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Thread: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

  1. #21
    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    Another shakeup with ideas...

    After talking about moving away from aquariums and the fact that the Gray Army will have the second largest enclosure out of 5 caused some very interesting conversation. I said about using a Tetrafauna Viquarium another 75 gallon but more like a terrarium. Then it was brought to me that I could get another Biopod to house the Pine Creek PA Woods which would really be wild and would cause some interesting debate between manuel keepers and the automatic system of the Biopod and their keepers. Which is better a custom build or all in one? That depends on what you want.

    I thought about this and actually it would save a lot of money doing this and would actually be more space for the toads. So I am about certain that is the future plan for the Pine Creek PA Woods. This all connects with the Gray Army. The biggest question is what about the fish?? Well instead of them being in the Pine Creek setup they would be traded to the Gray Army and asked to keep the waters clean. As long as it's not standing water which the Biopod actually recycles it's water so the toxin of the Gray Tree Frogs might come out through the water being cycled. I will change the water anyways. So the Mosquito Fish are awaiting the end of the summer to inherit the waters of something new.

    Now there is a lot the Gray Army holds the key to. They could become tropical and challenge the Exo Terra Terrarium community of the Five Lined Dumpy Family and cause some interesting conversation and comparison. On the other hand they could remain native and challenge the 125 Gallon Western PA Woods and the other Biopod in another very controversial conversation. Pitting a Biopod vs Biopod could be really interesting. Especially the same size Biopod with native plants and animals and the climate would be similar. That is very interesting.

    Well a big piece of the puzzle will be understood after Bane goes to the vet with me and Ace. If the Gray Army is allowed to use the native plants in the setup then that is the most compelling case to stay native. If I need all new plants then it would be easier to go tropical. The native plants can only be bought for a limited time opposed to exotic plants seemingly all year so if plants die they can instantly be replaced.

    All I know is that the Western Woods will be the next setup to be worked on after the finishing touches on the Skink Dynasty. They will all always be updated but most things won't change. The Western PA Woods will be the least expensive to complete. So maybe just maybe it will make an appearance this summer!

    Then at the end of the summer the Gray Army will get their forever home which is the Biopod. I have just 2 enclosures planned to work on over an 8 month span. This way I can focus on making these enclosures sustainable and not have these problems. Also all the animals at this time should be treated for the Gray Army and the Toads. The Gray Army will still be featured in the 30 Gallon this year so don't worry about their availability.

    Around this time next year I will be spending time observing the first Biopod and then will be making the decision to purchase the enclosure of the Pine Creek PA Woods. This enclosure is unique because it will be made over the winter and is a Native setup. If it's a Biopod it won't be as difficult. There are some very big surprises in store with the native setups I do not want to ruin.

    So what do you think about the idea of a battle of native enclosures between manual vs automatic?

    They haven't been featured as much on the channel but are you interested in seeing the relationship between the Gray Army and the Mosquito Fish? I am!

    In times where things are ever-changing and getting finalized at the same time ie the Skink Dynasty finished and the changing Pine Creek PA Woods enclosure what sounds more interesting comparing two native Biopods or having them face the manual setups?

    Should the Gray Army be independent and be featured by it's self or should it join a side? It's getting enough exposure and attention to do any of the three.

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  3. #22
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    Just dscovered this thread. Glad Ace and Bane are doing better. I have had two pets in the past with a prolapse (baby guinea pig and a very young pacific tree frog). The guinea pig didnt make it ( vet tried surgery). The frog made it after several sugar soaks, surgery and deworming. Had to be very careful to feed very small prey after that. Looking forward to hearing more about your vivarium.

  4. #23
    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    A very detailed update!!

    Finally a breakthrough for the sick animals! Ace is making a comeback and we believe she is going to be fine. She was just dewormed and looks to be impressive how alert she is. I informed the vet of my intention of still breeding Ace and she agreed but we have a long way to go for that. It's good we have 9-10 months until the hibernation! She should be good by then! If she isn't we will wait for her. So the toads are doing good. The upgrade of their build I ran by the vet. So a biologist and a vet who are well respected have helped me tailor a special build for the upcoming 125 gallon Western PA Woods Vivarium! I am honestly so excited because I am hoping to out compete the first generations of the PA Woods Vivariums. What I mean is that I want to introduce the crickets both species I use and the Isopods. I want to show how important they are! You guys can see the feature video of the YouTube Channel of the most viewed and most diverse enclosure. I am still trying to beat this video and compete with the biodiversity! I believe I'll crush it with the new 125 gallon build.

    So now that the toads are doing well it's time for news on the Gray Army!

    Yes they can still have their plants but they need cleaned. So this means the Biopod is going to be a Native PA Woods! We can still call it the New PA Woods! They still maintain the opportunity to have the name. The interesting thing is though it's going to be looked at as a smaller build the New PA Woods Biopod will actually be tied for second largest enclosure by gallons. Oh well haha that's the name and I'm sticking to it!

    Bane is doing great his prolapse is being held in check. He had proper care done the first time. He in two weeks has his stitches removed.

    I am very excited to say the babies are growing up so fast and after the toads and gray tree frogs are done being checked out then the babies are next. So probably around the fall or winter we will have the first encounter between the babies and the adults in the Biopod! Talk about exciting!

    So we have something very important to discuss about the Gray Army. They have garnered enough popularity to become in contention to be independent in video and display! I decided to see what our dedicated fans on Facebook thought in a poll. So far I was very surprised to see people just want to see stand alone Gray Tree Frogs videos. The voting is still going on and you can vote in the link below! We need you and your vote! This can impact the fate of all the PA Woods Vivariums social media and even in some respects the lives of the Gray Army!

    Remember there will be hopefully 7 tree frogs and Mosquito Fish in the build so they will have a lot of solid observation and documentation to show us. If they are so popular then why not as long as they get voted to be a stand alone name. But they will still be a member of the PA Woods Native Species Community! How this will work is that we will call the exotic animals kingdoms like the Five Lined Dumpy Family Kingdoms. Then to pay homage to the colonies the 3 native enclosures will be the native species colonies.

    So you may be wondering how the toads are going to compete with the Gray Tree Frogs and not just because of their enclosure. Well I promise the toads will be no slouch and I have a solid plan. Something nobody sees coming! They will compete with one another for supremacy to determine who was the best Native Colony of the year. We will look through various categories. The 3 colonies will battle but this year in 2019 it will be a battle between the Upgraded Rebuild Western PA Woods Vivarium vs the Red Hot New PA Woods Biopod. We will have the most intense battle I'm going to through so much at you to make it difficult to pick a winner. That's what you would expect from 2 heavyweights in a fight right?

    The last enclosure will be the Pine Creek PA Woods Biopod that will have toads in and will be the reverse of the Western PA Woods Vivarium. In 2020 this enclosure will join in on the fun.


    For Frog Week I may reach out to various resources like my new vet and my go to man a biologist. I also am possibly going to ask my college if they will support or join in. I'm not sure how far we can take it but if they would support it that would be cool. My one professor is a scientist and she is excited to hear about my plans! We have a lot of good stuff going into the right direction. I also have a lot more care articles to write. I'm continuing a part 2 for American Toads and Gray Tree Frogs!

    Tomorrow I'll have the names of the playlists for the Western PA Woods Vivarium and New PA Woods Biopod. I'll include the care sheet articles as well and explain more!

    I threw a lot at you guys! I hope it wasn't too much!

    Are you excited to see the Western PA Woods Vivarium battle the New PA Woods Biopod this Autumn?


