5 reasons to get a tarantula

Brachypelma emilia, Brachypelma vagans, Grammostola rosea

Over the last three years I have kept three species of tarantulas at home (yes, the names of them are listed above). This post will be a little different from the rest, mainly because there is not a lot to say about there arachnids. However, I will try my best and will give you my "pros" list for keeping a tarantula at home.

5 reasons to keep a tarantula at home:

1. Tarantulas are awesome!

Admit it, tarantulas are magnificent animals. When your friends come over, they think that keeping a tarantula at home is weird and even crazy. Having the courage to keep such an exotic is not just an unusual hobby, but also shows such great qualities as patience and dedication. 

If you keep most tarantulas from a very young age, you should be very patient if you want them to grow to large specimen in your collection. Newborn tarantulas are no bigger than 0.5-1 mm big. The species I have kept would not grow bigger than 16-19 cm (leg span). Keeping Grammostolas and Brachypelmas, I can certainly tell you that it can take up to 7 years for your arachnid to become of some considerable size. Many female tarantula specimen grow up to 20, 25 and even 30 years old if the conditions are suitable for their living.

In addition, I think that it's important for you to know that every tarantula has it's own temperament. One specimen of the same species could be really fast and aggressive, while the other one would quietly sit on your hand without moving and never biting. It is well known that some spiders are more likely to attack someone, though, there is a great variety of species, recommended for beginners, as they tend to behave in a very calm way even when being handled. 

If you are looking for a slowly-moving, friendly and easy-to-keep tarantula, I would recommend the following: Brachypelma smithi, Brachypelma emilia, Brachypelms albopilosum, Aphonopelma seemanni and Grammostola rosea.

2. Tarantulas are "galant" animals.

People have always showed respect for these animals, whether it was cultural, religious reasons or out of fear. There are many examples of folklore, connected to these arachnids, dances and events. So there must have been something, that caught the attention of the ancient cultures.

Personally, spiders are my favourite invertebrates. I am fascinated by the "noble" way of walking, like no other biological class would move. Balancing their bodies on their eight legs, they "float" over the substrate when running. 

However, feeding tarantulas is my favourite part. If you train your arachnid to take food from tweezers, you will experience something not many people can and that is one of the man reasons to get a spider. Observe them skilfully penetrate the prey with their razor-sharp chelicerae is a thrilling event for every arachno-keeper. You get excited to such a great extend that you will feel the blood rush up to your brain, when the tarantula attacks. 

3. Every man to his taste

The colour variation of tarantulas is colossal, as there is over 900 species of tarantulas (not spiders). You can find fascinating colour combinations and patterns even in the species, offered in pet stores today. 

Do you want a bright-orange tarantula? Pterinochilus murinus is for you. Or you might prefer a half-pink, half-jet-black hairy arachnid. Then you should consider Avicularia versicolor. Blue variations can also be found, such as Poecilotheria metallica, also grey-bodied with red polka dot, brown with olive-green lines, black with neon-yellow legs... Basically, any colour variation you can think of has already either been found or generated through morph selective breeding.
That is why collecting spiders is such a captivating hobby– there are always more tarantulas to collect.

4. Like taking candy from a baby

Keeping tarantulas at home is pretty straight-forward. It is true, that some species do require special humidity or temperature conditions, however, those kind of spiders is normally not kept by beginners.

Normally Brachypelmas and Grammostolas rarely require any specific light source, as they can take their prey at any point during the day. The temperature for the species, listed in the top, can also vary and that makes keeping them even easier. Try to keep the temperature between 19 ºC and 26 ºC. Preferably, place a heating pad on one of the walls of the arachnarium. Place a water dish in the opposite corner of the heating pad, creating a temperature and humidity gradient in the tank. Do not place the heating pad on the bottom of the tank! In case of overheating, the tarantula will seek a cooler place. They will start digging and hiding under the substrate. However, if you place a heating pad on the bottom, do not expect to see a happy love spider when you come back home. 4 Watt should be enough. 

The bottom part of the tank itself should be at least 5 times bigger than the leg span of the spider. That means that you can keep a juvenile 2-3 mm big tarantula in a 1 cubed centimetre tank (but I would make it bigger though). Go with a minimum of 30*30*30 cm arachnarium for a fully grown specimen of the species, listed in the top of the post. Place at last one hiding spot (piece of bark, branches, a cracked flower pot, a human skull, whatever works) in the tank. If the tarantula will not like the position of the hiding spot, it will create it's own by digging a hole in the ground of the terrarium and support the structure with it's spider web. Make sure that the substrate is at least 5-7 cm deep for a grown species. The most common substrate for such tarantulas are coconut flakes; less common, depending on species of preference of keeper– sand, sphagnum mosses, coconut chips, turf, leaf litter and vermiculite. To ease the process of moulting (without moulting the tarantula will die), ensure, that the humidity is about 45-60%. The average room humidity is 35-50%, who that shouldn't be a problem. However, check the humidity level with your barometer and spray the arachnarium 2-3 times a week in the cold corner of the terrarium. 

Bear in mind, that these descriptions are only suitable for terrestrial tarantulas.

