Bufo marinus help?

[Deku]

Are bufo marinus illegal to own in the state of new jersey? D: I want them. They have my personality D: and I want to make a amazon style terrarium. Iam going to spend over 500dollars or more in that terrarium D: I want a large toad species that wont hide and can go in a rain forest habitat. I know cane toads dont mind being handled much so I like them and same with rococo toads. But I really want a large toad that I can look at and handle from time to time D:

[Deku]

I want a toad that wont mind a moisted terrarium. With a cheerful personality you know in a toady way. Like they dont mind being picked up. And people say not to pick up toads but you know. I wash my hands throughly before and after. And My hands are always slightly moisted. and I just let them hang on me. I used to do it and they never minded it. One of them liked it because of the heat i produce. So. Yeah I heard Bufo marinus, rococo toads and Colorado river toads are ussually the friendlier of the family. so help please? Iam willing to spend alot D: Because its going to be my project.

[John]

None of those toads are rain forest dwellers. In fact, Bufo marinus and Bufo alvarius are semi-arid or desert dwellers. I'm afraid that there is no toad that doesn't mind being picked up. If you want a pick-up pet then you really need to look at other types of animal - frogs are not it. Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear ;(.

[Kurt]

About them being more friendly than other members of Bufonidae, I don't know about marina, but my Ollotis alvaria definitely does not like to be handled.

Not as far as legality, they are legal here in MA. I just did a little digging and as far as I can tell, Chanus marina is legal to posses in NJ. Funny thing gray treefrogs are not.

[John]

Marine/Cane Toads, in my experience, are about as tolerant as or even less tolerant of handling than alvarius.

[Kurt]

And they're ugly too! Not nearly as noble looking as alvaria.

[coltiger]

Just to note, if you do plan on handling toads or frogs...just make sure you dont have any chemicals on your hands and always wash your hands after handling them.

My smaller Cane toad certainly doesnt mind being picked up...the only time I pick any of them up is when I clean there cages. The bigger Cane hates being picked up and will urinate all over me.

[adawinters]

I think it all depends on your definition of "mind." My female big eyed tree frog will sit on my hand for a nice long stretch, especially if I take her out when the weather's a little cooler and my hand is warmer than the ambient air of the apartment. The male, on the other hand, will usually bolt after 10-30 seconds. I tend to think of "less flighty" frogs and lizards as the ones that "don't mind" being handled. I doubt that any of my herps actually "like" being handled (unless I'm handing them a cricket at that exact moment).

[Deku]

Well I wanted a toad that would atleast recognize me as its feeder D: but seeing as that wont happen. What kinds of frogs can go in an amazonian rain forest type of set up D: I really want something pretty to look at and thats active if I cant "hold it" from "time" to "time" D: I like dart frogs but they need fruit flies thats a bother because theres just no way to breed em D: any suggestions?

[Deku]

I want something that will atleast not sit there like a lump all day and night. D: I like some coloration, and some sound and activity then. D: that will atleast make me somewhat happy. I do understand. But I did had a male small american toad that liked to be picked up. It would sleep on my shoulder D: I guess he was special. I rescued it from a flowing river one stormy day which its leg was completely crushed. But sadly three years later it died ;-;

[Kurt]

Culturing fruit flies is easy. The tough part is timing it just right so you always have some on hand.

Darts are colorful, active, and diurnal. And so are mantellas, however most mantellas are wild caught and most darts these days are captive bred. Just something to consider.

A toad for that enclosure? Maybe Melanophryniscus stelzneri or bumblebee toad. It is a small colourful toad, similarly marked to the fire salamander. The care is basically the same as darts and mantellas. Trouble is I can't remember the last time I saw one for sale.

Other colourful and active frogs to consider are fire-bellied toads, Bombina orientalis. They are semi-aquatic and a temperate zone species. Faily easy to keep.

[adawinters]

A lot of "friendliness," (more accurately, "handleability") depends on regular handling. While some species are more naturally flighty than others, they all will -- to varying degrees -- become more used to hands/handling if they're exposed often enough and gently enough. I actually wrote out a little hand-taming-tips for lizards a short while ago, so I'll paste it here. In general, frogs aren't as "chill" with hands as lizards can be, but over time, this could probably work. Most of the anurans I've kept were fairly handleable over a long enough time-line.

>>Step 1: Place hand in tank, without moving it, for ~10 minutes a day or as long as you can comfortably do this. Repeat until animal seems "ok" with this. (No visible signs of stress.)
Step 2: Move hand to animal. Try to gently scoop if from below. If the animal is very shy, spend a few days just putting your hand under its tummy, without lifting, to get him used to that until he's ok with that. (Try 2 hands if it is already too large for 1.)
Step 3: Pick animal up -- preferably by "scooping" if from below. Hold it for 10-15 mins a day until he's ok with that. [*As I look this over, I think I would shorten contact for amphibians, because their skin can dry out, and that's dangerous -- maybe cut all these #s in half and keep close eye on their moisture needs?]
--In theory, after the completion of step three, your animal will be ok with being handled respectfully when it's playtime. The more often you have contact, the more comfortable s/he'll be with handling.

