Top Five Best Pet Frogs

June 8, 2015November 18, 2015 ~ BackwaterReptiles

What are the best pet frogs, you may be wondering? Backwater Reptiles offers many frogs for sale ranging from exotic, rare, and “specialty” frogs to more common “everyday” frogs. This list represents the top five frogs we think are best suited to be kept as pets, whether you’re a beginning hobbyist or an experienced herper.

#5 – Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Leopard frogs are extremely common in America and have a wide habitat range. Although they are not as neon in color as some of their arboreal cousins, they are very easy to keep and make great beginner pets due to their minimal care requirements and hardy nature.

These frogs generally reach just over four inches in length when full-grown and are easy to breed in captivity. They are not picky eaters and can even live outdoors in a pond-like environment.

Leopard Frogs can be housed together, but make sure that the frogs are all of a similar size as Leopard frogs will strike at anything that moves and fits in their mouth, including smaller frogs.

Their life span is generally anywhere from four to six years.

Purchase your own Leopard frog today!

#4 – Clown Tree Frog (Hyla leucophyllata)

Clown tree frogs are certainly attractive pet frogs. With their orange feet and undersides and white spots, these mid-size frogs are vibrantly colored.

Clown tree frogs are arboreal and thus require a tank that is taller than it is wide. They should be provided with climbing branches, leaves, and moisture as they originate from a tropical environment.

Feeding Clown tree frogs is easy as they will consume any insect of an appropriate size. Just be sure that the insects are dusted regularly and gut-loading them is also advised.

Purchase your own Clown tree frog today!

#3 – Pacman Frog (Ceratophrys cranwelli)

Pacman Frogs come in a variety of morphs ranging from albino to ornate, which is one of the endearing characteristics of this species, and a major reason they are so utterly popular with amphibian hobbyists.

While they start out small (not much bigger than a quarter), Pacman Frogs grow rapidly and are actually one of the biggest frogs in the world. They can reach lengths of up to seven inches and they can (and will!) get fat if you let them due to the fact that they have voracious appetites and will eat anything they can fit in their mouth. Suffice it to say that feeding time is always amusing when you have a Pacman.

These frogs don’t require a large enclosure as they spend most of their time burrowed into their substrate…that is, when they’re not eating. Just be sure that their enclosure has a water source and that the temperature doesn’t surpass 85 degrees and they will live for up to fifteen years.

Purchase your own Pacman frog today!

#2 – Glass Tree Frog (Hyla sp.)

As their name suggests, Glass Tree Frogs have varying degrees of semi-transparent skin which allows you to see their innards. This is a unique feature and thus makes this group of frogs highly desirable.

Rarely reaching sizes larger than three inches, these frogs don’t need a large enclosure, however they are arboreal tropical frogs and will need a tank that is taller than it is wide. Their home should also be equipped with leafy branches because they like to climb but will also stick to the sides of their tank allowing you to see their gorgeous underbellies and their inner workings. Maintaining adequate humidity is key.

We have dedicated an entire blog entry to these fascinating little tree frogs, so click here if you want to learn more about them.

Purchase your own Glass tree frog today!

#1 – Whites Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea)

Also known as Dumpy Frogs, these funny guys are popular pets because of their flabby form which often makes them look squished, fat and incredibly cute.

Dumpies are easy-going and don’t mind being handled, but like all tree frogs, they are incredible jumpers, so be mindful of this when they are outside of their enclosure.

These frogs also come in a blue-phase coloration which simply means that their skin has more of a blue-tint. They have the same care requirements and temperaments as the traditional green “Dumpies.”

Feeding Dumpy frogs is also very easy. They eat crickets, meal worms, and other insects and will also accept baby mice. Keep in mind that they can overeat and become rather fat, so be sure that they eat a varied but controlled diet.

They thrive in a glass-sided terrarium that contains peat or sphagnum moss as a substrate (which helps retain moisture) at a depth of perhaps 2-3 inches, a couple climbing branches, a water dish, and a screen top for ventilation. If you add live plants, the frogs will thank you for it. As with all frogs, please remember to keep the humidity up.

Purchase your own White’s tree frog today.

What’s the Difference Between Amphibians and Reptiles?