    What are you looking forward to about Frog Week?

    Do you have any thoughts on the Gray Army declaring independence?

    Vote here!
    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...02141930246413

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  5. #24
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    Names of the Series and Care Articles for 2019...


    I noticed an even greater change in the animals that have been eating the insects that are eating the Mazuri Gut Load. I have to say that I recommend it more and more as the weeks are going by.

    Nothing different happened yesterday and today all the animals are doing great!


    Now we can talk about what the goals are for 2019. There will be more series coming this year. We had the Swarms Battles and the Perspective video but this year things will be even more in depth and not expecting any sick animals.


    PA Woods Vivariums:
    Western PA Woods Vivarium
    Pine Creek PA Woods Biopod

    Swarms Battles will return for 2019. It will be the longest series and will see special guest appearances by the Five Lined Dumpy Family and the Gray Army! There is unfinished business between some of the feeder insects and the toads. This may be another thing to consider. Maybe the toads will not be alone and we need to see how everyone will hunt crickets. Let's face it though frogs and toads vs crickets never gets old. There will be some intense battles this year. I got confirmation that I can use Praying Mantis and Dragonflies so you will not want to miss seeing such epic battles. The guest appearances will make things interesting to see what is next! Look for the Swarms Battles to come later in the summer this year.

    Seasons in the PA Woods Vivariums is what we are trying to accomplish. This year we may be able to have the first episode but that may be up to the PA Woods Community on a vote. We could start out with Autumn and show the temperature changes, pursuit of the animals to put on weight and a lot of cool environment effects. This episode would include the first hibernation. Seasons 2020 will be probably the most anticipated series ever on this channel to hear first if the animals hibernating woke up and then if they actually attempt to breed. Seasons is the animals having to show how they adapt to the environment. Thunderstorms, Foggy days, droughts and the sounds of the room and their enclosures will change. This is an epic and over the top documentary of the lives these animals live. Look forward to the vote on whether or not we will show Autumn this year!


    Perspective is focused on presenting the stories of each individual amphibian. It's a unique take on the stories and allows you to understand who these animals are and how they joined the PA Woods Vivariums.


    PA Woods Battles is going to be a yearly renewal of rivalries. The Western PA Woods, Pine Creek PA Woods Biopod and the New PA Woods Biopod will all fight for supremacy to be considered the best Native Species enclosure of 2019. Instead of swarms of insects the animals will be representing their homes and will be battling one another for the right to be the best. The odds favorite to win is the Gray Army. It's a slight shock to be favored over the Western PA Woods Vivarium but these two will battle in 2019. Winner takes all and it will constantly push the enclosures to get better to see each enclosure have an opportunity to win. The PA Woods Community will vote on the battle and will conclude their winner. This will have more details later but get ready late summer early fall to see two heavyweights collide. The Western PA Woods Vivarium vs The New PA Woods Biopod.

    Frog Week is an exclusive 7 day series featuring native species of frogs and toads. We will highlight 3 species and adventure to the PA Woods searching for these animals and describing whatever else we find that includes them. Two featured in Frog Week are America Toads and Gray Tree Frogs. The third amphibian is not going to be announced until a video in Frog Week. You'll see me going to the places where the tanks are inspired by and where the animals are from. It's going to be fun. That's the plan for the animals of the PA Woods Vivariums.

    The New PA Woods Biopod will participate in some series with the PA Woods Vivariums but maintain the Independence their fans voted for.

    Biopod Grand updates will be a big part of the hype around this build. The Gray Army will show off what their enclosure can do and how it holds up over time.

    Guest appearances in the Swarms Battles this year. The Gray Army will be defending their setup from different insects and it will be even better then before. They are getting healthy and getting an enclosure that will allow for even better shots. Get ready to see if Bane can match the incredible hunting strategies that he showed us in 2018. We will see how the baby tree frogs will handle being in the spotlight.

    Holiday Specials are made for the Gray Army! The Gray Tree Frogs will be returning to the holidays and will be facing off with the Dumpy Family and the new Skink Dynasty. This Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year we will see the Gray Army battle the exotics. In the early season they will be featured in their own videos. More info coming later on holiday videos.

    PA Woods Battles are going to show us who the best is. This is the opinions of the PA Woods Community and whoever they think is the best will be crowned the champions. The Gray Army is facing familiar faces this year they will compete with the Wild Western PA Woods Vivarium. Ace vs Bane. Pious vs Christian. This will be key matchups. The community is going to decide on many variables who is the best! This year get ready for the heavyweight battle of the channel the Western PA Woods Vivarium vs The New PA Woods Biopod.


    Frog Week is an exclusive week long documentary on the frogs and toads of the PA Woods! We will be featuring three species and searching for them in the woods as well as talking about their relationship to whatever we find that relates to them. We will be featuring American Toads, Gray Tree Frogs and one species to be revealed during Frog Week!


    These are the series of the PA Woods Colonies. The three enclosures will be featured in these series. It's going to be an awesome 2019 everyone! Care articles are going to be a focus too!


    Feeding Tips For Native Amphibians
    Northern Leopard Frog Care Sheet
    Hidden Care Sheet (wait for Frog Week)
    Mixed Species Care Sheet
    Introducing Insects into a vivarium
    American Toads Care Sheet (Part 2)
    Project PA Woods Vivarium
    Hidden Care Sheet wait for Frog Week
    Gray Tree Frogs Care Sheet (Part 2)


    We will be furthering the knowledge of the Toads and Tree Frogs in part 2 of a care sheet. Project PA Woods Vivarium is going to document the weekly updates but will be published as a care article so you can just read the experiences week to week of the progress or failure of the enclosures. I'm looking forward to discussing how to introduce insects that aren't just Isopods and Springtails. We will talk about introducing Crickets and Earthworms and so on. I will finally give my experience and opinion of mixed species care and talk about some problems new hobbyists face and different things involved with the subject. I will make a care article of a frog that is notorious on my page even though I don't keep them anymore. They are still one of my favorite frogs ever. If my vet I had now was aroun when I had him I'd still have Spot. The Northern Leopard Frog will get a care sheet. They are beautiful and I can't wait to explain all the knowledge I have of them. In memory of Spot. He set the bar high for the expectations for animals in the PA Woods. I still get sad when I think of him and Toto the first toad. They were very special. There are others too but these are the biggest and best to discuss to get you excited for the year ahead!!

    So with all that being written get ready for epic battles, beautiful enclosures being created, seeing Seasons inside enclosures, checkout where the animals of the PA Woods Vivariums are from and get ready to meet new faces.

    What series are you most interested in?

    What care article are you looking forward to reading?

    What enclosure are you interested in seeing built and showcased?

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  6. #25
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    This is an update to remember...

    The Gray Army will be mostly this update and a big reveal at the conclusion!

    So to ease into this big update I will say that all the toads and gray tree frogs are doing great.

    The lineage and the peers of Bane and Christian are in jeopardy. So I learned of what happened after Bane and Christian were captured and given to me. This might start out this update sad but it will get better! So the person who collected them said they would gather in his girlfriends pool to breed. Shortly after Bane and Christian were mine the family got rid of the pool and I heard they may have poisoned some of the frogs. When I heard of this I was happy that I got Bane and Christian so they weren't poisoned or forcefully suffering loss of their home and breeding area. So I have improvised a plan to reach out to the family and see if I can come collect the tree frogs. My hope is I will be able to catch as many as possible and we will relocate almost all of the tree frogs. I plan on keeping females so my guys can mate. I am considering keeping a group so maybe another male and having around 6-7 gray tree frogs from this situation and to hopefully breed and relocate this group of frogs. This will be a big feature on Frog Week if we can go in and get the tree frogs. This to me is special because I could be saving kin of Bane and Christian. I could be saving their parents and others associated with them. Let's hope I can get the opportunity to save the roots of my gray army!

