My new Xenopus Tads

[rodsboys]

Good to know, thanks. I don't know what thiaminase is, but I'll look it up. What is the recommended size for a group of these frogs in captivity? Is three too few?

Not sure what you are asking, but I think you are asking about size of group to keep? You can keep as many frogs as you want as long as you have a suitable sized set up for them. I have 6 in my group and I am using a 65 gallon aquarium (36"L X 18"W X 24"H)

This is a great read about thiaminase : Thiaminase

[BugBoy99]

I apologize for the lack of clarity, I was asking about group size. So, if I kept three frogs, that would be enough. I just wanted to make sure that I don't keep too few, if I keep some. Thank you for all your advice.

[gemzjames]

Hi

I feed my wild caught frogs ox-heart .... my professor has always fed his frogs this diet so ive followed suit and they absolutely love it. As long as there is no fat in the meat and its a good piece of meat they will eat anything. They cannot eat any fatty meats though as they cannot digest it and it can cause the fat to accumulate inside them and kills them. Just make sure you dont over feed them cause they seem to be able to eat forever ... but in the wild they are extremly lazy animals as they dont really "hunt" for their food ... they tend to wait until something dying or dead comes floating past and they will "pounce" on it. As they dont have teeth i make it too easy for ym frogs to eat as i cut up small portioned size pieces for them and monitor how much each frog eats individually :-)

I have always had a tendancy to stay away from commercial food as i dont personally believe its any better for them considering they arent going to be eating that in the wild anyway .... not that they will eat cows in the wild but its pure meat and they like it.

with regards to group sizes, i have 2 muelleri in one tank and 3 laevis in another and they are quite happy.

[mpmistr]

In regards to feeding, earthworms are really cheap and holy moly they sure do go absolutely crazy when they have a chance to eat them. Mine seem to eat reptomin well enough though, I throw earthworms in every few days to spice it up a bit. I once fed my frogs thawed frozen shrimp (no salt, season, ect..) and it was actually very interesting because they used their clawed feet to shred the shrimp apart into smaller chunks, they attacked it like a shark feeding frenzy. It was quite messy though so I don't think I will be doing that again.

What other foods are you guys feeding your ACF? I've been kind of interested in introducing insects into their diets but I'm not sure which would really work, I hear crickets are not all that great and their legs are sharp.

[BugBoy99]

Thank you so much for all the advice. It is really helping me a lot. I agree about the earthworms, at first they would not touch earthworms but, once they learned it was edible, they started attacking them as if they'd never see another earthworm in their lives. I'll probably be feeding them earthworms this afternoon. I can get wild-caught freshwater shrimp, but I'm not sure that that's an option I'd like to explore.

As they dont have teeth i make it too easy for ym frogs to eat as i cut up small portioned size pieces for them and monitor how much each frog eats individually :-)

Obsessive compulsive, are we? So am I, I've been feeding each frog with a pipette, to make sure that all of them eat. After I know that they are eating, I just watch to make sure that none of them are getting skinny. I make sure to feed the skinny one's by themselves.

I haven't tried oxheart, but I have been feeding chicken liver. I may consider adding some oxheart to the diet later on. I will be releasing most, if not all, of the froglets. But, I am considering keeping three of them. Because, I may be moving within the next few months/years, and I want to make sure that I'll be able to find a home for them when I leave. More than three frogs may be hard to re-home.

Has anyone ever considered feeding pond-skaters to the ACF'S?

Thanks,
Joh

[gemzjames]

I will be releasing most, if not all, of the froglets. But, I am considering keeping three of them. Because, I may be moving within the next few months/years, and I want to make sure that I'll be able to find a home for them when I leave. More than three frogs may be hard to re-home.

As you'll only be keeping 3 ... why dont you take them with you when you move, mine have travelled up and down the country with me ... 3 is quite easy to move around :-)

[BugBoy99]

As you'll only be keeping 3 ... why dont you take them with you when you move, mine have travelled up and down the country with me ... 3 is quite easy to move around :-)

:-( Provincial legislation. Many South African Provinces don't allow you to keep amphibians, of any type, and if you can keep them you need a permit. Permits have at least a month's waiting period, but usually closer to three or four months. If not for that, and the fact that I will be eventually moving to the United States, where I want to study, I would gladly have taken them with me. Thank you for the suggestion, though.

[tgampper]

Hi Joh:

There are several states in the U.S. that do not allow keeping Xenopus unless you have a special permit. Most of the states are on the west coast. What will you be studying and what university will you be attending?

[rodsboys]

I have never heard of crickets injuring an ACF. They are perfectly fine for a treat in my opinion. I don't know that I would feed them anything raw from a chicken. Chickens can be carry salmonella and pass it onto the frogs. Humans don't generally suffer from it because we cook it. Ox heart sounds like a bad idea at first thought, but I immediately think of beef heart and how fatty and unhealthy it is.
A lot of the ingredients in prepared food are natural foods for these frogs. I will admit not too many frogs would be going after corn and wheat though. The food is safe, digestible, and created by a regulated process so I would not discount it.

[BugBoy99]

There are several states in the U.S. that do not allow keeping Xenopus unless you have a special permit. Most of the states are on the west coast. What will you be studying and what university will you be attending?

I have read that many states in the U.S do not allow people to keep Xenopus as pets, which is why I said that It'd be easier to find a new owner for the frogs when I leave.

