:( Please Help if You Can - Strange Behavior

[meeper]

My girlfriend has two frogs. One is a large leopard frog, at least several years old, and a year or so old peacock tree frog.

Tonight, both frogs were moved from their usual 29 gallon tank to the smaller temporary tank, while we cleaned the 29 gallon and all the things in it (fake tree thing, little ponds, etc) and the tank itself using Wipe Out one cleaner. Everything was rinsed very thoroughly, with a higher pressure setting handheld shower head.

After we moved the frogs to the temporary tank with just one of the cleaned ponds and new moss, everything seemed fine. The tree frog was even croaking like he often does. However, after we finished cleaning and rinsing everything, we moved the frogs back to their normal tank, with the layout of things slightly different than it had been. The two little ponds are on opposite sides now, the one fake tree the large frog likes to sit in is on the opposite side, etc. Again, new moss on the ground, and de-chlor water in the ponds.

After a little while, the tree frog starting acting weird, hopping around from side to side of the tank, and then i realized he was trying to hop INTO the lamp on top. He kept doing this. After so long, it got my girlfriend and I so concerned, we moved him back to the temp tank, and put the night lamp back on there. Again he starts trying to climb the sides of the tank, in an attempt to hop toward the lamp.

I paid close attention to him, and noticed him actually trying to push up the lid of the tank. So, I cant tell if this is his really wanting to get out, or if he's attracted to light or what. At the moment, I've removed the lamp so he doesn't try to go after it, but it seems like he still is on a mission to get out.

So, two different tanks, same thing. He never acting like this before. He'd climb the walls and sit in a familiar spot all the time, but never hop around like this and try to get out, or jump into the lamp.

Please, if you can offer something, do. Eastcoast, and can't call a vet for another 7 hours. :/

[IgbyKibbits]

Meeper -

I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles, and unfortunately, I've not had something like this happen before - so I hope someone else can offer better advice.

The first thing I would wonder about is the temperature: given that you just cleaned the tank (and are on the east coast which means that you are just hitting that fall weather), any possibility that the tank hasn't "warmed up" to it's normal temps? Hence, the reason that the frog is going towards the light/heat?

How is he doing now that there has been some time? Calming down at all?

[meeper]

Thanks, anything right now helps.

I thought the same thing you mentioned, maybe things were a little cold. But, I checked the temp strips on the enclosure, and they read mid 70s. The house has central air, and should be right around 74 room temp.

With no light on him and some time, it doesn't appear that he has relaxed. I am in the other room, in an attempt to let my girlfriend sleep without hearing her frog jumping into the ceiling and from wall to wall. I have checked on him a number of times, and each time he's just stuck to a wall. I am about to go sit in that room and see what I see/hear movement wise.

I should point out, I checked him out for any color changes or weird spots or anything, and don't notice a thing. He looks fine. His eyes are all bugged out, his pupils large when its dark and a slit when we had the light on last.

[meeper]

Nope. He's still jumping into the roof of the enclosure... :/

Man I'm worried about this.

Should I put a light back on him? Put the tank back the way it was? Put the warmer daybulb on him and say screw the night cycle incase he needs the heat?

[IgbyKibbits]

Quick clarification: Is he in the "cleaning tank" or the permanent tank?

l wouldn't put the day bulb on him. He's used to a light cycle, and I would think the sudden change would be more stressful. Stick with the night light. Sounds like you are monitoring the temps well (and within the proper night-time temps), and the resulting behavior is not a seeking of "warmth."

[meeper]

He's presently in the temporary cleaning tank. It was cleaned out, fresh moss put in, one pond with dechlor water, a fake plant thing which was also cleaned, and a fake tree which was cleaned.

I just watched him climb up the glass wall, reach the top, then grab the mesh and try to get a grip, maybe push on it, etc. Keep in mind that right now there is no bulb on him.

I think now I'm also worried he's going to keep doing this until he hurts or exhausts himself, before I can get him to a vet (if they tell me to bring him in).

