My Pet Pacman Frog: BRONX

Last year I decided that I wanted to get a pet.  Before doing so I asked my landlord if that would be alright, since technically I am not allowed to have one as stated in my housing contract.  Before taking a chance and investing in a pet that might be the boot once we had a cleaning check or apartment showing (they are trying to sell) I asked for permission.  Believe it or not I was given permission... and it wasn't that hard.  The way I approached asking my landlord for permission is somewhat strategic.  

First I called her in the afternoon not long after I had sent a rent check.  It helps in asking for something when you are in good standing with the person you are asking.  Not to mention them having a few Benjamins in the bank account from you when you ask.  I guess you could call this mandated bribery (RENT).

Secondly I stated that I didn't want a cat or dog.  I said something like, "I would like to get a pet, but wanted you permission first.  Something simple and clean, not a cat or dog..."  That got my landlord on board with me about the reason for the pet.  I wanted to keep her apartment clean and have a sidekick while leaving here.  That's the way I attempted to present my proposal.  Her thoughts seemed to coincide with mine and I was fast on my way to the important question.  

Next I presented a proposal for which type of pet I wanted.  I had already gone shopping at the pet store to see which kind of pet would do in a college apartment and considered food and housing that would be accommodating for roommates.  I had done my homework and wanted either an emperor scorpion (the big black scary ones) or a pacman frog.  I was honestly leaning towards the scorpion after I found out this breed isn't dangerous.  

So I asked, "Is it okay for my to have a scorpion or a frog?"  Notice I didn't ask can I have a pet, she was already hooked so I just made the assumption that I was going to get one.  She was silent at first, then said no on the scorpion but said a frog would be alright.  Only thing is she didn't know all the live food I would have to contain.  You see pacman frogs eat live crickets, mill worms, fish and even mice.  I would be required to keep and and possibly all of those creatures in my apartment in addition to the frog.  My landlord was had.  She agreed and the next week I picked out my frog.

Determining whether a frog is male or female is called sexing.  Bull frogs and other species have different ways to tell the gender, but I was unable to find anything concrete as to whether a pacman frog is male of female.  One common suggestion is to spray them with water and they will make noise.  Well that's a bright idea.  Think about it.  If you were to spray a human only the guys would get upset and make noise and the ladies would continue being kind and patience allowing you to do it without any back talk.  If that were all it took I think they have it all back words.  Ladies not back talk?  That seems inaccurate.  What if the frog were mute and couldn't make noise?  Regardless it is the least scientific method I've ever heard of.  One other way to sex a pacman frog was the suggestion that the males have dark spots on their throats.  Well mine doesn't so I assume it's a female.

With that being determined I had to come up with a name.  I thought of a couple, but thought I might want to save them for kids or a dog one day.  Also I was a little bummed that I had a girl frog if it would make any noise.  That is part of the fun of having a frog.  I could feel like I was camping every night while listening to it croak.  Hoping that I could possibly make a Tomboy out of her or find out she was a talker I gave her somewhat of a unisex name, Bronx.

Well I've had Bronx for a little over five months and she keeps on growing.  I started out feeding her a few crickets a day.  Then Adam donated a small colony of cockroaches to her diet.  Once they ran out I went back to crickets but they were smaller and she was eating several more a day than before.  Lately I decided to see if she would eat goldfish.  She does, but was a little slow to realize she had food swimming around her in the container with water.  You see, pacman frogs can't swim will drown if the water is above their mouth.  That being said, Bronx is less than comfortable in water, but got used to it and knows it time to eat when I put her in water.  It only takes about a minute for her to pounce and the fish has met its demise.  

I'll post a video of her eating later... until then enjoy the picture of Bronx.