Pyxie behavior questions.

[NialR35]

Greetings!

For all you pyxie owners, are these things normal?

1) My pyxie does not really burrow all the time, unlike my ornate. There is enough substrate in the terrarium that should be enough to cover him head to toe so should I put some more just in case? Sometimes he just sits there and barely goes under there, less than half his body. Also do you guys normally "stir" the substrate weekly to mix it around to prevent the frog from sitting in the same dirty spot?

2) Is the bigger the water bowl the better for growing pixies to avoid toxing out? Considering they spend a lot in the water, I wonder if this would help.

3) In the last two days I've noticed at night he seems to go a bit crazy and I find the tank a bit messy in the morning, so I figured something might be bothering him. He's been eating well lately except for the last two days that he only ate 1 night crawler per day and his aggressiveness was not the usual and then refused to eat more BUT last night he ate two so it's going back to normal.

4) When I touch his sides it feels soft, not sure if jelly-like or liquid like but soft. Is this normal?

I have read before that young pyxies are VERY shy and nervous so well I added another plastic vine in his terrarium for more cover and maybe adding another inch of eco earth should help?

I'm currently using a medium zoo med water dish and have a large one laying around, I wonder if this will help too to provide a bigger water bowl for him even though he's around 2.5 ".

It seems like something has stressed him lately because sometimes I hear bumping into the glass so I'm trying to figure it out. Before I would turn out the lights at feeding time and he would come out and wait for it, the last two days he just stays there and I have to go to him to feed him.

[Cap10Squirty]

I can't answer all of these, but I have noticed that my frog used to burrow all the time when there was about 2-3 inches of substrate. She comes out at night to do her thing - soak and eat. Recently I put less eco earth in the enclosure (for no reason really) and noticed that she spent one day/night sleeping on and behind a plant, and today she is underneath her water bowl (that is filled with water!).

My frog is pretty squishy on its sides too kind of like jelly/liquid...but once I isolate her in a container separate from her enclosure she urinates and her sides go down quite a bit. Also, remember that when they puff up a lot that makes them even squishier!

Also, sometimes I see the frog in the evening just hopping at the walls or across the enclosure. This usually only happens when I flip the room light on and it must startle her a bit. I use a red light for nighttime viewing and feeding in order to make her night less stressful. Does anyone know if these are harmful to this species of frog? It is a regular CFL 12 watt red bulb, not reptile/amphibian specific.

[GrifTheGreat]

1- GABFs are a burrowing species of frog, but will remain above ground during their active periods. Juveniles lack the extension of the metatarsal called the Tubercle which the adults use for burrowing. Juvrniles and babies need to aquire already made burrows. It isn't uncommon for them not to burrow.

2- A larger water bowl if fine since they spend the majority of their time in water while active. Just don't make it too deep. Chest deep is fine.

3- Eratic behavior can be idicative of Toxing Out and stress, but sometimes they just get overly active. I would still keep an eye on the frog just incase.

4- GABFs have smooth skin despite their dorsal ridges. Their bellies are quite soft and squishy. Not unusual.

Check for poop in different areas. Sometimes they'll stress out over poop being left in their presence.

[NialR35]

Thanks guys, I was alarmed by him acting all hyper.

I just finished adding around another inch of substrate and he hasnt stopped hopping around in the last hour. He looks a little anxious so I don't know. Lets see what happens during feeding time tonight.

I think it could be toxing out so the extra substrate should help somehow. I do change his water around twice every day. Recently he doesn't go in his water like he used to unless he has to poop. I wonder why...

[Truffs1178]

Recently he doesn't go in his water like he used to unless he has to poop. I wonder why...

Same. I think it has something to do with them growing up. When mine was a baby he was in his bowl all the time.

How old and big is yours now?

[NialR35]

Same. I think it has something to do with them growing up. When mine was a baby he was in his bowl all the time.

How old and big is yours now?

I've had him for a month a a half and is around 2.5" SVL. And yours?

[Truffs1178]

I've had him for a month a a half and is around 2.5" SVL. And yours?

Not even three months old and about 7 inches. He's a big boy. Look at my thread called Nightcrawler Troubles. It has some pics of him.

[NialR35]

Ok tonight he only ate a medium size horn worm and stopped. I think something might be off because before he would eat very aggressively and in the last couple of days it has slowed a lot. I wonder if they stop eating when they haven't shed? I have not seen my frog shed yet since I got him around 6 weeks ago. Any ideas or tips? His appetite seems to have slowed down lately and not sure why. What is repti boost for and pedialyte baths?

I don't think he is constipated because he has been going every other day...

[Truffs1178]

You don't often see them shed because they eat it and it only takes minutes.