Feed your spider live crickets, roaches, grasshoppers of appropriate size every 1-2 days when under 3 weeks old; every 3-4 days when up to 2 months old; every week from 1.5-2 months old; every 1.5 weeks from half a year old. If the spider is not eating- don't panic. Sometimes even a juvenile 2 mm tarantula will not eat for over than three weeks.
Also, don't be afraid of going a fully-grown tarantula big prey, even prey of it's own size: when it will become hungry enough, it will attack and eat it. Just make sure the prey is not hungry before you feed it to your tarantula. You don't want to see your spider eaten by a grasshopper, do you?

The tarantulas I listed in the top require minimum care (the less attention (and stress) they receive, the better they feel).

5. A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Or at least for the time you have the tarantula.

When decorated with thought, the terrarium for keeping your tarantula in can add a personal touch to the atmosphere of the room. I am a Doctor Who fan, so I placed Tardis and a Dalek in the tank of my Grammostola rosea (because of "rosea" and "Rose Tyler") and it brings up a smile of the faces of the people who see my decorations. A close friend of mine decorated a big arachnarium for his tarantula with replicas of ancient items of Chachapoya tribe to imitate some scene from Indiana Jones.
You can let your inspiration free on this one.


If you have any questions– please ask.
You are also welcome to correct my grammar if it is bothering you.

Extra info:

• Never do what I did on the last picture. Apparently their abdomen are really sensitive and delicate. Don't place any sharp objects in the tank.
• Spiders (tarantulas) are not insects.
• Young specimen of tarantulas moult approximately every month. Older tarantulas moult less often, however, you can control the frequency of the moulting phases by tweaking the temperature, light, humidity, food type, size and amount of it. When moulting, do not stress the arachnid– no not touch it, turn off the light, do not feed it for a week or two. The spider will find a hiding spot and block it's "entrance" with a thick layer of cobweb. Try to raise the humidity by 15-20% for a week after moulting.
• All tarantulas are venomous! However, humans are resistant to most of the venom types so the maximum damage you would have from a bite of a Grammostola rosea would be two tiny holes in the skin of your finger. Don't forget to disinfect the wound if bitten with special disinfections, Hydrogen peroxide or pure (close to pure will work too ±96%) alcohol. The species listed on the top of this post are rarely aggressive and their venom will not kill you, unless you are allergic.

My Grammostola rosea seems a little angry

Boa constrictor

Boa constrictor (Imperator)

One of the most common and popular snakes in the private collections of terrariumists in the world. And the fondness could not have arisen from nothing: this snake species is worth mentioning in every blog or any piece of literature, that describes the most well liked reptiles.
They have the perfect size, the ideal calm temperament, a catchy bright and contrasting skin colour. All in all, these snakes lack imperfection and can be recommended both to terrariumist beginners and to experienced reptile-keepers.

There is so much to say about this snake, that I could never really collect all of my ideas and post them before. But I think I will only mention the most important things :)

Background information

These snakes do not grow as big as Indian rock pythons, however, they do have a solid, muscular and heavy body shape with a extensive variety of colour variations with bright, changing colour tones from the head to the tip of their tails.
Normally, the pythons, held in captivity, tend not to grow larger than 2 m long (considering the fact, that in the nature the Boa constrictor's sizes vary from 1 to 6 metres). The size depends on the area, where it has originally been found, and only then transported for breeding to a different location.
The main body-colour of these Boas is usually light-beige. However, it is the patterns on the back of the snake, which make it stand out among any other reptiles. The head and the upper part of their bodies tends to be more or less monotonous, while from around the 5/7th part of their body, the patterns become more visually distinct, ending with a very bright ornament on the tail of the snake. Considering the fact, that these snakes are "big", their heads are relatively small, making their body proportions seem quiet elegant, compared to some other snakes (Boiga cyanea, Eryx miliaris and etc). The colour varies from light-grey or pastel-green to dark-brown and dark-burgundy. Also, these snakes are well known for the great amount of morphs present. I, personally, have a female 'Albino Boa constrictor - Kahl line'. Her name is Honey and she is one of my favourites of the many reptile and amphibians I have ever kept in my personal collection.

Boa constrictors inhabit a wide range of places: from North Mexico to South Argentina, including most islands of the Gulf of Mexico and some islands on the equator region of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. And even though the place of origin of each species may vary greatly, one of the greatest aspects of keeping them at home is the ability of most Boa constrictors to adapt to the environment the are introduced to in very short time. So, all of the rules and recommendations of keeping the Boa constrictor, which I will write about below, can be applied to most specimen of this species.
They tend to occupy not only the lower areas of the plant community of the rainforest but are also locating themselves in open woodlands with rich bush and shrub vegetation, rocky mountains, the sandy ground, the top of the kapok trees (the tallest trees of the Amazon) and etc.

Though, the colour variation of this species cannot be the only reason why these snakes are so popular. The ease of keeping them in their vivariums, the methods of feeding and their character make up a great reptile for showing off to your friends and family.

