# Care of the week



## wilhelmjoshuataniguana (Jun 23, 2009)

I will put an amphibian care any week from a website.

CAPTIVE CARE SHEET* SPECIES*: AXOLOTL Ambystoma mexicanum​ Until 25 years ago, Axolotls were everywhere small zoos, schools and children's bedrooms. They were well known and popular. Then they seem to have passed out of fashion. I'd like to see that situation reversed, as it is reversing.
Today children are tied to computer games, while their parents absorb 'soap operas' and government lies. In a pet Axolotl ('water puppy') you may find some reminder of pure, unspoiled innocence. A baby-like trust, *Natural.*
We can't turn the clock back. We can't elect an honest government. We all need our little 'water puppies' pure, simple, unchanging.
DISTRIBUTION: Two lakes, Chalco and Xochimiles. South-east of Mexico City, Mexico.
HOUSING: A fish tank. simple as that. It actually takes some imagination to elaborate on the housing requirements of an 'Axy'. An 18"/24" long tank is so suitable that it'll probably do more to make you feel better than the 'Axy'! But seriously, a water dog will utilise what it has while a two foot tank will serve to house anything from one individual to one each for the 2.4 children. The serious keeper ma as always, calculate the most suitable size per inch of growing 'Axy. Multiply this by envisaged progeny, divide this by the practical space availability and one may see that an 18 inch tank will hold a specimen and a 2 foot tank a breeding pair!
Into the tank one should put - apart from the water dogs - some water. This helps immensely. Gravel helps only if you want to run an under-gravel filter.
Without such a filter, the gravel will only serve to block the siphon tube at cleaning out time. With such a filter you'll have a lot less cleaning out to do. Axolotl droppings (sinkings?)are like little pellets. These cause relatively little fouling of the water, unless they are left to dissolve, in which case you are neglecting your puppy. Thus a quick glance over with a siphon tube every time you see some, should keep things sweet.
If you put a filter in ( I prefer undergravels as they're maintenance free. Fit it and forget it.) then once or twice a week with the siphon will leave the water crystal. It's more the waste from the 'Axys' feeding than waste from the creature that will cloud the water. Most filters, especially undergravels, will take of such cloud. On the subject of plants,Waterdogs don't need them and will only give most a hard time by bashing them about on their travels. ( What with that blunt head and broad tail, a quite surprising burst of speed and power. A bit like a turbo charged telegraph pole!) You may supply a rock or piece of bog wood. The latter especially could give you a living room display that will be one up on the Jones' Tropical fish tank. It'll certainly give a tired puppy somewhere to kip while you drag yourself away to watch TV- should you so wish.
DIET: Like all dogs, the Axolotl is a carnivore. They like their meat and get any necessary vegetable protein by utilising that found in it. Now, here we come down to the type of household/owner the water puppy will find at home. Being a keeper of various amphibians, I keep a variety of live foods too. My 'Axys' get to sample a small range of delicacies. But you should you be the mother of a small child then you may find plain meat more agreeable.
Lamb's heart is the thing. Heart or liver. As you know, mum, not all butchers sell 'offal' these days. Lambs heart is the easiest to find and will do nicely. Spend a tea break slicing the meat into slithers ( discard any fat and bits ) and you'll have enough dog food for weeks. Cut it down into bits about as thick and the length of half a match stick and your problems will be over. Just pull a few sticks out of the freezer every day or two, defrost and enjoy feeding your dog. For the more accustomed Herpetologist/ pet keeper/ Angler; They love maggots! The beauty being that 'Axy's' tend to clear up any left creeping about the bottom of the tank, even after they have eaten their fill of and taken directly. The only down side being that maggot skins are coughed up ( no problem, quite natural ) and must be siphoned out ,filter or not. Crickets are snapped up with equal relish and while they can cause a certain amount of sediment in an unfiltered tank - it's not a perfect world , is it. They leave less vestigial flotsam. Small earthworms come somewhere in between. Should your puppy gulp down his meal and regurgitate the lot shortly afterwards then he is probably just being greedy. Leave it alone for a few hours and he'll eat more sensibly. A nice little pellet some hours later will show it's gone through the system. Feed every couple of days and clean the bottom with a siphon tube first. One last thing:- please get your water pup some "Bob Martin's" sorry vitamin supplement. When you buy your 'Axy' ask about liquid vitamin drops. There are a few types available. They are all good and come complete with instructions, and they're the most your water puppy will ask of you and the least you can do for him. A few pounds worth will last months and your 'Axy' will last for years. 
Breeding: At the time of writing I haven't attempted to breed Axolotls as I am concentrating on other species which I keep. However should you have any thoughts on the subject then it would appear the gist of the matter bodes well either way. Let me explain:- If you want to simply have a little pack of water dogs to amuse yourself and amaze your guests, fine. That's what you'll have and so you may have for a decade or more without incident. No more babies. No problem. However, should you want to breed your stock, then it would seem the biggest problems you may face could be; how to sex your stock and housing so many offspring. Don't forget the old biblical saying, "They begot them and they got it together and begot a few more. And lo, they did look upon the fruits of their labour and did say ' where the cuss do we house this lot when the grow up?'" Those who don't find their way to the garden of Eden are liable to wind up in a research laboratory where there shall be a rending of gills and a gnashing of Iodine and fertility drugs. For serious instruction on breeding, consult your books. Either way you should gain some pleasure and a more in depth understanding of these rewarding and amusing pets from a copy of the following;
http://www.livefood.co.uk/zaxolotl.htm
http://www.livefood.co.uk/zfirebtoad.htm


