Out of sheer randomness that well, is me, TORIA!! I’ve decided to start talking information. You know, like I had an idea to talk about different types of things, like different types of frogs, or Spina Bifida, or stalkers, or something.. Because there are so many different kinds of things.. Chris if you read this, I may want to change my final project to something like this.. Just random educational information.. So I really can’t decide which one to start with..
I think however that I’m going to start with frogs, and lead up to stalkers, or vice versa. I haven’t really thought this through, just slapped me in the face a few minutes ago..
Well, let’s start with frogs.. Here’s some stuff on getting your first frog..
Frogs Can Be a Lot of Work
Frogs need to be fed on a regular basis. Keep in mind where your food source is going to be. Generally speaking, this isn’t going to be as easy as picking up a package at your local grocery store! In addition, if you get a frog that eats live bugs, expect to have a few stray bugs running around the house now and then! The larger frogs can be even more work…Many of the larger species feed on mice and this can be a less than fun experience if you aren’t prepared for it! Frog tanks need to be well cleaned to prevent illness. For more information on this topic, visit the Frog Doctor page to read about frog health. Also, keep in mind that each pet has special needs for Housing. You can read about setting up a terrarium for your pets in the Housing Your Pet Frog page.
Active Frogs
Probably one of the biggest mistakes I hear about is people who go out and buy a “cool-looking” frog which then proceeds to eat, sleep, and generally sit like a lump of clay. The reality is, a lot of frogs don’t really do much, and they aren’t exactly something you can snuggle up with either, so you need to keep that in mind when choosing an appropriate pet. Frogs may be cute or grotesque, but you can’t teach them tricks, take them for walks, or make them speak on command. Frogs which aren’t particularly active will quickly become a boring pet. The novelty will wear off and you’ll be left with a blob that eats a lot. When looking for a pet frog, particularly for the beginner, I strongly urge you to choose ACTIVE breeds. This means, search for a species that doesn’t just sit around all day. Aquatic frogs, certain treefrogs, and the less “fat” frogs are better choices.
Never get a Frog You Don’t Know
There are many many species of frogs, and many have very individualized pet care needs. Some frogs need to hibernate during the winter, others do not. The pet care needs will change everything from what you need as far as tank set-up to what you have to feed them. In addition, many frogs look really really cute in the stores, and then you bring them home and in a few months they’ve grown in monstrous proportions and it isn’t nearly as nice as you thought it was going to be:
A personal example:
I saw the cutest little frogs in the pet store called “Pixie frogs”- wow! They were these tiny little green things (almost an inch long in size) and even their name was cute….
The next day I went to an Annual Reptile and Amphibian show that took place at out local Science And Industry Museum…there I saw that those same sweet little frogs that I saw in the pet store the day before GROW to become these incredibly FAT frogs about 8 inches long!!!!! That means those cute things would have been eating mice and big ol’ bugs and such…something I was utterly UNprepared for!!!
The Pixie Frog is a nickname for their Latin name, (Pyxicephalus adspersus), Their common name turns out to be The African Bullfrog.
So, the moral of this story is, find out about the frog you want to get BEFORE you get it!
Recommended Frogs for Beginners
For the first frog encounter, I strongly recommend the African Dwarf Frog. These guys are small, active, cute, and about as difficult to maintain as a tank of goldfish. You also don’t have to deal with live bugs and they can be kept in the same conditions as goldfish for extended periods of time…(as long as there is a cover!) Dwarf frogs are very easy to take care of once they’ve become used to their new home. As with all fish, expect the first couple of weeks for adaptation time (many times pet stores will sell frogs that are already sick, or that are very very small and which may be a bit fragile in the first couple of weeks.) My sister had terrible luck with the baby frogs until she learned to wait for 2 weeks before she names her new pet (Usually, by then you can tell if the frogs will make the long haul) The best recommendation here is to get them at a decent size. Avoid really skinny ones or ones that are as small as your pinky-nail. In addition, if the frog doesn’t give the pet shop owner a really hard time when the net goes into the tank, it may indicate some initial signs of being in less than perfect condition.
