Saturday, April 18, 2009

About Leapord Frogs


The tadpoles that we have are Leopard Frog Tadpoles. There are things you should know if you get one of these kits.





The information I'm going to share with you here is from the first tadpole we received with it. He passed away before we moved to New York.

Eventually the tadpoles are going to become frogs that is the whole point of this product. I have found that while the planet frog habitat is fine when they are tadpoles... it is too small for the frogs when they get full grown. You are going to need something bigger. It's going to need land and water since leopard frogs are not fully aquatic frogs. You will also need to start feeding them live food such as crickets, wingless fruit flies, and wax or mealy worms. If you are not prepared to do this then a leopard frog is not the pet for you.

They will grow to be approximately 3 inches (7-8 cm). Their expected life span is approximately 5-8 years, perhaps longer. If you want to start owning frogs they are a great started pet.



The easiest way to create a suitable habitat for them is to take a 10 gallon tank with a locking lid and set up a divider with Plexiglas. Seal it with aquarium sealant.... do not use anything else as it may be toxic to the frogs which are extremely vulnerable to environmental toxins. Let it set for at least 24 hours before continuing. Then you add substrate on the land side such as a combination of soil and peat moss, covered with a commercial reptile bark substrate and sphagnum moss can be used on the terrestrial side. The depth should be at least 2-3 inches to allow burrowing.

On the water side you can add gravel and other decorations such as drift wood. It is extremely important to use smooth gravel only (to prevent skin abrasions and injuries), and ideally the gravel should be large enough not to be swallowed. You can also decorate your tank with plants live or aquarium fake plants to give the frog someplace to hide. Leopard frogs are not great climbers so they don't need vertical decorations. though you can add some for ascetics if you wish.


The water you use is extremely important. I'm actually using distilled water while they are tadpoles. When I move them over to the big tank I will be uses tap water treated with a dechlorinator that you can get at your local pet store.


They don't require special lighting which is one of the reasons they make excellent starter pets. Their lid should have good ventilation though and be secure against escape attempts.


These frogs are genetically programmed to hibernate, and will naturally slow down and may stop eating in the winter months (usually for about 3 months). If possible, the tank can be cooled to 37-39F (3-4C) for three months to mimic the natural environment of the frogs.

1 comment:

Sandee said...

I didn't know this.

Have a great day. :)