All About Pet Amphibians

Posted by Conrad Johnson

People automatically think of frogs when it comes to amphibians, but there are also plenty of other animals to consider, such as salamanders and the paddle-tailed newt. Once you start investigating amphibians you will see that they come in a wide range of colors, and their aquariums can also be brightened up with all sorts of plants.

Amphibians and distinguished by the fact that they can live on both water and land. Usually they spend the first part of their lives in the water, and the next stage of their development on land. In fact the name amphibian comes from this trait, with amphi being the Greek for life, and bios the word for both. When you look at your pet amphibian, you should realize that amphibians set foot on earth long before any mammals, and that they are the link between man and fish.

Amphibians are ectotherms which means that they rely on the external environment for warmth. So if you keep one as a pet you may need to provide a heat mat or lamp, depending on the species. In the wild amphibians hibernate to avoid cold temperatures. Their amazing range of colors is for the purpose of camouflage, and to ward off predators. The moist skin of an amphibian is shed/sloughed from time to time, and they generally eat their old skin. Tropical pets like amphibians exhibit some interesting characteristics!

One thing that you may remember from a school science class is that amphibians are vertebrates with a full skeleton. They even have toe bones. They do have teeth, but these are to hold the prey before it is swallowed rather than to chew. The skeleton helps protect the internal organs of the amphibian.

Amphibian reproduction is a hit and miss affair: of the thousands of jelly-coated eggs that are laid in the water, and on the leaves overhanging the water, only a handful will ever make it to the next stage of the life cycle. Often this is less than one percent. The reason is that amphibian eggs are a good source of food for predators.

So there you have it. Some basic information about the amazing world of amphibians. When you have one to keep as a pet you will soon learn more, and research is important. Your pet amphibian’s health is dependent on your level of knowledge. These days amphibians are not so unusual as to be considered exotic pets, but they do require more knowledge than keep domesticates animals such as dogs and cats.

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