New Owner in a Pickle. Copes Grey... in Albino?

[AlbiCopes]

Hey there everybody. c: I am brand new at this, and have scoured my informational books and the webs to keep this little guy alive as long as I have. But it's august already, I live out in the middle of nowhere, and there are no places where I could drive close by to buy crickets or mealworms. I'd never intended to keep him as long as I have, I'd just never seen albino tadpoles in the wild before and wanted to see what kind of frog they were. I'm almost certain he's a Cope's Grey, since all the other nine million or so normal colored froglets that left the pond and lay siege upon our house at the time were greys, but I could be wrong. o3o Let me explain the story. There were 11 albinos all together that I counted in our backyard pond, but I only took one because that's all I figured I could manage at the time. He went through metamorphosis a month or so later, and then, I was struck with a dilemma. He's caution tape yellow, with red eyes and a pink band down his side. We have chickens, ducks, birds everywhere, snakes, domestic cats and dogs, as well as all manner of other things that would love to eat him. I've been told that he wouldn't survive one minute in the wild, and that the others probably perished as soon as they left the water. But I haven't the supplies or funds to raise crickets or mealworms for him right now. Currently he resides in a medium pet carrier with a moss padded bottom, a wide branch for him to sit on wedged at a slope in the back, a live weed that I dug up out of the yard and assume is okay since the chickens eat it, and a bark shanty for him to hide under. I mist the whole thing twice a day. I brought him up on gnats and aphids, and I'm now feeding him moths and flies. The next largest thing I could move him up to in the future is a 10 gallon with a mesh lid and an aquarium light that fits. But then rises the question of winter, and what I will feed him, since everything he's gotten from tank furnishing to food has been taken from our huge yard. I don't know what to do. ;n; I've gotten just a hair attached to the little guy, and I don't want to turn him out and be sobbing later: "I sent him to his death... I'm such an awful human being..." My family says I should turn him out, that he'd be happier outside for as long as he had than in my bedroom. But I just have this awful feeling that he's doomed if I turn him out, even in a place where I know the chickens at least don't go. However, I also have this feeling that he may be doomed if I try to keep him. x_x Any suggestions? I can try to post pictures later, I have some really nice pics of him in my camera right now if anybody wants to see him, maybe even confirm if I really do have a Cope's on my hands. xD Thanks to all in advance. <3

[AlbiCopes]

Update: I've decided that I'm going to try and keep him. c: I cleaned his cage today (no soaps, I always use the garden hose on high power for his stuff), replaced his plant with something that seems to be a little hardier, and now I'm making plans for an income that will allow me to buy him feeders and afford to correctly care for him. I want him to be happy and healthy, and a lot of the info I've read on this site has been very informative. <3 I've also figured out a way to show some pictures: (please excuse his cage, it's much nicer since I cleaned it...)

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[Soli]

WOW! He's gorgeous, and definitely looks albino! You're right, if he were released he would be doomed because he doesn't have camouflage. As for feeding him, I have a suggestion, you could order crickets/worms/fruit flies online?

He truly is amazing.

[nirotorin]

He's totally doomed if you let him go in the wild. He's lucky he made it past the tadpole stage in the wild as it is. Do not listen to your family for a second. Frogs do not understand the difference between a decent vivarium, and the wild. They also don't have much in the way of emotions. They can be stressed, or content. That's about it. People tend to anthropomorphize too much when it comes to animals.

[nirotorin]

If you do have to get rid of him make sure you get him to a person who knows frogs, not just out in nature. He will die, and without enjoying his one day of freedom.

[badkelpie]

Do you have isopods (roly polies, pill bugs, potato bugs, woodlice) in your yard? They're pretty simple to raise. You just use a tub or jar or something, poke some holes in the top, some dirt and leaves and maybe some rotting wood, keep it damp but not too wet and they should breed for you.

[AlbiCopes]

Thank-you everybody who responded! c: That's what I thought about the whole "wild albinos are doomed" thing. xD I try to explain that to my family, but they just get frustrated at me like they do when I try to explain why grey colored chickens are "blue", so I've quit at this point. x3 Makes me feel bad about the others that stayed in the pond, but the past is in the past. Yes, I've seen the little pill bugs around, grandma has garden rocks and the undersides are usually covered with them. OuO I'll have to try that, those aren't repulsive like the flies are, and seem like they're a little easier to breed than crickets or mealworms. I could get a good colony of those going and use them to stretch the other stuff that I'll have to have. And I'd actually been thinking about ebay for the crickets and mealworms when I saw your message Soli, that'd definitely solve my distance problem. If I do end up not being able to keep him, I know somebody who might be able to connect me with somebody who could properly care for him.

[Gerards]

Hello, awesome frog! Please shoot me a email if you get a second, it's Gerardzs@yahoo.com. I would like to talk to you about this awesome little guy. Thanks!
Gerard

[MyfrogGatsby]

Holy Moly he's GORGEOUS! You are so lucky to have found him. And he's lucky too its seems!

[blackberry16199]

Amazing and beautiful! Definitely keep him, and if you breed him, he may produce albino offspring, or at least offspring that carry the gene. Im pretty sure that Albinos of any frog, especially tree frogs, are very sought after. Awesome!!

[Heatheranne]

You can also order food insects from joshsfrogs. http://www.joshsfrogs.com/food-nutri...lements-2.html

Don't forget your calcium with vitamin D3 and multivitamin .
http://www.joshsfrogs.com/food-nutri...enhancers.html

[SweetApples]

You should have taken all of the albino tadpoles. Too late now I guess. Lovely froggy.

[Silkmoth]

There are mantis breeders that offer many differen feeders. From melanogasters to bluebottles. Roaches galore to butterworms.
I havnt heard anyone say anything about bluebottles? They are a favorite of my mantids. Is it ok to offer some to an adult frog?
If youd like some names of US mantis people pm me.
Danger: mantids are wicked addictive!

[maxQ]

Oh my he is absolutely gorgeous, I want him. LOL.............