FROGS, TOADS AND SALAMANDERS AS PETS

This companion to Lizards as Pets (1971) offers comparable field guide/handbook information about American amphibians. General characteristics are followed by a species-by-species countdown -- tightly organized information animated only by an occasional picturesque description (""The Hellbender is a great flabby animal with a thick oozy skin""). The section on caring for amphibious pets (it isn't easy) will be the most useful. The hobbyist must be prepared to plant his own terrarium, raise mealworm cultures and ""rear"" grasshoppers (""It is always better to have live, moving food""). There's a section on raising tadpoles from eggs, and, for those who don't want to capture their own pets, a list of supply houses. For observing in the wild, one of the standard guides such as Roger Conant's Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians will do just as well; those who insist on bringing their batrachians home with them will benefit from Headstrom's specialized instructions.