    Not only this but I finally got on recording one of the tree frogs calling and making the unknown noise. I say this because it sounds like a territory call not mating or distress. Soon I will upload to YouTube and ask what others think. I was also surprised to know that not just one of them do this but both Christian and Bane do this! I am very interested to know if these frogs are territorial?

    Bane seems to be doing great and in less then 2 weeks he will be getting his stitches out and he will be dewormed. Once his bills are paid off we will begin treatment for Christian and get him reunited with Bane. So until then we will not have the Gray Army featured in any videos, but the Five Lined Dumpy Family will take this opportunity to introduce themselves. The Gray Army will reunite soon!

    A Big Reveal
    So I am taking an environmental science class this semester and being in it 3 weeks I have come up with the greatest idea I've had for documenting my animals for YouTube. This will blow you away my professor was very very impressed. So as you know I said my big 3 series for the PA Woods Vivariums for the Toads. Swarms Battles was showing feeding, Perspective was individual stories and Season's which we didn't get to was about weather. I am saying now that all 3 of these are discontinued as on now. In their place we will be combining all 3 series into one. It will retain the name Seasons.

    Seasons
    Imagine watching an enclosure go through environmental changes as the seasons change causing the plants, amphibians and insects to adapt in front of our very eyes. From Thunderstorms inducing breeding in the enclosure to droughts and fog. From intense battles with Praying Mantises and Dragonflies to learning the stories about the individual amphibians. These frogs and toads demonstrate the challenges of living in the wild in front of our very eyes!



    Thunderstorms
    Droughts
    Fog
    Changing Temperature
    Changing Insects along with the seasons
    Attempted Breeding and Hibernation
    Praying Mantises
    Dragonflies
    Introducing insects into the ecosystem
    And More!

    This is a hidden playlist on YouTube and the description of what is to come. I am not yet ready to reveal all the details but this series will feature 10-12 videos of Spring, Summer and Autumn. Winter will be combined with Autumn. We will have multiple videos that will feature the weather. So a thunderstorm in spring will be 2 episodes and so will a drought. One cool thing I found is that I can have different thunderstorms. I can make them more or less severe. We will not be able to show the spring this year in 2019 because the animals are not ready. But this will be also the goal for 2020. We will have some of the greatest observations for YouTube and this will be as epic and authentic as I can make it. 2 enclosures will be included in this series but not the Gray Army. They have other plans.


    Freedom for the Gray Army!
    This past week on PA Woods Vivariums Facebook Page a vote was held that changed the PA Woods Vivariums Community as we know it. The Gray Army was voted to become a main feature and to be independent to be documented by themselves. This is a big deal because they have become the most popular currently on the channel. We will see how things pan out because the Gray Army will be facing 2 other enclosures this year. The upgraded 125 gallon which will have weather and potentially we will have them face the Five Lined Dumpy Family together. Yes both the Skink Dynasty and Dumpy Family. If the Gray Army were to win both they will have defeated the other two main features on my channel. That's very impressive to me!


    Frog Week Update!
    I have reached out to various sources and I have some early sponsors and supporters!

    Our Reptile Forum
    Macrocosmic Critters (Facebook Page)
    American Toad Enthusiast (Facebook Group)
    Frog Addicts Anonymous (Facebook Group)
    Josh's Frogs Pet Supplies

    I am very fortunate to have these groups sponsor me and hopefully to pick up more along the way!

    Frog week will feature native species American Toads, Gray Tree Frogs and an unidentified species currently. We will go through the state and adventure to find the featured animals, talk about where my pets are from and explain the relationship other frogs, insects and reptiles have to those featured. Also will be videos featuring my pets among other videos. It will be similar to Shark Week with the goal to get people to care about the Native Wildlife!

    What do you think about the Series Seasons for the PA Woods Vivariums? Weather and backstory on the animals.

    What is your opinion about the Gray Army? Saving their peers and them being independent for the channel?

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  7. #26
    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    More news on the Gray Army and about some series for YouTube!

    In my other post for the Five Lined Dumpy Family I said that the babies would join the exotics and they came from the south where the enclosure is designed from. With the departure of the babies which probably has some followers bummed out it is a great opportunity to talk about why this happened. I am making room in the all Gray Tree Frogs Biopod for more tree frogs from where Bane and the are from. Their peers and kin lost their breeding ground and some were killed so I am attempting to collect some to relocate and to keep some for breeding and replenishing their species. It is sad this happened to them but I feel since I was give some of the best Gray Tree Frogs this is now my problem and I am going to try to save these frogs. I have 2 locations I can relocate the frogs to. I will move them far away from the area if I can manage to get some. I will let you all know as time goes on if I can collect them. It's going to take a great deal of effort but I've already begun preparing for this.

    The fate of Bane and Christians friends and family may be in my hands.

    Bane is doing amazing and I'm excited to soon get Christian dewormed so the two can reunite. I can make videos of them again!

    So for the Seasons Series for the Toads and maybe something else.

    This is honestly shaping up to be the enclosure I have dreamed of building and displaying. Having such special toads and maybe something else that's special it is going to be so wonderful seeing them interact and to experience weather. I'm excited to introduce inverts and to have plants fill up the lands. It will be 1000% better then what you saw last time. I am stoked to show a thunderstorm and the conditions that these toads will go through. I am going to speak to the vet to see the insects that I have planned for the different seasons is okay and healthy for the toads. My favorite invert the Praying Mantis I get to showcase then and build a temporary enclosure for them and give some cool information about them and show them battling the toads. I respect the Praying Mantis and I am very excited to share them as well. Ace is actually growing and looks like she may get to a good size to take down a praying mantis. She may be the only hope for the Western PA Woods. Wellsboro is still the biggest toad. Wait until you see him battle a praying mantis. He's able to take down a much bigger mantis then Ace as of now. The Golden Toad vs the Praying Mantis. This has a good build up.

    Ace and Wellsboro will be the alpha of their enclosures. They are super hunters meaning they consume more food then everyone else and out compete everyone else. Ace doesn't snap at other so when her mate Pious wants to eat she doesn't stop him. Wellsboro and Ace were in the same enclosure and I saw problems. Those two ate so much they caused everybody else to lose weight. This will be interesting when these two enclosures battle for your vote to see which PA Woods Vivarium is better. The rivalry between Ace and Wellsboro will be showcased and I think you will be very entertained.

    Let's not forget the Gray Army will be involved in the mix as well. They may be independent but they still have ties to the native species. They will not face Wells in and his home this year because his home will be done in a year's time. The Gray Army will face the Wild West the Western PA Woods Vivarium this year. The Western PA Woods Vivarium may be my dream enclosure but I also always wanted to have a Gray Tree Frog enclosure. I loved them as long as the Toads so trust me I will be unbiased because a Biopod is something that helps put the Gray Tree Frogs over the top with all the advanced technology. It will be great to see two tandems collide. Ace and Pious vs Christian and Bane. They will be joined hopefully by others but these are the headlines right now.

    Are you interested in seeing a thunderstorm and other weather inside an enclosure?

    Does a battle between the Toads and Praying Mantises interest you?

