RED-EYED TREE FROG: Amphibian or Reptile?

Some people mistakenly believe that reptiles and amphibians are one and the same or they simply do not know how to tell the difference. Amphibians are born as soft eggs in water and then hatch into tadpoles. Living out the start of their life in the water they then grow legs, lose their tails, and become frogs.

On the other hand reptiles are born as shelled eggs laid on land and hatch as a smaller version of what they will eventually become at maturity. Reptiles never morph into a new form as do amphibians. There is another way of telling the difference between an amphibian and a reptile: reptiles are capable of living in dry areas whereas amphibians cannot.

Red-eyed Tree Frog near Las Horquetas, Costa Rica
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Belize has many tree dwellers with the Red-Eyed Tree Frog being unique and definitely the most interesting. This beautiful green frog has extremely large bright red eyes, hence its' name. Agalychnis callidryas is the scientific name for this fascinating little creature. The Red-Eyed Tree Frog has a medium bright to dark green body with yellow and blue striped type of markings on both of its' sides and sports deep orange toes. Exact coloration of these tree dwellers varies from frog to frog and region to region. Despite the bright warning like colors the fogs are not poisonous, though the reason for their flamboyant coloring is unknown. As tadpoles, after hatching, the babies are brownish in color and will become green, a coloration they can change slightly depending on mood and environment, as they mature into adult frogs living as long as 5 to 10 years.

During the day Tree Frogs will stay put without moving at all, unless disturbed. By shutting their eyes, covering their blue sides with their back legs and tucking in their bright orange feet under their belly, they then look like green leaves, and are well hidden in their jungle habitat.

As with a good number of frogs the females are larger than the males. The average female is approximately two and one half to three inches long while the average male is about one half an inch smaller.

The Red-Eyed Tree Frog has three eyelids and sticky pads on its toes. The sticky pads help them to be arboreal or animals that spend a great majority of their lives in the trees. Tree Frogs are very good jumpers which they need to be to move from tree to tree.

Eating crickets, moths, flies, and other insects makes the Tree Frog classed as a carnivorous species, even cannibalistic, as they have been known to eat other small frogs. Due to their diet and life cycle Tree Frogs are almost always found near rivers, streams, ponds, lagoons and other waterways throughout the jungle from Mexico to Columbia, South America.

Chorus Frogs are closely related to Red-Eyed Tree Frogs, both of which share the same body style and many of the same habits. However Chorus Frogs are more vocal, Tree Frogs are only most vocal during mating time in the rainy reason.

As previously stated: Unlike amphibians, reptiles are capable of living in dry areas. The fact that the Red-Eyed Tree Frog lives in trees, that are sometimes found in dry areas, makes this little amphibian a truly unique little creature.

By Anthony Benjamin Anthony Benjamin, an avid writer, world traveler and a great lover of nature. He would like for you to check-out his latest book: http://www.amazon.com/Belize-Wildlife-Barrier-Fishing-ebook/dp/B007E2SFNQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336140932&sr=8-1 Article Source: EzineArticles

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NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG - Lithobates pipiens

Northern Leopard Frog - Lithobates pipiens

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Poison ARROW FROG Facts

Be aware of species with very bright colors! This is a trademark characteristic of Poison Arrow Frogs and many other toxic species. It's also a natural mechanism to warn predators to stay away.

Green and Black Poison Dart Frog, Green and Black Poison Arrow Frog or Mint Poison Frog,
Dendrobates auratus,  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* The ultra bright colors of the poison arrow frogs are a warning to predators.
* Numerous amphibians generate toxic compounds through the glands and carry trace amounts of poison on the external parts of their bodies. Poison arrow frogs produce poison that is strong enough to severally damage human beings.
* Native tribesman in Columbia utilize ancient techniques that collect the poison from the frogs. After collecting the poison they lace their arrow tips with the poison and create a powerful weapon that can poison prey with or use against rival tribes.
* In lesser amounts, the poison from Arrow Frogs can be used on humans for its muscle relaxant properties.
* Females lay eggs on land in damp areas. The males then guard the eggs until they hatch and become tadpoles. The babies then crawl onto the backs of their fathers while the father searches for water. Once the father finds suitable amount of water, he shakes the babies off his back and from that point on they are on their own.
* Dart Frogs are exotic pets that require extra caution while keeping them as pets because of their poison secretion properties. Even 1/1000th is enough to potentially cause serious harm to any human being.
* In captivity they can live up to 10 years.
* Their use their sticky tongues to capture prey such as small spiders and termites. They capture their prey by using their sticky, retractable tongues.

By Ricky Priston If you found this interesting take a look at more cool Poison Arrow Frog [http://www.topicjax.com/poison-arrow-frog-facts] facts. Article Source: EzineArticles

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AXOLOTL Housing - Axolotl Tank

The Aquarium

For someone looking to keep an axolotl in captivity as a pet it is recommended to use a long aquarium with a minimum of 18 inches in length. A standard 20 gallon aquarium is typically large enough for one adult axolotl.

An albino axolotl in captivity in my own tank. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You don't want to fill the entire tank with water, you only need enough to cover the axolotl and allow some room for movement. Typically most enthusiasts fill the tank up about halfway to the top in most tanks, this allows a good depth of water for the axolotl, and enough space on top so water does not overflow from the movement of the axolotl.

Underneath the tank it is recommended you place black plastic of black paper, since the bottom of the aquarium, it can help the axolotl to have a more natural and darker tank bottom. Enthusiasts often use polystyrene board wrapped in a black plastic bag to help with the color and to spread the weight more evenly.

