Texan Bullfrog?

[Toirtis]

so you ever heard of a texan bullfrog???

There are 43 species of frog and toad found in Texas....of them, one is called a 'bullfrog', and that is Rana caresbeiana, the common bullfrog, a species whose tadpoles often come into petshops as contaminants in batches of comet goldfish. I suspect that is what you have.

 

[liv2padl]

well, now you've got a real problem. you don't know what you've got nor do you know how to care for it. since it wasn't taken from the wild, releasing it 'back' to the wild is definitely not a good idea. the problem is that while you may successfully maintain the tadpole to the point where it becomes a 'frog', the likelyhood of it living very long as an adult frog in a ten gallon tank is poor.

neither frogs such as this, nor the vast majority of turtles, either of which may be sold in pet shops, survive very long in captivity. frogs and turtles almost always live an unhealthy and short life in an aquarium due to inadequate care. in my opinion and in the opinion of most zoologists, neither turtles or frogs are appropriate pets for those without a full understanding of the tremendous amount of care they require.

The care and feeding is more complicated than is generally thought ---> daily maintenance of the enclosure, enclosure apparatus and feeding are alot of work. most people are dismayed to find that they can't just stick a turtle or frog in a box or tank of water or let them loose in their yard, tossing lettuce to it once in a while.

It is illegal in the U.S. for pet stores to sell turtles less than four inches in length (this is problematic for those species whose full adult size is 4" or less!) and it may be illegal for them to sell frogs or tadpoles as well. it depends on which species and in what state.

As with all wild-caught amphibians or reptiles, the animals found in pet stores have been under stress for some time. As a result, they are most likely suffering from protozoan and bacterial infections, including Salmonella which is easily transmitted to young children. Additionally, they are usually emaciated and dehydrated due to long periods of time without food or water or being held in areas too cold to stimulate the appetite.

 

[ChilDawg]

I've seen it on Google that the "Texan Bullfrog" could also be R. sphenocephala, the Southern Leopard Frog, I believe...does that change the care any?

 

[Aussie_hippie_2]

In all honesty, you need to take that thing back. If they won't accept it, well then, there is another course of action you may need to take .

 

[jessiej83]

Thanks again everyone! I will care for it the best I can. I wouldn't have even gotten it but my 13 year old son took one look at them and fell in love. I am willing to buy a bigger tank or whatever I have to get to care for it properly. Thanks to everyone for the helpful info!

 

[Toirtis]

neither frogs such as this, nor the vast majority of turtles, either of which may be sold in pet shops, survive very long in captivity. frogs and turtles almost always live an unhealthy and short life in an aquarium due to inadequate care. in my opinion and in the opinion of most zoologists, neither turtles or frogs are appropriate pets for those without a full understanding of the tremendous amount of care they require.

The care and feeding is more complicated than is generally thought ---> daily maintenance of the enclosure, enclosure apparatus and feeding are alot of work. most people are dismayed to find that they can't just stick a turtle or frog in a box or tank of water or let them loose in their yard, tossing lettuce to it once in a while.

It is illegal in the U.S. for pet stores to sell turtles less than four inches in length (this is problematic for those species whose full adult size is 4" or less!) and it may be illegal for them to sell frogs or tadpoles as well. it depends on which species and in what state.

As with all wild-caught amphibians or reptiles, the animals found in pet stores have been under stress for some time. As a result, they are most likely suffering from protozoan and bacterial infections, including Salmonella which is easily transmitted to young children. Additionally, they are usually emaciated and dehydrated due to long periods of time without food or water or being held in areas too cold to stimulate the appetite.

No offense, but that sounds like it was pretty much cut-and-pasted from a PETA website.

Really, it is exaggerated at best. Although chelonians and anurians do have specific requirements, providing these, if one has the desire, is not difficult for most species commonly sold. And with even adequate care, most chelonians live very long lives (Anuria considerably less so).

As far as the "...It is illegal in the U.S. for pet stores to sell turtles less than four inches in length..." bit goes, that is only somewhat correct...it is illegal for the syores to sell any chelonian under 4" in carapace length as a pet, but most store get by this technicality by requiring purchasers to sign a waiver that states that the animal is being sold for 'educational or research purposes', which makes it all legal.

Although some reptiles and amphibians in some stores are wild-caught, and some of those may be under some stress, most are now captive-bred, and in a good shop, the animals are not under stress. As far as salmonellosis is concerned, the risk from herpetofauna is minimal at best...even according to the CDC, 94%+ of salmonella cases each year are caused by poultry and dairy food products...you are far more likely to catch intestinal worms from your dog or cat.

