Amphibians as Pets

There are all types of amphibians. Beyond frogs there are axolotls, newts, and more. Once you have seen a few amphibians in your local pet store you will know that they are some of the most colorful creatures out there. This makes them great to watch, and you can also select colorful and attractive plants for their vivariums.

Before any mammals ever set foot on planet earth their were amphibians slithering, crawling and leaping all over it. These amazing creatures are an important step in the evolution of man. Their name is from the fact that they can live on both land and in water: Amphi is Greek for life, and bios is the Greek word for both. Typically amphibians spend most of the first part of their life cycle in water, and the second part of the life cycle on land.

Amphibians are ectotherms which means that they rely on the external environment for warmth. So if you keep one as a pet you may need to provide a heat mat or lamp, depending on the species. In the wild amphibians hibernate to avoid cold temperatures. Their amazing range of colors is for the purpose of camouflage, and to ward off predators. The moist skin of an amphibian is shed/sloughed from time to time, and they generally eat their old skin. Tropical pets like amphibians exhibit some interesting characteristics!

In order to protect all their internal organs amphibians have a full skeleton. Some amphibians also have small teeth, but these are used for holding food, not for chewing it. The skeleton of an amphibian extends from its skull all the way to their toes.

Amphibian reproduction is a hit and miss affair: of the thousands of jelly-coated eggs that are laid in the water, and on the leaves overhanging the water, only a handful will ever make it to the next stage of the life cycle. Often this is less than one percent. The reason is that amphibian eggs are a good source of food for predators.

So there you have it. Some basic information about the amazing world of amphibians. When you have one to keep as a pet you will soon learn more, and research is important. Your pet amphibian’s health is dependent on your level of knowledge. These days amphibians are not so unusual as to be considered exotic pets, but they do require more knowledge than keep domesticates animals such as dogs and cats.

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