[IgbyKibbits]

You know, honestly, if it were me, I would put him in the permanent tank. Sounds like he's wanting to stretch his legs (given that there aren't any accompanying symptoms) and as long as you don't have any sharp edges, etc., let him tire himself out in a larger environment.

Again, I don't have experience with this behavior, but that's what I would do!

[meeper]

While I was debating whether or not to move him to the permanent tank with the light, he appears to have calmed down, at least for now.

After a few more bouts with the top of the enclosure, he's been sitting on the side of the pond (gargoyle style, like he often does.)

I really am hoping that just for whatever reason this frog felt frisky this evening. It was as soon as we put the nightbulb on, which is when he typically comes out. Plan to continue standing here watching him until he either settles in or morning comes and I can call the vet.

Thanks again. I'm still hunting for anything I can find about someone experiencing something like this, and after about 4 hours now, still nothing really.

[IgbyKibbits]

No problem - I'm glad to help, if only keeping you company during your frog troubles.

I've been there and I understand. Might as well use my insomnia to good use :P He's settled down, at least, which should be a good sign!

From all indications, he sounds "frisky" and that's all. You aren't seeing any other indicators (skin changes, lack of appetite, etc.). And he certainly isn't lethargic :P

I do think it's entirely compassionate of you to stay up with him, though! You've earned your "karmic medal" for the night!

[bshmerlie]

When I got Waldo my Red Eye tree frog he did something very similar. As soon as I put him into the tank he was in a panic to get out. He went to the top and was pushing on every corner of the screen to get out. He did that all night long the first night I got him. I actually thought he hated his new home. The next night he checked out the roof again although not in such a panic and I put a bunch of crickets in there to distract him but he didn't seem to care about them. The third and fourth night he wouldn't even wake up and come out. I added more plants to give him more hides because I thought he was scared and kept it real dark and quiet for him. A couple of nights later he would come out a little more , eat a few crickets and go back to bed. Then eventually he settled down and started acting like a comfortable normal frog. It really scared me at first because I thought he hated his new home but it was just that a new home. Frogs are very simplistic creatures and creatures of habit. If you'll notice he'll go back to the same place to sleep every night. Well by cleaning and rearranging his tank he feels that you took away his house and his bedroom (leaf). But don't worry he will settle in. Put him back into his regular enclosure and keep it real quiet and dark for him and over time he will settle in. He may take a month or sometimes a little longer to get back to his normal routine but he will. Be patient.

[UncleChester]

My own Waldo, who is a Gray treefrog, went through a bout of trying to hang from the roof of the enclosure right under the light. He'd hang there and push on the wire top until he would lose his grip and fall off.

My solution was to give him a perch as close to the light as possible (making sure the temperature wasn't too high). He stopped the lunacy and this became a frequently used perch of his.

[meeper]

Thanks everybody. I'm still sitting here, watchin him.

He definitely calmed down several hours ago, as I'd mentioned. He stopped trying to jump into the top of the enclosure, and after perching at the highest part of the fake tree for an hour or so, he is now gargoyle-perched on the side of the pond again. He seems totally normal.

The vet's office should be opening soon, but I'm willing to bet she is going to advise I put him back in the permanent tank. The plan is to do so after she signs off, and I get the tank arranged back the way it has been. Then I'm going to go grab crickets (today's a normal feeding day) and put em all back in. Day bulb change is supposed to happen in a few hours as well.

I'll update after all that, or perhaps tonight. I'm hoping tonight isn't a repeat of this, but if the vet thinks he's just being active and its not something to worry about, then I guess the girlfriend should be able to deal.

I was so worried for this little guy, but still no spots, no color change, and in these last hours he's acting as I would expect.

[Ribbitmethis]

I saw this behavior in my Peacock tree frog the first week I got him, he's calmed down now but the naughty little guy actually managed to escape for several hours one day during this. Just be sure he definitely can't escape, he'll calm down. I find that Merc does this more often if something in the cage has been changed or if my boyfriend is playing video games on the other side of the room (Merc is fascinated by the TV).

