DAILY PRESS (Escanaba, Michigan) 30 August 08 Frogs are rare find (Dionna Harris)
Escanaba: A career in herpetology may be in the future of 8-year-old Paxton Johnson as she and Gregory Pandelis, 11, care for their rare albino frogs.
According to Amy Johnson, Escanaba, Paxton's mother, they were kayaking along the Portage Marsh around the end of June when they came across a mass of frog eggs.
"The egg for the albino frog that Paxton has was white in color," said Amy. "Of the tadpoles that were hatched, we released all of the adult frogs back into the wild, with the exception of our albino. It is a true albino in that its eyes are pink, leaving the frog blind."
Less than 1 percent of all albino frogs reach maturity, and what is even more surprising is that Pandelis, Escanaba, also found an albino frog while walking with his dad along the Portage Marsh.
Craig Albright, Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist in Escanaba, said that an albino frog, while rare, is not uncommon. Albinoism is the lack of pigment (coloration) in either a mammal or reptile.
"There are albino snakes, deer and raccoons, so it is not uncommon, only rare," said Albright.
Pandelis' frog is an adult, which is even more rare, he said.
"Because they are blind, normally they don't become adults," said Pandelis.
After Nov. 1, the Johnson family will need to obtain a permit to keep their rare pet, according to DNR officials.
Both Johnson and Pandelis said they feed the frogs dead flies and insects. They are also be looking into feeding them reptile pellets that can be purchased from a pet store.
"When my frog was a tadpole, he would eat the algae that was in the tank, and now that he is somewhat grown I have to feed him flies and other insects," said Johnson.
Currently both frogs are living in a spacious outdoor aquarium, with water, plants and rocks, and will be transferred to an indoor aquarium for winter.
"I am hoping to become a zoologist when I get older. They work with animals and reptiles," said Pandelis.
Frogs are rare find