Whenever you hear the name frog you imagine a large green-colored frog sitting on the lotus leaf in the pond. Your imagination is right to some extent and many people love to have them in their ponds. If you are planning to have them as your pets, then consider the frogs that are not poisonous. There are both poisonous and non poisonous frogs.
A. Frog
Frogs are aquatic or semiaquatic animals with moist and smooth skin. They belong to the order Anura, which is a Greek word meaning animal without a tail. They have tails until their larvae stage. At present, these frogs make up 85% of the living amphibian species. (See 10 Types Of Dart Frogs)
B. Features of Adult Frogs
- An adult frog has a stout body with limbs folded underneath.
- They have protruding eyes and anteriorly attached tongues.
- Most frog species have no tails and have glandular skin.
- Their skin color has a large variety of muddy brown, green, gray, and other bright colors (in dart frogs). (See Why Do Snakes Shed Their Skin?)
C. Habitat
Being amphibians, they live both on land and in water. Some species are also found in trees and undergrounds. They prefer freshwater mostly but can be found in muddy water the most.
D. Non poisonous Frogs
There are species of frogs that are highly toxic to humans and other animals and fall into the category of poisonous frogs. The species which do not secrete any toxins from their skin are known as non poisonous frogs. Also, check out the List of Names for Groups of Animals.
E. Frogs that are not Poisonous
Here I have mentioned the types of frogs which are non poisonous and are preferably kept as pets. However, people keep dart frogs also as pets but some of their species are highly toxic to humans. Leopard frog, Blanchard’s frog, Mink frogs, White-lipped, White tree, Waxy monkey, Tomato, Red-eyed tree, Amazon milk, Pacman, Oriental fire-bellied, American green tree, Gray tree, Bumble bee, American toad, African dwarf, Burmese chubby, and African bullfrog are some non poisonous frogs. (See Do Anteaters Eat Ants?)
1. African Bullfrogs
Pyxicephalus adspersus frogs spent most of the year underground. They are bigger than other frogs with chubby olive-green bodies. Their males can be as big as 10 inches and females are half of their size. These frogs are easy to handle and do not secrete any toxic liquids. Due to their scientific name, they are also known as pixie frogs, and they have a lifespan of 20 to 35 years. (See Slug Vs Snail)
2. Burmese Chubby
Kaloula pulchra frogs are the largest in Asia, and they do not contain any toxic substances. However, these non poisonous frogs secrete a sticky secretion when they feel threatened, but it is not poisonous. They like humid conditions for their habitat and have a life span of 15 to 20 years and grow to a size of 2 to 3 inches. They are mud brown with a zigzag orange broad line running from one back leg to another. (See Are Sand Dollars Rare?)
3. African Dwarfs
Hymenochirus frogs are gray with a white abdomen and black polkas on their upper body. They are also named underwater dwarfs because of their underwater habitat. They come to the surface periodically to breathe. They grow up to 8 cm (3 inches) and have webbed feet with claws. Due to their feet, they are known as African Clawed. (See What is the Life Cycle of a Newt?)
4. American toad
Anaxyrus americanus grows up to 51-90 mm (2.0-3.5 inches) in size and is thick brown to gray with a white abdomen. They have ridged skin with bumpy warts, and are native to North America. They have a lifespan of about 15 to 29 years and can change their skin color from brown-green-yellow when they are stressed or feel threatened. They are mostly found in wet forests and near ponds. (See What Colour Is Camouflage?)
5. American green tree
Dryophytes cinereus are also frogs that are not poisonous and are generally found from Florida to Virginia in the Southwest United States. They grow up to 2.54 cm to 6.35 cm (1 to 2.5 inches) with a lifespan of 2 to 6 years. They are a popular pet frog species and are green with a light cream shade of abdomen. (See Do Squirrels Make Good Pets? Can they be domesticated?)
6. Pacman frogs
Ceratophrys got their name because of their round body and large mouth which resembles the video game character Pac-man. They are also known as South American horned frogs and different species of this frog have different colored skin that ranges from lime green to orange-brown. They can grow up to 17.78 cm (7 inches) and have a lifespan of 10 to 12 years. (See What type of Consumer is a Rabbit?)
7. Red-eyed tree frogs
Agalychnis callidryas are native to Neotropical rainforests mostly in Central America and Austrian rainforests. The Central American species has orange eyes with horizontal pupils and the Australian specie has deep red eyes with vertical pupils. But both species have orange feet with bright green bodies. They grow to a size of 5.08 to 7.62 cm (2-3 inches) with a lifespan of 4 years. (See Why do Geckos drop their tails?)
8. Waxy monkey tree frog
Phyllomedusa sauvagii has a white abdomen and green back with white strips running on it. They may look similar to the white-lipped but unlike them, the waxy monkey is native to Australia. These non poisonous frogs prefer humid environments and can grow to a size of 5.08 to 7.62 cm (2-3 inches) with a life span of 6-8 years. They are also named leaf frogs because of their waxy skin and ability to live in leaves. (See I Found a Newt in my Garden What should I Do?)
9. White’s tree frog
Ranoidea caerulea has silver-green skin with a white abdomen and can grow to a size of 7.62 to 11.43 cm (3 – 4.5 inches) long. They prefer moist environments and are not afraid of humans. This quality makes them a good pet frog. They can live up to 16 years. (See Why do Mice like Cheese?)
10. White lipped tree frog
Nyctimystes infrafrenatus is the largest tree frog in the world with a 10.92 to 13.97 cm (4.3 to 5.5 inches) long body. They got the name because of the white stripe running from their lower lip to their back legs. They are native to Australia and New Guinea. They have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. (See 10 Types of Crabs)
11. Mink Frog
Lithobates septentrionalis are small frogs native to the United States and Canada. They are pale-colored in the abdomen and have bright green lips. Their back has dark lines or spots with a tint of yellow and dark bands on the back legs. They grow to a size of 4.8 to 7.6 cm (1.90-03.0 inches). (See Why is my Cat Stretching so much?)
12. Blanchard’s cricket frog
Acris blanchardi are small and dark-colored frogs that are native to North America. They are tiny and are of the size of 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) long. These non poisonous frogs prefer places near ponds, lakes, and other wet areas. (See How to Describe Crocodile?)
13. Leopard frogs
Lithobates are the genus to which all the leopard frog species belong. The species found in parts of Canada and the United States are also known as northern leopard frogs. They are green to brown colored frogs with irregular black spots on their backs. They grow to a size of 6 – 10 cm (2 to 4 inches).
So, today you found out that there are various types of non poisonous frogs. It is time to share frogs that are not poisonous with your friends and family if they are planning to have a pet frog. (Also read 20 Camouflage Colors And Patterns)
