>>Species mixing is a horrible idea when it comes to reptiles and amphibians!!!!!!!!!!!!

>>In the other reply the individual said you could house tree-frogs with california newts. This is asking for problems. California newts and related species (Taricha sp.) are the most toxic amphbians in North America. There are documented cases of people eating them on a dare and getting very ill, then die. So if the toxins could kill a human think what it could do to a tree-frog.>>



Taricha species only release their toxin (tarichatoxin) when handled roughly or when they are stressed. Their toxin will not leach into the water from their skin, so housing a treefrog with a California newt is not a problem. However, housing a big frog (such as a bullfrog or a horned frog) that can feed on the newt is a bad idea. The frog can die after eating the newt, and the newt can die from being ingested and partially digested.



In general I do agree that it is a bad idea to mix species because of disease and parasites. A species from one part of the world would probably not have any immunity to the diseases that may be harmless to another species from another part of the world. The same is true of parasites.

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