Can You Keep Wild Frogs as Pets?

In our regular surroundings, we find many people who love to keep different types of animals as pets, and the wild frog is one of them. Maybe for a long time, you have been wondering about keeping a wild frog as a pet but finding it difficult to make up your mind.

Is it safe to purchase a frog from a store or breeder, or feasible to pick the one you have found from a local frog population who desperately looks to need care?

But the main question is, how safe is this? To clear all your doubts about this matter, I spent some time researching to find out all the answers. After digging deep, I’m afraid I need to disappoint you. I will not suggest that you keep a wild frog as a pet. 

Reasons To Not Keep a Wild Frog as a Pet

If you do some deep research before making the decision, you will find many reasons that to keep a wild frog as a pet is not a wise decision.  As we know, different species need different types of food, temperature, and environment.  

If you are not an expert, it will be tougher to identify the species and provide these things.  

Some key reasons for not keeping wild frogs as pets are:

1. The species may carry some dangerous diseases.
2. It might be a protected species and strictly restricted because of declining populations.

There are some similarities that you can easily find between all wild species with reptiles and amphibians. When it comes to frogs, they know what they need as food and the environment, and interestingly they love to stay in their ideal surroundings.

Therefore, you shouldn’t assume that you could take better care of a wild frog in your house. Just let it be. However, if for some reason you direly need to rescue a wild frog or need to take care of one, I’ve got you covered.

Risks in keeping Wild Frogs

Before taking any decision, it is essential to know the risks of keeping these types of species as a pet. It depends on the species you want to adopt, but here are some general pointers-

1. There are many species of frogs, and some are more poisonous than others.
2. Harmful and disease causing pathogens such as Salmonella are often found in their bodies.
3. Legality and local laws may prevent you from keeping such an unusual pet
4. It will be difficult to handle them because of the change in their natural habitat, food, and atmosphere,
5. Some species are quite challenging to keep alive outside their natural habitat. 

Beyond this, it is essential to know your country and state’s rules because of some endangered species. Are there any restrictions placed on these species?

Some species are on the verge of extinction as a result of population declines. We have to help these animals thrive without keeping them as pets.

In short, if you are interested in keeping a wild frog first, identify the species you want as a pet. In the next step, check in with your local authorities and laws. Before making up your mind, make sure you can provide the ideal temperatures, humidity, and food to keep them alive.

Tricks to Handle a Wild Frog

One of the most challenging tasks is to handle a wild frog, but there are many ways you can follow to take care of them. We know that all frogs need ponds or bodies of water to breathe, and they need to be alive. Frogs will be found near waters and damp areas. 

That is a reason why taking them in as a pet is not only challenging but also problematic. It is difficult to change the habit. 

Frogs and toads will hibernate during winter, and their metabolisms slow down to. It helps the frogs survive the changes in weather and cope up with the scarcity of food. 

They will be relatively less active during these periods. They will not eat and can subsequently starve, and it will be easier for you to change their habit.

Do not try to move the wild frog too far from its natural habit. Otherwise, it will get stressed and become difficult to handle. 

What to Feed a Frog I Caught?

It does not matter if you caught a common frog or kept a wild one as a pet, but their diet is the first thing you need to take care of with caution. 

Out of wild frogs and common frogs, you need to be more serious when it comes to the wild one. Because first, you need to look at the food that is native to the species and found in their natural environment.

Wild frogs are, by nature, opportunistic feeders, because they eat what is available to them.

It is one of the main facts that these different wild species can subside and eat variant foods.

However, to feed a wild frog, you need to detect the species, age, and breeding status and research foods suitable for them.

As we know that all predator frogs are carnivores, and they need to feed them live prey such as fresh and live insects to keep them alive.

On the other hand, frogs eat many different types of insects. For your pet frog, you can provide them crickets, cockroaches, mealworms, mosquito larvae, earthworms, and fruit flies. If your pet size is large, then sometimes you can give them frozen and defrosted pinky mice.

Can You Keep a Common Frog as a Pet?

You shouldn’t collect common frogs from the wild and keep them as pets. Wild common pets can carry various diseases which can be harmful for your health. Wild frogs are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. However, they are not suitable for being in a captive environment. That’s why I won’t recommend keeping a common frog as a pet.

I will recommend that you purchase a frog from a reputable breeder or store. It is one of the wiser decisions, because there you will find a range of different species and that is far more suitable.

These frogs are also ideal as a pet, budget-friendly. So, as a new frog owner, it will be more beneficial for you.

Below, I am mentioning some alternative frog species names. You can keep them as a pet because they are easy to handle and harmless.

• African Dwarf Frogs- Ideal beginner pet, tiny in size, active, and need low maintenance. They can survive on an entirely aquatic diet, so you do not need to serve live food. 
• White’s Tree Frogs– Active, easy to care for, handling them is much easier than other species.  
• Horned or Pacman Frogs- They are massive in size. It’s easy to find different color morphs, and the diet is simple.  
• Red-Eyed Frogs– These species have green, yellow, and blue bodies, and come with striking red eyes. Large in size, but they need humidity, warmth, and UVB.
• Green Tree Frogs- Best pet for the beginner. 

Try to avoid purchasing any poisonous frog species because it not only has a high risk, especially if you have elderly and babies in your house, but are very expensive and challenging to raise.

How Much Does a Pet Frog Cost?

 If you want to purchase a pet frog from a pet store or breeder, it will cost an initial $70-$330 to obtain. On the other hand, for monthly maintenance and feeding, you have to add $360-$520.   

Wrapping Up…

Keeping a wild frog as a pet is not a good idea and is also very challenging. Many vital factors need to be considered before taking these types of steps. If you do not want to take the risk of your and your family’s health or do not want to break the law, it will be wiser if you go for alternative options.

You can keep some wild frogs as a pet, and before that, you need to do serious research about their types, habits, setup, diet, and general care. You also need to invest a good amount of money yearly for their maintenance. Otherwise, you can talk with some reputed wild frog breeders for advice. 

Do not force them to change their habits forcefully, and always wear gloves whenever you hold them.

Safety comes first!

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