Terrarium

If you decided to purchase and keep a Boa constrictor at home, the only factor you might consider problematic is the size of the tank, needed for keeping this species. As  I already mentioned, these snakes can grow up to 2 m (and sometimes 3 m long, if female). Therefore, the minimum size for one grown Boa constrictor must not be smaller than 100*50*50 (Width*Height*Depth) cm. However, that is the size for an average Boa c.. If you have seen the parents of your snake specimen, you should expect your snake to grow as big as them and therefore you should pick a terrarium, suitable for the size of your snake. It is obviously recommended to pick a bigger version of the tank if you are choosing between a bigger and a smaller version. Remember, the width of the tank should not be smaller than half the length of the snake. And the depth, therefore, at least half the measure of the width.

For a specimen that has not yet reached the length of 1 m a tank with the dimensions of 60*40*40 (W*H*D) cm will suit the snake perfectly. Later, though, you will have to switch to a new and bigger terrarium.

Even though most of the Boa c.s tend to inhabit the less humid areas of their original environment, they are still most often located near some kind of water source, which could be a slow-flowing river, a pond, lake, puddle or even an inland sea. Therefore you should place a water-basin, big enough for the whole snake to fit in it, as it would have a greater surface area, increasing the water evaporation rate, easing your job of keeping the humidity level at a certain level.

I would also be a good idea to place some branches, twigs and rocks in the tank, as most Boa c.s are arboreal animals, meaning that they live in the trees. The presence of such objects will also help the moulting of the reptile.

Light and Temperature

You should consider to create a clear temperature gradient in your snake's tank. During the day the terrarium should have a 'cold corner' with the temperature of 19-23 ºC and a 'Hot corner' of approximately 30-40 ºC. The average daytime tank temperature should not fall below 26-27 ºC.

Make sure that the temperature at night is not lower than 19-10 ºC. I would also recommend to place a heating pad, a heating cable or a heat rock in the hot corner for the times, when the temperature is too cold for the snake at night.

In order to keep the temperature stable, you should have a heating lamp in the Hot corner of the terrarium. The lamp can be both a ceramic heat emitter or an actual heating light-bulb. If you choose to provide the heat with a ceramic bulb, make sure you have an external light source above the High-temperature area for the snake's control over the day and night times (that provides a sharp difference between day and night, helping the metabolism of the snake). 

Many people have asked me if a source of ultraviolet light is needed. It is true, that The lack of Vitamin D can cause serious problems (suck as Rickets) and even a lethal outcome, but personally, I do not have a UV light. However, my snake's terrarium is located under direct sunlight (of Denmark...) and that is enough for it. During the summer I take Honey outside (during a warm summer day) to increase the rate of the melanin hormone flow in her body. If you keep your snakes in an area, where no natural sunlight is available, I would recommend to irradiate your snake with an hour of artificial UV light every month. This procedure is not that complex and is often applied to other reptiles as well: place your animal in a separate container with no light obstructions on top (glass, plastic), place the UV light 35-50 cm away from the top of the container and, preferably, leave the room (you don't want to risk your chances of getting skin cancer, do you?).

Humidity

Try to keep the humidity within the bounds of 45-60%. Spray the cold corner with lukewarm water from a sprayer every 3-4th day.

Feeding

Feeding Boa constrictors is normally no difficulty for the keeper, as the snake will gladly accept any prey of appropriate size. The food could be any rodent (mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits are most common for feeding) or some birds (chicks, button quails). 

As a general rule, teaching the snake to take frozen prey is no problem, making the feeding a LOT easier. 

Try not to feed your snake prey of too big size, as it may cause the reptile to vomit. When vomiting, internal organs, blood vessels and bones might be damaged by the food. 

Breeding

Again, I do not know a lot, but I do know the basics of how to breed Boa constrictors. Please ask me in the comments, if you want a description of this wonderful process :)

Extra information

Yes, I did say that these snakes are most often very calm and rarely attack people. However, each snake, no matter which species, can have it's own temperament. Also, juvenile Boa c.s may be aggressive.

Yes, it does hurt when they bite.

No, my Boa constrictor has not bitten me (yet).

Here is a gif of Honey's strike

Feeding Honey (7 month old)

Bufo bufo

The Common Toad

The Common, also called the European toad, is the largest toad, inhabiting Europe, North-western part of Africa, Caucasus, Korea, Japan, South-west China and South Siberia. Their bodies tend to be wider, that other toads’. They are terrestrial amphibians. The colour of their bodies varies greatly, depending on their sex, age, the time of the year and season. The most common colour is grey, though species with olive-coloured, dark-brown, terracotta and sand-coloured skin exist as well. The colour of the stomach is usually a kind of soiled-white or yellowy type of colour.The eye colour varies between different shades of yellow with a sharp black horizontal pupil.

Background information

These amphibians tend to inhabit moist areas and closed biotopes, such as forests, old gardens, parks, steep narrow valleys, trots and moist basements. 
The Common toad is a nocturnal animal, hiding in the burrows of moles and mice during daytime in its natural habitat. These toads are considered "big" in biology, as they grow up to 18-20 cm.

Terrarium

The size of the tank for a grown Common toad should not be smaller than 30*30*20 cm (W*D*H). A 200l tank would be enough for 4 or 5 grown Common toad species.
Do not forget to place a couple of hiding places, such as small caves, branches, bark or specialised hiding places for amphibians/reptiles per toad.
Place a bowl of water in the more cold and moist part of the tank and change the water regularly. 