 

[Corbin]

well, now you've got a real problem. you don't know what you've got nor do you know how to care for it. since it wasn't taken from the wild, releasing it 'back' to the wild is definitely not a good idea. the problem is that while you may successfully maintain the tadpole to the point where it becomes a 'frog', the likelyhood of it living very long as an adult frog in a ten gallon tank is poor.

neither frogs such as this, nor the vast majority of turtles, either of which may be sold in pet shops, survive very long in captivity. frogs and turtles almost always live an unhealthy and short life in an aquarium due to inadequate care. in my opinion and in the opinion of most zoologists, neither turtles or frogs are appropriate pets for those without a full understanding of the tremendous amount of care they require.

The care and feeding is more complicated than is generally thought ---> daily maintenance of the enclosure, enclosure apparatus and feeding are alot of work. most people are dismayed to find that they can't just stick a turtle or frog in a box or tank of water or let them loose in their yard, tossing lettuce to it once in a while.

It is illegal in the U.S. for pet stores to sell turtles less than four inches in length (this is problematic for those species whose full adult size is 4" or less!) and it may be illegal for them to sell frogs or tadpoles as well. it depends on which species and in what state.

As with all wild-caught amphibians or reptiles, the animals found in pet stores have been under stress for some time. As a result, they are most likely suffering from protozoan and bacterial infections, including Salmonella which is easily transmitted to young children. Additionally, they are usually emaciated and dehydrated due to long periods of time without food or water or being held in areas too cold to stimulate the appetite.

what is said above is very true.. i have been keeping amphibians for 10+years and it takes alot of time and knowledge to keep em, if your gonna keep any amphibian i would say get your son a firebellied toad, they are by far the easiest to keep. but always study before you invest into any animal. or your just gonna waste money and make there life hell. and even when you know what your doing amphibians where not ment to be kept as pets, they are why to delicate. in every amphibian book i have read the author repeatidly says that you should only keep them if you are a trained zoologist doing research to better there lifes and keep them from going extinct since that is a major problem in that world or something along that line.

but best of luck with the frog. you could probley feed it fish flakes and pellets along with the other stuff suggested.

 

[fishcatch22]

bullfrogs get HUGE and need much space. get a 55G tank once it turns into a frog, make it about 1/4 land, 3/4 water. feed it large insects like full grown crickets, superworms, and hissing cockroaches if you can get your paws on them. fuzzy mice are also a good treat, and the occasional feeder fish can't hurt. keep the tank well filtered. I reccomend keeping bare bottom to keep mess to a minimum.

for now, feed it algae tablets and blanched vegitables. once it starts to grow legs, slowly lower the water level, and add a small space of land for it once it's legs become useable. once it gets about 3" long, move it to it's 55G home.

 

[desertgoldhound]

and even when you know what your doing amphibians where not ment to be kept as pets, they are why to delicate. in every amphibian book i have read the author repeatidly says that you should only keep them if you are a trained zoologist doing research to better there lifes and keep them from going extinct since that is a major problem in that world or something along that line.

I have had many amphibians. Some are very hardy and do very well in captive life. I have never read this in any book. Fish are considered delicate however we can learn to care for them properly and they become very healthy and adaptive animals.

 

[liv2padl]

Although chelonians and anurians do have specific requirements, providing these, if one has the desire, is not difficult for most species commonly sold. And with even adequate care, most chelonians live very long lives (Anuria considerably less so).

and therein lies the problem. while you as a zoologist may be aware of the requirements of these animals, the vast majority of 'hobbyists' are not ... and neither are the pet shops that sell them ... and neither party will typically spend any amount of time doing research to learn their requirements. witness the number of folks who come to these forums with an almost limitless number of questions about why their fish is dying, has died or will die, primarily because they got alot of erroneous information from the very shop the fish were purchased from ... and fish are far easier to keep than are frogs and turtles.

that sounds like it was pretty much cut-and-pasted from a PETA website

no it was not. i'm simply a zoologist with a caring and responsible attitude toward any animal kept in captivity. some animals are easily maintained and can make fine pets. others are quite difficult to maintain without proper knowledge and do not make good pets. i don't think this is a debatable fact. maybe it's different in canada.

Although some reptiles and amphibians in some stores are wild-caught, and some of those may be under some stress, most are now captive-bred, and in a good shop, the animals are not under stress

. the operative words here are "in a good shop". unfortunately, there are few of these around. again, perhaps it's different in canada, but here in the states the vast majority of 'pet shops' are staffed by people who care not a wit about the animals they sell and know even less about them. their primary concern is making a few bucks and going home early. yes, there are exceptions. there are some excellent shops around that are owned and operated by 'hobbyists'. if you do some looking into it here i think you'll find this is, like everything i've said above, not a debatable issue. thems is facts.