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Amphibians for Pets Florida

A brief overview of amphibians, including a list of things to be considered when getting an amphibian as a pet.

Local Companies

Aqua Star Aquarium Center
(813) 689-0713
710 W Lumsden Rd
Brandon, FL

Double R Discount
(321) 837-1624
5156 Minton Rd NW
Palm Bay, FL

Affordable Pet Grooming
(954) 599-9531
3325 Griffin Road
Dania Beach, FL

Creature Castle
(813) 681-3564
1935 W Brandon Blvd
Brandon, FL

Pandas Pampered Pets Inc
(813) 962-8646
1405 W Brandon Blvd
Brandon, FL

All About Puppies
(813) 654-0022
2124 W Brandon Blvd
Brandon, FL

Bayside Pets
(321) 872-0906
1582 Water Dr NE
Palm Bay, FL

Pet Grooming by Suds
(321) 676-0734
4711 Babcock St NE
Palm Bay, FL

U-Kill Em
(321) 952-3396
2280 Harris Ave NE 2
Palm Bay, FL

Petsmart
(813) 689-4814
1051 W Brandon Blvd
Brandon, FL

Adapted From: Reptiles & Amphibians For Dummies

Collectively, reptiles and amphibians are referred to as herps. That term comes from the Greek word herpes, which literally means crawling things. The term is applied equally to reptiles and amphibians. From herp comes herpetology, the study of crawling things. A person with formal training in herpetology is a herpetologist. Someone who likes herps, keeps them, and works with them but lacks the formal training is a herper.

If you like damp environments (or if you want a pet who likes things wet), then an amphibian is right for you. Because they breathe partially through their skin, amphibians must have moist, clean caging, which requires careful monitoring and frequent cleaning to avoid ammonia buildup or a bacterial bloom. Otherwise, your pet dies a nasty death.

The following list explains some factors to consider if you want a pet amphibian:

Caging.

You'll want to add a screen top to the terrarium/aquarium, but you don't need to worry about adding lighting or keeping the tank or its inhabitants warm. Amphibians like it cool; the tiger salamanders, for instance, trudge through snow as early as February to reach the ponds where they hope to meet a mate, which says something about amphibians' tolerance of cold temperatures and their sex drive.

Because amphibians are quiet creatures, they won't tear up an elaborately planted terrarium the way a lizard or snake might. The smaller amphibians, like the brightly colored dart frogs, look like animated jewels in a fern- and moss-bedecked tank.

Cleaning an amphibian tank is an important aspect of keeping these creatures alive. The smaller the amphibian, the less waste it produces, and the less work it is to maintain the tank. You have to tear down and reconstruct a 20-gallon dart frog enclosure maybe twice a year (although the water dish will need to be cleaned daily). In contrast, a bullfrog's enclosure needs daily water changes or filtration and twice-a-week partial water changes, and the moist sphagnum in a tiger salamander's cage needs rinsing at least every other day.

Feeding:

Size:

The pet store amphibians range in size from the fist-sized horned frog to the 3-inch-long red-spotted newt to the thumbnail-sized dart frog. You can certainly find more exotic amphibians. Your store can order them for you, or you may want to see what an expo can offer. Their easy-to-handle sizes mean the animals require less food. Amphibians don't require the amount of food that a larger, more active creature, such as a green iguana, needs.

Cost:

Amphibians breathe, to a lesser or greater degree, through their skin. This is why they need moist, very clean caging, why the cages must be cleaned so frequently, and why you must wash your hands before handling them. Most skin diseases in amphibians are fatal.

As a rule, amphibians are retiring and nocturnal, which means they aren't as responsive to a human as is a tortoise. Amphibians tend to lay massive numbers of eggs; if you plan to breed your amphibian, you'll need to plan how you'll raise up to a thousand young, or you'll need to dispose of the excess eggs.

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Featured Local Company

Aqua Star Aquarium Center

(813) 689-0713
710 W Lumsden Rd
Brandon, FL

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Business Services	Fashion	Industrial Goods & Services	Retail & Consumer Services
Career	Financial Services	Insurance	Software
Cars	Food & Beverage	Internet	Technology
Computer Hardware	Franchise	Legal	Telecommunications
Construction	Health	Miscellaneous	Trade Shows
Education	Holidays	Nightlife	Travel
Entertainment	Home Appliances	Online Database	Weddings
Environmental	Home Electronics	Pets	World History