    What is your reaction to the Baby Cope's Gray Tree Frogs joining the Skink Dynasty and my pursuit of collecting the tree frogs where Bane and Christian were from?

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  8. #27
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    What makes a Forest a Forest and a Woods a Woods?

    So this week I have some wonderful news. Ace appears to maybe be healthy once again. She grew and looks incredible. I am excited to show you her whenever I get another opportunity. Not only does she look better then before but so does Bane. They both are doing wonderful. The next visit is on Tuesday so they will be dewormed the final time!

    Bane and Christian are still competing for the top spot to be the dominant tree frog. Bane appears to have size and a deeper call so he in my opinion appears to be winning. I learned something very special about these tree frogs. Females who are colder prefer a slower call that sounds like the male tree frog is cold. A warmer female will prefer the call of a warmer male with a more lively call. So whoever wins that doesn't make them a ladies man. Gray Tree Frog females have their preference too! If I'm able to get a third male they will have to have this battle eventually all over again. I learned the Gray Tree Frogs are possible just as intelligent as the American Toad. They are around the same level which I can see from owning them but it's cool to know this as well.

    I believe I will have the vet bill paid down enough around late March maybe early April to take both Christian and Pious to the vet next. This will mean once they are done they will be able to reunite. Christian with Bane and Pious with Ace respectively.

    There isn't too much more to report on for these guys but while reading and in my class simultaneously and coincidentally the discussion was what makes a Forest a Forest and a Woods a Woods? So I had a lot more understanding after this week. I also researched what animals live where. It is usually easier to build a Forest then a Woods. do you know what the difference is?

    This has a great meaning to the Gray Army and will have to be discussed in the update tomorrow!


    Are you excited to see the native amphibians again? It might be a little bit more time but I didn't want them to be in an upcoming update.

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  9. #28
    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    What makes a Forest a Forest and a Woods a Woods?

    So to my understanding there are many ways but some of the most important are the land mass. A larger area is considered a forest and a smaller area is a woods. But this isn't the only reason. Dense trees some areas where there are thin trees and others where they are taller are considered a forest. The more tree cover they are considered a forest. More biodiversity lives in the forest then the woods. This is because the woods is smaller with less cover and vegetation for some animals to eat. There are less animals, but the animals that live in the woods are specialists to the environment. This is very fascinating to me and I was very happy to know this beforehand but even more so now. This is important because the Gray Army live in a forest.

    Gray Tree Frogs thrive with dense trees and thin closer together brush in the forest. They can blend in with the trunks of the trees and they also can catch many insects this way. They can come to the ground or jump around from tree to tree reminding you of a monkey in the jungle. These frogs are actually very adaptive and thrive in many states. They are the second most widespread throughout the northeast. The Spring Peeper has the most land covered however the Gray Tree Frog has bigger size and can partially freeze for a short period of time. These frogs are very intelligent as well. I've never heard of intelligence levels for the Spring Peeper.

    This matters because I did not have any forest by me. I only have woods. So the Gray Tree Frogs if I would have introduced them to my area even though in some places there are some, but there is not enough land to sustain a larger number of Gray Tree Frogs.

    The Woods is dominated by the American Toad. Ace, Pious and Wellsboro all are adapted to live in the woods. They thrive around people and hunt in open areas. Almost no other amphibians would attempt this relying on coverage from high grass or dense trees. The toads can handle areas where it is bushy and dense but in my area they thrive in open areas and the edges of the woods.

    While great care articles have talked about keeping both the toads and gray tree frogs together this actually leaves someone inconvenienced. Both species can adapt and get over the change but it actually would be better for them too have their preferred hunting areas.

    Why does this matter?
    The PA Woods Vivariums was made for the American Toad and some Rana/Lithobates Species. What this means for the Gray Army is something very unique. My exotic animals are living in a forest setting. I have never attempted a PA Forest before and what this means is that the Gray Army and Mosquito Fish are heading into the first ever PA Forest. A Forest is actually easier and more popular to create. So the 125 gallon Woods is more open and has areas you can clearly see into the enclosure. The Forest is an enclosure that has dense plants and accessories close together. This would actually really benefit the Gray Tree Frogs so this is actually something that I've been looking forward to. So they will be exclusive as being the only native forest. How exciting is it that the Gray Army will feature a different ecosystem and biome then the Toads?

    Are you excited to see the faceoff between the Toads and Gray Tree Frogs late this summer and to see the first battle between a Woods and a Forest?

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  10. #29
    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    A very large and in depth update....

    All is good with the sick animals. The vet found nematodes were infesting the toads and tree frogs. Ace and Bane were dewormed with potent stuff that is supposed to kill all the nematodes inside them. They have another vet visit in a few weeks to see if they are clean.

    Next on the list is the other tree frog Christian and Pious the mate of Ace. They will be most likely dewormed with both dewormers the others were. So maybe around May to June the Toads and Tree Frogs will be done. I will be working on both enclosures by that time.

    There is one thing that's throwing a wrench in the Gray Army living in peace. We are not sure what Bane is actually. I have some calls from both tree frogs and Bane has a deeper call it's very noticeable. I will be releasing the calls for a special 100 subscribers special once I get to 100. We are going to be getting a sample of Bane and sending it to a lab to see what he is more accurately.

    The wrench is that if he's a Cope's Gray Tree Frog then I will have to aquire a female if I can rescue them from the place Bane and Christian are from. I would have to get the largest Biopod if that were the case which doesn't matter but if I don't have to I don't actually want to have too many tree frogs I've learned they are a little more aggressive then one would think. They can get along it's just I don't want to have as much competition if I don't have to.

    So this might make some people happy and maybe some mad but it makes sense. I am going to be dividing the PA Woods Vivariums enclosures into factions. The first faction is the feature of the channel recently, the Five Lined Dumpy Family. They will remain locked together it's a good match. The Wild West the Western PA Woods Vivarium will be solo because I will need the time to focus on the most incredible but difficult series coming. Seasons will require me to be very interactive with this enclosure and I will be hibernating and breeding the animals in this enclosure.

    Then there were 2. I know I said the Gray Army would be independent and they broke free from the Western PA Woods which is very impressive still. But they will share a common occurrence with Wellsboro the Golden Toad. Both will have a Biopod self sustaining habitat. I thought it would be better for presentation and easier on me to pair the two exotic Exo Terra Terrariums (Five Lined Dumpy Family) and pair two Biopod (Gray Army and Tioga PA Woods) because of the capability they share. It gets crazier.

    So I haven't heard from anyone who owns a Biopod but I saw it can raise the temperature up to 15-18°F. If it can go up what if it comes down? In theory if at 72°F in my room I could turn it down to 57 in the Biopod. This could be a cooling down period which I might be able to induce breeding. For both enclosures which would be incredible. Also these two enclosures will be in self sustainable conditions which will be very amusing for many to observe. To me two Terrariums with exotics and two Biopods with native Amphibians and Fish just make sense.

    So the three factions are broken apart. The question what makes a woods a woods and a forest a few comes in handy because I am going to build the Gray Army the first native forest and the toads and such a self sustainable woods. Based on their needs this will be very fun. So right now I'll wait to announce the names of the enclosures and series but now you know there are 2 tag teams in the PA Woods. This will setup for some very interesting holiday specials and other videos. Some holidays will have a tag team match pitting the Gray Army and Wellsboro the Golden Toad vs the Five Lined Dumpy Family. The Western PA Woods is on the outside of this but it's intended to be that way.

