Snakes and Frogs and Their Relatives [231 



LIVING QUARTERS FOR THE AMPHIBIAN 



You can turn an aquarium into a satisfactory home for 

 small specimens of frogs, toads, or salamanders. A screen top made 

 secure around the edges will prevent their escape. For frogs and 

 salamanders the aquarium should be about one-third full of 

 water, with stones piled high at one end to give the amphibians a 

 place to land. Toads need far less water; for them, the bulk of the 

 cage should be dry. 



It is important to bring home some water from the pond where 

 the frogs are caught, using it for them while they are in your 

 care. Tap water is often purified with chemicals that are fatal 

 to these animals. The water in the amphibian's quarters must be 

 changed often and kept perfectly clean; uneaten food particles 

 should be removed daily. 



How TO FEED AN AMPHIBIAN PET 



Live insects such as flies or bugs and earthworms are a 

 good diet for most amphibians. Sometimes a captive will nibble 

 at small bits of food, and you can experiment to find the diet that 

 appeals most to it. If it does not respond to your attempts, it 

 should be given its freedom near the locality where it was found. 



Sometimes it may prove practical to grow your own insects; 

 this is what a boy of my acquaintance did who was keeping a 

 dozen salamanders in a large terrarium. In it he placed a bottle 

 containing a few pieces of banana. Fruit flies bred rapidly there, 

 and as they started to fly out they were snapped into the ready 

 mouths of the salamanders. 



Frogs and salamanders should always be picked up by placing 

 your hand under their body. They are then less apt to get away, 

 and such handling is far less injurious than encircling them with 

 warm, dry skin. The heat of the human hand can kill a very small 

 amphibian. Thus we see that even in the case of seemingly petty 

 details we have to bear in mind the basic physical make-up of 

 the amphibian, and the possible consequences of not heeding its 

 requirements. 



