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Amphibians are more than just frogs. They are some of the most colorful pets that you can imagine, and watching them can provide hours of fun. Not only is the amphibian pet enjoyable, but you can also plant the terrarium to make it an attractive feature. And one positive is that these animals are very easy to keep.

Amphibians and distinguished by the fact that they can live on both water and land. Usually they spend the first part of their lives in the water, and the next stage of their development on land. In fact the name amphibian comes from this trait, with amphi being the Greek for life, and bios the word for both. When you look at your pet amphibian, you should realize that amphibians set foot on earth long before any mammals, and that they are the link between man and fish.

Amphibians are ectotherms which means that they rely on the external environment for warmth. So if you keep one as a pet you may need to provide a heat mat or lamp, depending on the species. In the wild amphibians hibernate to avoid cold temperatures. Their amazing range of colors is for the purpose of camouflage, and to ward off predators. The moist skin of an amphibian is shed/sloughed from time to time, and they generally eat their old skin. Tropical pets like amphibians exhibit some interesting characteristics!

All amphibians are vertebrates, which means that they have full skeletons, from their skulls, right down to their toes. Generally amphibians eat by swallowing so they don’t always have teeth, and the bigger species that do have teeth tend to use them to hold their prey, rather than to chew.

When it comes to reproduction amphibians produce soft, jelly eggs and they lay them in water. These eggs are in clumps and they are laid by the thousands as amphibians tend to congregate in the same places to lay their eggs. Despite the fact that masses of eggs are laid, only a few eggs survive to the next stage of thee life cycle. Not only are there many natural predators, but also schoolchildren wanting to bring frogs home.

So there you have it. Some basic information about the amazing world of amphibians. When you have one to keep as a pet you will soon learn more, and research is important. Your pet amphibian’s health is dependent on your level of knowledge. These days amphibians are not so unusual as to be considered exotic pets, but they do require more knowledge than keep domesticates animals such as dogs and cats.

For more details on the interesting world of tropical pets then why not enjoy with site http://www.squidoo.com/amphibians-exotic-pets. Good luck!

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