Frog Pet Article  

Navigation   Home  frog stuff  Frog Calendars Frogger games FrogPicture.net Store  Site Map links open new window African Reed Frog on Flower, Tanzania Marian Bacon 24x18 Photograph... African Reed Frog on Flow... Marian Bacon 36x48 Phot...   African Bullfrog South Africa David Dennis 24x18 Photograph...	The African Clawed Frog as a Pet By: Mary Casey Do you have a child who is longing for a pet but can’t have one because of allergies? Do you want a low maintenance pet with a long lifespan and few needs? Then the African Clawed Frog is for you. The African Clawed Frog or Xenopus Laevis is a wonderful pet for people who have allergies or live in a place that doesn’t allow furry pets. They also are great learning tools for schoolrooms and for children to learn about how a frog changes from a tadpole to an adult. You can purchase a frog from Grow-A-Frog online, or from the fish section of your local department store. These frogs are used extensively in laboratories for research because of the properties of their skin. They used to be used for pregnancy detection before more sophisticated tests were available and were released into the wild in the USA when they were no longer needed. Because the frogs will eat just about anything and have a long lifespan, they started to threaten the local fish and frog populations, and are therefore not legal in some states. Habitat African Clawed Frogs are from the cooler places in Africa. They like to live in areas of stagnant fresh water like ponds, rivers, and pools. For your frog, you will want to buy an aquarium and allow for ten gallons of water per frog. Because your frog breathes air, the water should be six to twelve inches deep so he can swim to the surface easily. The tap water has to sit for 24 hours before you put the frog in it, or use a dechlorinator crystal you can buy from Grow-A-Frog. Frogs are happiest when the water temperature is about 74-78 degrees F, so you may need an aquarium heater. A filter can be used to keep the water clean. Whether or not to use gravel or stones on the bottom of the tank is debatable. Some frogs will eat the gravel if it is small, and they could die. If the stones are big enough, you could put them on the bottom. Also, provide your frog with some cover to hide, with plastic plants and decorations. Don’t use real plants, because your frog will destroy them. Be sure to have a tight fitting lid on the top of the aquarium. Your frog is a master at escape and can jump right out of most places. You don’t have to use direct light or artificial light for your frog. They like indirect light the best. Food African Clawed Frogs are not fussy eaters. You can feed them the prepared fish pellets from Grow-A-Frog, or you can feed them brine shrimp, meal worms, guppies, or Tetra Rept-min. They will even eat the fish in your aquarium, so be careful you don’t put them in a tank with little fish. Lifespan These frogs have an official lifespan of eight to ten years in captivity, but most African Clawed frog owners will tell you their frogs can live fifteen to twenty + years. Care Clean the water once a week, less if you use a filter. Feed him. Watch him (don’t hold the frog; they have chemicals in their skin which may cause an allergic reaction for some people). Listen to him sing! (males sing, females don’t). Benefits The African Clawed frog if bought as a tadpole is a great learning tool for children. They will get to watch the frog grow from tadpole to adult swimming frog. If you buy a male and a female frog, with some luck, you can watch the mating process and enjoy the babies that may result. The male frog has interesting vocalizations for different occasions. There is the ‘feed me’ song, the ‘I want a mate’ song, and the singing for singing sake song. Both sexes use their front legs to grab and eat, and look like they are begging for more food. If you want a non-allergic pet with interesting habits and simple requirements, than the African Clawed Frog is for you!   Author's Resource: This article has been submitted in affiliation with www.PetLovers.Com which is a site for Pet Forums. Mary Casey is the proud owner of a sixteen-year-old African Clawed Frog named Mup. Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Casey Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.
