I hope to return to regular blogs and get students input. If you are a previous student and would like to make comments about the animals please email me at Jennifer.Botelle@midkent.ac.uk.
So what better way to start the new college year than with one of the newest arrivals. This week's feature is Jeremiah the Bullfrog.
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"I'm all new and shiny" |
Jeremiah was given to us on the understanding that he would remain Jeremiah. The techs were keen to call him Gomez but have kept their promise and he is still Jeremiah - a great Biblical name :)
Jeremiah arrived in May 2014 at only 3cm long, I remember seeing him on his first day and he was so tiny. He is growing fast and is now about 6-7cm long and growing. Bullfrogs are known to grow as big as 30cm.
Bullfrog is generally a term used for large aggressive frogs found throughout the world and they will pretty much eat anything they can swallow like small rodents and insects, so watch out naughty students :).
They are native to America and Africa among other countries. Quite often they are mistaken for toads due to their large and what may seem like a warty appearance. They come in a variety of colours but usually greenish/brown with stripes.
They like to live in or near shallow water so anyone keeping one as a pet should ensure they are kept in an aquarium or terrarium with some water for them to climb in and out of. Make the enclosure as natural as possible by placing rocks and plantation in with them.
Bullfrogs can jump up to six foot so care should be take when handling them. The average lifespan of a Bullfrog is around 5-6 years, but frogs are at risk in the wild and many species are dying out due to their natural habitats being destroyed and are being affected by the "Chytrid fungus" which is causing major problems in the amphibian world. However on a positive note Frogs are very hardy and seem to survive all sorts of issues and our Bullfrog Jeremiah is doing very well and living the life of luxury.
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