Amphibians for Pets Missouri

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

Local Companies

Independence Petland
(816) 795-8821
18801 E 39th St S
Independence, MO
Summit Pet Care
(816) 246-7246
810 NW Commerce Dr
Lees Summit, MO
Brookside Barkery & Bath
(816) 554-2284
813 NE Woods Chapel Rd
Lees Summit, MO
Pet Planet
(816) 246-5738
201 SE Grand Ave
Lees Summit, MO
Animal Groominq Service
(816) 361-6822
6305 Main St
Kansas City, MO
Ninas Inc Pet Sittming
(314) 773-8658
3127 Lemp Ave
Saint Louis, MO
My Darling Dogs
(816) 525-2440
615 A SW 2nd St
Lees Summit, MO
Deogi Pointe
(816) 256-3464
2308 NW 108th St
Kansas City, MO
Pet Market Place
(314) 962-2257
8011 Watson Rd
Saint Louis, MO
Absolutely Pampered
(314) 432-7387
810 Louwen Dr
Saint Louis, MO

Reptiles & Amphibians For Dummies

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. Amphibians need caging that can hold moisture but also can be easily cleaned. In most cases, this means an aquarium, usually a 15- to 20-gallon size. Moisture is provided through water (the tank itself or a container within it is filled with water), or the substrate in the tank (sphagnum moss or dampened paper towels) is moistened. You can supply additional moisture with a hand-held sprayer or a misting system.
    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: Amphibians eat insects, small fish, and earthworms. All are readily purchased from bait stores or pet stores; the insects and earthworms can be mail-ordered. Crickets need to be housed in an extra aquarium. You can toss a few into each amphibian's cage as needed. Mealworms come packaged in a plastic container with a snap-on lid; store them in your refrigerator or move them to their own hideaway filled with oat bran and rolled oats — at last there's a way to use up that oatmeal! — with a few slices of apple for moisture. You can buy earthworms in lots of 500 from a hunting/fishing supply firm and store them in a refrigerator.
    Size: Amphibians that are generally seen in pet stores are usually beautifully colored and fairly small. You can certainly go out and find big amphibians. Some of the aquatic caecilians, for example, will easily reach a 2-foot length, but few people want a retiring pet with the animation and appearance of a gray rubber hose.
    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 are inexpensive. The dart frogs as a group run about $40 to $60 each, but this is at the high end for all amphibians. The more unusual horned or tomato frogs cost around $50, but the majority of amphibians range from $15 to $20 each.

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.


provided by:


For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.


Featured Local Company

Independence Petland

(816) 795-8821
18801 E 39th St S
Independence, MO

Related Articles
Regional Articles
- Amphibians for Pets Arnold MO
- Amphibians for Pets Ballwin MO
- Amphibians for Pets Belton MO
- Amphibians for Pets Blue Springs MO
- Amphibians for Pets Bolivar MO
- Amphibians for Pets Branson MO
- Amphibians for Pets Cape Girardeau MO
- Amphibians for Pets Chesterfield MO
- Amphibians for Pets Columbia MO
- Amphibians for Pets De Soto MO
- Amphibians for Pets Excelsior Springs MO
- Amphibians for Pets Fenton MO
- Amphibians for Pets Festus MO
- Amphibians for Pets Florissant MO
- Amphibians for Pets Grandview MO
- Amphibians for Pets Hannibal MO
- Amphibians for Pets Hazelwood MO
- Amphibians for Pets Independence MO
- Amphibians for Pets Jefferson City MO
- Amphibians for Pets Joplin MO
- Amphibians for Pets Kansas City MO
- Amphibians for Pets Kirksville MO
- Amphibians for Pets Lebanon MO
- Amphibians for Pets Lees Summit MO
- Amphibians for Pets Liberty MO
- Amphibians for Pets Maryland Heights MO
- Amphibians for Pets Moberly MO
- Amphibians for Pets Neosho MO
- Amphibians for Pets Nixa MO
- Amphibians for Pets O Fallon MO
- Amphibians for Pets Pacific MO
- Amphibians for Pets Park Hills MO
- Amphibians for Pets Perryville MO
- Amphibians for Pets Poplar Bluff MO
- Amphibians for Pets Rolla MO
- Amphibians for Pets Saint Ann MO
- Amphibians for Pets Saint Charles MO
- Amphibians for Pets Saint Joseph MO
- Amphibians for Pets Saint Louis MO
- Amphibians for Pets Saint Peters MO
- Amphibians for Pets Sedalia MO
- Amphibians for Pets Sikeston MO
- Amphibians for Pets Springfield MO
- Amphibians for Pets Warrensburg MO
- Amphibians for Pets West Plains MO
Related Articles

Rss   Delicious   Digg   Add To My Yahoo   Add To My Google   Bookmark   Search Plugin

Topics:
Advertising Family Home Services Real Estate Resources
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