    So I will be rebuilding the Western PA Woods. Because of the soil parasites I will be getting all new plants which is okay because there weren't that many anyways and I know the exact plants. So it will look tremendously different next time you see it. It's next on the list. I will be introducing some crops to the enclosure which are grown from seed.

    We are close to being almost halfway through the great nematode scare. The PA Woods has been changed in many ways because of this. Once the dust settles it will have only made everything and everyone stronger.

    What do you think about having 3 factions? Are you excited to see two Biopod self sustaining ecosystems side by side?

    What should we do if Bane is a Cope's Gray Tree Frog? Should we try to include at least one female for him if he turns out to be a Cope's?

    Are you excited for a native species update for a 100 subscribers special on YouTube?

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  11. #30
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    Some good changes on the way...

    So I have a lot more news regarding the native animals and my production for my videos in the videos ahead.

    We are 10 days away from hopefully the final vet visit for Ace and Bane. Both look beautiful and I see almost completely different animals how colorful and alert they are! I think they free of all parasites. I've never seen such healthy specimens of either species.

    As soon as they are done Pious and Christian are next. Pious is the one at the most risk now. He is sick I can see how he's different from Ace but the biggest threat to Pious is actually Wellsboro. Both are male toads and now that Wellsboro has been getting healthier he has begun dominating behavior towards Pious and it's not fair. Now this happens with amphibians more then people think they do not usually see it though so I can use this example as a lesson to help you understand some psychology of same species interaction between native species.

    Males when together push each other to the limit in order to become the top amphibian to breed. In a closed setting I've noticed grossly dominant behavior of toads toward their own species. They initiate psychological warfare on one another as attempting to stress and starve the other competitor in order to get the upper hand. I've seen it 3 times in 5 years with many toads. Females can do it too but I've seen it specifically in male American Toads. The type of warfare they attempt is actually brutal and something that is not noticed by many keepers. It's also a controversial topic but I believe I have science and my Herpetologist friend on my side with this claim.

    This also is initiated with specific toads that have this trait or personality. Wellsboro was a wild toad for I'm estimating around 8 years. He may be from 6-8 according to educated estimate age on my younger toads which is almost confirmed. Anyways, being in the wild 3 times longer then Pious and his personality of looking out for himself he is naturally going to out compete a toad that is passive. Pious was never a competitive toad. Ace did not ever compete with him which made their relationship very unusual but good that they accepted each other. Ace would stalk the food and Pious would ambush the prey. Some toads are runners which are fun to watch and some learn and ambush the prey. Wellsboro is a runner so he will take all the food but he will show aggressive behavior towards Pious if Pious takes prey in front of him. This results in lashing the tongue at another in an attempt to stress the other and to make them submit. Wellsboro did this to everyone. This is why he and Ace cannot live together because she's more peaceful but actually is faster and can out run Wellsboro for food, but he'd end up stressing her out.

    Wellsboro is untested because he doesn't have to compete with anything else so he's no doubt the leader right now. As time goes on and he lives in another setup I will see if he can have a mate or if he's too aggressive. I hope he can have a mate because he's so beautiful and strong so he'd produce some incredible offspring.

    Moving on

    I am not sure this year we will get a chance to have the battle between the Western PA Woods (125 gallon) and the Gray Army. We may have to postpone the meeting to 2020 because I don't think there will be enough time to get everyone treatment and healthy for the video. I'm content with waiting but I know it will be a bummer because the build up was starting. While I'm not sure how much of the 125 gallon you will see this year I can promise you that the Gray Army will become more prominent towards the end of the summer if not sooner.

    The Gray Army will be joined into a faction with Wellsboro the Golden Toad this year as they will not be hibernating. I am attempting to see more into the Biopod because I may be able to cool the tank down and warm it up to stir a breeding season. I believe this is still possible just haven't heard anyone tell me if the Biopod can keep it's self in the low 60's for temperature. I am planning on this and this means not only will my exotic animals be available and active over the winter, but the rising faction of the Gray Army and Golden Toad will be able to rival and compete with the exotics in an ongoing rivalry. I think this makes the channel better and it avoids many animals going into a hibernation which has it's risks. At least this way they get changing seasons but don't have to go through a deep sleep.

    I am unsure what enclosure the Gray Army will have depending on what species Bane is, but they will be ready to go within the year. Next winter Wellsboro will get his new home. It may be this time next year when his home is done or even started maybe. But the second faction of animals is coming.

    My laptop has been crashing and near the end of it's life. So I actually got a new one coming which I'll be able to upload in 1080 at 60fps what my camera can do. I actually was only able to upload in 720 not 60fps. You will be able to see the animals in even better quality coming soon!

    I am looking for another lens to zoom in more which will give another layer to the videos which I'll be looking into this summer.

    I'll have a lot more for tomorrow!

    Are you surprised reading about the competition between same sex specimens of the American Toad?

    Are you excited to see the Gray Army and Wellsboro in an upcoming faction? Do you think I should elaborate more on this in the next update like the name of the faction and other details?

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  12. #31
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    A small additional update...

    Last night I learned a lot more about a few native species as I was researching and found some of the most interesting information. What I found also was a game changer because it may have actually swayed my mind completely one way if it's possible regarding the inhabit of the 125 gallon. I won't give more details because if it works out it will be the biggest surprise of the year for sure!

    I'm hoping to get some more subscribers to get to 100 but it's taking a while. Probably after the first episode of Kingdoms hopefully. If I can get to 100 subscribers I have a native species update on all the gray tree frogs and toads. But I'm saving it for the 100 subscribers special.

    So it appears that there was interest on learning the name for the other faction. Two enclosures that are self sustaining and provide the animals with exactly the conditions they need. You would think of this as a paradise if you were a frog. It's very close to paradise. The animals that will make up the upcoming faction will be called the "Utopians" Utopia is a place that's made up and it's thought more of an ideal place that everyone desires to be. I felt the residents of the Biopods would fit that category. So the Utopians will rival the Five Lined Dumpy Family. Like how the Five Lined Dumpy Family has the upcoming series Kingdoms the Utopians will have the series "Utopia" which is pretty far away but will be the name of the project.

    I just wanted to reveal the information on the Utopians and that something monumental happened which will hopefully set up the greatest surprise of the year for you!

    Persuade your friends to subscribe to the channel to get me to 100 so I can release the native species update! There is something in this update that actually answers the Perspective video and connects to the Swarms Battles of 2018.



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  13. #32
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    Things have been made clear(er)...

    This is a big update. You'll want to read to find out what the state of PA said on breeding the toads, the Biopod and more on Frog week. And 100 subscribers!

    So I'll start of by saying work has openings for me basically only me to fill if I want to work extra for 6 weeks. What this means is vet bills for all gray tree frogs and Ace and Pious get paid. This means the 125 gallon gets done sooner. This means AAron isn't going to have debt [emoji196].

    So I'll start with the state. I reached out to the state and asked about breeding my toads and gave a full detail explanation on what I intend to do and so far the toads were accepted to breed and I may release their offspring into the private property they came from. Ace and Pious will be parents and have something that actually ties them together! The hope is a successful breeding season! The good news actually is that native species of the northeast (my area) benefit from a warmer hibernation meaning the temps don't get bone chilling cold. My refrigerator will be a nice 46°F. They should do well with NO PARASITES. But yes the toads are legally allowed to be parent. I got the okay. I saved the email in case someone is gonna be that person and say "Show me the proof".

    I will ask about something else next and I will be messaging the family to try and save the tree frogs that are where Bane and Christian are from. I have good ideas how to do this!