Substrate

Very often toads dig holes in the ground. Therefore, you must ensure that the amount of substrate is enough for the toad to hide in. I would recommend you to either use one of the following or the combination of the following substrates: a mix of (disinfected) dry leaves, finely crushed turf, sphagnum moss, coconut flakes and coconut chips, decorative flower soil and (disinfected) sand (however sand must not be used as the main substrate, but only with the combination of another substrate type).
By now, if you have been following my latest post in the blog, it goes without saying, that the substrate for most amphibians should always be moist, though, NOT slushy or muddy. Oh, and make the substrate 3-5 cm deep for the juvenile and 5-10 cm deep for the grown toads.

Ventilation

For the prevention of stagnation of the moist in the terrarium, the tank should have good ventilation. I would recommend to place the ventilation holes in the front-bottom and top back corners of the tank. Or, if you are keeping your toad in a plastic tank with a ventilation lid, keep it like it is :)

Temperature, Light & Humidity

Luckily, the Common toad is a very ‘undemanding’ species of amphibians, as it does not require any special temperature, humidity or light conditions. It is, of course, recommended to keep the toad at the same conditions as the habitat is has previously been living in before your home. So if you have bought the toad from a person, who has kept it at a higher temperature, you would want to keep the temperature at the same level as it was with the previous keeper if you don't want to see your pet dead.

The temperature for keeping this toad species varies from 16 to 26 ºC, preferably 21 - 23 ºC. The humidity level lies in-between 45 and 85 % with the optimum of 55 - 60%. Needless to say, these toads can survive temperatures of 5 ºC and 40 ºC, though, I would not experiment with this data on your toad.The light does not play a significant role either. Even though these amphibians are nocturnal animals, you can easily train them to take their food during the day by shortening their nighttime. Once in a while spray the tank with lukewarm water from a pulveriser.

Feeding

The feeding process of amphibians has been the main reason for me to start collecting them, as each group of species has its own interesting distinctive features in hunting, attacking, fighting and swallowing their prey.
Bufo bufo might seem as a ‘boring’ choice of an exotic animal for keeping at home, though its hunting and swallowing method is very interesting to observe. Now I am writing this document as a separate file on my computer and hopefully I will remember to post a video of my Common toad attacking and eating a cricket in the end of this post.
What do you feed a Common toad? If you have a grown toad, feeding should be no problem: once in every 3-5 days you should feed your toad a couple of small crickets, a slug, bloodworms, flies, cockroaches, an earthworm, a mealworm (cut off its head before giving the it to the toad, as the larva can eat its way out of the stomach of your amphibian) (do not feed your toad the African Zophobas mealworms), a small goldfish or even a small mouse. Once in every 2-3 weeks you should cover the food/prey in a multivitamin+Calcium powder mix for better digestion and prevention of various diseases.

If you have a juvenile Common toad, you will need to feed it every 2 days. It is okay, if it doesn’t want to eat when you place the food in the tank. Sometimes, the toads (even juvenile) reject food for more than 8-9 days. Do not feed the juvenile species any prey with hard bodies/chitin, such as mealworms or some cockroaches. The length of the prey should not exceed the length of the distance between the two eyes of the juvenile toad. I would recommend to feed it small crickets, small grasshoppers, wingless morphs of flies and bloodworms. 
Now, it is VERY important to add Calcium and Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, D (or just a reptile multivitamin mix, sold in your local pet shop) (you could also add Calcium glycerophosphate). All of the above should be given to your amphibian every second-third feeding session in the form of the prey, covered in the powder of the vitamins and minerals. Rickets is the most common disease among reptiles and amphibians, caused by hypovitaminosis, especially the lack of vitamin D.

Breeding

Males are ready for breeding at the age of three, while females need four years.

Extra information

• The common toad does secrete toxins thorough its dermal glands, however, they cause no harm to humans in any way, as they are only a weak type of poison. The most active glands are located behind the toad’s “ears” and are normally activated when the toad is being swallowed by a predator. Those predators are various types of snakes, such as corn snakes, grass snakes and European vipers, then hedgehogs, rats, dogs and raptorial birds which also feed on the Common toad. When attacked, the toad takes the “defence” form by standing up on all it’s four legs and puffing up it’s body.
• When moving around, the toad does not jump: instead the toad walks like most terrestrial animals, very similar to the walking style of Leopard geckos and crocodiles.
• There are eight sub-species of Bufo bufo.
• The toad lives up to 35 years in its natural habitat.
• During the breeding season, three of the male Common toad’s fingers turn jet-black.
• Oh, and they usually don’t bite (or at least it doesn’t hurt).

Here is the video of my toad:

Agalychnis callidryas

The red-eyed leaf tree frog

The red-eye leaf frog is one fo the most popular frogs in the terrariums worldwide and the most recognised one for its vibrant colours: the bright-green main body colour with light-blue wide stripes on the sides and the paper-white stomach. It is also one of those frogs, able of changing its body colour to match the environment! However, the main favoured feature for the collectors and keepers are the bright red eyes of the frogs and they earned the name through that aspect. Also, these frogs are know for their ability of really long jumps (up to 2-2.5 m!).

