New Article: Amphibian Abuse – Dyed Frogs Sold as Novelties

findi

Arachnodemon
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Aug 31, 2009
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698
Hi All,

Please check out: Dyed Frogs Wildly Popular as “Living Novelties” in China

“In addition to the outright killing of frogs, the practice of dyeing them raises the larger issue of how they are perceived. In one review (see link) for example, the author has not even bothered to identify the type of frogs that are being sold, and even makes light of the situation – suggesting that the frogs sell-out so fast that prospective owners may need to dye their own! The author callously goes on to note that the dyes should last 3-4 years “…by which time the frogs will probably be long dead anyway”. Read article here:

http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...d-frogs-wildly-popular-in-chinese-pet-stores/

Comments and questions appreciated,

Thanks, Frank

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000972624553

http://twitter.com/#!/findiviglio

Bio: http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...logist-frank-indiviglio-to-that-reptile-blog/
 

findi

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
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Aug 31, 2009
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698
Yes...the fish still show up here in the US on occasion; mainly glass fishes shot with neon dye. Turtle painting has long been outlawed, but....

Best, Frank
 

Vlad Tepes

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
39
What is it with the Chinese and weird crap like this? Dying frogs, tiger dick has healing properties, tiger bone wine, etc.
 

ZergFront

Arachnoprince
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May 2, 2009
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.....eating jellyfish as snacks, giving fish tattoos, feeding live to the zoo big cats while it's open to tourists, etc again...
 

zonbonzovi

Creeping beneath you
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Oct 20, 2008
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3,346
What is it with the Chinese and weird crap like this? Dying frogs, tiger dick has healing properties, tiger bone wine, etc.
Ancient civilizations get bored easy. I wonder if I could be "inject-marinated" with this dye? If it's GFP I can't be too concerned(exits browser to find tattoo shop using GFP).
 

taraction

Arachnosquire
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May 18, 2010
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it's mostly a cultural thing, i guess. the chinese were too concerned with being a practical, sensible people. couple that with a lower average education level and no one really concern themselves with animal cruelty. i remember growing up in china and people tied their cats to poles to keep them from running away and catching bats and stringing them through their wings as they slowly starved to death as 'pets'. hell even dogs were mostly illegal as pets up until the last ten years - it was just much more practical to have them as a food source.

but i will defend jellyfish. that shit is delicious.
 

wodesorel

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 20, 2011
Messages
62
I saw these just the other week at a local pet shop here in Ohio. They were albino African Clawed Frogs that were dyed neon pink and green. I was so horrified that I left what I had planned to buy behind and went to a different shop. I guess I've come to accept the fact that fish will be dyed since they were considered "normal" when I was a kid (which is bad in and of itself), but something about doing it to vertebrates made my skin crawl.
 

wodesorel

Arachnosquire
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Oct 20, 2011
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62
(Can you tell I only got a few hours of sleep last night? :) I have some sort of invert on my brain at all times and sometimes I forget that my fishy friends don't fall in the same category as the rest of my tank-bound critters.)

Still, for some reason it was more upsetting with it being frogs than fish.
 

findi

Arachnodemon
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Aug 31, 2009
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698
Hi, I hadn't heard that they were being sold in the USA, thanks. You may wish to contact Ohio's dept. of Fish and Wildlife, and a local chapter of the humane society, or similar groups; it may be illegal; even if not, stores here hate that type of attention and will usually respond. Let me know if you need links to specific organizations, I can send those along as well, best, Frank
 

wodesorel

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 20, 2011
Messages
62
Used to work with the local chapter of the Human Society - they wouldn't lift a finger about a frog. :( (Granted, they barely have enough people to deal with all the dog fighting around here, so I can understand why.) I'll drop a letter to the ODNR this week though and see what they say - thanks for the idea. I did a quick google search and it seems that they're being sold to pet shops as "rainbow frogs" and have been around for at least two years now.
 

findi

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
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Aug 31, 2009
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698
Thanks for the info; I wasn't aware; ask ODNR for advice if they cannot help. Local newspapers are sometimes willing to get involved, but that varies. I wrote an article awhile back that may be useful; the ASPCA directory may have links to useful enforcement agencies:

http://www.thatpetblog.com/tag/reporting-animal-abuse/

Even if mammal oriented, someone on list may be able to point you in the right direction. Tough one; while working with food market turtles in NYC, I learned that herps are classified as "seafood" by the FDA, and that designation exempts them from many of the rules enacted with chickens, cattle etc. in mind. good luck with it, a happy healthy new year to you and yours, Frank
 

lizardminion

Arachnolord
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Nov 7, 2011
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626
It's as if people don't care about the global decline of frog populations. Hell, they even contribute to it. I would not find it surprising if dogs and cats were the last animals on this planet. People don't give a shit about any of the wildlife on this planet. It's all about drugs, texting, and sex these days. Just don't give a rat's arse about any animal except yourself. That's America for you.

And if it ain't that, Lord you have China then. Act like a primitive ape, and stick to your ignorant alien traditions. Intoxicate a frog, boil a whole pangolin(an endangered animal) and serve it on a plate, and skin a dog alive. (just because it's "easier") (btw I saw it on a horrifying video) God, the Chinese don't want anything normal. They can't fit with normal behaviour and even can't have normal animals.

Mind you, may I even mention that if anyone does care, then it's the bizarre apes of PETA who just go overboard. I don't give a rat's arse about animal rights. I don't care when a cow dies. I just hate it when people contribute to the extinction of an endangered animal. I'm a conservationalist.

I'm only a conservationalist. When an animal goes extinct, that means you'll
 

zonbonzovi

Creeping beneath you
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Is this really dye or GFP(green fluorescent protein)? Glofish GFP axolotls are available in the US and I've read that genetic modification via GFP of other animals is being used extensively in lab settings. The FDA is reviewing applications to market other animals and it appears that GFP isn't harmful although I expect more studies are being undertaken.

If it is indeed dye, I have a hard time believing these are being brought in and distributed legally but much stranger things have happened. Still, it does set a dumb precedent IMO. So many interesting creatures on this little ball of dust and people can't be satisfied with what nature has made.
 

findi

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 31, 2009
Messages
698
Hi,
Clawed frogs are likely being lab-modified as you mention re axolotls, but the pet trade individuals are dyed, according to the reports I've read re those in China. I haven't seen them here in the US, but another reader reports that they are being sold..not sure of their origin. As you say, so much to learn about even common species, but folks who want a dyed frog are generally not interested in learning anything of use, sadly! (dyeing and genetic color modification can be vital to lab/medical research and so on, but that is a different matter...), best, frank
 

Tarantulastic

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
14
I actually went to a local pet store this summer and there were dyed frogs there! Since then, I havent seen anythig new.
 

satchellwk

Arachnoknight
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Aug 28, 2011
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257
I've seen these frogs in many, many pet stores in Alabama, both chains and locally owned. I was thoroughly disgusted when I first saw it. They're sold as "jellybean" frogs, and are sold through the South's major pet store wholesale, sunpet: http://www.sunpet.com/index.cfm?fus...578&Jellybean-Frog&XENOPUS-LAEVIS-ALBINO.html I would assume that in America at least, there would have to have been some tests and regulations before they were allowed to be sold, however, as with much of the pet trade, that is probably not so. I just can't believe that people feel that they have to do so many unnatural things to an animal, just to make it "interesting".
 
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