Frogs and toads will shed their skins from time to time. Although some may do this weekly, others can shed their skin as often as every day. Many will eat their shed skin, as it holds a nutritional value for them. When shedding, some frogs (especially aquatic species) will have an almost imperceptible loss of skin. Others will appear to bloat themselves, or puff up, in order to stretch themselves out of their skins. Some will perform small hiccup-like contortions before managing to pull their shed skins off of their bodies.

One of the more important things to remember in maintaining your frog or toad and its habitat is that these animals need wet environments in order to survive. Rather than drinking large amounts of water as humans do, they absorb water through their skins. If a frog or toad dries out, serious health consequences and even death may result. You should always provide your frog or toad with some method of keeping wet. Escaped frogs or toads should be found as soon as possible and rehydrated. Frogs and toads also absorb extra oxygen from the water covering their skins, and for this reason, some may secrete a mucous covering. This is not nearly as common in toads as it is in frogs. Because they have tougher skins, toads can also remain away from water for much longer periods of time than can frogs.

Although some people believe it is required to hibernate their frogs or toads, this is a myth. Actually, hibernation is a defense mechanism used to protect frogs and toads from cold weather and allow them to be able to survive winters. It is not a necessary technique for sustaining life, but may be necessary for breeding. The technical term for amphibian hibernation is "brumation".

Additional Care Information for Horned Frog - Leaf

A large terrarium with both land and water areas is ideal for housing a Leaf Horned Frog. These frogs should be allowed plenty of hiding places. It is often nice to have a looser substrate that these frogs could bury themselves in, but the possibility of digestive impactions is high due to the way these amphibians lunge at prey. The substrate should aid in maintaining humidity levels also, as Leaf Horned Frogs need cool, damp environments. Temperatures should remain between 72 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (22 and 24 degrees Celsius). Leaf Horned Frogs can be fed insects and often prefer arachnids. Adult animals can also be fed pinkie mice or pinkie rats. Crab meat may also be offered.

Part Three - Diet	Part Five - Health
Printer Friendly Version

Please Note: This care sheet is copyright © The Central Pets Educational Foundation (CentralPets.com). It may be freely distributed provided that this notice and Copyright remains included and unchanged. We encourage veterinarians, clubs, pet stores, breeders, humane societies, and others to use this to educate people and promote better pet care. Additions, suggestions, corrections, and questions regarding this care sheet are welcome and should be directed to content@CentralPets.com