Background information

This frog species is not very difficult to keep at home, following the rules I discuss below. Agalychnises are nocturnal animals, meaning that you will not see them move during the daytime at all and only during the evening they will start waking up and hunt. These frogs are really interesting to observe during the evening as they change their main skin colour from the bright-green to a dark-vinous/maroon colour with tiny white spots on the back. This allows the frogs to stay less visible when attacking their prey. Red-eyed leaf tree frogs, originating from Honduras, are a great choice for both the advanced amphibian keeper and the beginner. The female frogs are usually larger (approximately 8 cm in length) than the male ones (6 cm). 

Terrarium

When keeping the tree frogs, one should consider purchasing a vertical tank as these frogs are not terrestrial and usually live in the tropical trees and other plants in Central America (obviously). If keeping juvenile species, not bigger than 2.5–3 cm long, you can have a 45*25*25 cm (minimum) (height*width*depth) terrarium. If your frogs are grown, you will need to change it to a 60*35*35 cm terrarium. 

When decorating the terrarium, remember, that your frogs will use all of the equipment you install as hiding and sleeping areas. Your Agalychnises will thank you, if you decide to plant them one of the following plants: Bromelia, Philodendron, Spathiphyllum and Epipremnum are the only ones I can name now. These plants have wide, lasting leaves, which are firm enough to hold the weight of your frogs. If you decide to plant something else, consult a zoologist, as some plants release toxic compounds onto their leaves, which will end lethally for your amphibian friends. 

If you decide to add smaller branches, the width of them should not be smaller, that the width of your frogs.

I just planted a small bromelia plant. I like it, because it matches the colours of the frogs and you can still see the frogs during the daytime, even though they are asleep.

Besides for the humid substrate, described in the next section, these amphibians should always have access to separate water source. I am talking about a small water bowl (ALWAYS REMEMBER: not smaller than the size of the frog). The water in it should be refreshed regularly and should always be fresh. Also, make sure it contains minimum Magnesium (as it causes loss of appetite and muscle weakness) and no Chlorine (Chlorine causes serious damage to their digestive system).

Try to refresh the water every 1-2 days and clean the water bowl every 4-5, as these frogs have the habit of defecate in the water. 

Humidity, Substrate & Ventilation

One of the main points, and one of the most challenging ones, in keeping these frogs is maintaining a stable humidity level. In order to keep the humidity at the needed 55 - 65% one must spray the substrate and the decorations with lukewarm water every second day and the substrate must not be dry at any point. On the other hand, you shall not allow the substrate to be soggy, otherwise you are risking the growth of bacteria and mould.

Do not allow the humidity level to cross 45% or 85%. The best way to control it is by installing a hydrometer (digital hydrometers are more accurate).

The most appropriate substrates are sphagnum moss and coconut flakes. However, if you rather prefer easy cleaning than decorations, wet kitchen towels will work, though they will need to be changed every third day.

Ventilation is a very significant aspect when keeping amphibians and the red-eyed tree frogs are no exception. Some people purchase the wrong terrariums or make an error when making the ventilation slots in the tanks, which makes it difficult to maintain the humidity and temperature at the appropriate levels. When considering to keep a frog, keep in mind that they all require good ventilation. 

Back to the red-eyes: if you are facing the problem of air stagnation or just low air circulation level in your frog’s terrarium, I would recommend you to install a small PC ventilator in the terrarium’s top ventilation slot, allowing new fresh air to flow in the tank. 

Temperature

Luckily, the temperature gradient is very easy to maintain as it is 24 – 30 ºC, so all you will need is a heating pad in one of the bottom corners of the terrarium. Though, if you decide to plant decorations and flowers, the heat will damage the plants, therefore, I would recommend to install a heating cable on the back of the of the walls of the terrarium. If you choose this option, you will also have to attach a thicker layer of glass, polished polyamide or styrofoam (you can decorate it) for the frogs to avoid burns from the glass wall they sit on. Otherwise, the average room temperature varies between 22–25, so basically, if your room if this warm, you do not need any external heating source.

Light

These frogs do not need any special light sources. What they do need is determined daytime and nighttime. This will help your frogs with their biorhythm and hunting abilities. Fluorescent lamps can serve as a good “daylight simulator”.

Feeding

Here it gets a little complicated, because these frogs (almost) never eat dead food. Also, they do not eat from the ground. Hence, their prey needs to be able to crawl on walls, plants and decorations. I would recommend to feed your red-eyed leaf frogs small crickets, when young, and roaches, when older, because roaches can literally “chew their way out” of the frog’s body, if not killed, but just swallowed. Grown frogs have quite powerful jaws, which allows them to kill the insect. The size of their food shall not exceed the size of their palm of their front legs (very specific, I know, but that it the perfect way to measure it!). Every second to third time you feed your green jumping amphibians, place and shake the insects in a small container with Calcium powder (needed for their bones and jumping) and either special multivitamins for reptiles and amphibians or just Vitamin D3.

Breeding

I do not know much about breeding and it is not much about keeping anymore, however, I have learned the basics about how to make them make babies! If you are interested, please email me or ask a question below.

Extra information

When buying your decorations, remember, that you will not be able to show off your pets to anyone (unless you pick the amphibian up), if your frog is hiding in a closed-for-view plant or ‘cave’. 

