Is providing some sort of heat source over the water basin necessary? I've been thinking, that these frogs live in savannahs which likely don't have a lot of natural cover from the sun, so the puddles/ponds they spend much of their time in probably gets warmed up pretty well. But, in some parts of their habitat, the temperatures can get rather cool, down to the low 70s.
The room I keep my Pyxie in stays within around 75-77 degrees during this time of year, but can drop to 70 or a little below during the height of winter. That's of course not to say I keep the frog herself at said temps- actual habitat temps are low 80s during the day, low to high 70s (depending on season) at night. My Pyxie always deposits waste in her water so I've a 60W ceramic heat emitter (in a dimmer lamp) over the basin. Seems to aid digestion, especially from tougher food items like Dubias, or mistakenly ingested substrate.
Is there any exact temperature requirement for water, or is room temperatures just fine for it? I know in the case of horned frogs it is commonly utilized as a "cooling spot."
Room temperature is just fine, if it was a larger amount of water you would want to keep it mildly heated (i.e. a 60/40 land/water setup), since more mass of water takes longer to cool or heat, in the wild and of course in our enclosures.
I do the exact same thing with my enclosures down to the wattage with a dimmer.
The item I use for the basin is one of those plastic boxes taken out of one of these: Sterilite 3-Drawer Organizer - ClearView Wide 2093 by Sterilite , White / Clear Bathroom Organizers - 20938003
It holds nearly a whole gallon of water and is, I think, perfect in depth. Enclosure is an exo terra: 24L 18W 12H
Thanks for the reply.
SCF gave excellent advice!
Pyxies will also use water as a cooling spot, but they really like water. They are a member of the family of true frogs "Ranidae" and thus spend the majority of their time when out of aestivation in the water.
Not all live on the Savannahs of Africa though. Some live in swamps with some tree cover and vegetation. They do live in many varying climates. Some areas droping down to freezing in their range and reaching over 100°F during the day.
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