June 3, 2015November 18, 2015 ~ BackwaterReptiles

The differences between reptiles and amphibians is stark. This week at Backwater Reptiles, we received a lot of new frogs, toads, and salamanders and that got us to thinking that maybe this blog article should discuss what makes an amphibian an amphibian and what makes a reptile a reptile. Although most reptile hobbyists know the differences between the two, some people have got to be curious as to what separates a salamander from a skink, right?

In general, it’s easy to just say that frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders are all classified as amphibians, but you can read on to learn why these animals are different than reptiles.

The main indicator that an animal is an amphibian is that it “lives two lives” or has two distinct life phases. Amphibians are born in water and breathe through gills, then undergo metamorphosis and become full-grown animals that survive on land. Take a frog for example – they come into this world as tadpoles swimming around in ponds or pools of water and eventually grow into mature frogs. Reptiles, however, will be born as miniature forms of themselves and, aside from possibly displaying different markings as juveniles, should look the same their entire life.

Reptiles don’t need to live near water, whereas amphibians need to live where water is present for two reasons. First, their skin needs to stay moist. Second, amphibians lay their eggs in or very near water.

Amphibians externally fertilize their eggs whereas reptiles internally fertilize. Amphibian eggs are usually found in a gelatinous clump in or near water, while reptile eggs are leathery, amniotic, and often buried for the gestation period.

Finally, there are also aesthetic differences you can observe if you are not familiar with the animal’s life cycle. Reptiles possess scales, whereas amphibians have moist, sometimes sticky skin. Reptiles have claws to defend themselves from threats, but an amphibian’s main defense mechanisms are irritating secretions from the skin or biting because they don’t have nails.

This entry is not all inclusive as we could easily write an entire essay dedicated to this topic. It’s simply meant to touch on the main differences between reptiles and amphibians and to provide the basics for beginners.

All animals pictured in this blog post are amphibians for sale on our website.

How to Care for Baby Chameleons

June 1, 2015December 9, 2015 ~ BackwaterReptiles

There’s no question that caring for baby chameleons is a fragile process that requires planning and careful attention.

Breeding chameleons is part art, part science. First, you have to find a compatible adult breeding pair and wait for them to hit it off, which is an entire article in and of itself.

Next, feed the female well and wait for her to dig a hole and bury her eggs–this typically happens around 30-40 days after copulation (called the “gestation” period). It can be much longer for certain species, but generally, this is a safe timeframe.

Digging is a very secretive process and the female should not be disturbed or bothered while it’s occurring. It usually takes 3-5 hours, but can easily be longer. The reason is, sometimes females will dig a test hole, then abandon it and start over if it’s too damp, not damp enough, etc.

Baby chameleon care — Here are a few of our Yellow-lipped Parson’s chameleon eggs! Our big female laid 68 in all.

After the eggs have been buried, they need to be very carefully dug up and placed into a container with damp vermiculite or perlite. This is a tedious process because the eggs need to remain in the same orientation in which they were uncovered. Switching them around, flipping them, or turning them could mean the babies won’t be born. Mark the top of each egg with a pencil, so you always know which way is “up.”

And then…you wait. And wait. The incubation period of the eggs depends upon the species, but generally, it takes around six to twelve months. For instance, the Flapneck eggs in this clutch were laid on May 21st, 2014 and began hatching on May 25th, 2015, around one year later. Some species hatch in as little as 90 days, such as the Johnston’s chameleon (Trioceros johnstoni). Parson’s chameleons can take up to two years!

The babies in this post are Flapneck Chameleons (Chamaeleo dilepis) and Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus). The clutch size for the Veiled was approximately 60 babies, while 44 Flapnecks were born.

Baby Chameleons – After the hatch

After hatching, the babies need to be transferred to proper enclosures. Multiple babies can be housed in the same cage for a period of time (usually around 1-2 months), but be sure that when they reach a few months old, they get moved into their own homes.

It’s a good idea to size-sort the babies after a few weeks. This means, take all the biggest ones, and put them together, and leave the smaller ones together. This is because there can be dominance issues and the small ones can lose-out during feeding time if they’re getting bullied by the larger ones.

Caring for the babies is similar to caring for the adults, but the babies need to have an abundance of water and should be fed very small prey items at least twice a day, such as hydei fruit flies and pinhead crickets. Make sure you dust the crickets frequently with a quality calcium supplement (RepCal or Repashy is what we use) as the baby chameleons have high growth rates.