[charlamanda]

[QUOTE=meeper;35574]

Hmm, my guys were whacking out yesterday too! Very odd! I am on the east coast too with the heat and humidity. I thought possibly they were invigorated by the heat, until the a/c went on.
My guys, I have now 13 gray tree froglets, will occasionally do this too. They will try to get into the light fixture over and over and over again. Jump BANG! then fall and dangle from the "trees" in the tank or even Plop! to the bottom, crash into the side or Splash into the pool, this is starting to resemble an episode of the old Batman! I have seen this behavior from them many times. They will for whatever reason get kind of bonkers even during the day, I can't find a reason for it , but I sit on the couch and enjoy the show and laugh my a$$ off!
They don't seem all that bright, no offense foggies, because they will try over and over to get to a place they just can't, like through the side of the glass cricket bowl. I actually just posted something about this exact topic too and described this seeming "stupidity" they exhibit!
Here is a pic of one trying to get through the glass to get into the light fixture. After banging into the glass many, many times, he/she climbed up and dangled like this for several hours! Amused easily I guess!
Also when I bring in a new frog they will almost always go through that "How the hell do I get out of this place" phase and will ignore everything else I try to distract them with. I use to take them all out for their dinner in a separate container, but after one jumped out onto the cat, true story & happened about 2 weeks ago, I had to find another way. I bought 3 crickets bowls I put in the tank and it took a while for them to "get it", then after they started to get use to this I took them out to feed them in the container again to clean the tank (the first cleaning) and make sure all where healthy and eating, when I put them back after dinner they got a little wacky and has lasted, on and off, for the last few days. I set the tank back up in almost the same way, just made some slight position changes, about a few inches. It may have been enough the throw then off a bit.
This sounds similar to your situation and hope it helps to ease your mind, but I would recommend a trip to the vet if it continues.
Best of luck and let us know the outcome, especially since mine are acting the same way!!

[meeper]

A big thanks all around. Just knowing others have experienced something similar has allowed the girlfriend to sleep two nights in a row now.

Day 2 Update:

After talking via phone with a bunch of exotic care places and a few exotic pet vets in my area yesterday morning, I was pretty well convinced this was behavioral and likely caused by the change in environment. I do still find it odd that in a year and a half this guy has never acted this way, even after a cleaning. I ended up putting him back in the permanent tank (with everything put back as it was prior) with his boy the leopard frog when I changed the lamp back to its day bulb and put in some crickets at about 11am yesterday morning. I haven't seen him eat, but well, we never really see him eat since he's active at night. Before I even got him out of the temporary tank, he'd started getting comfy in a corner to sleep. After I put him back in the permanent tank, he first jumped onto a wall, then slowly inched his way over to the corner of the tank and went back to bed.

Then, last night after the lamp change again, he sort of started back up. He was on the walls frequently, and I think I may have heard him leap towards the top of the tank but it was definitely nothing like the other night. After a while he seemed to calm down, and when I woke up a few hours ago, he was tucked on a wall like I'd expect.

In the end here (hopefully), I think he's just re-learning his surroundings, albeit in a much more active manner than he ever has before. Still looks like a healthy little frog, so I can't see any reason to continue to be worried.

Any changes and I will surely update this thread!

[tadpole]

i think you reached the right conclusion. you may have triggered a dispersal mechanism. sometimes a change in the weather or a front coming through activates these guys to "migrate to the next pool". anyone who's been in the woods when these events occur will simply be amazed at the number of animals on the move. i ride a bike path almost daily, and never see any snakes. then in one day last fall, i sighted 5 large black rat snakes along the path, coinciding with a front. maybe next time, leave his fav perch uncleaned to keep his smell there, then clean it the next week.

[Julia]

My girlfriend has two frogs. One is a large leopard frog, at least several years old, and a year or so old peacock tree frog.

Tonight, both frogs were moved from their usual 29 gallon tank to the smaller temporary tank, while we cleaned the 29 gallon and all the things in it

I would advice leaving the tree frog in a separate tank. Mixing species is unhealthy. The frogs are slowly poisoning each other with the toxins in their secretions. If you already have two tanks, then why make them suffer?

For more information on the ill effects of mixing species use the search option at the top of the page and type in "mixing species."

Good luck with your frogs.