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Thread: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

  1. #1
    100+ Post Member ColleenT's Avatar
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    Default Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    I raised my 2 Gray tree frogs from tadpoles this past spring and summer, this is their first winter with me in Eastern PA. the inside house temps are 68-70 at any given time. I have 3 potted pothos plants and one of the 2 frogs is getting thinner and has been hiding in the soil of one of the plants. i am worried, but my other tree frog is fat and is not doing this. they were the same age and probably the same parents. both frogs are great eaters and i thought they were both looking plump, but when i picked up the hibernator today he/she was a bit thin. They eat Crix or FF every night, they have a small water bowl with dechlorinated water and i spray the tank daily with distilled water. they live in a Ext Terra that measures 18x 18x 24 high. i have bamboo and fake vines for them, also hiding places with fake plants on suction cups.

    any advice or experience with this?
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    I'm pretty certain that they would not be hibernating at those temps. The weight loss despite eating suggests parasites to me. I would get them both tested, personally.
    0.0.6 Hyla versicolor
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    My gray tree frog used to hibernate on me every year, granted our house was cool, but nowhere near what it was outside. I don't actually know if it is required that they do this or not, but given that one is acting strangely and the other is not I would be concerned. What kind of soil is in the potted plant? If you haven't already, I'd change out that soil for pure, no fertilizer peat moss, or sterilized leaf litter compost. You may also want to turn the heat up a bit to wake up the sleepy froggie, so she can fatten again, and then turn it down so they can sleep. And yes, get tested for parasites, just so you can rule that out for sure. Hopefully some others with more experience will comment, good luck!

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    100+ Post Member ColleenT's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    i took the frog out and cleaned him/her off, and then put him back in the tank and since then he/she has been acting normal and eating. the temps in my house are 68-70 and i cannot afford to heat the house up any more than that. these frogs live outside in our brutal winters, so i think they can survive these temps. soil is just average potting soil, no additives. plants were dipped in bleachwater solution before i ever put them in the tank, they were rinsed and cleaned. will continue to keep and eye on this frog. the other one is much plumper, but might just be better at catching food.
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    Moderator LilyPad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    Mine have never gone under in those temps. The only time I've had one go under was when he was sick, he died within a day. I always had trouble getting him to eat and keep on weight, in hindsight, wish I had run a fecal test on him earlier on. How is your humidity? When I was having trouble with that boy, I read that they'll go under in low humidity. Instead of warming the whole house, you could heat a little with just a heating pad or even just an incandescent light during the day to help with digestion. I have used a 15 watt on top of my grey tree frog tank in the past to warm things up when the house got really cold.
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    2.2.0 Agalychnis callidryas "Red Eyed Tree Frogs"

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    100+ Post Member ColleenT's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    here is a pic i just got. they guy i was concerned about is the guy on the bottom. i have been spraying them 3x a day. i can increase that, but it seems very humid still. he does not look skinny when he's sitting like this, but if i stretch him out, he seems a bit thin, unless all tree frogs just look slender when they are stretched out.

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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    He looks very healthy to me! He might just be an odd duck lol. Do you have anything you could measure the humidity with? Maybe cover half your screen top (if you haven't already) so that it retains more humidity beyond the spike at misting time.
    2.0.3 Hyla versicolor "Eastern Gray Tree Frogs"
    2.2.0 Agalychnis callidryas "Red Eyed Tree Frogs"

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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    I agree, they both look great!
    Mom to these fine frogs!
    4.4.0 White's tree frogs (Litoria caerulea): Sir Honey Lime, Bok & Choi, Martha, Shirley, Leapin' Loo and Ping & Pong; 0.2.1 Amazon Milk Frogs (Trachycephalus resinifictrix): Otto & Echo and Pip-Squeak aka Tiny
    2.0.0 South American Bird Poo Frogs (Hyla marmorata): Ribbit & Rupert


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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    thanks to both. the humidity is ok, it's an Exo terra and it's 24 tall. the screen at the top has very small holes, so it keeps humidity pretty well. maybe i was just overreacting to him trying to bury himself/herself. i am going to the hamburg pa reptile show dec 6th, and i will see what i can find for telling me humidity.
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    I would agree he looks fine. As a matter of fact though, are you sure it is a he? It occurs to me if one is male and the other female that could explain a difference in appetite. I also agree you should get a humidity gauge, these guys in nature don't need ridiculous humidity, but our homes can be very dry. With that said, I suspect your humidity might be too high, I never sprayed my gray tree frog save once a week (not that I really knew what I was doing, but they are pretty tough). In any case it is good to know what is going on, and if you get a lightbulb for heat you'll have to monitor humidity, because drying out could then easily occur. At any rate keep us posted, glad to hear he is looking better!
    Last edited by teslas intern; November 24th, 2014 at 02:31 PM. Reason: spelling correction, and clarification of one statement.

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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    nope, sex is yet to be determined. They are only babies. their OOW date is July 21st and a few days after. They have always been good eaters.
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    Moderator LilyPad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    I'm not sure there is anything cuter than a baby grey tree frog <3
    2.0.3 Hyla versicolor "Eastern Gray Tree Frogs"
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    Quote Originally Posted by LilyPad View Post
    I'm not sure there is anything cuter than a baby grey tree frog <3
    Well, there's these... *Coff* http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma...ia2no1_500.jpg
    Mom to these fine frogs!
    4.4.0 White's tree frogs (Litoria caerulea): Sir Honey Lime, Bok & Choi, Martha, Shirley, Leapin' Loo and Ping & Pong; 0.2.1 Amazon Milk Frogs (Trachycephalus resinifictrix): Otto & Echo and Pip-Squeak aka Tiny
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    My Grays are 3 yrs old. In the winter, here in NC, I keep my house between 63 - 65 at night. They've gone into brumation every winter. This year, after the heater kicked on drying out the air in the house, I bought an ExoTerra Fogger. I now maintain viv night humidity at 50%-60% night temp 63-65; daytime viv humidity 40-45% day temp 68-70. Couldn't have done it without a 15-minute increment timer. Without the fogger, humidity levels dropped to 35% in the viv and there was brumation. This is my first winter with a fogger and first winter with no brumation. Activity level slightly increased as did appetite but because I will not raise the night time house temp to over 65 and not below 63, I have slowed down feeding to once a week versus every 4 days. I believe they sense the seasons even with all this wizardry.

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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    So maybe the dropping humidity is a crucial indicator to when it is time to hibernate. I never misted my grey tree frog and she always hibernated, and our house wasn't that cold either.

  17. #16

    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    Mine haven't been hibernating, but they have been burrowing into the substrate more frequently lately, at least in their old 10 gallon tanks. Their old tanks ran right alongside a window, so they could see the winter outside, so I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Their new setup is by a wall, and also has much brighter lighting, so I'll see if that makes a difference once they get settled in.

    I don't think the temps are an issue, but they may be picking up other environmental cues.
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    100+ Post Member ColleenT's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    updating, she/he has been laying in one of the pothos plants, and i spray him/her when i spray the tank. both of my Greys are slowing down their feeding. it's still happening, but i am only feeding them every couple of days instead of every night. there are still crix walking around in there, so i won't add any until i don't see crix, and i see more action. i guess it's just instinctual. but outside they would be hibernating/brumating. it's so cold out there.
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    Default Re: Grey Tree frog trying to hibernate

    In response to the original question, of is he all right, I'm pretty sure at this point they are fine and one was just more in tune with winter coming. Thanks for the update! Good luck!

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