African Bull Frog George Shaw 18x14 Fine Art Print African Frog I 14x18 Fine ...	Green Frog, Brown Frog, Green Frog   by Frogs Zone When people think of a frog, they think of a green animal jumping from lillypad to lillypad. In actual fact, there are many frogs that are not green. This is not to say that a lot of frogs are in fact green. The green colour, and for this case, brown as well, is most likely a natural defense against predators. The green-brown colour blends nicely with leaves and aquatic plant life. Even some more wildly coloured frogs have some green, to blend in when sleeping. The actual skin colour of frogs is due to an arrangement of cells in their skin. It is similar to how lizards change their colour. Frogs, while not as advanced as lizards in this area, can change the shades of their skin to suit their surroundings, or their mood. Frogs have three different pigment cells (chromatophores). They form a stack, each one on top of each other. The bottom of the stack is the melanophore cell. This cell is dark in colour. Humans have a melanophore cell, changing the shades of brown in the human skin. The next cell in the stack is called the iridophores. These cells contain purine crystals. They are highly reflective, and bundled very tightly. The top most cells are called the xanthophores. These contain yellow pigments. Light penetrates the skin, and reflects off the iridophore cells. The reflected light is filtered through the xanthophore cells, which filters out light. The escaping light looks green to our eyes. When you see a blue frog, their skin is lacking these filter cells. Frogs can utilize these cell stacks to change colour and shades of colour when needed. The stacks change shape and size to change the intensity of the light being reflected. The melanophore cells change the darkness of the colour. The xanthophores change the filtering effects, and the iridophore cells change the reflection. Frogs can produce a wide range of shades of green, brown and greys. Some frogs can change shades of blues and reds, but not by very much. This has extreme advantages as you can imagine. Avoiding predators is key to their survival, and this is one other way a frog accomplishes that. Frogs Zone http://www.frogs-zone.com About the Author For everything about frogs, visit the Frogs Zone. We are a resource site for information on the captive care of frogs, covering everything from nutrition to diseases to breeding.
A Philautus Femoralis Tree Frog is Se... 24x18 Photograph... Tungara Frog Perched on a Standard-Si... George Grall 48x36 Photograph... Close View of a Yellow Tree Frog (Hyl... George Grall 56x42 Photograph... Poison-Dart Frog George Grall 42x56 Phot... Two Sapphire-Hued Poison Dart Frogs George Grall 48x36 Photograph... A Copper-Hued Tree Frog C... 42x56 Phot... A Poison Arrow Frog Sits on Bark in t... 48x36 Photograph... A Red-Eyed Tree Frog Small Enough to ... George Grall 56x42 Photograph...	How to Leap Like a Frog, or How to Apply Spiritual Wisdom in Real Life   by Kim Pearson Can you get practical help for real life issues from the "woo-woo" world of spirit? Yes. The language of Spirit is spoken in metaphors and parables - also known as stories. When you take a shamanic journey into the spirit realm, you will be entertained as well as taught. Here is an example of Spirit telling a simple, almost childish tale that contains profound lessons and practical advice for a real world problem. The journeyer asks, "Show me if I should quit my day job and go out on my own." The journeyer opens her inner eyes and finds herself seated in a canoe by the bank of a deep green river flowing through a dark forest. The canoe is traveling into the west toward the setting sun, whose rays are lighting the tops of the trees, turning them gold. The West is the land of Water where the air itself is so moist that your face always feels damp, whether you are crying or not. The West is where wet creatures live. The West is where Old Trout lives, down in the deepest depths of the river past the furthest western fork, near the mouth where the river empties into the Western Sea. The river is full of bends and twists. She cannot see what is coming next. The canoe rolls and bobs with the current, and the shadows lengthen over the river. All she sees are trees and water, water and trees. She stands on the seat of the canoe, teetering on tiptoes and craning her neck, trying to see over the tops of the trees. But all she sees are trees and water, water and trees. She sits down on the seat and peers into the river. And there is Old Trout himself, swimming alongside the canoe. He is enormous, longer than the canoe itself. He eyes her with the predatory look of someone very hungry. His rainbow scales shimmer pink and green, beautiful colors that call to me and make her want to dive into the water in spite of her fear. Thump! Something jumps onto the canoe seat. It is a green frog with bulging orange eyes and long rubbery legs. "I am Frog! I am a good bug hunter!" announces the frog, as his long red tongue darts out and catches a fly unlucky enough to be going by. "Yum," rumbles Frog, smiling at her expression as if he would like to eat that too. "You worry too much," Frog informs her. "I have come to teach you how to leap like a Frog." Frog pulls her to her feet and they stand on the seat of the canoe. "Hold hands," Frog commands, and grabs her hand with his long fingered green one. It feels cool and damp and sticky. "Now stretch those toes," he directs, and she feels her toes stretching, stretching, until they are as long as frog toes. She splays them out wide and presses them hard into the seat of the canoe, anchoring herself firmly. "Bend your knees," calls Frog, and they squat down low. "Now thrust upward and stretch!" Frog says, and they stretch their legs