possibly dumb question about housing frogs...

[LilithGaea]

SO...I've been wanting to get some more frogs for my brand new, tricked out, rainforest-esque vivarium, and decided I totally wanted something noisey like a Java Barking Tree Frog (mainly since the Pixie is a such quiet girl -.-). I also wanted to get another couple frogs, possibly a White's and/or a Red Eye, and asked several knowledgable frog people if it was cool to house them together, and they've all given me different answers. >.< Who's right?? Is it impossible to house these 3 particular frogs? I was happy to think I'd have a set-up that would be good for all of them, since they're so pretty and cute and awesome, but if there's a chance the RETF would eat the White's then that's no good. I haven't gotten them yet, but the ones I had seen were all about the same size. For them to get along would it be a matter of the size of the frog, or size of the tank? I didn't think RETF's were so...um...bitey. I want to do whats best for the froggle and not put them in peril :/

[Kurt]

Its never a good idea to mix amphibian species. There are a few reasons for this. Cross contamination is one, most amphibians use skin toxins to protect themselves from predation, at the same time they have porous skin that does not keep toxins out. So keeping more than one species together it is possible that they will be poisoning each other. Frogs are simple predators in the fact that most will eat what ever will fit in their mouths, which can include other frogs. A third reason for avoiding keeping different species together is cross infection. Wild caught animals are likely to be carrying parasites and other pathogens. Although it may not seem to be affecting them adversely, it could definitely harm another species, especially one that comes another part of the world.

White's treefrogs, Litoria caerulea are from Australia and the island of New Guinea, while red-eyed leaf frogs, Agalychnis callidryas are from Central America. Both species are captive bred and wild caught. If the frogs you see for sale are big, chances are they are wild caught. I definitely wouldn't mix them. White's are also one of the bigger treefrog species, I have seen them eat mice, so there is another reason not to do it. Then there is the skin toxin issue, another reason to not do it.

If you must mix species, try to keep with species that are from the same part of the world and are closely related. Even then it can be really tricky.

[nat31]

almost every frog person agrees no mixing i am sorry but i have to agree

ps:the only stupid question is the question not asked

[LilithGaea]

Ah okay thank you all for answering in a way that wasn't yelling lol.
I'll just buy one then.

[justin shockey]

get the whites just my thought

[Kurt]

Ah okay thank you all for answering in a way that wasn't yelling lol.
I'll just buy one then.

Oh, I was yelling the entire time I was typing. lol Why would anyone yell at you for asking a question?

[justin shockey]

ya he is just trying to make shore the frogs will be OK

[jody]

yes, try the whites. they are funny, cute, and easy to please.

[justin shockey]

thank jody

[MsPayne]

Wow everyone here is lovely, not used to this! No-one was rude!
Absolutely agree with no mixing and would say go for the White's ever so cute and quite talkative!

[Kurt]

[QUOTE=MsPayne;1143]Wow everyone here is lovely, not used to this! No-one was rude! QUOTE]

Thats because when you're rude here you get a mild, yet painful shock from your keyboard. Seriouly, try being rude and see what happens. Zap!

I keep both red-eyes and White's. If its colour you want then the red-eye is for you, but if you want a frog that can be entertaining and engaging, then the White's treefrog is the one you want.

[Crazy Frog]

How about mixing dart frog ?

i have mix them before..

[Kurt]

Its commonly done, even in zoos, but it still isn't a good idea even with dart frogs or mantellas. The dart frog community even frowns on mixing different colour morphs of the same species. They just don't want any "mutt" dart frogs out there.

[justin shockey]

i think it OK to have mutts and make new kinds of darts

[Kurt]

Well, the dart frog community dosen't think so. I kind of agree with them. I am totally against cross breeding.

[justin shockey]

OK i see you point but if you are going to keep the mutts and breed non mutts at the same time how Du's it hurt I'm not saying don't help to breed the ones how need saving just saying that if were loosing so many wy cant we make some new breeds and still work harder to save the ones we have i just don't see the threat if they are kept in captivity

[Kurt]

Well, what most of us that do (or would like to) breed frogs want is to breed frogs that are as you would find them in the wild, just as nature made them. I, personally, want to keep species and subspecies pure and untainted. Mother nature got it right the first time.

[justin shockey]

i did not say he did but ant you the lest bit cures what we can create and how do you now it Wood be a bad thing im not trying to play god but you never now what you can create if you dont try

[Bigassfrog]

Well, what most of us that do (or would like to) breed frogs want is to breed frogs that are as you would find them in the wild, just as nature made them. I, personally, want to keep species and subspecies pure and untainted. Mother nature got it right the first time.

I think mixing different colored frogs from the same region is ok. It seems natural enough to me. Not all frogs/colors of frogs existed since the dawn of time. They changed and evolved and even cross bred in the wild. Taking 2 frogs that would have absolutely no contact in nature and then breeding them would be a bit unnatural. Still Im not sure I see an obvious downside to Jdogs proposal besides personal preference.

[Kurt]

I think mixing different colored frogs from the same region is ok. Still Im not sure I see an obvious downside to Jdogs proposal besides personal preference.

The original question was in regards to keeping White's treefrogs, Litoria caerulea and red-eyed leaf frogs, Agalychnis callidryas. The White's are Australasian, while the red-eyes are neotropical. Both frogs are from two different ends of the earth, so they are definitely not from the same region. The White's does have skin toxins and does get big, possibly big enough to eat the red-eyes.

Now for keeping frogs together from the same region. Its still not a good idea and here is a good example why. Pickerel frogs, Lithobates palustris and bullfrogs, Lithobates catesbeianus are closely related species and they are often found in the same pond, keeping them together would be disastrous. One thing the pickerel is seriously toxic and would poison the bullfrog, thus killing it. The bullfrog is large enough to eat the pickerel frog, which thanks to the pickerel's toxicity, would end up killing them both.

I think the only species I would keep together are green treefrogs, Hyla cinerea and barking treefrogs, Hyla gratiosa. They are known to cross-breed in the wild.

I do not mix amphibian species with any reptile species either.

I currently have 17 different amphibian species in my collection, none are mixed together and that includes the dart frogs.