Have you met Pinky the frog?

Well if you haven't, you might as well get to know her because she'll be living in my cell for a good number of years.

She's an African Clawed Frog (not to be confused with the African Dwarf Frog) and can live in for up to 20+ years! Here are a few facts about Pinky's species:

* She's aquatic
* She will grow up to 5 inches
* She has no tongue
* She uses her hands to shove food in her mouth
* If needed, she has claws on her back feet to tear food
* They will eat just about anything that will fit in their mouths from fish to insects, plants and organic waste
* They are hearty animals & can threaten a foreign ecosystem - they are illegal in several US states

I think she's pretty darn cute, even if she does have a freaky stare:

So what do I love about her?
* She's an albino variety, which has a unique beauty
* I can hand feed her and she nibbles on my fingers
* The way she gobbles food and uses her front claws/hands is very human like
* She's quiet
* She is a great part of the food chain: she "recycles" fish that pass on from our other tank.

While I think she is an amazing creature, I don't recommend buying an African Clawed Frog at a pet store. Why? Because they live so damn long, someone is bound to be giving one away. And releasing one in your local pond/river is simply a BAD idea because they can threaten survival of other indigenous specious. They survive because of their scavenger nature (they will never starve to death)so they just eat anything that's edible. And they've been known to make through mild freezes.

Pinky is a fascinating animal, but dangerous if you cant commit to half a lifetime's companionship, or if you put them in a tank with some prized smaller fish.

Appreciate nature, so do choose your pets wisely.