Water debate

[DVirginiana]

Those pictures we're just comparing body mass, and structure. Sorry if they came off biased :]

My pacman spent days in the water when given the option, so he obviously slept in it. And he was diving to swim to the other side of the tank he was never really reaching or slipping. He also had the gravel to grab onto so he definitely wasn't slipping.

Also, all you guys seem to have some kind of scientific evidence that they are always found on the ground? I can't seem to find any kind of field study on them at all. So are most of you basing your idea for this on just hear say, and no actual study on their environment. I want to read something that was from a study, not a caresheet. And the study should be of a wide range of locations, not just one locale. I just find the same caresheets and other small little articles which could be way off/outdated for all we know. All say they are a terrestrial frog, often found in SHALLOW POOLS OF WATER. Or terrestrial frog found close to water etc. I can't find a straight answer. This also goes for Pyxie's. Almost everything I read says nothing about them being aquatic either just terrestrial, but they are totally fine with it.

Now, if they do everything like toads then why aren't they called toads? Is it because there maybe an aquatic background to them?

So you guys are telling me no one on here keeps them in a shallow water type setup? I could have sworn I remember someone having a room full of water setups for pacs...I wish I can remember argh!

Do a bit of research; check out the source links at the bottom of these species' wikipedia pages, get on google scholar, ect. My pac occasionally sleeps in his water as well, but the majority of his time is spent in dirt. Just wondering, what was the humidity of his tank? They will also self-regulate by soaking if they have shedding difficulties or constipation, which is possibly the reason yours was spending so much time in the water. Also, keep in mind that it could just seem like it was in the water a lot based on how often/when you were observing it.

The pacman frog is primarily terrestrial. Yes, they need water and high humidity. Yes, they are often found in pools of shallow water. That doesn't mean that it is a suitable long-term habitat for them. On any given day my dog can be found in a shallow pool of water, but she's definitely terrestrial lol. It's not difficult for a species living in the tropics to find a shallow puddle and sit in it for a while. Honestly, the reason that they are 'found' in these puddles in field studies, is probably because that is where they are the most visible. How many completely burrowed pacs is a researcher likely to find out walking through the rainforest? Not many. They are most easily found and studied during mating season, when they are usually chilling out in shallow puddles, waiting to make baby pacs and maybe even eat their mates afterwards. You know, fun wet-season frog activities.

Not to sound snippy, but the reason you aren't finding any sources describing these animals as 'aquatic' is because they simply aren't. They need water, but they don't live in it. I'm glad your pixie recovered, but you're basing your observations of "they are totally fine with it" (with "it" being an aquatic setup) off of one animal for a fairly short period of time. If you keep your pyxie in a no-land setup for the rest of its life, I think you will begin to see some serious repercussions. It might take awhile; I can't think of any common pet amphibian much hardier than the pyxie, but having no land will eventually begin to stress it.

Also, I believe I remember the setups you were talking about. They were not totally aquatic; the frogs had a pad to climb out of the water on and nothing to burrow in. If I recall correctly, that setup idea was criticized on here. There is a reason people recommend the setups they do. It's because that's what the animals prefer in the wild. If pacs and pyxies preferred to spend all or even most of their time in the water then they would live in year-round ponds and rivers, not seasonal pools and puddles. Not trying to sound harsh, but you aren't really backing up your POV with more than a very limited personal experience, and if you're recommending a new husbandry method for a type of animal, there should be some other background research to accompany it.