Don’t confuse these with African Clawed frogs, which look very similar when small. The clawed frogs get quite large and actually are illegal in some states (Like in Oregon and California!) For a beginning frog owner who wants to get the full terrestrial frog experience, Oriental Firebellied Toads are an excellent choice. These guys are fairly simple to care for, in so far as they can survive fairly well off crickets with vitamin supplements, and they are incredibly active critters. They also don’t get too large. Finally, there are no hibernation requirements for this species and they do well in temperatures that people generally are happy to have in their homes. Unless you live in an icebox or in extremely hot climates, this species of frog won’t need special climatization for it’s terrarium. You’ll need to find someone who can handle crickets when you go away on vacation for a week or more to take care of them though, but keep in mind crickets are much easier than frozen mice! (Finding a frog sitter for my Firebellies proved to be fairly difficult for me, until I found a friend who actually works at the pet store where I buy the crickets and he was nice enough to take care of them for me while I was out of town!)
A good Tree Frog for beginners is the White’s Tree Frog. This frog has a funny personality and seems to be quite a popular pick. It should be warned however, that some children bore of the whites tree frog despite its funny personality, simply because they tend to just sit around a lot. (Once I even got a letter that said “Whites Tree Frog-What a blob of nothing!”) Much of the behavior of the frogs however, can be traced to how much they eat (and how fat they get!). In addition, the Whites Tree frog is one of the few frogs that is fit to occasionally be handled, and it certainly has warmed the heart of many frog enthusiasts!
In addition to dealing with crickets, the Whites tree frogs need a little more care than the Firebellies need, simply because they live best with humidity and are happiest when the tank is sprayed with water once or twice every day. However, as far as Tree-Frogs go, they are by far one of the easiest to deal with and hardiest species available to be kept as pets!
Frogs NOT Recommended for the Beginner
Poison Frogs are absolutely NOT a beginners frog. Even though these frogs lose their toxicity in captivity, their care is very complicated and these fragile beings have very specific requirements for healthy captivity. I don’t even want to write up any care sheets because I myself am not expert enough to tackle the complicated procedures for proper care of such breeds. Expensive frogs in general should not be a frog considered by the beginner because a frog that costs over 50 bucks is a high investment to make when you are still learning about frog care. Even if you’ve read all there is to read about frog care, you really ought to start with an easier breed before taking on the more expensive breeds like Red-Eyed TreeFrogs and such.
Frogs captured in the wild should be a frog that you KNOW, otherwise you take the risk of not knowing the proper temperatures, diet, etc. I often am asked about frogs that naturally appeared in an outdoor pond where weather patterns lead to pond ice-overs. I don’t think it’s a good idea to “save” frogs from an environment where they naturally occurred in the first place. I suspect that the types of frogs that appear in such climates probably hibernate in the colder months.
Frogs that get FAT, like Horned (Pacman) frogs, Budgettes Toads, and Bullfrogs can get to be pretty boring as pets for the beginner. The Budgettes toad can also pack a good wallop of a bite when it’s full grown, so watch those fingers! This doesn’t mean you absolutely should not get some of these for pets, (Pac Man Frogs, for example, while somewhat “boring” to some, are also very hearty and not as prone to the usual frailties of other types of frogs) but I’d really think carefully about how long you’re going to retain interest in this type of frog before you’ve made any sort of commitment by going out and getting such a pet….
Well that concludes frogs.. Do’s, Don’ts, all kinds of information.. How about Stalkers now?
Here we go.. “The following 6 categories have been defined by P. E. Mullen. However, even Mullen asserts that
these are not entirely mutually exclusive groupings, and the placement of an individual is a matter of
judgment. Like sexual harassers, stalkers may fit more than one profile, or begin with one approach
and move to another.”
Rejected Stalker
The most common, persistent and intrusive of all stalkers, the rejected stalker is obsessed with
someone who is a former romantic partner or friend, and who has ended their relationship with the
stalker, or indicates that he or she intends to end the relationship. Depending on the responses of the
victim, the stalkers goals will vary, and the rejected stalker usually struggles with the complex desire for
both reconciliation and revenge. As Mullen writes, “A sense of loss could be combined with frustration,
anger, jealousy, vindictiveness, and sadness in ever-changing proportions.” This stalker may be very
narcissistic, and may feel humiliated by the rejection. In most cases, they will have poor social skills
and a poor social network. They are also the most likely to try to harm the victim in some way, and may
employ intimidation and assault in their pursuit. They may become jealous if their victim enters or
continues a romantic relationship with another person. A history of violence in the relationship with the
partner is not uncommon.
