Toads
And Warts
The African Clawed Frog as a Pet
Toads And Warts by Keith George
It was a popular myth in the old days that you can get warts from toads. Not true - now we know that's bogus. Warts are actually benign tumors of the epidermis caused by a virus. The virus responsible is the human papillomavirus, a double-stranded DNA-virus.
The virus resides in the bottom layer of the epidermis and replicates into almost normal-looking skin. Different sub-types of the human papillamavirus cause different types of warts. Some subtypes also cause cervical cancer and other more obscure types of wart-related cancers.
Another myth about warts is that they have “roots” but warts do not have "roots". They only grow in the top layer of skin, the epidermis. When they grow down, they displace the second layer of skin, the dermis. The underside of a wart is actually smooth. Warts are caused by a virus that enters the body through a break in the skin. The virus grows in warm, moist environments, such as those created in a locker room or in your shoes when your feet perspire and the moisture is trapped.
Warts normally grow out of the skin in cylindrical columns and they do not fuse when the wart grows on thin skin such as the face. On thicker skin, the columns fuse and are packed tightly together giving the surface the typical mosaic pattern. Dark dots can sometimes be seen in a wart and it is actually blood vessels that have grown rapidly and irregularly into the wart and have thombosed or clotted off.
Warts can occur in people of all ages, but hit most often children and young adults. They spread by direct contact, simply by touching the wart. Most warts resolve within weeks or months, some may take years. Although that is unusual and persons prefer to treat the warts very quick.
It appears that a person's susceptibility to warts and the time it takes for them to go away is related to the individual's immune system. People who have immune-related diseases tend to have more warts that last longer.
What kind of treatment is there?
Most warts can be treated with simple over-the-counter remedies. For those that are resistant to these measures, there are other types of treatments that are effective.
In your local drug store you may find good working remedies. Try it and if it works, great. If it does not work you lost a few days and some dollars. Then you will perhaps search for a professional opinion from a doctor and they will probably recommend you some of the following treatments.
Salicylic acid is very common and an effective over-the-counter treatment. You have to do a consistent application every day. The best way to use salicylic acid is to first pare the wart with a blade, pumice stone or a small scrub brush. Soaking the wart in warm water will aid to get a better absorption of the medicine. Salicylic acid is then applied to the wart and allowed to dry. Occluding the treated wart with a band-aid or piece of tape also improves the absorption of the medicine. This procedure should be repeated daily.
If the wart is resistant to your treatment, your physician may recommend an office procedure to remove it. After a local anesthetic is applied, the physician may use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart and dissolve it. To avoid scarring or damaging other tissues, this method removes only the top portion of the wart. The treatment must be repeated regularly until the entire wart is dissolved. Alternatively, the physician can cut out the wart.
The human papillomavirus is not killed by cryotherapy and is released into the surrounding tissue. The immune system will usually take care of the virus. You will have a blister as a side-effect of the treatment. Nothing to think about unless you have the warts on the bottom of the foot. Then you should perhaps choose another treatment.
Some warts will go away, your immune system take care of them. If not, you will have a number of treatments available that will most certainly work well.
Keith George always writes about valuable news & reviews. A related resource is Toads & Warts Further information can be found at Health & News
It was a popular myth in the old days that you can get warts from toads. Not true - now we know that's bogus. Warts are actually benign tumors of the epidermis caused by a virus.
The African Clawed Frog as a Pet by Mary Casey
Do you have a child who is longing for a pet but can’t have one because of allergies? Do you want a low maintenance pet with a long lifespan and few needs? Then the African Clawed Frog is for you.
The African Clawed Frog or Xenopus Laevis is a wonderful pet for people who have allergies or live in a place that doesn’t allow furry pets. They also are great learning tools for schoolrooms and for children to learn about how a frog changes from a tadpole to an adult.
You can purchase a frog from Grow-A-Frog online, or from the fish section of your local department store. These frogs are used extensively in laboratories for research because of the properties of their skin. They used to be used for pregnancy detection before more sophisticated tests were available and were released into the wild in the USA when they were no longer needed. Because the frogs will eat just about anything and have a long lifespan, they started to threaten the local fish and frog populations, and are therefore not legal in some states.
Habitat
African Clawed Frogs are from the cooler places in Africa. They like to live in areas of stagnant fresh water like ponds, rivers, and pools. For your frog, you will want to buy an aquarium and allow for ten gallons of water per frog. Because your frog breathes air, the water should be six to twelve inches deep so he can swim to the surface easily. The tap water has to sit for 24 hours before you put the frog in it, or use a dechlorinator crystal you can buy from Grow-A-Frog. Frogs are happiest when the water temperature is about 74-78 degrees F, so you may need an aquarium heater. A filter can be used to keep the water clean.
Whether or not to use gravel or stones on the bottom of the tank is debatable. Some frogs will eat the gravel if it is small, and they could die. If the stones are big enough, you could put them on the bottom. Also, provide your frog with some cover to hide, with plastic plants and decorations. Don’t use real plants, because your frog will destroy them.
Be sure to have a tight fitting lid on the top of the aquarium. Your frog is a master at escape and can jump right out of most places.
You don’t have to use direct light or artificial light for your frog. They like indirect light the best.
Food
African Clawed Frogs are not fussy eaters. You can feed them the prepared fish pellets from Grow-A-Frog, or you can feed them brine shrimp, meal worms, guppies, or Tetra Rept-min. They will even eat the fish in your aquarium, so be careful you don’t put them in a tank with little fish.
Lifespan
These frogs have an official lifespan of eight to ten years in captivity, but most African Clawed frog owners will tell you their frogs can live fifteen to twenty + years.
Care
Clean the water once a week, less if you use a filter. Feed him. Watch him (don’t hold the frog; they have chemicals in their skin which may cause an allergic reaction for some people). Listen to him sing! (males sing, females don’t).
Benefits
The African Clawed frog if bought as a tadpole is a great learning tool for children. They will get to watch the frog grow from tadpole to adult swimming frog. If you buy a male and a female frog, with some luck, you can watch the mating process and enjoy the babies that may result.
The male frog has interesting vocalizations for different occasions. There is the ‘feed me’ song, the ‘I want a mate’ song, and the singing for singing sake song. Both sexes use their front legs to grab and eat, and look like they are begging for more food.
If you want a non-allergic pet with interesting habits and simple requirements, than the African Clawed Frog is for you!
This article has been submitted in affiliation with www.PetLovers.Com which is a site for Pet Forums.
Mary Casey is the
proud owner of a sixteen-year-old African Clawed Frog named Mup.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Casey
Do you want a pet that is non-allergenic? Easy to care for and sings? Great as a learning tool for children? Then the African Clawed Frog is for you! Do you have a child who is longing for a pet but can’t have one because of allergies? Do you want a low maintenance pet with a long lifespan and few needs? Then the African Clawed Frog is for you.