This page is a collection of caresheets on specific types of frogs. I hope that you find this page helpful and informative, but not as a replacement for books. I can not state strongly enough the importance of books on specific types of frogs, or any animal you are considering keeping for that matter. Click on the image of the Red-Eyed Treefrog for a picture of the particular specie of frog it is next to.
The following is a list of the species caresheet found on this page, if you see one that interests you & it is underlined, click on it and you will go straight to it. The first one on the list doesn't have a hop to it link, because it is right below the list.
The care of this frog takes a little more time than for most frogs, but in my opinion is well worth it. This frog is not a good frog for beginners, only because of it's temperament and inactivity. The temperament of the Pac Man frog, is not always gentle. They are known to bite(and can draw blood, they have teeth), but this is usually because they are confusing a human finger with a pinkie mouse. They also have a tendency to stay in one place for long periods of time without moving. Juvenile Pac Man's are more active than adults, jumping around and climbing whenever you are near the container, but this generally quiets down after they are 2-3" wide.
Size & Sexing-
Pac Man's are not small frogs, though they may be when you first get them. My Pac Man is still a baby and is as big around and long as a quarter, but their adult size is many times this. Females generally reach up to 14 cm. in length and width, and males generally get 10 cm. in length and width(although there have been females that were much larger than this, males as well). But as a rule, females are the larger of the specie. Sexing this specie is very difficult, and the only dimorphism between the two sexes is size and that males have dark pigmented throats.
Housing-
Pac Man frogs are burrowing frogs, therefore when housing them you need to keep this in mind. They do quite well in a plastic sweater box or 10 gallon storage container. You need to provide some moss for the substrate, smooth gravel that is too big to be swallowed is another must. Sloping the gravel so that it is higher at one end than the other is an ideal set-up for these guys. This allows you to provide them with a shallow pool, which is easier for them to get in and out of than a water dish. By putting moss in and around the pool, you can help prevent your Pac Man frog from drowning, however if you keep the water level so that it doesn't cover the frog completely, this shouldn't be a problem. A tip for making a pool, use a terra cotta saucer(the kind you put under plant pots), heat it in the oven just enough to get it hot, then rub some parafin wax all over the inside of it. This will prevent the terra cotta from absorbing the water, which after a while will cause it to leak and flood the cage. Also provide some moss on the high end of the tank, for your Pac Man to burrow in. You can provide a low growing plant or two under which your Pac Man can sleep and hide.
Plants that work well for this are pothos, hosta, spider plants and ivy. Due to their cannibalistic tendencies, Pac Man's should preferrably be housed alone, but if a pair is a must(as in breeding), then they should be of equal size. If they are not of equal size, the smaller will become lunch for the larger one. Misting once or twice a day to keep the humidity up is another must for these guys.(Note: Make sure that in both the mist bottle and the water pool, that you use spring water or rain water. Tap water can contain chlorine, lead and other impurities which are bad for frogs.)
Temperature & Humidity-
Pac Man's can do very well at room temperature, however I have read that temperatures in the middle to upper 70's are even better. To accomplish this an under the tank heater will be needed along with a thermometer. It is much easier on you and better for the frog to heat the tank using this method than using a basking light or ceramic heat lamp(especially if you are housing your Pac Man in a plastic container). High humidity is a must for these frogs and many others. Usually a level of about 60%-85% is satisfactory. You can measure your tanks humidity using a hydrometer available at most reptile and petstores.
Lighting-
Pac Man's are diurnal, therefore lighting is best accomplished using a flourescent tube. It has not yet been stated scientifically that amphibians need UVB rays, so a full spectrum bulb is not really a must, but it certainly won't hurt the animal any. Spot/basking lights are not necessary, as amphibians don't bask like reptiles do.
Feeding-
Feeding Pac Man frogs can be expensive, and takes a strong stomach. When little(under 2 inches), Pac Mans eat large crickets, moths, feeder fish like guppies, waxworms, and maybe a mealworm(I can't get mine to take mealies, but every frog is different). Generally a Pac Man will eat anything it can fit in it's mouth, and considering it's mouth is as wide as it's body...this can be alot! Once they hit 2 inches in width and length you can start feeding them pinkie mice, but these shouldn't be fed more than 3-4 times a month, as they are high in fat. They will also still take crickets, waxworms, mealies, and feeder fish(guppies work really well and are really easy to breed). Large Pac Man's will take the afore mentioned foods, as well as small lizards like anoles. A helpful hint in feeding crickets, remove the hopper legs first, as Pac Man's tend to be lazy and wait for the food to come to them. They won't generally chase a fast cricket, removing the hopper legs slows the cricket down and forces it to crawl rather than jump. Unless you have other animals that eat pinkies, it really is not economical to breed your own. Pinkies are relatively inexpensive(about $2/pinkie), and since Pac Man's should only eat pinkies three or four times a month, you will have tons of babies left over, which will mature and reproduce providing more babies. Since mice gestate for only 21 days, you will have a litter once a month, which if not eaten will add up to more mice than you may feel comfortable with. However, breeding crickets, mealworms and waxworms can save you some money, click here to visit my page on the breeding of them. It is best to feed Pac Man's 2-3 times a week.