out to the farthest length they can go, which to her surprise is very far indeed - she can see the tops of the trees! "Squat again down low," says Frog, and they go down again. "Now up again," he calls, and up they go, this time stretching even further - now she can see over the trees. "Down!" says Frog, then, "Up! We are getting ready to jump. Practice! Practice!" Up Down, Up Down, Up Down they go, practicing. When they go up she sees the course of the river, which is getting closer and closer to the Western Sea. They are approaching the mouth of the river. Old Trout is still swimming by the canoe, his tail fin moving back and forth, back and forth. It is nearly dark by now, but on an upward stretch she suddenly sees a big, white, gleaming Cruise Ship sailing over the Western Sea. The Cruise Ship is decorated with bright twinkling lights that are reflected on the waves. Sparkling dance music echoes over the water. "Okay," says Frog. "We have practiced, and now we are ready. We are going to jump! We are going to jump right onto that Cruise Ship." "Are you kidding?" she says in alarm. "We can't jump that far - over the trees, over the water, over the river mouth, high up onto the top deck of that huge ship!" "Oh, I think we can," says Frog. "In fact, we must. It's the only way home." Old Trout gives a shiver of delight from his position alongside the canoe. "Old Trout is there," she says, pointing him out to Frog. "Yes," says Frog, nodding. "We must jump well. We must jump high and long. If we miss the Cruise Ship, we will fall into the river, and then Old Trout will gobble us, for sure. So it's important not to miss." He smiles, wiggling his long red tongue. "Grab hands!" orders Frog, pulling her to her feet. "Up!" he calls, and they stretch up. "Down," he calls, and they squat low. "Okay," he says, "This is it. At the top of the Up stretch, release your toes and leap!" Her heart pounds, but she holds tight to Frog's hands, and they go Up, stretch stretch stretch, and at the last possible moment she releases my toes and pushes off. They sail through the sky, over the trees, over the mouth of the river, up up up to the top deck of the Cruise Ship, and land, safely on deck. There is a party going on at the Cruise Ship. People are dancing to Salsa music, wearing flowers and ribbons, drinking party drinks, laughing and talking and making party noise. She and Frog join a Conga line, cha-cha-cha-ing around the deck. The party is ending, and soon all the people dance and laugh their way to bed, leaving them alone on the top deck of the Cruise Ship. It is completely dark now, and the vast moon rises, full and sweet, and hangs low over the deck. They stretch out on some deck chairs, relaxing and gazing at the beautiful moon. Frog is totally entranced by the Moon. He gazes at her with love and longing. His eyes bulge even bigger, his mouth falls open, and his long red tongue lies limply on the deck. Suddenly he gives voice to a full, loud, throaty CROAK, which echoes over the Western Sea. The Moon expands when she receives the Croak. She opens her mouth wide and responds with a croak of her own, which is so vast and booming it makes the deck chairs clatter on the deck and the glass windows shiver. Frog jumps out of his deck chair and leaps to the white railing of the ship. "Croak!" he calls, in a voice even louder than before. His croak streaks across the sky and the Moon swallows it with a gulp. "CROAK!" she booms back, and this time the windows of the Cruise Ship shatter, tinkly sounds harmonizing with the echoes in the croak's wake. Frog's knees bend, and he squats down low, low. Then he stretches up high, high, his spatulate toes gripping the deck rail; and then down again, low, low. He is practicing. And then with his greatest and loudest croak yet, Frog springs high and releases his toes. He and his croak leap through the air toward Moon. Moon expands until she seems to fill the Western sky. "CROAK!" she thunders, and her mouth opens wide, showing her deep mysterious black inner self. In flies Frog triumphantly, and Moon shuts her mouth and swallows him. Frog is gone. The Cruise Ship sails on through the night. It is heading East toward morning, away from the West and the creatures of the Water. Where Old Trout is no doubt waiting still. Well, that's a nice story, isn't it? But what does it mean? Does it answer the journeyer's question, "Should I quit my day job?" Yes, it does. First, she is told to get a teacher, someone who knows how to leap. Frog appears and tells her not to worry, that he is here to teach her how to leap like a frog. The second lesson is to get an overview of the situation, to see beyond the immediate present. Frog teaches her to stretch so she can see the entire river system and the Western Sea. Third, don't minimize the dangers. Yes, Old Trout is really there, and he is probably hungry. Fourth, practice your new skills in a safe place. Frog and the journeyer practice squatting and stretching many times, before actually jumping. Fifth, aim high, even if it seems to be impossible. Jump onto a Cruise Ship, or even to the Moon. And sixth, when you are ready and have done your preparatory work, let go and leap in spite of your fear. Animal spirit guides do not play by human rules or live by human logic. But by journeying in their realms, we can bring back their wisdom and apply their gifts to our lives. By the way, the Journeyer was me, and I did indeed quit my day job and go out on my own, as a freelance writer. Old Trout hasn't eaten me yet. About the Author Kim Pearson is an author and ghostwriter who has ghostwritten or edited more than 30 non-fiction books and memoirs, plus authoring 7 books of fiction, poetry and non-fiction of her own. For more information click here.
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