Resentful Stalker
This stalker is looking for revenge against someone who has upset them–it could be someone known
to the stalker or a complete stranger. The behaviors are meant to frighten and distress the victim. The
stalker views the target as being similar to those who have oppressed and humiliated them in the past,
and they may view themselves as someone striking back against an oppressor. Or, the victim could be
a professional believed to have cheated or abused the stalker in some way. Often irrationally paranoid,
this kind of stalker can be the most obsessive and enduring. While the least likely to use physical force,
the resentful stalker is the most likely to verbally threaten the victim. They may use personal threats,
complaints to law enforcement and local government, property damage, theft or killing of pet, letters or
notes on the victim’s car or house, breaking into the victim’s house or apartment, or watching the victim’s
movements.
Predatory Stalker
The least common of all the stalkers, this is the classic sexual predator whose plan is to physically or
sexually attack the victim. They are motivated purely by the desire for sexual gratification and power over
their victim. This type of stalker is sexually deviant, has poor social skills, and usually has lower than
normal intelligence. They usually will not have any direct contact with the victim while they are stalking
them. This stalker may engage in such behaviors as surveillance of the victim, obscene phone calls,
fetishism, voyeurism, sexual masochism and sadism, exhibitionism. The victim can be either someone
the stalker knows, or a complete stranger.
Intimacy Seeker
The intimacy seeker seeks to establish an intimate, loving relationship with their victim. To them, the
victim is a long sought-after soul mate, and they were meant to be together. Also, they may have the
delusion that the victim is in love with them–usually called erotomania. They may interpret any kind of
response from the victim as encouragement, even negative responses. This stalker may write letters,
send gifts, or call their victim. They may believe the victim owes them love because of all they have
invested in stalking them, and is very resistant to changing their beliefs. The intimacy seeker has an
inflated sense of entitlement, and if they recognize they are being rejected, this stalker may become
threatening, or may try to harm the victim in some way, sometimes using violence. (In this way, they may
become a rejected stalker, see above.) This stalker may become jealous if their victim enters or
continues a romantic relationship with another person. After the rejected stalker, the intimacy seeker is
the most persistent type of stalker. They are usually unresponsive to legal sanctions, viewing them as
challenges to overcome that demonstrate their love for the victim.
Incompetent Suitor
The Incompetent Suitor desires a romantic or intimate relationship with the victim but is impaired in their
social and courting skills. This stalker may be very narcissistic, and cut off from victim’s feelings (lack of
empathy). The incompetent believes that anyone should be attracted to them. Typically, this stalker will
repeatedly ask for dates, or call on the phone, even after being rejected. They may attempt physical
contact by trying hold the victim’s hand or kiss the victim, however, the will not become physically violent
or threatening. The incompetent suitor is less persistent than others, and is likely to have stalked
numerous others in the past, and will probably do so in the future. They will quickly stop stalking if
threatened with legal action or after receiving counseling.
Erotomaniac and Morbidly Infatuated
This stalker believes that the victim is in love with them. They believe this even though the victim has
done nothing to suggest it is true, and may have made statements to the contrary. The erotomaniac
reinterprets what their victim says and does to support the delusion, and is convinced that the imagined
romance will eventually become a permanent union. This stalker may suffer from acute paranoia, and
typically chooses a victim of higher social status. They will repeatedly try to approach and communicate
with their supposed lover, and is typically unresponsive to threats of legal action of any kind. Without
psychological treatment, this stalker is likely to continue with their activities.
Cyberstalking and Cyberstalkers
Cyberstalking is an extension of the physical act of stalking; however, the behavior occurs using
electronic mediums, such as the Internet and computer sypware. Someone who is physically stalking
an individual may employ cyberstalking as another means to pursue, harass, or force contact. Or,
cyberstalking may be the sole means of surveillance and pursuit of the victim. The stalker may join
forums they know their target frequents, and pose as someone else in an attempt to contact their target,
or they may contact other members to get information about the target or defame their character. They
may use spyware to access their target’s computer and the personal information contained within.
Given the vast distances that the Internet spans, a “pure” cyberstalker will never move beyond electronic
mediums and into physical stalking. Still, this does not mean that the behavior is any less distressing,
frightening, or damaging, and a cyberstalker’s motives can fit any of the categories described above.
Moreover, given the ability of individuals to ‘mask’ their identity when using the Internet, linking the
harassment to one particular individual can be difficult. Programs that mask IP (Internet Protocol)
addresses, and anonymous remailers are merely two examples that hinder the identification of the
stalker and their (digital) location.