The grey treefrog is a beautiful, small, easily kept, nocturnal frog. Their coloring ranges from green to grey, with a darker marking on the back, resembling a lichen. When sleeping, they can be any color, even white. Generally when they are dark brown to black, they are too cold or sick. They have beautiful flash colors on their thighs, yellow bars with black outlining them. There are generally three to four bars per leg. These colors are said to confuse a predator. When the frog jumps the bright flash colors are shown and, when they land the colors disappear making the predator think the frog has also. These frogs are native to the U.S., ranging from as far north as southern Michigan, down through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, and on down to Georgia, across to Pennsylvania and Maryland on down to the Carolina's.
Size & Sexing-
These treefrogs are small, reaching about 2 3/4 inches as adults. Males tend to be smaller and have a darker pigmented throat, with bright yellow flash colors on their flanks. While females are the larger and have a white throat, and their flash colors aren't as bright.
Housing-
Housing grey treefrogs requires a tank that is taller than it is wide. I recommend the minimum being a 20 gallon high tank, but a 29 gallon high tank is even better, especially for beginning treefrog fanciers. For substrate, smooth, large gravel can be used. It should be big enough that it can't be swallowed, though I use sand and recommend it more than gravel. Sand is easily passed if ingested, and holds moisture better. Besides that it is easily obtained at a local home improvement center or nursery. I use PlaySand, the kind sold for children's sandboxes. Over the sand, I put a layer about 2 inches thick of sphagnum moss, which needs to be kept misted. Plants(alive is preferred) provide the frogs with sleeping places and since they are nocturnal, places to hide from the lighting of the terrarium. Some good plants include: pothos, hosta, ivy, ferns, spider plants, bromeliads, rhodedenrum, and african violets. Most orchids do well also. A small water dish(terra cotta plant saucers that haven't had fertilizer touch them work well, make sure to heat in the oven til hot and rub parafin wax all over the inside of it, to prevent water from leaking out) needs to be provided as well. Your treefrogs will use this to soak(when the humidity gets too low), drink(through osmosis), and breed. The water will need to be changed every other day, the dish will need to be scrubbed once a week, and fresh water will need to be added daily.
Temperature & Humidity-
The temperature of the tank, needs to be between 75°F-85°F during the day, and no lower than 65°F-74°F at night. A temperature lower than 65°F, and your treefrogs will hibernate, lower than 60°F, and they will die. As well as anything warmer than 85°F and you will have cooked frogs. A comfortable temperature is a high of 80°F and a low of 70°F. You can accomplish the desired temperature by using flourescent lighting(full spectrum is fine, but not needed) and under the tank heaters. Humidity needs to be between 65%-90%. This can be maintained by misting the tank 2-3 times a day(depending on how humid your house is).
Lighting-
Lighting can be offered in the form of flourescent during the day for the plants and a red lightbulb at night for your viewing of the tank(not needed for the frog if you leave a nightlight or a TV on in the room).
Feeding-
Feeding treefrogs is relatively easy. They will eat a variety of things and do best on a varied diet. Moths, waxworms, small mealworms, small to medium sized crickets, small feeder fish(offer in the water dish, baby guppies and small guppies work well), mayflies, flightless fruitflies, small houseflies(you might want to take the wings off first), and spiders make excellent food items. You can get the majority of these by simply turning on your porch light(make sure you have a white light bulb in it), and waiting a few minutes. You will notice insects in a variety of sizes gathering around the light. Simply take a butterfly net or a fish net(from petstore) and catch them. They can be emptied and kept in baby food jars(or any jars)with a screen lid. You can make a screen lid by cutting screen and fastening it to the jar with a rubberband. It is best to feed them everyother day.
Mantella Frogs(Mantella aurantiaca & M.viridis)-
The beautiful mantella frogs, which equal poison dart frogs in beauty, are now readily available in the pet trade as captive bred specimens. In the wild they are found in the forests of Madagascar. They are said to be weak swimmers, avoiding deep waters when at all possible. Possibly this was assumed because of their lack of toe webbing or the fact that they are unable to swim for extended periods of time, nevertheless this has been found to be false. Little is known on the toxicity of mantellas, though their coloration may serve as a warning factor to predators(including humans). Because of their small size and delicate nature, it is better to be safe than sorry and handling should be done only in a dire emergency(the use of gloves or wetting of your hands prior is recommended).
