means that they will require a substrate that accommodates this behavior. Eco-earth, fertilizer-free, organic potting soil, and even paper towels are all acceptable options.You’ll want the substrate to stay moist and damp, but not wet.

A humid environment is best for pixies. We recommend keeping the enclosure at around eighty percent humidity for best results. Regular misting of the substrate will help keep the moisture level in the proper range. We use a spritzer bottle filled with water and squirt the substrate itself, the glass walls of the tank, and sometimes even the frogs themselves.

It’s also wise to invest in a sturdy water dish that is wide and shallow. You won’t see your pixie drink the water, but it helps maintain humidity levels and also allows your pixie to have itself a soak if it wants to.

young pixie frog
This pixie is approximately four weeks old. The quarter is provided to show scale.

Although most pixies will simply burrow to hide themselves, we definitely recommend placing a hide space or two within your frog’s enclosure. Terra cotta pots, logs, and hides purchased from pet stores are all good options.

We use coconut husk fiber as substrate, at about two-inches deep. We keep the substrate damp throughout, but not dripping wet. If you notice the surface drying out, it’s a signal you’re not keeping the substrate damp enough.

If your frog senses a drier environment, it’ll cover itself in a type of cocoon layer to prevent moisture loss. This really shouldn’t happen in captivity. If you see it, make sure to make adjustments to prevent it from happening again.

Try to keep the tank in the temperature range of 74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. We keep them very successfully at room temperature.

Pixie Frog Feeding

If we haven’t already made it clear, pixie frogs love to eat! In the wild, they are ambush predators and will sit around until something comes their way that they can fit into their mouth. This means their prey items range from invertebrates to small birds!

Because they are not active animals, you will have to be careful not to overfeed your pixie frog. In fact, you’ll have to keep a close eye on your frog’s weight because pixies are prone to obesity.

We feed our pixies a staple diet of appropriately-sized insects, depending on the size of the frog. Our babies will eat mostly crickets, mealworms, and waxworms. Adults will eat crickets, hornworms, roaches, and wax worms.

Some people will feed their pixies pinkies or fuzzies, but we recommend this only as an occasional treat item. Again, pixies will eat to the point of being unhealthy, and fatty, high calorie items like mice will only contribute to the problem. Moderation is key.

Pixie Frog Disposition

As a general rule, most pet frogs don’t take well to human interaction or handling. We’ve found that with pixies, it tends to be a mixed bag. Some pixies don’t tend to mind being picked up, while others are quite opposed to the idea.

adult pixie frog
Adult pixies can be held, but beware of putting your fingers near their mouth as they can deliver quite a powerful bite.

If you do want to handle your pixie on a regular basis, be sure it is supported fully. A flailing frog is not a happy frog. We also recommend washing your hands before and after picking up your pixie for the safety of both human and frog.

We’d also like to say that pixies have nasty bites. Be sure that when you pick up your frog that you keep wiggling fingers that could be mistaken for food away from its mouth.

However, I’ve picked-up hundreds of Pixie frogs spanning all sizes, and I’ve never had one attempt to bite or put on a threat posture.

These frogs rarely fight with each other, or have territory issues. If you keep more than one in an enclosure, just make sure you’re feeding them well. Don’t keep noticeably different sizes together because, as mentioned, they’ll eat anything they can fit into their mouths–including their own species.

Conclusion – Pixie frog care

Pixie frogs make excellent, fascinating, long-lived pets. They’re really fun to raise from babies to full-grown chubby adults. Feeding time is always entertaining when you have a pixie–a definite crowd-pleasing event!

If you’re interested in purchasing a pixie frog of your own, Backwater Reptiles sells both captive bred hatchlings and adults. You won’t be disappointed with this behemoth of a species!

Oddest Pet Frogs

~ BackwaterReptiles

At Backwater Reptiles, we love reptiles and amphibians of all shapes and sizes, regardless of whether or not most people would label them as cute. In fact, some of our favorites are the oddballs!

