Quote Originally Posted by schwabem View Post
Thank you for the recommendation! My biggest worry with getting the fire belly toads is the poison/toxicity situation. At almost 6 years old my frog lover is the oldest of my 3 kids, the middle child is 3 years and the baby is 4 months, having poisonous animals in my house isn't something I feel comfortable with until all the kids are a bit bigger. I know handling frogs and toads isn't something that is a daily occurance but she will, on occasion, want to hold her new pet. From what I've read, and the people I've talked to, the Whites will tolerate being handled better than pretty much any other species.

We talked last night about the fact that she's not going to be able to do much with her frog for at least one month, probably two, after we bring it home. We're working our way through that care book together and learning as we go along.
I think it's great that you're helping your daughter learn how to handle and care for these animals. I see lots of people who go into buying a frog thinking it's the same thing as buying a snake, but with less biting. This is SO not the case, as you obviously realize.

The thing about White's is, yes I agree with Martin completely that if you handle your frogs you should only do it if you must, but I also see your dilemma with your child wanting to hold her new pet. I'd say if there is a conflict with it, allow your kid to hold her froggie once or twice a week, at most. This should be safe for everyone as long as her hands are clean and clear of any chemicals (especially hand sanitizing liquid, we had a member on here who accidently poisoned her frog after using hand sanitizer on her hands. Luckily the little guy didn't die, but I can't stress that enough. Only use chemicals AFTER you've handled the frog and never before, also light antibacterial dishwashing soap is ok but you must only use a little and rinse your hands extremely well before touching the frog. They're like sponges.).

This is just my personal experience but I'd like to share it with you. My first White's Tree Frog, Bruce Campbell, was very sick when I bought him. Luckily I nursed him back to health but one thing that lasted was a problem he developed with his eyes. He has permanently damaged eyes from exposure to lamps that were too close to the top of his cage. For this reason, I must feed him outside of the tank because honestly he can barely see, even if the cricket IS moving, it is very hard for him to catch the thing. I have to handle him every three days for short periods of time, and so far there have been no problems. I've even let my little brother stroke his back a little, and I have had no issues.

Not saying you should handle your frog all the time or incessantly, or even that it will make your frog happy, but it will help your kid to feel closer to her pet, I know it's helped me.

Just my two cents.