Poison dart frogs, tropical rainforest frogs and golden frogs are all sold in pet shops across the country. They are so beautifully and brightly colored, and their tiny appearance makes you want to hold one. However, many people shy away from this kind of pet, worried that the biotoxins produced in the skins of these amphibians will kill them. While this is a great selling point, it is hardly the truth, and it can result in many curious pet owners shying away from buying these amphibians for sale. The truth about these creatures, and why typically poisonous amphibians for sale are nothing to be afraid of, follows.
It Is All About the Diet
The reason why pet shops can sell all of these brightly-colored little frogs and toads is that they are only poisonous in the wild. When they are captured in the wild, the critters remain in quarantine, fed only pet shop crickets, until their skin is no longer toxic. Then they are shipped to breeders and pet stores where they are sold. Their diets have everything to do with their ability to produce neurotoxins and biotoxins, and if they are not eating the toxic insects from the wild, they cannot and will not produce the same toxins once they are "domesticated." As long as you continue to feed them crickets and grasshoppers, your poisonous pets are poisonous no more.
What You Do Have to Worry About with the Amphibians for Sale
All amphibians and reptiles are producers of bacterial infections. If you are going to buy these kinds of pets and you and the children you know are going to pick them up and handle them or just touch them to see how their skin feels, then you will need to wash hands constantly. The bacteria is in their feces, and since amphibians and reptiles are not bothered about crawling, hopping, climbing, swimming or slithering through their own feces, they can carry this bacteria around with them. It is also important to wash hands in between handling one frog or toad in the aquarium and handling another to avoid the transference of bacteria from one animal to the next.
If you handle these creatures in the pet shop, follow the same health and safety rules you would at home or in your classroom. Also, if you are not allowed to touch these animals in the store, be sure to ask the sales associate, store manager or store owner why. If there is concern that the poisonous amphibians are still actively poisonous and that is their answer, then you will want to go to a different pet shop because the amphibians should no longer be poisonous and the store may be getting its supply from a less-than-reputable breeder or procurer.
Share8 January 2016
Animal emergencies happen quite often, and I have seen a lot of different injuries at the veterinary office I work at. Vehicle incidents, falls, and fights with other animals can all cause these injuries. Some of the most surprising emergencies I see though, are when pets eat substances that make them ill. Dogs and cats can both get sick by ingesting flowers, essential oils, and certain types of food items that humans eat. I even see some animals that become ill when they eat shoes, towels, and their own toys. I know that the vast majority of pet owners love their animals dearly. Most medical emergencies are purely accidental. You can easily save your precious feline or canine from harm as long as you know how the most common injuries occur. The articles posted here can help you with this, so start reading to make sure your pet remains healthy.