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## wilhelmjoshuataniguana (Jun 23, 2009)

*White's tree frog*

*White's Tree Frog*

*Dumpy Tree Frog, Smiling Frog*

*Litoria caerulea*

*Description:* An average 10 cm (4 inches) in length, this frog tends to look really fat and flabby. Females have been known to grow as long as 5 � inches, snout to vent. The males normally grow to be about 4 inches long. 
Its' smooth green skin characteristically appears to be folded from its' tendency to be obese. Occasionally it will change colors to brown, and sometimes it will also have some little white spots all over it's body. Their rubbery skin helps them to retain water. It seems, from what other White's Tree Frog owners have said, that the higher the humidity, and lesser the temperature, the darker and browner their colors. Whereas if the temperater is higher, with less humidity, they tend to be brighter, more blue.   It's funny looks have also brought about nicknames like "Dumpy Tree Frog" and "Smiling Frog." 
*Habitat:* This is a very hardy creature and is really good for beginners, though some pet owners complain that they are sometimes not sufficiently active. (This most likely, however, is a result of overfeeding.) It requires a really big and tall terrarium (recommended size is 25 gallon!!) with a lot of plants and hollow branches. There are two choices in tanks for the White's Tree Frog; the arboreal tank, or the terrestrial tank. The arboreal tank is the best choice because tree frogs spend most of their time high in the branches in their tank. The arboreal tank is normally two feet high; hexagon or pentagon shaped, and has a small base area. The terrestrial tank, however, is much shorter, and has a large base area.
 Humidity should be moderate (Spraying the tank every now and then with a spray bottle- make sure to dechlorinate the water and allow it to get a bit stale etc.) Good ventialation is a must! (see the Frog Doctor for details on illness prevention.)
Temperatures should be up to 86�F (30�C), but reduced to 68�F (20�C) at night. 
The substrate you use in the bottom of your cage is very important. I've heard that Pine bark is the best choice. (Don't buy the fancy reptile bark you see in the store. It's too dusty, and the chips are dangerously small. White's often pick up a piece of bark when they're eating. If the bark is too small, they could accidentally swallow it and then die of indigestion. NEVER use cedar or pine shavings, gravel, or sand in your tank. The frogs can accidentally swallow some of these items and die.) 
The water dish in your tank is another big issue. A dish that is six to eight inches long and wide, and four to five inches deep is perfect. White's like to spread out in the water and relax. As your frogs grow you'll have to get a bigger water dish. 

Read more information on this subject in the Housing Your Pet Frog section. 
*Diet:* It eats larger insects like crickets, cockroaches, locusts, moths and beetles. They are known for eating non-stop, but many sources warn about overfeeding. Determining how much to feed the frog seems a bit tricky, best bet is to check how fat the frog is getting. A Whites Treefrog's weight can be tracked by checking the state of the arches _(like eyebrows!)_ over the frogs eardrums. If you can't see the ridges at all, the frog is probably underweight, so start feeding it more! If they get all big and start rolling down over the eardrums, it's probably getting fat. These arches, called "tympanic ridges", can get SOOO big that they even start to cover the eyes! If your frog is _that_ fat, it DEFINITELY needs to go on a diet and _fast_! The photo below shows a Whites Frog that is probably starting to get too fat!   (For tips on cricket feeding, see my page on Dealing with Crickets for more info.) 
*Habits:* Its a very calm frog. Tends to be nocturnal with a deep call. *Miscellaneous Facts:* The White's tree frog is from Northeast Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and the Torres Straits. There is some evidence of remains of the species being found in South America. A few scientists believe that the White's Tree Frogs are originally from South America and in the 1800's migrated to Australia. Others believe the migration took place thousands of years ago.  They can now be found in all kinds of habitats, frequently near homes, around water tanks and cisterns. Breeding tends to only happen in pools of at least 12 inches of water in really huge terrariums or greenhouses. These frogs are known to live up to 21 years in captivity, 15 years is not uncommon. Their life span in the wild generally much shorter due to heavy predation. 
One commonly asked question has to do with how to tell Male White's tree Frogs from Female ones. As far as I know this is pretty difficult to tell. First of all,the frog frog needs to be of "breeding" age to tell (about 1 year old). Males develop "nuptial pads" (puffy little pads on the place where their "thumbs" and "palms" meet) during the breeding season. I have heard from some that only males croak and sing also. Also, females tend to be larger than males, but bear in mind that size varies according to specific strains of White's tree frogs, so this is a pretty unreliable test.