When planting the flowers, create a mixture of approximately 40% decorative flower soil and 60% coconut flakes for the substrate. Or, if to make it easier to keep and clean, plant them in a separate flowerpot.

When using tree cork and branches for decorations, make sure they have NO (!) sharp edges.

Keep in mind: the higher the temperature is, the better the ventilation should be and the lower the humidity is.

Lastly, do not make your frog try to bite you. It WILL bite you and you WILL regret it :)

Thank you

More pictures, as requested:

Snails

Keeping snails at home

For some people snails are the prime choice as pets. But what makes them so popular? Well, this animal does not require everyday walks, it doesn't make any noises, it does not smell, it does not cause any allergies, they are very easy to take care of, especially in terms of feeding, it does not require much space, it doesn't bite, it doesn't scratch, you can take this pet with you on the holiday or leave it at home  for a very long time without feeding. Today I will describe the conditions of keeping two snail species: Limicolaria flammea and Achatina fulica albino.

Limicolaria flammea

These snails are very common in the collections on snail keepers. They are very common, easy to breed and give a good understanding of how to keep snails at home. They originate from the tropical island of Singapore and are the easiest snails to keep at home.Background InformationThe main colours are light-beige to pale yellow with light-brown to brown helical lines on the shell. The snail itself usually differs in colours as well: the colours may vary from dark-brown to paper-white. The unicolour morph is usually light-beige to paper white without any patterns on the shell.The size of a grown species is up to 8 cm. These snail are considered full-grown at 9 month and are already ready to reproduce at that stage. *Will talk about breeding later on.

Achatina fulica (albino)

This species of snails is known as one of the largest snails on our planet. The length of the shell can exceed 25 cm and the overall length can get up to 35-40 cm. These snails originate from the middle areas of the African continent.Background InformationThe colours of the shells vary from light maroon to dark-nut brown. The body colour does not vary greatly from grey-beige. Albino morphs are common as well. The colours vary from light-yellow lemon to paper-white and the body colour usually matches the colour of the shell (unicolour).

Terrarium & Light

The tank for keeping a couple of grown snails of this species should not be smaller than 30*30*15 (width*depth*height). The tank does not to be a terrarium. It could as well be any plastic box from your local hardware store. But try not to use a tank too big, as you might lose your gastropod pet and it would become difficult to maintain the needed humidity on a larger area. However, make sure (THIS is very important!) that you provide good ventilation in the tank in order to prevent stagnation. If you ignore my tip, your snails will die because of the bacteria and parasites, growing in the food because of the high humidity.For a pair of larger snails, such as the Achatina fulica, I would recommend a tank of 45*45*30.The snails do not require any special light and can live in complete darkness. However, they still need a heat-source. I would recommend to use a thermal cable or a heating pad in one part of the tank. The other part should stay more humid and chill. And do not use heating stones, as they will harm your snails. You do not have to use a water bowl in the tank, though, if you do, you will need to refresh the water at least once per 3 days.

Substrate & Feeding

I combined these two aspects as for snails (almost) everything in their living area they consider food, even the substrate. As for the substrate I would strongly recommend to use coconut flakes, which are usually sold in compact bricks, as it is affordable, easy to clean and for some snails even works as a secondary/tertiary food source. If you decide to use coconut-flakes, the snails will use it for laying their eggs when breeding or hibernation. The recommended layer of substrate should be approximately 8-10 cm deep, so it would completely cover the snails when they are hiding. You could also consider using polished gravel with a thin layer of water covering the surface of the stones. If that is your choice, you will have two install a water filter for aquariums or refresh the water every second day. The water level should not exceed 1-1.5 cm in depth, otherwise your snails might drown. Other options for substrate include coconut-chips and sphagnum-moss. The negative aspects of these two variants, as well as the gravel option, are that snails will not be able to go “under the ground” and would feel unprotected.You will of course need to feed your snails and their diet varies greatly. However, I prefer to feed my snails mostly fruits and vegetables. Salads, apples, cabbages, grapes, tomatoes (the favourite meal of my snails), cucumbers, basically anything cut and chopped into smaller bits. However, there is one detail you should consider about their feeding. Snails must have source of calcium. The way you can provide calcium is to buy calcium powder in your local pet store or go the “natural” way, crushing the egg-shells into tiny pieces of 0.5-1 mm. You can either add the calcium to the food or place a separate bowl. As an alternative secondary feeding source, especially relevant when leaving the snail without feeding for over a month, you could place a piece of wood (cork, branch) in the tank. But make sure you disinfect the item before adding it to your snail by either placing it in the oven for 20 minutes at 220ºC or boiling it in hot water for 8-10 minutes. And, please, never use alcohol or other disinfecting substances in this situation.You could also try growing oat sprouts by changing the substrate to 60-70% soil for decorative plants and 30-40% (respectively) of the current substrate. Usually the plant shoots disappear as soon as they appear on the surface of the ground. Snails love it and it is completely natural as well.