As previously mentioned, it is of utmost importance that the baby chameleons remain in a high humidity environment. Automatic misting, or at a very minimum hand-misting, should occur several times per day. We recommend using a smaller cage too, making the insects easier for the chameleons to find. Unlike adult chameleons, we raise our babies in glass-sided enclosures to help maintain adequate humidity.

How to care for baby chameleons – conclusion

Backwater Reptiles’ captive-bred baby Veiled Chameleons and baby Flapneck Chameleons are not yet ready to be shipped to new homes. They need month or two to grow and develop before they are prepared to face the great big world and meet their new owners.

However, Backwater Reptiles does have Veiled Chameleons for sale as well as Flapneck Chameleons for sale that have reached a size and age that is appropriate for shipping. These are wonderful creatures that can make absolutely excellent pet chameleons.

The Rarest Newt in the World: The Iranian Kaiser Newt

May 27, 2015November 18, 2015 ~ BackwaterReptiles

The Iranian Kaiser Newt (Neurergus kaiseri) is the single rarest newt in the world. It originates from an area of land that is only ten-square kilometers in size in the hostile desert climate of Iran, making it hard to come by in captivity.

Brilliantly colored with orange, black, and white markings, the Iranian Kaiser Newt is a hardy amphibian, largely due to the obstacles it has to overcome to survive in a harsh, relatively inhospitable habitat like Iran. We don’t hesitate to say it’s perhaps the hardiest newt we’ve ever had the pleasure of keeping–in fact, we have never lost a single one.

In captivity, the Kaiser Newt should be cared for much like any other newt or salamander. This species of newt seems to highly prefer an entirely aquatic setup. While we do provide floating cork bark for them to climb out onto, they very rarely use it. We have 20-gallon tanks with about 5-6 inches of water, a filter that helps clean and circulate the water, a floating piece of cork bark, and a pebble bottom (large pebbles). They absolutely thrive using this setup.

The Kaiser newt is gregarious and multiple newts can housed together in one enclosure–it’s not uncommon for them to spend time huddled together. These newts eat virtually any insects they can fit in their mouths and the captive-bred ones have been known to go so far as to beg for food. Suffice it to say that they are not picky eaters!

Our’s happily consume a diet of live blackworms and frozen bloodworms, and have also accepted small waxworms and crickets dropped onto the surface of the water.

While we do provide moderate lighting during the day, Kaiser Newts enjoy the dark and will be most active once the lights go out. In fact, they may utilize their hide spaces all day and only emerge once the Sun has set (or once you have turned off the lights in your home and their enclosure).

Backwater reptiles currently has a selection of flawless captive-bred Iranian Kaiser Newts for sale and due to the endangered nature of this species and the fact that it is illegal to export them nowadays, we encourage hobbyists to breed the animals to help contribute to the conservation effort.+

Transparent Glass Tree Frogs

May 25, 2015November 18, 2015 ~ BackwaterReptiles

There are many varieties and subspecies of Glass Frogs (Hyla sp.), but the thing most of them have in common is the transparent nature of their skin and the visibility of their organs due to this unique trait. This fascinating feature makes them interesting to look at as well as great topics of conversation.

transparent tree frog belly — The transparent belly of a Glass tree frog.

Backwater Reptiles received a shipment of Glass Tree Frogs, many of which are about the size of a dime. In general, these frogs stay very small, ranging in size from one to three inches in length, so the ones at Backwater will probably grow a bit larger, but should stay very small overall.

In addition to being arboreal, Glass Frogs are also nocturnal and are commonly found in streams in the wild. Overall, males hang out in vegetation around streams at night, while females have proven more elusive to scientists during non-breeding seasons. Typically, males and females can be hard to distinguish from one another, unless eggs are visible through the underbelly skin of the female.

In captivity, these frogs should be housed in a terrarium with plenty of climbing space and vegetation as well as plenty of water. The enclosure needs to be well-ventilated, but prevented from becoming too dry. Appropriate lighting is also necessary.

Glass frogs will eat small arthropods in the wild and their diet should include appropriately sized insects in captivity. These little guys have hearty appetites and will eat a lot if given the opportunity. Most species lunge at their prey to capture it and have very good aim.

If you’re interested in adding one of these beautiful and rare frog gems to your collection, Backwater Reptiles has Glass Tree Frogs for sale just like the one pictured in this blog.

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