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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"39262","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"225","height":"188","title":"frogs","alt":"frogs"}}]] FROGS: a Chorus of Colors is at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis from now until January 2!
After you visit the exhibit, you may leave thinking you'd like to take a few of our froggy friends home with you. If you think frogs might be a great addition to your household, here are some things to think about before you rush out to the pet store.
After you visit the exhibit, you may leave thinking you'd like to take a few of our froggy friends home with you. If you think frogs might be a great addition to your household, here are some things to think about before you rush out to the pet store.
Some kinds of frogs make good house pets! Some don’t. The important thing to do before considering bringing ANY pet into your house is to DO YOUR RESEARCH. Find out what is best for that animal, and figure out if that’s going to be do-able for you and your family. If not, you may need to find some other more suitable pet.
There are many different kinds of frogs available as pets. If you do decide you want to look into owning a frog, here are some general things to keep in mind.
· LIVE FOOD. Nearly all frogs eat live food. This means keeping a supply of live crickets, flies, or worms available in your home all the time so your frog won’t starve. This isn’t always as easy as it sounds.
· MOIST CONDITIONS. Most frogs that live on land still need high humidity to survive. In the winter, air in your house can be very dry—you will need a secure home for your frogs that holds in moisture and keeps them comfortable. If your frogs are aquatic (water-living) then you’ll need an aquarium with a filtration system and heater to keep their water clean and warm.
· CLEAN HANDS. Frogs are very sensitive to chemicals—if you have any kind of soap or perfume on your hands when you handle them or clean their habitat, it can hurt them. Likewise, many frogs carry bacteria that can be harmful to us! Wash and rinse your hands very thoroughly before working with your frogs, and wash again with soap and warm water as soon as you’re done.
· [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"39263","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"150","height":"112","title":"Frogs","alt":"Frogs"}}]]DO YOUR HOMEWORK. There are many kinds of frogs available in the pet trade. Make sure you know what you’re getting. Look up the species care sheet online (just google “ *frog species* care sheet” and you’ll find documents that give you info on food, humidity, temperature, and proper housing for that type of frog.) See if you can find forums or info boards online where you might read FAQs or ask questions of people who’ve got experience with different types of pet frogs.
Frogs can be beautiful and interesting pets--I have three myself! But like any kind of animal, owning them means having a complete understanding of what they need to be happy and healthy. So do a little digging for info before deciding what frogs might be right for you!