NEVER "chase" an animal around the cage (except, perhaps, for a medical emergency.) This teaches them to equate hands with fear. (You take on the role of "predator" on an instinctive level.) It's harder to re-train an animal once it's afraid of hands. (I'm going through this now with one of my parakeets, whom I had to grab and terrify to get a claw unstuck from a snuggle sack. She HATES my hands right now, even though they did not scare her before that moment.)

Keep in mind that many animals will, generally, fear a hand coming from above more than one from below, as birds are often their predators, so it is instinctual. It's hard not to "come from above" when reaching into a tank, but this is why "scooping" (hand itself is fully below animal) rather than "grabbing" (hand from above grabs from above) can help. Once an animal is used to you, it might learn not to mind being grabbed from above. Again, individual temperment comes into play. It is very possible for to members of the same species with shared past experiences to feel very different about hands for no discernable reason.

In a general way, these rules can apply to most pets that can be hand-tamed. (I actually learned the "no chasing" rule while researching hamsters, and then saw it again regarding birds. It seems, though, to apply to many species that are prey food in the wild.)


*I should also add that some of the bigger species that would naturally eat food items as large as your fingers might be poor choices for trying to make handleable, since they'll probably think of you as food no matter what you do. I wouldn't really try to "hand tame" a pixie or any of the species sold as "pacman" frogs. It would be like training a dog to walk on a leash that's made of bacon. Just ain't gonna work out too well. I guess maybe if they're well fed and trained from a young age? I'm actually becoming more and more curious to see what people consider a "handleable" frog to be, and what experiences they've had in the past. I know that many of us consider frogs eyes-only pets, because their skin is so sensitive, and there's so much that can go wrong with an amphibian on an excursion outside of the enclosure. (I have a nagging fear that, someday, one of my frogs will jump into a cup of coffee that I have nearby.)

[into]

I handle all of my frogs daily because I feed them outside of their tanks. The WTFs don't really mind. Dumper actually shows no resistance and if he's awake enough, will leap onto my hand if held above him. I know it's my imagination but sometimes it seems he wants to be out and about with me.

Jade, my new female WTF started out the same way as Dumper, she always tried to either leap for a higher place (like the top of my head) or crouch down and search for a hiding spot when she's out. Within the last few days, she hasn't done this and last night, seemed eager to step onto my hand... though she never takes her eyes off of me. Dumper will look at me at first, then look around the room for a couple seconds then get comfortable, fold his arms and
well, just sit there like a frog. Once and a great while he will get startled and pee... I think it's only happend twice.

The green tree frogs (hyla cinerea) are of course a little more timid, but don't mind being picked up for dinner time. The problem with them is after they've eaten. At that point, they don't want to be handled and I have to coerce them back onto my hand so I can put them away.

I've also owned parakeets in the past and some individuals just don't like to be handled but my nanday conure loved to be handled, wrestled with and he/she even regurgitated for me (yuck, but it's the thought that counts). I had to get rid of all my bird swhen I moved into my first apartment because they were too loud

[Deku]

Curt. I know those bumble bees. Ived researched and I personally know over 15 amphibians stores online which two sell these xD Ived been wanting "rococo toads" for their "tame" nature. visit Toadilytoads.com something like that... And its about rococos and canes. It boasted how rococos can become hand tamed D:

[John]

Well I said toads don't like to be handled but I didn't say they won't get used to you. I am raising some young Sonoran Desert Toads right now and while they freak out if I remove their lid or make huge movements, within a few seconds they turn around and start watching me - they are starting to figure out where the food comes from.

[Deku]

I assumed you said that. .___. but.... I had a wild caught american toad who didnt mind being picked up or handled. Well he was the only one. The other americans got pissy except after a while they all calmed down. Soon after four months were released. ;O

[John]

I assumed you said that. .___. but.... I had a wild caught american toad who didnt mind being picked up or handled. Well he was the only one. The other americans got pissy except after a while they all calmed down. Soon after four months were released. ;O

This varies from individual to individual. I captured 2 Great Plains Toads on Monday night and one is already quite happy and eating - the other keeps trying to escape.

[Kurt]

Kurt. I know those bumble bees. Ived researched and I personally know over 15 amphibians stores online which two sell these

You know places that sell Melanophryniscus stelzneri? Where oh where? I love these little guys and been wanting some for quite a while now.