Book Review: The Frogs and Toads of North America

"The Frogs and Toads of North America" by Lang Elliot, Carl Gerhardt, and Carlos Davidson is pretty nice book to add to your collection. It is by no means a pocket field guide that you would want to take with you on an evening frog hunt. It is too large for that. It is very good for identifying as it has large color pictures, and covers many species. There is not much info on each frog, but of course the book is not trying to be an encyclopedia of frogs. The real gem of this book is a CD of frog calls at the back. This is great for helping you learn to identify frogs by their calls. I recommend this book for the novice or younger herpers.

Breeding Reptiles and Amphibians: 5 Things to Consider First

Breeding an animal can be a difficult undertaking. Before you begin you should take the following statements into consideration.

1) Do I have the Experience?- You need to know how to take care of the adult animals well before you even begin to think about breeding them. Any problems you have with the adults will be multiplied with the young. I suggest at least 1 years worth of experience caring for the adults.

2) Are my adults ready to breed?- In some cases animals can be old enough to breed but still not ready for it. Make sure they are healthy and have good weight. Do not rush them. Breeding can be stressful.

3) Do I have the money?- Be prepared to spend extra money on more tanks/containers, and more food for the young. Often the young cannot be kept with the adults (cannibalism), or require special food.

4) Do I have the space, and time?- The young will take-up both of these. This is especially true if you breed frogs and raise the tadpoles in individual cups (the horror!).

5) Do I have a plan for the young?- Will you keep them, give them away or sell them? If you don't plan on keeping them you should look around for someone who wants them early in the breeding process. If you are successful and enjoy it, you may develop it into a side business.