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## knighty (Feb 27, 2008)

only scaned through the cane toad sheet but see mistakes already. 1st the cane toad is toxic and should not be handled for the health of the keeper and the toad. secondly the size guides are very incorrect, cane toads get huge have seen them near the size of a football. 4-5 inches would still be a juvenile. 3rd pine bark or any other lose substrate is no good, they have big mouths and are ferosious eaters and will become impacted on bark, stones even sphagmum moss.

The temeratures for the whites are also a little hight, 86 is serously hot, should be mid to high 70s.


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## wilhelmjoshuataniguana (Jun 23, 2009)

*chang*

I change it in to a axolotl.


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## Joe1507 (Aug 11, 2008)

alot of writing going on there Lol.


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## wilhelmjoshuataniguana (Jun 23, 2009)

*Lol*



Joe1507 said:


> alot of writing going on there Lol.


What is Lol?


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## knighty (Feb 27, 2008)

Laugh Out Loud


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## wilhelmjoshuataniguana (Jun 23, 2009)

*Tuesday*

Every Tuesday, I'll write a new care sheet. Starting Today.
Tiger Salamanders (_Ambystoma tigrinum_ and _A. mavortium_) 








*Introduction:* Tiger salamanders are rewarding to keep in captivity. They grow large, have an impressive appetite, do not require complex care, can live for over fifteen years in captivity, and are bold compared to other closely related species. Tiger salamanders are variable in color and pattern, and range from olive-brown with black blotches, to dark black with yellow rings and bars, to bright green with black lines and swirls. Adults can grow to 13 inches (33 cm) in length, but most generally mature to between 9 and 10 inches (23 and 25 cm).​ *Cage:* Tiger salamanders are best kept individually. A standard 15 gallon aquarium that measures 24 inches long by 12 inches wide by 12 inches high (61 cm by 30 cm by 30 cm) is enough space for one adult. A secure screen cover should be used to prevent escapes. An aquarium background or black poster board can be taped to three sides of the aquarium to help reduce stress and make the salamander feel secure.​ Tigers salamanders belong to the genus _Ambystoma_, commonly called mole salamanders because of their preference to stay hidden underground much of the time. In captivity a substrate that allows these mole salamanders to burrow is best. A soil mixture based off of coconut husk fiber (bed-a-beast, forest bed, eco earth, etc.) often works well. Avoid any soil that contains perlite, vermiculite, small pieces of bark, or gravel. I use a soil that consists mostly of coconut husk fiber and cypress mulch. Other substrate options include leaf litter, top soil, or commercially available soil mixes that do not contain the harmful ingredients listed above. Foam rubber or moist paper towels can be used for temporary setups or quarantine cages. When a simple substrate like paper towels is used it will need to be changed often. Avoid using gravel, reptile cage carpeting, or small pieces of bark because these can be harmful to salamanders if accidentally ingested and do not hold moisture well. Whatever substrate is used, it should never become soggy or waterlogged for extended periods of time. It can be beneficial to keep the tank at an angle, so that one end is slightly raised. This allows for a moisture gradient to develop within the substrate so that the raised end remains dryer than the lower end.​ Shelters, hide spots, and decor in the cage can consist of cork bark tubes and flats, small logs, fake plants, rocks, and pieces of drift wood. Tiger salamanders should be provided with something to burrow under, large pieces of cork bark and driftwood work well. Artificial plants and patches of moist dried moss can be added for aesthetics. Live plants can also be used but should be left in their pots so that they do not get uprooted when the salamander is digging.​ ​ *Temperature:* Tiger salamanders can be kept between 60°F (16°C) and 70°F (21°C). They are somewhat tolerant of warmer temperatures when compared to other mole salamanders, but the cage should not be allowed to rise above 78°F (27°C). Cool conditions are not a problem for tiger salamanders, and drops down to 50°F (10°C) do not present a problem. It is recommended that tiger salamanders are kept either in an air conditioned room or cool basement so that the temperature stays within this range and does not get too hot.​ *Water:* A clean, shallow source of water should always be available. Make sure that it isn't too deep because tiger salamanders don't swim well. Change the water everyday or when it appears dirty. If tap water is being used, treat it with tap water conditioner to remove chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals. Bottled spring water can be used instead of tap water.​ *Food:* One of the most enjoyable qualities of tiger salamanders is their tremendous appetite. They feed a variety of invertebrates, including crickets, night crawlers, earth worms, wax worms, super worms, silkworms, and roaches. Crickets and worms should compose the majority of their diet, and can be offerred in small quantities twice a week. Other food items can be substituted for crickets or worms every few feedings. It is often helpful to feed young salamanders in smaller quantities more frequently. Some large adult salamanders will accept pre-killed pinky or fuzzy mice, but these should only be fed rarely, if ever. Adult salamanders should have their food dusted in high quality reptile vitamin and mineral supplements every two to four feedings while juveniles should have their food supplemented at every feeding. ​Amphibiancare.com >> Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum and A. mavortium) Care


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Just a heads up, there's a care sheet section on the forum!


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