    I heard back about the Biopod. You guys are gonna be disappointed and then happy. So the current model doesn't have a chilling ability. However to my surprise they are talking about making a new model with a chilling capability. This is exactly what I need! They said it may be the next upgrade and out by the end of 2019. So the Gray Army and Mosquito Fish may get their home sooner than later. What this does is it means they will have to live in the 30 gallon for a while. Until it comes out to be exact. Then AAron has to save or make money lol

    This means the Gray Army isn't going to be as featured as they would have with their forever home. But it means the 125 gallon will be ready and presented earlier to you.

    So I reached out to many places for Frog Week and my series coming for the 125 gallon"Seasons" and have received good feedback. Many places are excited for Frog Week but guys you will be very excited to see this series. There will be nothing like it on YouTube. I have been talking to a certain invert collector to get me some insects for my enclosure and he will have what I need so I can talk about adding insects to the display. I really really misses this. There's nothing like seeing crickets and Isopods running around and earthworms just below the soil and earwigs running around while they avoid the frogs and toads and live among them. I think it's one of the most important and enjoyable parts of owning this setup.

    So I hit 100 subscribers and that means you get to see the Gray Army and Toads. Christian has been moved to a smaller tank for quarantine and Pious will get the 30 gallon. I have Ace shedding and Wellsboro collides with a Hornworm again. The toads and Bane actually showed me that the hornworms in the Swarms Battle from 2018 were sick or had something because the animals gulped them down this time. Sadly I believe the Gray Army was framed and did not poison Ace like we thought. They may have had some part in it but I believe that there were other problems. Bane showed me that he's going to be the top frog and Christian knows it. When I put Christian next to Bane he within 30 seconds faced him and lunged at him following him around all night. Christian submitted so the hierarchy figured it's self out. Bane was being a jerk though. I didn't think he's as dominant as he is. I'll monitor them to make sure that Bane doesn't stress Christian too much. Bane and Wellsboro both in the upcoming faction and both aggressive amphibians.

    I'll make sure to show what I can for the 100 subscribers Special. Thanks everyone for following me and supporting me. I am grateful and want to give you the best video experience possible. I am looking forward to growing and producing some of the best series on YouTube and sharing it with you!

    One more announcement.
    I'm in the process of building a website for the PA Woods Vivariums and making it more professional. This will not take away from my activity on here. It will be more for helping me show companies what I have and what I am doing. So I don't have to email as detailed I can say hey look at my website. I can write up things on there but it's not a blog to talk about the weekly updates like on here. I'll try to build up the website and I'll need your help with supporting it however you can! But it's not going to take away from here it's for a different purpose. I'm trying to make the brand more professional and bigger right now. Not just building the setups and deworming the animals and not only upgrading technology but also improving and building my brand. There's a lot to be done and a lot being done. This summer will be crazy!

    Are you happy for the Gray Army that they will get their home or are you more concerned about Christian with how Bane is being?

    Are you excited for Ace and Pious they got approved to be able to breed?

    Are you excited to see the 100 subscribers special and the website? The website will take a while to get finished so it will be a while.

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  14. #33
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    What an exciting time for the PA Woods!

    This week a lot was accomplished. I am going to wait to release details to confirm what's going on for some big news of Frog Week.

    I am going to a reptile expo to meet some members of Josh's Frogs and I will be talking to them about Frog Week. I may pick up some stuff for my exotic animals while I'm there but I'm hoping the owner is there so I can talk to him. They are honestly a great company with good intentions. They only sell captive bred animals. Moving away from Frog Week...

    Ace and Bane are officially dewormed. They finished the process and I'm happy to say new animals. I will cover them big time in the 100 subscriber special. Pious has disappeared in his quarantine tank and I think he's upset at me because I took him out of his home and he can't see Ace. He came to see her and slept near her every day. I'm waiting for him to surface and Christian has done well in his quarantine setup. He hasn't gained too much weight but maybe in a few weeks he will. For Spring break I will take both of them for their first visit to see how they are. I think it will take work for Pious but that's why he's going. I can't wait to get these two healthy and to put Ace and Pious together again and Bane and Christian together again.

    I learned that it will not be possible to keep the toads and gray tree frogs together again. Ace has been trying to eat Bane. It could be many reasons why but she's more aggressive now. It's not possible to keep them together. I hope she will still bond with Pious. I'm optimistic because she should know him. We will see though. Once I feed her heavy again it may ease her aggressive behavior. She definitely could eat a praying mantis how she's acting. That's good because it's going to be her facing one this summer.

    I have been studying a lot about the native frogs and toads even more lately. I think if something happens to an exotic setup I'm becoming very interested in the Pickerel Frog. I would try to keep them next. They are actually found in the same place as Ace and Pious. They could use help too but it will have to wait. I'm happy with what I have. I will be studying them this year. They I believe will be in Frog Week but no guarantee.

    I will be making a few care sheets this year like the Northern Leopard Frog Caresheet,
    American Toad Caresheet Part 2, Gray Tree Frog Caresheet Part 2 and a few others.

    Would you like to know more about the Pickerel Frog and do you think it would be cool to see for Frog Week?

    I have to say that I am changing the name of my Western PA Woods Vivarium. It will be called the Southwestern PA Woods Vivarium. This way we are even more specific.

    I will probably get a larger temporary tank for the Utopians meaning the Gray Army and Wellsboro. While they wait for a Biopod I'll be getting them enclosures this summer to start the Utopians Faction.

    What do you think of Ace vs a Praying Mantis? Would you be interested in seeing Wellsboro vs a Wolf Spider?

    These are some of the battles that will happen this summer. The Mantis and Spider will not be full size. They will be smaller so they can be consumed.

    Another smaller update to come tomorrow!

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  15. #34
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    I have big news in a small update!!!

    So I went to the expo and first thing was first went to talk to Josh's Frogs and I was telling the guy at the booth about my project (Frog Week) and he actually knew what it was. He said their marketing team is following 3 projects and mine is one of them. They are going to help push my name and the project. To give you guys perspective on how big this is they have 22k followers on YouTube and 132k on Facebook. So they will bring around 160k people potentially to watch Frog Week. That's not counting their Instagram. This is a big deal! They were taking me serious and listening intently to me. They remembered my name, gave me free fruit flies and the video editor of their YouTube videos was the guy I talked to. He even gave me his private cell phone number to get in contact with him directly. It actually sounded like we might be able to work together on future projects like Seasons for the 125 gallon coming soon. I'm very excited to work with them and to have their support. They only breed or sell captive bred frogs and it's cool they want to work with someone who wants to preserve wild frogs. We agree on the conservation of all of the species and that's what brings us together they are where I'm not and vice versa. I think they will come back to PA and I'm excited to reach out to them.

    More on some unclear updates from yesterday

    So the Utopians might have to wait a while for their forever home it's like they are the Jewish people leaving Egypt. None of the animals will live 40 years so hopefully Biopod hurries up! In their place the Utopians meaning Wellsboro the Golden Toad and the Gray Army will get to live in a 30 gallon and 40 gallon. This will be the origins of the Utopians! I have renamed and organized some playlists on my YouTube so you can watch the origins of the PA Woods and the Five Lined Dumpy Family. Now we will add the origins of the Utopians this year! The Utopians will be a big part of the channel from late summer on.

    The newly named Southwestern PA Woods Vivarium is going to be owned by Ace. She has become actually more tame with her aggressive pursuit of food. She doesn't jump away from me and she's getting better at hunting again. So I am going to do some interesting research with the Utopians and the Wild West (125 gallon).