In this article, we’re going to list our favorite odd-looking pet frogs. Although these frogs are not for everyone, each of them is certainly unique.

The Oddest Pet Frogs

Budgett’s Frog (Lepidobatrachus laevis)

This jelly-like frog is also known as the hippo frog and the Freddy Krueger frog. We’re not quite sure where the hippo moniker arises from, but this frog is nicknamed after the infamous horror villain because its long fingers are reminiscent of his knife hands. This frog also packs quite an attitude and is known to be aggressive and mean. It opens its wide mouth as big as possible and emits what is best described as a scream in an effort to scare off threats.

oddest pet frogs
As you can see from this photo, Budgett’s frogs very closely resemble blobs of jelly, making it one of the more odd pet frogs.

In addition to this interesting defense mechanism, Budgett’s frogs are memorable because they are just so strange-looking. Besides having bodies built like blobs, they have tiny protuberant eyes on top of their heads. And because they rarely leave the water, they can appear somewhat soggy to boot.

But we want to stress that even though Budgett’s frogs are unusual, both in appearance and in behavior, they still make rewarding and fascinating pets.

If you are interested in caring for a Budgett’s frog of your own, Backwater Reptiles does sell them. And we even wrote an entire blog article dedicated to their care.

Mozambique Rain Frog (Breviceps mossambicus)

We’re huge fans of the Mozambique rain frog because it is such a comical amphibian. Not only is this an adorably silly-looking frog, it also has some charming behaviors that many people find extremely endearing, albeit weird.

Rain frogs are known as “grumpy frogs” and have several variations of memes circulating around the internet to comment on their squashed, flat, surly little faces. Besides their squashed faces, rain frogs possess somewhat balloon-ish bodies with pigeon-toed feet. They’re almost reminiscent of froggy bulldogs.

mozambique rain frog
Mozambique rain frogs have balloon-like bodies and pigeon-toed feet. We think this makes them look like little bulldog frogs.

Oh, and did we mention that rain frogs squeak rather than croak like a typical frog? Some people say that the rain frog’s call sounds like a kitten’s cry or a tiny squeal. No matter what you think it sounds like, most people agree that the noise is simply adorable.

Because rain frogs are relatively new to the reptile and amphibian pet world, we actually wrote an entire article dedicated to their care.

And if you’re wondering where you can get a pet Mozambique rain frog of your own, Backwater Reptiles can definitely help you out.

Surinam Giant Toad (Pipa pipa)

Everything about the Suriname toad is odd. This toad (which is actually a frog) looks weird, it behaves weird, and it even reproduces weird! We think that they make awesome pets simply because you’ll have so many curious factoids about them to tell to your friends and family.

The first thing you’ll notice when you see a Suriname toad is that it is a flat frog. And we do mean that quite literally. It has a triangular, flat head and its body is also very pancake-like.This is an adaptation to allow the frog to appear like leaf litter or wooden detritus on the bottom of the bodies of water where it resides. It also helps the frog to be stream-lined.

Even if you never get your pet Surinam toad to reproduce, you should be aware that these frogs produce their babies in a very unconventional manner.  After an elaborate mating ritual, the eggs stick to the female’s back and sink into a honeycomb shaped “nest” in her skin. The eggs will stay there on her back in the protective honeycomb until fully formed froglets emerge! Suriname toads don’t go through a tadpole phase.

If you want a pet Suriname toad to call your own, be sure to check out our blog article detailing how to care for them.

pipa pipa
Suriname toads are flat like pancakes. Nobody can deny that these are some strange-looking frogs!

Conclusion

We hope that this article shows you that just because a frog is kind of bizarre-looking, that doesn’t make it a bad pet. In our opinion, being odd just makes these frogs that much more lovable. We hope that you agree, and that you’ve enjoyed perusing our list of the oddest pet frogs in the world!