Sexing & Size-
The tiny Golden Mantella is around 3/4" long. It is the smallest of the mantella family. The green mantella is around 1" in size. Sexual dimorphism, while slight in mantellas, relies largely on a series of comparisons among several frogs of the same species. Males are usually slightly smaller and less robust than females. Males often sit in a more upright position, with the limbs more straightened, while females tend to sit closer to the ground with forelimbs bent. Males are the only ones who vocalize, the sounds being soft and difficult to hear.
Housing-
Mantellas, because of their small size, can be housed in aquariums that are generally thought to be too small for most frog species. They can be kept quite comfortably in 5-10 gallon aquariums, though the saying bigger is better does certainly apply with these small frogs as well as others. You can comfortably keep a maximum of 4 in a 5 gallon tank & 8 mantella frogs in a 10 gallon tank. You will need a screen cover for the tank, though they can not climb up glass like treefrogs, they can in fact climb plants and jump very well. Moss makes excellent substrate for these little frogs, under this you may want to put a layer of sand, especially if you plan on using live plants in the terrarium. A small pool of water will need to be provided both for maintaining humidity levels and for the frogs to soak in and drink. Terra cotta plant saucers work excellent for this purpose. Mistings 1-2 times a day are also necessary. Plants can be added to provide beauty and hiding spots for your frogs.
Temperature & Humidity-
Mantellas should be kept at a temperature range of 68°F-76°F. Humidity can be maintained by misting the tank 1-2 times daily. To provide the much needed temperature, you can either use ceramic heat lamps, incandescent lighting or flourescent lighting with an under the tank heater. I recommend the incandescent by itself or the flourescent with an under the tank heater.
Lighting-
While it has not been proven that full-spectrum lighting is necessary for the survival of amphibians, I do recommend it's use. Not only does it bring out the natural beauty of the terrarium, but also of the specie(s) being kept inside it. Full spectrum lighting is available in the form of flourescent light tubes. Either flourescent or incandescent lighting can be used however.
Feeding-
Because of their small size, feeding these frogs can be difficult. Having small mouths, they require small food. Pinhead to week old crickets can be used, as well as the smallest baby mealworms. Moths, gnats, mosquitos, wingless fruitflies and mayflies may also be used. It has been said that mantellas will eventually tire of eating crickets, to avoid this offer a varying diet consisting of the aforementioned insects. Mantellas may or may not eat baby guppies as well. These can be offered in the shallow pool of water provided to them.
Cuban Treefrog(Osteopilus septentionalis)-
The cuban treefrog, now an established specie in Florida, comes from just where it's name suggest, Cuba and it's surrounding areas. Coloration of this frog is variable, usually some shade of: tan, olive or grey.
Size & Sexing-
The male cuban treefrog grows to 1 1/2"-3 1/2". Females are the larger of the specie at about 3 1/2"-5". Males are recognized by their smaller size, dark throat, and nuptial pads on their "thumbs", during breeding season.
Housing, Temperature and Humidity-
An aquarium of 20 gallons or more will suffice, high tanks are recommended as opposed to long tanks. These wil provide much needed climbing room for exercise and hunting. Also, some appropriate plants, to provide hiding, hunting and breeding spots. Be sure to house them with species of the same size, as they will eat anything that will fit in their mouth. Housing is similar to grey treefrogs, but these treefrogs need a warmer environment of upper 70's-lower 80's in the daytime and lows in the lower 70's at night. Temps in the 60's induce hibernation. Anything below 50°F for more than a couple hours will result in a dead treefrog. A humidity level of 30%-60% will suffice, anything higher will promote bacteria growth and will be hazardous to these treefrogs health.
Lighting-
Either flourescent or incandescent lighting can be used, though keep in mind that incandescent puts off heat. A thermometer is a must whether or not incandescent is being used. Vita-Lites or any full-spectrum bulbs will benefit plant and animal, bringing out natural colors in both.
Feeding-
Adult cubans can and will consume pinky mice. In the wild they are known to eat any insect, other amphibian, lizard, tiny snake, baby bird or mouse they happen upon. Captive cubans can be fed crickets, pinkies, mealworms, waxworms etc. For more info on raising and breeding feeder insects and animals, click here.
Where to next?
Hoppy Holidays!
Pac Man Frog(Ceratophrys Ornata)-