Temperature & Humidity

These two factors you should be careful with. I have made several mistakes with keeping the right levels of temperature and humidity which did not always end well. As for the temperature I have already mentioned the fact, that an alternate heating source would help keep the level constant. In the ‘warm’ corner the temperature should not exceed 30ºC. The humidity in that corner would thereafter be lower, than in the ‘cold’ corner, where the humidity should be 70-90% and temperature of minimum 19ºC. The normal temperatures vary, however I keep my snails at 21ºC(‘cold’ corner)–26ºC(‘warm’ corner). You can maintain the temperature by spraying lukewarm water mostly in the ‘cold’ corner.However, going back to the part, where I discussed good ventilation, if that is not provided mold could start growing and your naive hungry snails would start eating it. That could not only cause various diseases, but stagnation of the humid air could be lethal for your mollusks.What would happen if the humidity is too low? Usually substrate takes long to dry out completely and this process forces the snails to prepare for hibernation. Snails can hibernate without any food source up to 1.5 year, however, I would not risk it and would just allow them to hibernate no longer than 2-3 month if needed. 

Breeding

If you follow all of the instructions above and you have a pleasant environment for your snails you might start seeing random egg clutches popping up in different areas of your snail terrarium. As most snails are hermaphrodites, including the species Limicolaria flammea and Achatina fulica albino, they are able to reproduce no matter what sex they are. Limicolaria flammea are able of reproduction at the age of 9 month, Achatina fulica albino– 11-13 month.Although, you might be thinking that you will not have eggs as you only have your one snail, you are wrong by all means. If the conditions are good, the snail can reproduce without the presence of another specimen.But be careful with breeding as reproduction of snails of same brood and crossing over of alleles might cause severe mutation problems of the offspring.If we go back to the subject of feeding snails calcium, parent snails might start eating their own offspring, as it is a great source of calcium and the parent snails have a deficiency of calcium in their bodies after giving birth to 20-40 eggs. Extra informationEven though snails are very easy to keep, some basic rules should be followed as they are still live creatures and are sensitive to such factors, as humidity and temperature.I hope I have covered everything and I do not have anything to add. If you have any questions, please write me on my email or post your response in the comment section below. 

Ceratophrys cranwelli (Albino)

Cranwell's Horned Frog

Since the very beginning of my amphibian collection, this little aggressive chubby frog has immediately caught my attention. I have often taken it to various museums and reptile exhibitions and the bright colours have always attracted visitors.

Background information

One of the several species of mountainous tropical rain forest. They inhabit northern Argentina, Uruguay, Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. These frogs are terrestrial have are very similar to mix up with the Argentive horned frog, by their looks.
These frogs are more popular in the collections of terrariumists, than the Budget frogs. Grown Cranwell's horned frogs are 15-20 cm in length.
Due to the high production of somatropin, the growth hormone, in their bodies, there are often cases of gigantism. Frogs with this defect grow up to 30-35 cm.
The colours of this frog vary greatly as well and that is one of the main reasons why keepers choose the Cranwell's frog for their collections. The colour of the back of the frog varies from light-olive to dark-gray brown. The spots on the back also vary from pale pink to fulvous-brown. Albino mutations are common as well. In this case the frog's colour varies from pale-beige to neon-yellow with red or orange spots on the back.

Terrarium

If you chose to keep one of these frogs, you will require a tank with good ventilation and the dimensions of 30㎤. As these frogs are terrestrial, I would recommend to focus on a larger tank bottom, rather than height.

Substrate

As for substrate each keeper has his or her own preferences. You can chose between sphagnum moss, coconut flakes, coarse polished gravel with no sharp edges, soft sponges or paper towels with 1cm of water over it, as the frogs tend to inhabit swamps and marshes. However, I would recommend you to use the sphagnum.

Temperature

The temperature in the tank should be kept at 23-27ºC. It is desirable to use a heating pad or a thermal cable in one of the corners of the bottom of tank.

Light

These frogs do not require any special sources of light.
When keeping an albino Cranwell's frog you might want to consider keeping the brightness of the light low, as bright light may affect their hypersensitive eyes.

Feeding

The Cranwelli frogs ear basically the same food, as Argentine horned frogs and Budget frogs: crickets, roaches, mealworms and rainworms, mice and small rats, goldfish and small frogs. An interesting fact is  that these frog species is that they lack certain muscles in their throat, the pharynx, so when hunting, the frogs strangle their prey with their powerful jaws and then swallow it not with swallowing muscles, but with the bottom of their eyeballs.
Pet stores usually sell special powders, which are the necessary minerals and vitamins for amphibians and reptiles. Frogs should be regularly fed these triturations in order to provide a better metabolism and growth.

And some information from myself

The substrate is supposed to hold the moisture, but at the same time prevent the stagnation of the water, which is supposed to hold the humidity at 80-90%. The humidity can also be kept contant by spraying the tank 2 times a day or installing a special frog humidifier. You should also place a bowl with water. It should be big enough for the frog to fit in and even for hunting when feeding the frog fish.
An interesting fact is that the Ceratophrys and Lepidobatrachus frog species lack certain muscles in their throat, the pharynx, so when hunting, the frogs first strangle their prey with their powerful jaws and then swallow it, not with swallowing muscles, but with the bottom of their eyeballs.
The Cranwell's horned frogs should be kept alone in the tank, as cannibalism is very common. Like most frogs, Cranwell's frogs sleep with open eyes.
When buying a Cranwell's frog you should look at the colour of it's skin and purchase the one with brighter colours. The colour determines the well-being of the frog. Also a good method of testing the health of the frog before buying is to check it's reflexes by moving your hand in front of it's head: the frog will either bury itself in the substrate, or attack the hand. Either result shows that the animal is healthy.