Filtration

Filtration is not necessary for axolotls, provided that you're willing to regularly change the water. If you choose to use a filter there are a number of options available, such as under-gravel, external "hang on" filters, and canister filters, all will work fine for axolotls but are not required if you opt to change the majority of the water in the tank weekly.

Axolotls excrete a lot of waste, mainly in the form of ammonia (NH3). Through the process of nitrification, ammonia is converted into the less harmful substance nitrite (NO2). This process is one of the most important aspects of filtration and is known is biological filtration.

If you plan on using a mechanical filter, we recommend "aging" your tank for at least two weeks after filling it up with water and installing the filter, before adding any axolotls. Doing this will aid in the development of the bacteria on the filter media, and in preparation for the addition of your axolotl.

Substrates

Axolotls cannot "grip" the bottom of a glass tank, and can cause unneeded stress over time, so we recommend you use a substrate such as sand or rock.

Standard aquarium gravel is not recommended for use in your axolotl tank because the small pieces can become lodged in your axolotls gut and you can risk injuring or killing your axolotl.

If you do wish to use gravel you must use gravel is at least pea sized, about 1/4″ or larger in diameter. Alternatively you can also use fine sand since it does not cause any blockages in the axolotl.

A popular gravel used in most axolotl tanks is a aggregate coated in polymer to prevent it from leeching any chemicals into the water and harming the axolotl. The gravel comes this way, already coated in polymer, and comes in many shapes and sizes.

Lighting

Axolotls do not require any special lighting, standard aquarium fluorescent lighting will work just fine for all axolotl tanks. Unless you are keeping live plants, a standard "hood" style aquarium light will work perfect for your tank.

Axolotls do not need light to survive, the light is purely for display purposes. The only requirement would be if you were keeping live plants in your aquarium, which would require special lighting.

Temperature & Heating

The water in your axolotl tank should be kept between 57-68 degrees, which in most homes does not require any heating or cooling to stay within this temperature.

Temperatures below 57 degrees leads to slower metabolism and a sluggish axolotl. Temperatures above 68 degrees raise the risk for disease, and fluctuations between warm and cool temperatures between nigh and day can also be stressful to your axolotl.

If you do require heating for your aquarium, standard heaters used in fish aquariums, both under the tank and in tank, will work fine for your axolotl tank.

Decoration

Adding decoration such as plastic plants, caves, and rocks gives the axolotl an added sense of security, and is visually appealing to the human eye.

By Josh Range - [http://Axolotl.us]     Article Source: EzineArticles

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TREE FROG Care Secrets

Tree frogs are Fascinating creatures of this earth and can be excellent pets if cared for properly. Currently there is no resource on how to properly care for your tree frog at home. There are a few processes in the process of caring for your tree frog that can go wrong and cause your frog to get ill. Tree frogs that do get ill are actually quite hard to bring right again which means prevention in this case is the best cure.

Desert Tree Frogs in a rain gauge. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This places even more emphasis on vivarium set up and your automated frog care solutions to be set up the right way the first time. Frogs do not like to be handled to much so constantly going back and changing the vivarium all the time can become stressful for your tree frog.

As some frogs, known as exotic pets, can be expensive it is well worth investing in a resource that will teach you the exact steps Required in order to breed and care for your own colony of tree frogs. Whether you are dealing with the common garden frog or the much documented red eyed tree frog, this tree frog care manual is all you will need to become the envy of all tree frog enthusiasts. However in the end you must be the one to decide for yourself Whether you really need this manual or not.

Another aspect of tree frogs that is not covered all that much on the web is tree frog breeding. Some tree frog species can fetch a hefty price so if you can come up with an effective automated breeding plan, you can make a decent amount of money. I have been doing this for awhile so I know where you can go wrong. Its not a complicated process by any means. In the most part nature takes its course. However providing the optimal breeding conditions hence making it profitable can prove difficult even for the pro.

You see I have 10 years experience in the tree frog field an have had my ups and downs but I have come up with what I think is a pretty good system of caring for these guys. I just hate to see so many stories of frogs dying around the world and want to do my bit towards informing the public on Legitimate tree frog care. In the hope that less frogs die as a result.

Many people think that encouraging the art of caring for frogs at home as pets will only add the problem of spreading the virus. I

Believe that global efforts towards informing the public on the problem on how to deal with declining frog numbers is a step in the right direction.

I would love to hear your viewpoint on this and I understand that not everyone sees eye to eye.

If you are not aware off this here is a paragraph explaining the problem. "Chytridiomycosis is an infectious disease that is affecting frog species all over the world. Thought to be worsened by global warming this disease is a fungus that has dramatically reduced frog populations. DO NOT transfer frog populations in your area without contacting local authorities. Hopefully scientists can come up with a cure because at this point there seems to be none."

So join me in understanding what the effects of global warming and the human race is having on the animals that share our world so that we can better care and protect them in the future. I am just here to be of any assistance that I can. I have a 14 day ecourse ready for you at treefrogcenter.com to kick start your tree frog keeping.

This course is Absolutely free and will guide you along the road of taking action. As well as through the steps Required from being a complete newbie to frog care to having a full vivarium of tree frogs will full ability to feed them at very low cost, as well as have automated systems in place such that your tree frog caring becomes easy and rewarding.

By Andrew Williums All I ask is that you give this a go. I am not selling you anything here, merely asking you to hop over to http://www.treefrogcenter.com for a complete Free 14 day e course on tree frog care You have absolutely no obligation to buy anything, this is just some free information I want to give you in the hope that tree frog breeding and care will further enrich your life like it has done mine. You can contact me anytime via email at andrew@treefrogcenter.com Happy frog keeping :-) Article Source: EzineArticles

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