Terrarium Animals

[Edna]

I am setting up a terrarium in my classroom and will need to have some critters in it (for the purposes of science investigation). The lesson plans call for land snails, but it looks like they can't be shipped. The ones that live here are tiny flat snails and aren't around right now. ANYWAY, I'm accepting that I can't do land snails and moving on to other ideas. I will be able to move some pill bugs from my indoor enclosures and get worms from the store. I can get some millipedes shipped. I'd like to put in a Pacman frog. Do I have to heat a frog or are they OK with 70-74 room temp? Maybe a little warmer because of the lights. What about UV? I have about 2 feet of fluorescent lights over the enclosure right now, anticipate upping that to 4 feet. One of the tubes could be UV if indicated.
Could I have hermit crabs with a Pacman frog? I could set them up separately if needed, and then add them to my indoor enclosures at home. Any other ideas out there?
I added a 29 gallon aquarium to my classroom last week and the students are so excited about it that they wrote voluminously about fish

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

A pacman frog does need some supplemental heat, some warm area in the lower 80s. And I would not put hermit crabs with them. They might pinch the frog, depending on its size, and I'm not sure of the frog could digest the shell if it decided to gobble one up.

 

[poison]

I Agree with student on the heat and about them living together. Though don't expect it to be active i don't ever plan on getting anymore they are super boring imo the only fun part is feeding.

 

[Edna]

Ok, a little heat for Pacman, crabs in separate enclosure. If the Pacman tends to sit really still, that just makes it a better model for student drawing. Boredom is not in our repertoire.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

A handful of amphibians make decent classroom captives: southern or American toads (formerly Bufo genera, I dunno what the new taxon is), tiger salamanders, White's dumpy treefrog, firebelly toads. Nearly all do fine on a diet of crickets, supplemented with earthworms.

An alternative to the pacman frog is the African bullfrog, aka "pyxie' frog. Just as big, voracious, and personable, but unlike pacmans, only comes in one color scheme (green with a yellow tummy).

 

[poison]

Pixies can get a bit bigger then a pacman. And are more active. Imo they need a 30 gallon for a female and a 40 gallon for a male.

 

[Edna]

Just curious: Why is something that gets big called a pixie??

SSSSHHHH: I think the terrarium space is going to be filled with some small reptiles, for this year anyway. Pacman frog is going to stay on my list for a time in the future.

 

[poison]

Short for Pyxicephalus adspersus. Scientific name.

 

[Edna]

Ah! Not a size reference, then. That makes sense.

 

[poison]

There are also dwarf pixies if you wanna look into them. Idk much about them though.

 

[jtrux]

African bullfrogs are really neat. At all ages, pacman frogs are pretty boring but the African bullfrogs are usually a lot more active, especially when younger.

 

[Len B]

One thing to think about when keeping "anything" in the same enclosure with a African Bullfrog, If it moves and will fit in it's mouth it will be eaten, they even eat each other.

 

[Edna]

Thanks, Len. Yes, all the little inverts going into the enclosure will be there for the students to "discover" and observe, with the understanding that they are also part of the food chain. I just looked into the African Bullfrogs. Very cool, and I'd like to get one..... maybe at the beginning of the next school year.
I'd still like to be able to put some land snails in there. I'm going to put out a local search and just see if anyone has them, or some slugs, that could spare some.

 

[poison]

African bull frogs and pixie frogs are the same thing.

 

[Rover15]

Whites tree frog is neat fairly active had one a few years back. But your students are lucky growing up I only had one class pet it was a hamster first one the school ever got the year after we got it the class behind me lost it never an other class pet in the school after that

 

[Thalatte]

Fire belly toads are a great class pet. They are fairly active do well at lower temps. Don't need any special lighting and need land and water available. Very pretty coloring on them and very low maintenance. They don't even need to be fed every day so being ignored on weekends would be fine. Also they do great in colonies so you could have several in the tank. Though if they breed you would need to separate the tadpoles as the adults will eat them.

 

[bmt123]

Another really cool animal are dart frogs even though are more expensive they are in my opinion the most active and colorful frog in the pet trade.

 

[Rocky-the-tort]

You could get some giant African land snails. If you want any info just ask me! I have 5 giant African land snails of my own. They are easy to feed as they can eat weeds and greens and grass. Also all they need is some soil on the bottom of the tank.

sent from meeee!

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Also, giant African land snails don't need heat

sent from meeee!