Jeff,
The reason I would not use Leopard or Pickerel Frogs is because the animals that you see preying upon them are IMO "hard wired" to utilize them as prey. When one of my relatives was about 3, their first two pets where a Leopard Frog and a Fowler's Toad. The Leopard frog used to sit on the Fowler's Toad's back and it ended up dying from what appeared to be poisoning from my perspective. Toads are considered the same but utilize different compounds.
This was an artifact of the captive environment and these frogs are known to be toxic to certain species of animals that do not use them as a part of their natural diet and or do not have them as a prey source in their particular part of the world.
There are however Rana and Hyla species all over the world for even baby boas to use as a food source. Lizards are also utilized in my opinion as well. But frogs seem to work best under certain conditions and the slime is much easier to transfer to a live pinkie without harming any living creature in the process.
So if one is to try something out of the ordinary such as this. They must take many things into consideration when using a "prey source" that is alien to the species you are trying to help convalesce from a particular type of trauma or scenario with other or multiple etiologies.
While most of this is my opinion.
I have read from more then one source that these particular anurans do in fact exude deleterious compounds when under duress. Many animals in their niche however are not effected because they are a natural part of their diet.
So when and if I try and give any advice, I would not want to inadvertently compile the problem with misinformation.
I truly believe if you used one of these frogs the net result could very well be death for the already compromised little ophidian.
My reasoning also involves finding something within the little snake to initiate a feeding response in a spontaneous manner that may not be achievable with the prey items we typically utilize that are far and away from their naturally occurring genotypes and or if applicable...innateness.
Thanks for asking that question and making use my brain in a "normal" way. LOL (smiles)
Somewhat off topic but interesting and indirectly related is the problem with The Cane Toad, also known as the Giant Neotropical Toad or Marine Toad, Bufo marinus in Australia. This invasive specie released to combat Cane Beatles (Cane grub) (bad blunder of science use of biological warfare) has killed off many specie of animals with not only their ravenous appetites but also their bufotoxin these Anurans exude while under duress. To my knowledge only one specie of snake in Australia can consume them without perishing and a bird specie has actually learned (this was the interesting part to me) to flip the toad over on it's back to avoid the parotid glands and eat the belly out and not be effected by this toads extremely effective defensive mechanism. I think it is safe to say if the animal is not indigenous to a certain ecosystem it probably is a poor plan to release it into the environment and hope for benign results while trying one's very best to be beneficial. With that being said you understand my reasoning. I not much of a History buff and do not like other people's footprints either and yellow snow is a bad thing as well regardless of it being a sterile liquid.
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They should have known better...PRESCHOOLERS DO!!!!!
I KNOW AN OLD LADY
written by Rose Bonne and Alan Mills-
©1952 Peer International ( Canada) Ltd. SOCAN
I know an old lady who swallowed a fly
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a bird
How absurd to swallow a bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a cat
Imagine that. She swallowed a cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a dog
What a hog to swallow a dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a goat
Opened her throat and down went the goat!
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a cow
I don't know how she swallowed the cow
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a horse
She's alive and well of course!
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If my memory serves me correctly that last line was a tad bit different and doesn't teach the moral of not releasing a specie that is not indigenous into a tropical environment inadvertently giving it a year round breeding season.
AND NO THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH BURMESE PYTHONS IN THE UNITED STATES. SOUTH FLORIDA IS CLASSIFIED AS A TROPICAL ECOSYSTEM AND THESE SNAKES CAN NOT ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN A NON-TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT REGARDLESS OF CERTAIN MICROCLIMATES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST FOR THEM TO UTILIZE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE IN REGARDS TO A SUSTAINABLE DELETERIOUS POPULATION THAT WILL HARM THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF OTHER SPECIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MAN.
SINCE GLOBAL WARMING IS A "HOT" TOPIC THESE DAYS, I GUESS ITS INCLUSION IN THE MIXTURE IS GOOD SCIENCE AND NOT ANOTHER MARINE TOAD TYPE OF SCENARIO BASED ON SCIENCE-FICTION AND "SNAKEHEAD" HYPOTHESIZING
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darn it now I am as mad as a dog passing tacks...lol
Frank's OT but yet NOT link of the day (hehe)
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Thanks,
Frank Roberts
Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research
I opened my mouth and out flowed a melody black.
