Amphibians – Page 12 – Reptiles & Amphibians

If you’re considering a new and cute little cold-blooded, land, and water-loving companion as a new pet, you may want to know if there are any Amphibians that don't need live food included in their diets. The answer to your question is that there are not many. Amphibians are meat-eating predators. Still, after quite a bit of research, we were able to identify a couple of them, and they are the African dwarf frog and Brazil’s Izecksohn’s Treefrog. While both of these frogs are herbivores and carnivores, they are the two amphibians that will accept dead bugs or pellets for their diets’ protein portion. Hymenochirus, also known as African dwarf frogs This adorable little fellow is a native of the heavily forested parts of Equatorial Africa. The African dwarf frogs live most of their lives under the water but need to come up to the surface for air because they have lungs rather than gills. They are just little guys who never weigh more than a couple of grams each. These frogs are omnivorous but also scavenge for their food. They will eat almost any plants or proteins available, whether the food is dead or alive. They enjoy food that is alive; however, they enjoy eating live food but cannot fit many living creatures in their mouths because of their tiny size. The average African dwarf frog lives about five years, but some have lived as long as 20. In the wild, their habitat consists of shallow ponds, creeks, and rivers. These tiny toads are popular pets because they don’t require much upkeep or maintenance. They are also fun to watch because they active animals and rarely sit still for long. Brazil’s Izecksohn’s Treefrog These small critters who are also called xenohyla truncata, are natives of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They are prototypical creatures for a couple of reasons. Those reasons are, these treefrogs are one of the few amphibians who regularly eat vegetation as adults, and they are also frugivorous, which means they swallow fruits and vegetation whole. Their waste material includes useful seeds, and they help spread out the fruit and plants they eat. They are the only known frugivorous frogs in the world. The amount of plants and vegetation these treefrogs eat is mostly dependant on the season and blooming periods. Though most of Brazil’s Izecksohn’s Treefrog’s diet consists of fruit and plants, they require a small portion of protein found in animals in their diets. Though they enjoy live food, these little treefrogs will also accept specialized pellets as a portion of their diets. More about amphibians Amphibians are from the class of Amphibia, which belongs to the group Lissamphibia. Amphibians need to live in water or a moist environment and have to come up for air as they have lungs rather than gills; all of them can breathe through their skin. Most amphibians start as larvae living in water, but incredibly, some species have developed behavioral adaptations and no longer require this. These animals inhabit an expansive variety of habitats, but most live within freshwater aquatic ecosystems. All of them can breathe and absorb water through their skin, and their skin also produces needed proteins. If the African dwarf frog or Brazil’s Izecksohn’s Treefrog aren’t the right choices for you, consider a new reptile as an option because there were a few more reptiles to choose from who don’t require live food to live. Reptiles that don’t require live food When it comes to options, you have quite a few more when it comes to reptiles who don’t require live food rather than amphibians. Some of the cold-blooded creatures that don’t require live food be included in their diets to live include- Green Iguanas- These guys are entirely vegetarian and only eat vegetables, plants, flowers, and even some fruits. Chuckwallas- Their diet consists of vegetables, greens, and edible flowers and fruit. Blue-Tongue Skink- They are omnivorous, meaning a healthy diet for them needs to include plants and protein from animals, but they are okay with eating bugs from a can, which you can purchase from a pet store. Rhacodactylus Geckos- These lizards are frugivores; they have a diet high in fruits, and don’t their diets don’t require live insects or proteins. As we’ve found out through this article, there are many things to consider when adopting a new amphibian, and there aren’t many of them who don’t require live food is in their diets. Take the time to thoroughly research all of your choices before deciding and adopt the pet that is right for you.