As For the studying, I was planning on studying entomology at the University of Kentucky. But, I am a devout Christian, and much of the studies are evolution based. So, I am considering studying Creation Sciences at the Christ for the Nations Institute(which is in Texas), before studying further. I think that that would give me the necessary background, to defend my beliefs. Because, although I love animals, I do not believe in evolution, and I hope that no-one thinks any less of me for it.

Also, Amphibians seem to be attracting more of my attention lately, so I might decide to study Herpetology. However, I'm also greatly interested in fish, and some invertebrates. So, maybe I will study zoology, and then branch out from there. That would seem to be the easiest solution because, if I take zoology as a major, I can branch out into any other field of study if I wish to do so.

I still need to do some research on where I would study zoology, but I have looked at the University of Iowa.

Thank you for asking,
Joh

[BugBoy99]

I have never heard of crickets injuring an ACF.

I do not imagine that crickets would do any damage to an ACF, but I have heard that they can cause some harm. I thought that perhaps, this was in the case of very sensitive frogs?

[mpmistr]

I do not imagine that crickets would do any damage to an ACF, but I have heard that they can cause some harm. I thought that perhaps, this was in the case of very sensitive frogs?

The only negative I've heard is that the crickets hind legs are not digestible so they would be expelled in feces, so probably a little rough on the digestive tract of the frog (which itself is rather delicate). I suppose they could cause an intestinal blockage and constipation and I doubt they would feel very good to poop out either way. It's recommended that you snap the hind legs off first.

Then again, as a treat probably isn't a huge deal, I imagine it would only be a negative impact on the frog if fed on a continual basis and would highly depend on the size of the frog and said cricket.. (I would personally just break the legs off, to be safe.)

I would love to introduce some insects to the diet of my ACF, however crickets do not appear to be ideal and I am weary of anything wild caught around here. I live in corn country, so lots (and lots and lots!) of pesticides.

[BugBoy99]

Aaaah, that explains why people sometimes say that crickets can cause problems. Thank you for clarifying that for us. If I ever feed crickets, I shall remove the legs. I fed earthworms today, and the frogs greatly enjoyed them. The froglets are stuffed. I guess its rather like froggie spaghetti.

[tgampper]

Hi Joh:

As For the studying, I was planning on studying entomology at the University of Kentucky. But, I am a devout Christian, and much of the studies are evolution based. So, I am considering studying Creation Sciences at the Christ for the Nations Institute(which is in Texas), before studying further. I think that that would give me the necessary background, to defend my beliefs. Because, although I love animals, I do not believe in evolution, and I hope that no-one thinks any less of me for it.

It is really refreshing to see someone make decisions based on their faith. Personally, I am somewhere in the middle between creationism and evolution. I believe that there can be physiological changes within species over time but life certainly didn't come from a bowl of primeval soup.

Also, Amphibians seem to be attracting more of my attention lately, so I might decide to study Herpetology. However, I'm also greatly interested in fish, and some invertebrates. So, maybe I will study zoology, and then branch out from there. That would seem to be the easiest solution because, if I take zoology as a major, I can branch out into any other field of study if I wish to do so.

I still need to do some research on where I would study zoology, but I have looked at the University of Iowa.

If I had to do it all over again, I would study herpetology. The University of Iowa is a great place to study, so is Iowa State. Iowa is a beautiful state and quite diverse. I think you will like Iowa. If you want to know more, PM me with any questions you may have. If you want to study herpetology, check out the University of Kansas, they have an excellent biodiversity institute. Many well-known herpetologists have studied or are teaching there Herpetology Home | Herpetology.

[rodsboys]

Iowa is a beautiful state and quite diverse.

I have to disagree as I am no fan of pigs and corn.... lol, I could not resist. I had the misfortune of being from Illinois and it is no different.

[mpmistr]

Walk down street... tons of corn.. drive to Effingham.. reeks of hogs.. yup not much to this state once you leave Chicago..

[tgampper]

I have to disagree as I am no fan of pigs and corn.... lol, I could not resist. I had the misfortune of being from Illinois and it is no different.

OK, just trying to be nice

[BugBoy99]

OK, just trying to be nice

Well, it was nice of you to say. I guess I'll find out for myself when I get there. Richards Bay is not much different, except that around here its sugar cane and horses.

[SanderB]

Nice to see some wild Clawed frogs, how are they doing right now? And where do Xenopus laevis live in the wild? I would love to write an article about Xenopus laevis, about breeding them, taking care of the adults and about their habitat, for a Belgium magazine.
So if you have beautiful pictures of their habitat and maybe of some wild frogs, that would be amazing to add to the article.

[BugBoy99]

Nice to see some wild Clawed frogs, how are they doing right now?

They are doing very well, thank you. I've only lost one froglet, due to unknown causes. There are about thirty-five froglets right now, and the other tads are growing quickly.

And where do Xenopus laevis live in the wild?

According to what I've read, Xenopus will live in any reasonably permanent body of water, provided that it doesn't move too fast. They'll live in any body of water that lasts for a few months, such as a puddle or slow-moving streams. But, you will not find them in fast-moving bodies of water, because they are such weak swimmers.

Where the pictures are concerned, if you pm me the details of exactly what type of pictures you're looking for, I'll see if I can help you.