A good Dorm amphibian

[Katronmaster]

I'm looking to get a frog or salamander that is not too terribly difficult to keep and fairly sturdy. It doesn't have to be handleable, I know amphibians usually don't take terribly well to that anyway.

Size isn't a problem, I can go up to a 20 gallon tank.

Any ideas?

 

[loxoscelesfear]

tiger salamander they are quiet and hardy animals

 

[ZooRex]

Maybe a Pac-man frog...Watching one devoure a rat can be quite enjoyable. ~ Rex

 

[c-land]

I would look at caudata.org if you are interested in a salamander; they have a lot of excellent information and experienced hobbyists who can help you out. Although tigers (Ambystoma tigrinum and Ambystoma mavortium) are generally very hardy salamanders, they come in a variety of subspecies that have quite variable latitudinal ranges, and some will be more susceptible to heat than others. I know dorm rooms are often pretty warm, and prolonged exposure for most any salamander to high temperatures will likely deleteriously affect its health. I have two Ambystoma mavortium melanostictum, which have a fairly northerly range in the US, and I keep them in the basement where the temperature is usually between 55 and 65 degrees F. They seem to thrive at those temps. There may be some species of frog which might be a better option for a dorm room, e.g. Budgett's frog, Horned frogs, African giant bullfrogs, some tree frog species. Look around (try kingsnake.com), and you can find some folks that captive breed these and other frogs that tolerate heat well. Good luck, amphibians rock!

Mike

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Maybe a Pac-man frog...Watching one devoure a rat can be quite enjoyable. ~ Rex

Frogs can be noisy. You can ask someone to turn off their loud music, but good luck shutting up a loud croak at night!

Plus I've always heard that a diet high in rodents can lead to obesity--and I mean genuine obesity with resulting serious health problems, not just being a naturally round species. NEVER leave one alone with a live rodent, although as snake forums will tell you, even if you're right there with a stick you won't be able to react in time if something goes wrong. No human is that fast.

Fish are a similar risk of health problems if fed too often, but not injury.

(It's worth noting that pet shop animals already tend to be kept in poor conditions, and feeder animals even worse. I wouldn't feed my python a mouse from ANY pet shop I've ever been in, even if it were killed first. They're usually kept in overcrowded, filthy conditions, and I don't doubt they have fleas or internal parasites which I certainly don't want in my snake.)

 

[Katronmaster]

Noise I can handle I lived with very hyperactive rats with a loud wheel...

and no one really turns off their music anyway, no matter what you say!

I'm really considering either a few firebellies, or one pac-man. Maybe even a pyxie. The local exotic pet store carries all three and that's also where I'd get my feeders, they keeping things in great shape.

 

[pharaoh2653]

pacman all the way. i kept one in my ex gf dorm room.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

It seems to me that a horned frog (pacman) might make a good choice, IF you don't mind something that is pretty sedentary. They don't do much but eat. But they are pretty easy to care for. I look at mine as a sort of four-legged houseplant with personality.
I don't feed mine rodents, they can get thru life perfectly well without them, and as was pointed out above, there are dangers, both nutritional and physical, in using rodents as food. If you must feed rodent's, many keepers suggest limiting them to once a month or so. If I were going to do it, I'd use frozen pre-killed rodents to further eliminate risks
As far as noise goes, mine calls once in a while at night, and if he does it at all when I'm asleep, it isn't loud enough to disturb me. If I were trying to choose, I wouldn't really consider horned frog noise as a deciding factor, but then, maybe I have a really low-volume frog.

A pixie would be a similar good choice. I like the markings and colouration of horned frogs a little better, but pixies are said to be more active and they get bigger. I think you need at least a 20 gallon for them whereas a pacman can get by fine in a 10 gallon all of it's life.

 

[eelnoob]

I keep pyxie, pacman, and tiger salamander. I like all of them the same but if I have to choose I'll go for the pyxies over the other two anyday.

 

[Joe]

They aren't amphibians obviously, but a rubber boa would make a great dorm pet. They stay small, can be kept at room temperature (70s), and don't make any noise or smell. They're also fun to handle, as they seem to like the the warmth, and it's apparent how they got their common name.

 

[~Abyss~]

what do you guys think of an axolotl. I've been thinking of getting one of these. Are they hard to take care of?

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

I don't really care for keeping aquatics,but if I were going to I think I'd like axolotls. They are cool looking critters There are a lot a websites dealing with them, I thought this one looked pretty complete. Naturally, they are more involved than a lot of terrestrial frogs would be. Seems that you need to keep them kind of cool though.

 

[~Abyss~]

That wouldnt really be a problem but I have considered getting one. A Leucistic female. I like them fluffy-pink-not-so-complete-salamader. The males are a little uglier I think.

 

[froggyman]

or try fire salamanders last there super colorful and get rather large plus usually easer to find for sale than tiger salamanders. Axolotls are cool too but ive never seen any for sale where i live.

any way those are just some suggestions

 

[Katronmaster]

After hitting the pet store to buy the last pyxie for my mother (she paid in advance and snagged it before me) I noticed a cute little albino pac man frog the size of a donut hole.

It was love at first sight, and they sold him with cage. His name is Pideesk or Pi, a bad pun off of part of the equation for finding the surface area of a sphere.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Cute little guy. You'll be amazed at how quickly he grows.

What kind of substrate is he on? I may be mistaken, but it looks a little like there are some wood chips mixed in there. You have to be careful, those things are such enthusiastic feeders that they routinely grab bits of substrate along with their meals and that can lead to impaction.
Most folks like the Eco-Earth/Bed-a-Beast stuff, which is what I use, but I also have trained my pacman to feed from tongs, eliminating the amount of substrate consumed almost altogether.


Good luck with your new pet! You should get a lot of enjoyment from the critter.

 

[RoachGirlRen]

Good choice; they're a fun frog and not terribly demanding of space, so a great option for people who can't fit terribly large tanks in their dorm. However, I agree that you should switch to a finer substrate such as soil or coco-fiber; those woodchips are just screaming impaction.

 

[Katronmaster]

Thanks for the tips guys. He's currently just on what he was priorly living on, and as soon as I get over this sinus infection, I'll be off to get some better substrate.