Feeding a cricket to my Cranwell's albino frog 

Lepidobatrachus laevis

Budget frogs

The budget frog is a very unusual and unique species and, yet, a very rare frog in the collections of amphibia-keepers.

Background information

The budget frog was the first amphibian I have even had the opportunity to keep at home. I considered it very "cool", as not only was the animal exotic and people, visiting me and looking at my animal collection, were impressed, but also among experienced amphibian keepers this animal in my collection made my terrariumist status rise.

The budget frog originates from the savannahs of Paraguay and Argentina where the average annual temperature is 23-26 ºC. These frogs are aquatic and rarely leave the water. The full-grown Budget frogs are approximately 15-16 cm long. The widest part of the body, as all of the Leptodactylus species have, is the mouth.
The colour of the frog depends on the light brightness. At night, when it is usually dark, the coulour of the frog is dark-fern with randomly spread small yellow spots on the back. In the daytime, the frog becomes light swamp-green coloured with the spots almost invisible. Albinism is very rare.

Terrarium

In order to keep the frog at home, you will need an aquarium or a paludarium with the bottom area not smaller than 30 cm2. The height of the tank does not matter, as the frogs do not leave the water and do not crawl on the vertical glass surfaces due to the structure of their feet and body. However, I would recommend the container be no smaller than 25 cm as for the height as when hunting, the frogs may jump out.
The water level should not exceed 10 cm. Even though, these frogs are water inhabitants, they still require air to breather and oddly, the budget frogs are poor swimmers. The water should not be tap water; instead, I would recommend you to filter it in order to make is softer and getting rid of unneeded metal ions.

Substrate

The substrate is not necessary even for exuviating. Substrate will only make it difficult for you to clean the tank, however, if you wish to customise the bottom and the design of the terrarium, I would recommend you to use polished gravel without any sharp edges, as the frog's skin is extremely sensitive and fragile, making it easy for the substrate to harm the animal.

In order to ease the cleaning of the terrarium I would recommend you to install a small fish-aquarium filter on the bottom of the tank. This will not only absorb the dirt and make your regular cleanings less frequent, but will also aerate the water, preventing it's stagnations.

Temperature

In order to keep the animal at home you will need to maintain the temperature of the water, in which your frog lives/will live. 

Luckily, the frog is quite "unpretentious", and the temperature may vary from 18ºC-30ºC,  though the optimal would be 24ºC.

Light

The budget frog should not have any special lighting (incl. UV and heating lamps). Daylight lamps are not required either, however, I would recommend you to add one to your terrarium set to establish certain day- and nighttime.

Feeding

This frog species should be fed live crickets, roaches, various fish species, rainworms and mealworms, mice and frogs at least once a week, depending on the size of the frog. The younger the frog is, the more often it should be fed.
The size of the food should not be bigger, than the width of the mouth of the frog. Even though, when the frog is hungry, it might eat an animal almost the same size as itself.

Hibernation

This is one of the main reasons why beginners are not recommended to keep budget frogs as for first animals. Experts consider the creation of hibernation environment complicated and difficult, however, I disagree.
Even though the hibernation is only needed in order to breed most of the reptiles and amphibians, the budget frog's life depends on the hibernation.
In order to start hibernation, the water level should be gradually reduced and substrate should be added over two weeks either in the usual original tank, where the frog is kept, or a smaller container with good ventilation. As for the substrate, sphagnum moss or coconut flakes can be used: they both absorb much water and hold it for a long time as well. When the water level exceeds the surface of the substrate by approximately 1cm, the container should be moved to a darker and colder place. I would recommend to place the tank on the balcony or the windowsill (if you are living in Northern Europe), where cold wind contacts with the glass of the container, creating a colder environment with the temperature about 17-21 ºC. By the time the water layer evaporates and the substrates will start drying, the frog will form a cocoon from the mucus, released from the frog's skiing in order to prevent excessive moisture loss from the body. However, the substrate should not be completely dry and to keep it at the right humidity level, the tank should be sprayed with warm water twice a week.
The hibernation should begin in October or November and should last from 3 to 6 weeks.
In the wild the frog's life lasts about 12 years. When kept in a tank at home- up to 11 years, however, if hibernation conditions are not provided, the number drops down to 4 years.

Some extra information

First of all, these frogs bite!
And they will try to bite anything, that moves. You should also know, that the Leptodactylus frogs have a pair of razor-sharp teeth on the bottom jaw. Also, when biting, they have a locked jaw and they will not let go. Hence, you will not be able to have your hand released without hurting it. IF (!) it happens, place the frog under a cold water stream out of the tap.
Also, try not to hold your frog (or any amphibian) with your hands! Their skin is too sensitive and our warm hands burn their skin. If you absolutely need to hold your animal to show off to your friends or place it in a different container while cleaning, place your hands under cold water in order to lower the temperature of your hands.

Feeding my juvenile budget frog.