I'm new and made "my home zoo" album

[Jace]

Cathy, welcome to the Forum. You have amazing photographs-both fun and beautiful. Your collection is an interesting mix.

[JK]

Thank you for all your comments. I got into photography about 5 years ago as a hobby and now I sell some of my work in stock agencies online. I do use Photoshop and sometimes I like to be "creative" with my subjects.

My frogs are clean because I don't use the usual dirt like substrates. I use paper towels and or artificial plants and clean their enclosures often.

Cathy

[John]

My frogs are clean because I don't use the usual dirt like substrates. I use paper towels and or artificial plants and clean their enclosures often.

I find that very saddening, I'm afraid. You can keep a frog as it would prefer to live and still be able to take photographs like yours - it is possible to wash them off you know. (a) I don't think it's very humane to keep most species the way you are describing and (b) I doubt you're getting decent life expectancies out of them.

[JK]

I find that very saddening, I'm afraid. You can keep a frog as it would prefer to live and still be able to take photographs like yours - it is possible to wash them off you know. (a) I don't think it's very humane to keep most species the way you are describing and (b) I doubt you're getting decent life expectancies out of them.

They seem quite heathly and have hiding places, cork bark to climb on, artificial and live plants to use, and are not exposed to possible mites from dirt substrate. I am surprised you feel that is an inhumane environment for tree frogs.

Cathy

[Kurt]

For treefrogs its not a problem as long as its kept clean. The problem with paper towels is they soil very quickly and they do nothing to retard the growth of bacteria.
For terrestrial types, paper towels are not recommended for those very reasons. Arboreal types can climb to get away from a soiled towel, but something like a pac-man or a toad can't.
I do use paper towels, but only with arboreal types and new amphibians.

[gray frog in manitoba]

I find that very saddening, I'm afraid. You can keep a frog as it would prefer to live and still be able to take photographs like yours - it is possible to wash them off you know. (a) I don't think it's very humane to keep most species the way you are describing and (b) I doubt you're getting decent life expectancies out of them.

Wow - tough crowd. No holding back eh? I personally don't think that based on the info provided
the comment above was warranted....pretty harsh to judge a set up as being inhumane due to some missing dirt, and actually I take offense to the judgemental tone.
Cathy, I had stopped using a dirt substrate because our tree frogs are handled a lot and I too did not like the mess, nor did I not like being able to see and clean out their "poo" or being able to see crickets that had expired. I use reptile carpet on the botton, with a paper towel under their "hiding" spot which is changed daily...(ok everyone frown together now). I also have a lot of vines and artificial plants, and faux rock on the back of the tank. Our frogs seem to be healthy and if I may say so...happy. Your pictures are fab ~ looking forward to seeing more. Lisa

[John]

Please don't read a tone into something that was given in a matter of fact kind of way. That's a mistake that people make when reading messages like these on the Internet. You are free to keep your frogs as you wish.

For what it's worth, reptile carpet is a far better substrate than paper towel for frogs, in my opinion.

The following is not opinion though, it's fact: Aside from the unsanitary nature of paper towel (it is an almost unchecked breeding ground for bacteria and fungus), ordinary paper towel that you buy at the supermarket contains bleaching agents and other chemicals that are not good for an animal with very permeable skin - a frog. In a moist environment, these leach into the water and amphibians touching, standing or sitting in that moisture are then exposed to those chemicals.

So, that is why I said, in my opinion, it is inhumane. I hope this clears things up.

All the best,

-John

[Tom Highum]

Doesn't reptile carpet help prevent growth of bacteria?

[Kurt]

Yeah, if you don't wash it, but then again you can say that of most materials.

[gray frog in manitoba]

Thanks John, I appreciate your comments. I think that people join sites such as this for one of three reasons. 1 ~ either they have knowledge that they can share, 2 ~ so they can learn more about caring for their pets, or 3 ~ to enjoy discussion with people who have similar interests.
There are many different ways to say the same thing, and although we are all entitled to opinions (some which are based on more knowledge than others), I don't see a reason for making people feel like cr@* (can I say ****?) when they just may not know any better. So, since I am a sensitive person - in the future if it sounds like I am doing something that is not in the best interests of my frogs - please point me in a better direction, but don't say that I am inhumane, because I would never do anything to intentionally harm my pets. Now I am going to take the advice on the paper towels...so must run and remove them. Lisa (novice frog keeper, big heart).

[Tom Highum]

Don't take it badly John can sometimes just be a little rough but he always means well especially when amphibians are lives are included.

[into]

ordinary paper towel that you buy at the supermarket contains bleaching agents and other chemicals that are not good for an animal with very permeable skin - a frog. In a moist environment, these leach into the water and amphibians touching, standing or sitting in that moisture are then exposed to those chemicals.

wow, that sounds potentially deadly. I use paper towels for Scooter (my baby White's) and sometimes he sleeps on it.. sometimes up in his branches. Maybe I need to rethink the idea of using this stuff.