    I will add insects exclusive to certain enclosures to see what it does to the Gray Army, Wellsboro and his gang and the 125 gallon. I will add Banded Crickets and North American Giant Millipedes. The Arthropod is going to be exclusive to the Utopians. For Wellsboro and his home he will have small stone centipedes and the common house cricket. This will be unique because the centipedes may hunt the crickets but in turn the crickets may hunt the centipedes. I will also possibly feed Wellsboro spiders (small defenseless) which are also arthropods. I want to see what it does to the frogs and toads. I'm adding Millipedes not as prey but as cleanup crew for the Gray Army. The Millipedes will climb the logs that will be added to an arboreal setup and will eat the decaying logs. They will be bigger or as big as some members of the Gray Army.

    The Wild West will have no arthropods but both species of crickets and an Earwig species. I want to see what the presence of two cricket species and the earwig do with the toads and gang. We will see if adding arthropods to the diet helps or doesn't change the weight or temperament of the toads in the Utopian faction. In the Wild West the Earwig will most likely be the top insect predators as they can hunt many types of insects and in turn will take an overpopulation of baby crickets and cut them down. The crickets in turn will hunt the abundant earwig populations. We will see if the insects hunt the isopod population. A lot of cool stuff to observe!


    I also wanted to say that the Pickerel Frog who was talked about yesterday will be searched for and I'd like to learn more about them. They are a species that isn't very talked about but I find them interesting. They are first in line to join the PA Woods Community pending a disaster.

    So for a big small update are you excited that Frog Week is going to be advertised by Josh's Frogs?

    What do you think about the experiment of arthropods?

    Are you excited to see the Pickerel Frog? Also are you looking forward to seeing the rise of the Utopians?


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  16. #35
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    I made a big mistake...

    So the vet called back today while I was away and left a message. Ace and Bane are doing well but not yet clean of nematodes. They will have to go through hopefully just one more treatment of the dewormer. The problem is not that they have worms still we can get that taken care of. The problem is that Ace showed me and the vet where she got some of her parasites in the first place. The picture is pretty as clear as it gets now. So the earthworms I was giving my toads had nematodes in and parasites. I got works from a few places too. Ace was confirmed with a parasite from earthworms some nematode species. I'm frustrated she has it and from what I understand the dewormer will wipe them out but now I have to be done with earthworms. It's to risky and costly for me. I won't discourage people from using them but I will not is them or recommend them anymore. It's possible it's just been my experience but when $200 can be saved by not using worms I could use that money for other feeders. I just wanted to report this because we found the culprit that most likely got Ace very sick. The other toads have this too I don't even have to guess because all last summer they ate worms. I'm optimistic that after one more treatment they will be okay and Ace will be done with the earthworm nematodes. Bane doesn't have them because tree frogs refuse earthworms. Smart frogs.

    So when I call back the vet tomorrow I will schedule the appointment for Christian, Pious and Max. I'll have a lot of poop to take with me now.

    It's been difficult with having all these tanks around but I know we are close for some of the animals to be parasite free. It's been a hard winter but for the toads and tree frogs there have been no casualties in the great nematode war.

    Pious and Christian will hopefully be dewormed faster because they haven't had a prolapse or anything that will take away from the root of the problem. This isn't the big update tonight I just wanted to say we found something big out tonight and the consequences of the earthworms is small for the toads but somewhere else in another faction there may be more severe consequences.

    I have some big news for the weekend to share with you guys.


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  17. #36
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    I came to a crossroads and had to choose...

    So Ace and Bane went through the third round of dewormer. Bane is clean. We are waiting to see Ace. Hopefully the worm nematodes will have died. I will say that Ace has become an alpha hunter. She stalks prey and hops after it which I think is cute how she does it but it's also fierce. She's a force to be reckoned with. She trusts me again and doesn't run as much from me. Bane eats from my hand now and he is very tame. He wasn't before this. So I think I've been able to bond with these guys even more during these tough times.

    We were looking to get Christian, Pious and Max a vet appointment but it didn't work out that way. They only could see two at a time so I had to choose. Pious had been sleeping and burrowed down so I decided to take Christian and Max. We are going to reunite the Gray Army! I think it will only take a few weeks until the Gray Army is together again and we can record them. I will checking Pious to see that he is okay. After Christian is done both toads are being put on the agenda.

    The 100 subscribers special is taking a while and that's because I'm using it to introduce the Utopians! It will be the first video to link the faction together. I feel it's necessary especially since the Gray Army will be back in commission for the first time maybe in 2-3 months. Wellsboro will also get coverage! Sorry it's taking longer to produce but it's to create a good introduction for the Utopians. This week is spring break so I'll have a lot of time to work on the video. I'm not promising anything but it could be out next week. It could be.

    So I will be conducting research on the animals of the Southwestern PA Woods Vivarium and the Utopians. We will see how they respond to a dinner diet and how one side hibernates and the other does not. It will make things very interesting. There are 5-6 things I'm studying for them. It will take months to get this set up. First thing out of the toads diet is Earthworms [emoji6]

    So I have met the Herpetologist of my school and he said he would help with Frog Week. He's going to teach me a lot about my animals and many areas from prey items to habitats and hibernation. It's really going to be beneficial having someone to talk to in person and to give me advice that many people are unaware of.

    There are some incredible things happening for the 125 gallon and I am excited to see it progress. So the Utopians have their faction and the Five Lined Dumpy Family are a faction, but the 125 gallon is on track to have a partnership but it's not at all like the two current factions. The 125 gallon will not be in competition with the Utopians and Five Lined Dumpy Family. The 125 gallon will have it's own category because it's going to be so did from anything you've ever seen. It will probably take a year to get it situated and to get things in order. Ace and Pious are going to show us the secretive lifestyle of living in The Woods.

    The name of the series for the 125 gallon is changing from Seasons to The Woods. The change I thought was necessary because it's the only woods enclosure I'm building and it stands out so it doesn't seem too similar to the other series. I think it fits perfectly.

    I'll have more to explain tomorrow in a small update. It's getting harder to keep some secrets from everyone because of how exciting it is to be planning this but soon more and more will be revealed!

    Are you excited to see the Gray Army untie again?

    What do you think of the research and study between my animals?

    Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk

  18. #37
    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    The small update...

    My toad Ace is going to be the largest toad I've ever kept! I'm not going to show her until the series comes out because it's a tremendous turn around.

    I am looking forward to showing the Utopians soon! I have come to a decision that if the Biopods take too long to come out we will attempt to hibernate the female gray tree frogs and other amphibians within the faction. The females may only need to hibernate. The Herpetologist at my college said that the males can be stimulated through temperature change and small things but the females need to be hibernated. So this may have to happen even with the Biopods the females may need to hibernate to be safe. If that's the case I may not have to wait to get an updated Biopod. I have to think about it. But here is the interesting aspect. If I get the Biopod this year the females may have to hibernate regardless so the males could be stimulated if I turn down the temperature in my room a little bit and allow the Biopod to heat up to spark a season change. The Biopod has a heater built in currently but not a cooling system. I can still have the Gray Army warmer then the other native enclosures because of the heater. I could have the other Biopod where Wellsboro will live warmer too. This would be more accurate with the 125 gallon being cooler. The downside is the low can't change really. All 3 enclosures would probably have to have he same low unless I'm keeping warmer lows with the Utopians. I'm trying to find a way to make it work. Thank God I got a refrigerator to do this! So the Utopians may get their homes this upcoming fall.