Fire Bellied Toad Care (Bombina orientalis)

~ BackwaterReptiles

Wondering how to care for your Fire-bellied toad? Although they are commonly called “toads,” they are in fact, frogs. They make excellent pets, particularly for first time amphibian owners and we highly recommend them to herpers of all ages and experience levels.

If you’re wondering how to care for this colorful frog, simply read on as we’ve devoted this article to discussing their care requirements in captivity.

Fire Bellied Toad Care Sheet

Fire Belled Toad Description

The fire bellied toad, which should probably actually be named the “fire bellied frog” gets its common name from its hard to miss red belly speckled with black spots. This red tummy is meant as a warning to potential predators that the frog is toxic and shouldn’t be eaten, although this toxin is so mild that humans don’t have a reaction to it. The frog’s back is also a very bright colored green covered with black splotches and spots. Fire bellied toads are quite striking little amphibians.

fire bellied toad care
Fire bellied toads have green dorsal sides with black spots and bright red undersides with black spots. We’ll describe in detail how to care for this species.

Fire bellies are small frogs which makes them ideal for pet owners who have limited space. A mature frog will usually get to be between one and two inches long. They have average life spans of anywhere from seven to fifteen years in captivity.

Unlike many frog species, fire bellies are diurnal and therefore awake and active during the day. This means that as a pet owner, you actually get to see your frog go about its every day activities. It’s especially nice to not have to wait for the sun to go down to hear your frog’s calls or to watch it eat.

Fire Bellied Toad Habitat

As we’ve already mentioned, fire bellied toads are actually frogs and therefore require a more aquatic habitat. A typical enclosure for a fire belly should actually be half aquatic. Most owners will set up a tank that has water in half with a slope of substrate that terminates in a solid ground area. This is because fire bellied toads are extremely happy when they can float in water with their back legs and toes just barely touching something solid underneath.

These small frogs don’t require a lot of space to be happy. You can comfortably house up to three fire bellies in a ten gallon aquarium and up to six in a twenty gallon tank.

fire bellied toad
This photo shows off the red and black underside of the fire bellied toad.

It’s not necessary to provide a basking area for fire bellied toads. However, you will want to maintain a reasonable ambient temperature. During the day, the tank should be kept at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and at night, the tank can drop to 60 to 68 degrees. You should monitor the temperature with a heat gun, which is a tool that every reptile or amphibian owner needs to keep handy.

Fire Bellied Toad Feeding

Despite their small size, fire bellied toads have rather fierce appetites. They are ambush predators and will lunge at any sign of movement that involves an item they think will fit in their mouth.

Fire bellied toads will readily consume virtually any insect. At Backwater Reptiles, our frogs are offered a staple diet of vitamin dusted crickets combined with aquatic worms. We supplement with small larvae and even cut up earth worms. Fire bellied toads will see virtually any invertebrate as food so long as they detect movement.

Fire Bellied Toad Temperament

Even though their red bellies scream “toxic” to potential predators, owners of fire bellied toads need not be concerned. The toxin produced by the frog is not harmful to people. So as long as you wash your hands after touching the frog and don’t put your fingers in your mouth after handling, the frog’s toxin is harmless.

Fire bellied toads are not at all aggressive towards people. However, we should say that being held is not one of their favorite activities. They won’t object much to being held aside from a little bit of squirming, but it’s best for all parties involved if you mostly allow your frog to be seen and not touched.

bombina orientalis
Fire bellied toads make awesome pets for beginning herp hobbyists and experienced reptile parents alike.

Conclusion

We’ve seen experienced herp hobbyists dismiss fire bellied toads as “common” pets simply because they are so widely available.If this species was rare, it would be one of the most sought-after amphibians in the world.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Fire bellied toad care sheet. We think that these cute little frogs are excellent pets for beginners and experts alike. Ready for a fire bellied toad of your own? Backwater Reptiles has got you covered!