Question about juvenile tomato frog color

[Firebelly]

Today I purchased a juvenile tomato frog from a woman who needed to rehome some of her frogs. In the pictures she sent via email, the frog was bright gold, with gray arms and belly. When I received the frog today it was dark brown on it's belly and arms, and more of a dull ochre than gold. Here's a pic (sorry about the poor quality, I had to take it with the old camera I have at work, but the colors are accurate):


I know that tomato frogs become more brown when they're stressed. I'm just worried because it's so much "uglier" (in quotes because of course I still think it's cute) than the pictures. I'm wondering if it's gonna stay like this, or if it will get some of it's brightness back with time and adjustment to it's new home? Also, if it stays dull like this will it effect how red it will get in adulthood?

I'm gonna be setting up a new vivarium for it, and I just want it to be happy. Thanks for your help!

[tylototriton]

Juvenile Dyscophus are always duller in color than the adults. Most likely the color change you witnessed is due to stress and should reverse when the animal becomes acclimated. To get a "redder" adult you can try feeding your crickets and other food insects food that contains carotenoids. Sometimes you can buy food that is "color boosting", which will usually contain carotenoids (really common with fish food), or try feeding the crickets things like carrots or other "red" foods.

Best of Luck,
Alex

[Kurt]

Gold tomato frogs are males, females are red.

[Firebelly]

It just must have been stressed out from the transport, it's been sitting at home for a little bit and it's back to being yellow and gray instead of gross brown. I'll post a pic soon!

[Firebelly]

Well, it's brown again today. It was like that when I got up, and there was one cricket in it's enclosure that it didn't eat so I thought that might be stressing it out. I removed the offending cricket, but when I checked on it over lunch it was still brown. My new guess is that it feels unprotected in the cage it's in now, and will stay brown till it gets dark in the room it's in. That seemed to be what happened yesterday, after the lights went out it went back to it's normal color. We'll see! I'm gonna make it's tank up today, so hopefully it will stop being stressed once it feels safe and sound in the vivarium.