    A big part I'm studying is the effect the wild insects will have on the diet of the animals that eat them. The Utopians will have an all captive diet. The 125 gallon will have a mixture of captive and some insects that were field collected. We want to see if they get something which will be treated but the important aspect we want to see if if the larger variety produces healthier or somehow happier amphibians.

    The study of hibernation will also be important. We will see how the 125 gallon animals will all hibernate and only females of the Utopians will. We will see if the ones in hibernation will live longer or grow larger. These are some of the studies.

    Of it all sets up right then at least the Gray Army will have a Biopod this year.

    What do you think about hibernating the female utopians? This being a more preferred measure in hibernation do you think we should get a Biopod and attempt this?

    What is your take on some of the research we will be looking at between the Utopians and 125 gallon?

  19. #38
    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    Frog Week Recording Started, Pious turn at vet...

    So this week I have begun recording for Frog Week! I saw 3 Wood Frogs and a male Bullfrog. The Bullfrog comes out to eat the Wood Frogs. For two to three episodes of exploring we will return a few times to get more footage and hopefully to have a better episode. I will show where Ace and Pious are from and where Wellsboro is from.

    Pious was taken to the vet and he was doing better then we thought and was given the first dewormer to start the treatment. The more powerful dewormer he needs to eat to take and he hasn't yet. He's very upset that I took out his soil. I am going to try repti worms and hornworms to see if he will eat something slower moving. It will take longer if he doesn't eat.

    I hope everyone enjoyed the 100 Subscriber Special! I had a lot of positive feedback from the PA Woods Community and I had some people unsubscribe. I don't think it will be easy to become a large channel because keeping native species is a very frowned upon part of the hobby. So people will try to make it harder then if I had exotic pets. I knew this coming in and if people who keep say these toads and tree frogs are looking for help how to care for them and people refuse then the animals suffer and die. Maybe we can encourage people not to buy the natives who are poached and illegally sold in pet trades. Maybe we can encourage people not to catch certain frogs and alert them to problems with the number of frogs in the wild. Maybe we can get frogs on the threatened and endangered species list before they get in critical condition. Even in a hated category there is a need for it. I'm also trying to breed animals and put back in the wild. People have a massive problem with this even if I have the state or a vet or a biologist support the project and even if I show the emails being allowed to breed Ace and Pious from the state it still won't matter.

    That's okay because I have a great group of support from the PA Woods Community and I know these animals need me because there aren't as many native species keepers as enthusiastic and willing to come under scrutiny of the magnitude I do and will. I'm not ranting on this update I am just stating that I'm not going to apologise for a passion that I have and the desire I have to help these animals. It's a continuous growing process and I will continue to get better and learn more as I go on. That's the best part of this is being able to have room to grow.

    Moving on with the update...the Gray Army is set up to get the Biopod this Summer like closer to Autumn. Accompanying them will be the Mosquito Fish who have been waiting for years to have a home again and a surprise guest: the Giant American Millipede. I decided this because of a few reasons. The Biopod will have a lot of bark and there will be a lot of decaying matter for them to clean and eat. Many logs will be horizontal which I have seen these millipedes climb and eat way up in trees. So they will be right at home with the tree frogs up at the top parts of the enclosure. Now there is risk the millipedes will drown but it's just like people. All created equal but not all were given equal intelligence. Some millipedes will fall in this category. Now there are some risks of the millipedes joining the Gray Army. The female Gray Tree Frogs could be big enough to try eating the millipedes so we will see how they would respond to seeing them before they live together. The Mosquito Fish could also potentially become food for the frogs but it's low risk. The fish will not bother the frogs either. It's all for the Gray Army and Mosquito Fish. We will have to give the school of mosquito fish a group name or include them at some point. Christian like Pious has not eaten as much lately but I have found small poop. He's still eating some so he and Pious will be a different challenge to get healthy. Unless something is to undesirable to refuse. The Gray Army and Ace and Pious will hopefully be healthy by late Spring.

    Concluding this update I will be doing a video for Frog Week educating people on an American Toad care sheet.

    What would be a good way to get Pious to eat?

    Does the Gray Army living with Giant American Millipedes interest you?

    What advice do you have for me moving forward with my YouTube Channel and social media platforms for the PA Woods Community?

    Pious in quarantine and Wellsboro explored the plants brought to him from the 30 gallon.

  20. #39
    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    The good and the bad...

    There were some great times this week with the Gray Army and the Toads. Bane is doing great and he even called a little bit yesterday. Christian seems to be eating a lot more so he's doing better. I have seen the best improvement in Wellsboro. I bought Hornworms and he has eaten 5 in two days. He went from thin to being close to looking healthy. He's eating much more and seems okay in quarantine. He is very trusting of me and he doesn't run from me. I'm very happy to see how well he's doing. Sadly Pious is not doing well. He has some type of irritation in between his legs and it's bothering him. He hasn't been eating either. So I got a smaller quarantine tank for him. I'm going to try to move the appointment up for him. He may need a stronger medication for the red on him. I feel bad for him because I can tell he's irritated and I just want to see him feel better. But that's why I have a vet for.

    Probably in a few weeks I can begin demolition of the 125 gallon and rebuild it. The lid of the enclosure will be one part that's tricky and we will spend the most time on. It has to allow UVB to pass through and will have to have holes for the Mistking sprayers and the fogger and a few other things. The 125 gallon is going to be one of the most impressive builds I've ever made. I think it will become the most impressive once completed. I have a lot of the devices already so it won't be as expensive as last year. Without the background it will go much faster.

    Frog Week filming has been under way. It's been slow because the weather in my area is not good for frogs and amphibians. I'm excited because this week it's going to warm up and we are going out to search for some frogs! Hopefully we have some luck.

    Are the frogs out where you live?

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  21. #40
    100+ Post Member Larry Wardog's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PA Woods Vivarium (Gray Tree Frogs)

    An update I can't even caption

    Many good things have been going on as of late. We have filmed and this week are filming a part for Frog Week. We had tremendous success tonight. I can't tell you what we found because it will ruin everyone but I can say we found a breeding site with hundreds of frogs. I can't say anything more because I'm having a hard time keeping it a secret so it will just be a cliff hanger for both of us. Frog Week is going well one species of frog one salamander and one newt. Some inverts too! We are filming in the Western woods. It will be two episodes because of the land and the importance of this area. We are doing something special with this area we are going to return to the same area a few times to get as much as we can for the episodes.

    I can confirm Ace and Pious will not be alone by the end of the fall this year. You may see what I'm talking about when I create the thread for the 125 gallon or maybe I'll wait until Frog Week. There has to be a lot of progress from now to then. It's very likely for this.

    Ace is doing wonderful. She's around 3 times the size she was this winter. Pious and Wellsboro are still Ill. I'm still treating Pious and his pink seems to be going down and disappearing but he's not happy. Still haven't treated him with the stronger dewormer. He is inconsistently eating so I can't offer him any in fear he won't eat any. Appointment is in 3 weeks so we will just see until then what happens. He's getting better but he really misses soil. He wants to dig but he can't because he could infect himself if works are in his poo and I can't get it out in time. So he and Wellsboro will go to the vet in three weeks.

    Christian and Bane are good. Bane like Ace is about twice or 2.5 times the size as Christian. It's incredible to see the difference in the healthy animals.

    What I can say is that there will be many surprises by the end of the summer. The Gray Army and the Toads will shock the PA Woods Community I guarantee you that.

    Do you think it's a good idea returning to the same places to search for amphibians?

    Are you excited to see Ace again and to see her and Pious going home?

    Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk

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